Two Witches Winery in Seneca Lake, New York is owned by the Ellington sisters. Norrie Ellington writes Hallmark movie screenplays and usually leaves the winery operations to her sister but has taken over temporarily.

All the vineyards around the lake are preparing for “Deck the Halls Around the Lake", where customers visit each Winery and leave with a souvenir. While all the preparations are going on in the 6 local wineries, someone is stealing and sabotaging their wine.

Norrie finds out that Arnold Mowen, owner of the company distributing the wine, will be attending the event. She's determined to talk to him about the thefts. After not seeing him on day one of the event, she comes across his dead body in her parking lot.

What is the connection between the thefts, sabotages & stolen wine and the murder of the wine distributor? It seems that Arnold Mowen valued money more than people so there's no shortage of suspects.

This was a good read, especially if you have wine knowledge.

#pinotredordead

Really enjoyed this book. Great plot and engaging, believe characters. I was drawn right into the story. Would definitely recommend.

The Two Witches Winery in Seneca Lake, New York, is joining in the seasonal “Deck the Halls Around the Lake” festivities but things aren't starting off on a good foot for the region. A Distribution truck was hijacked with several wineries production of Pinot Noir and the 2 witches has had it's production of Pinot sabotaged. Then the owner of the distribution company turns up dead apparently victim of a hunting accident. What more can happen?

Was it truly an accident or were the problems with the distributor and the Pinot issues connected? Can the Two Witches' Norrie Ellington save the regions reputation for a good Pinot or is the Pinot dead too?

Fun holiday twist with the wwine accents abounding! The characters continue to be fleshed out and grow more like fine wine!

I am plowing through this series this month and I have to say that this one is probably my favorite so far!

It's Christmas in November even in books! The wineries are putting on a Deck the Halls around the Lake festival of sorts and all was going well till Norrie finds their wine distributor dead between her winery and the Grey Egret, ran by her friends Theo and Don.

It could really be anyone's guess on who might have taken out the wine guy because he was not a nice man and was lowering the rates on the wine and everyone figured he was pocketing the extras. It also seems like everyone thinks they are going to be inheriting the wine business, from his girlfriend to some nuns! Yes, I said nuns. :)

Of course, Norrie can't leave well enough alone and thinks that because it was so close to her winery that she needs to put her nose in things. She still did some stupid things but it wasn't as bad as the previous too. I think what made this one so fun was the ending where we find out who the killer is and the antics that happened as it was at the reading of the will. It did not go how Norrie had it planned!

I wish I could say that Norrie is growing on me but she isn't really.(It's not enough to put me off though just doesn't make this a favorite series.)She doesn't think straight when she is trying to figure things out and when she gets in her head who she thinks it was she pushes it instead of going, huh maybe it wasn't him/her and move to next person. She just knows it's that person and it makes me roll my eyes...lol. I like the people she works with more, Cammy from the wine tasting is pretty cool. Fred and Emma that run the bistro and her winery friends Theo and Don.

Oh I also love Charlie the plot hound and Alvin the goat! :)

I think others might enjoy this series more than me so if it sounds fun give it a try.

Pinot Red or Dead? by J.C. Eaton is the third book in the Wine Trail Mystery series. Between holiday preparations at the winery and finishing her screenplay, Norrie has her hands full. She does not need the headaches of hijacked distributor trucks or sabotaged wine, but she gets those as well. When the owner of the wine distributing company is found dead near the winery, Norrie dives into the mystery. Even though I have no interest in wine, I like this series. The mystery kept me guessing until the end. Norrie is a strong character with some common sense. This series is always on my reading list.

It's holiday time on the finger lakes and it's the season for shopping and sampling some wines. The best of the reds is Pinot Noir but the Pinot is Pi-Not. With Deck the Halls right around the corner the last thing the wineries need is for their shipment to be stolen and the cask aged to be sabotaged. What cozy would be complete without the corpse. The owner of the wine distribution company is found, shot, and lying in the ditch between Two Witches and the Grey Egret. Then all the crazy starts with the reading of the will and it is one wild ride that truly ends in an Agatha Christie-like event. Norrie is even able to finish up her screenplay and get it to her agent. I am very interested to see which way the story goes in the next installment.

Pinot Red or Dead

by J. C. Eaton

Don’t you love it when a cozy mystery is as fun as you expected? Pinot Red or Dead by the husband/wife author team known as J.C. Eaton maintained my interest, kept me guessing, and put a smile on my face all the way through.

In the third mystery in this series, Norrie, a screenplay writer who is temporarily in charge of the family winery, becomes involved in yet another murder mystery as problems beset the Lake-to-Lake Wine Distributors which distributes wine for Norrie’s winery as well as the other wineries that surround Seneca Lake. Norrie is determined to discover the identity of the murderer. Is it the same person who is trying to drive prices of Pinot Noir sky high? In the process she gets to know Godfrey Klein, an entomologist. She tours a convent with him, ostensibly to observe his methods to eradicate through natural means an infestation of stinkbugs, but she has an ulterior motive. Her friends Don and Theo, owners of the neighboring Grey Egret Winery, play pivotal roles in this mystery. Look for theft, sabotage, and a very surprising ending.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Lyrical Underground (Kensington Press) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: #3 in the Wine Trail Mysteries, but works well as a standalone

Publication: March 26, 2019—Kensington (Lyrical Underground)

Memorable Lines:

And then the tears again. And the sobs. People handled grief differently and they went through all sorts of stages, but watching Lavettia Lawrence was like having a front seat at Wimbledon.

Delving into social media was like falling into a never-ending pit, but what choice did I have? If I could focus on Miller and Lavettia and not get sidetracked by cute kittens or craft projects I’d never make, I’d be okay.

In my mind, I was the epitome of “grace under pressure,” but Theo, who caught sight of me on his way to the restroom, later told me I looked like Hermione Granger after she fought off the troll.

Norrie Ellington would much rather be writing screenplays and dealing with romance.
However since she is covering management of a winery for her sister it seems she has become somewhat of a murder magnet.
This book takes place around the major holidays as well as hunting season. With people coming and going, besides the sounds of carols, there is the sound of gunshots on the breeze. When the first bit of disastrous news arrives, it concerns hijacking of red wine, followed shortly thereafter by tampering with wooden casks and security systems. Someone knows what they are doing.
Is this to raise the price of wine or to get their hands on a business?
When Norrie and dog pal discover a body, all bets are off and the crazies come crawling out of the corners, including a trio of nuns with motive. Add to that the most unusual will any attorney has ever heard of and you have a mystery with something new on every page to keep you guessing.
You will have a hard time putting this book down. Will Norrie ever find time to get back to her own script?
Brush up your own Nancy Drew skills and see if you can detect a murderer.

I love this series and so appreciate the humor that the authors have woven into the story ! This is always a fun read and this next in series does not disappoint . For those readers that do not know this is a husband and wife team writing this series.
Pinot Red or Dead? by J.C. Eaton is the third book of the The Wine Trail Mysteries series. I highly recommend the entire series for everyone that loves a good mystery.

Norrie Ellington is still in Upstate New York managing her sisters Two Witches Winery while her sister and her husband are on a job out of the country,. The wineries in the area are under attack and her winery is also vandalized. Norrie begins to investigate as she has already worked on two murder cases in her short time managing the winery.

This is a fun read and Norrie is a funny charcter. I appreciate the humor side to these mysteries. The sleuth was well crafted and kept me guessing to the end. I like that Norrie is now making her life at the winery and taking over the management for the long term. I look forward to many more book in this fun series. . The suspects and twists and turns to the mystery kept me turning pages and laughing into the late night. Very well done to this great husband an wife writing team.

It's always great to visit the Seneca Lake region of New York wine country. This is book 3 in the Wine Trail Mystery series and the books keep getting better. The Two Witch Winery is being sabotaged just like many of the wineries in the area. When the owner of the local distributor is found dead Norrie is sure he was murdered. As she investigates she uncovers some unsavory facts about some of the neighboring vineyard owners. Between writing her screen plays, getting ready for Christmas and solving the murder is keeping Norrie busy. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

f asked, all Norrie wants to do is finish the screen play her publisher is nagging about. Somehow, though, in the short time since she has taken over at the winery for her sister and brother-in-law, this is the second body - but at least this one is more on the neighboring vineyard's property. Not to mention that someone has vandalized the anticipated batches of pinot noir all along the wine trail.

Norrie uses all the tricks from her screen plays to prove her hunches, with the help, and a few words of caution from her friends. The winery staff have their own idiosyncracies, including the new assistant winemaker. The pace is good, with a bit of seasonal cheer and humor. If you like winery settings (I do!), then you'll enjoy a jaunt down the wine trail to catch the killer of the wine distributor.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

I enjoyed Pinot Red or Dead. I kind of thought I would because the cover was just charming to me.
I was not disappointed. I was left with some questions in the beginning because I've jumped into book 3 but mostly I was just
left wanting to read the previous books in the series.
The locale of a winery was intriguing to me. And the food that is described left me wanting recipes at the end.
I love a book that includes recipes this one did not.
The characters are fun. Norrie can't seem to help but sniff things out to find out who did it!
The early books 1 & 2 on on my TBR pile.

I received a complimentary copy.

Norrie Ellington finds another dead body before Thanksgiving!
Pinot Red or Dead? by J.C. Eaton is a tremendously hilarious book. Norrie Ellington is so funny that I was laughing each time I picked up the book to read it. There is a lot to love about this book especially the characters.

What I like:
• Written in the first-person with Norrie Ellington, our sleuth, being the narrator. I enjoy getting inside Norrie’s head and seeing how she figures things out, especially when it comes to the mystery. Or just regular day-to-day business about co-owning a winery with your sister.
• The community that Norrie is in, with her winery and the others is truly fabulous, especially when they help her solve the mysteries.
• Norrie is in a relationship with a lawyer.
• Despite Norrie trying to stay out of police business she just can’t help herself. Especially when it might lead to who the killer is.

What I don’t like:
The one thing that I didn’t like was that the sleuth forgot a vital clue from the very beginning of the story. I know not really all that important, but I thought it was.

Five Star
Pinot Red or Dead? by J.C. Eaton has a marvelous mystery, and this book is a great one to start this series for people just jumping right on in. I am giving it a five-star rating and recommending it to anyone that likes cozy mysteries and wine too.

Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness
Happy Reading!

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

If you would like to read more reviews like this one, please go to baronessbooktrove.com

Norrie Ellington is subbing for her sister and brother-in-law when he gets called out of the country on a bug-hunting mission. The Two Witches Winery has a talented and independent, capable crew and for the year her sister was to be gone, she figured she could continue her work as a screenwriter just as well in Penn Yan as New York City.

The area wineries are gearing up for the annual "Deck the Halls Around the Lake" celebration as the season turns to late autumn and Thanksgiving is around the corner. Then starts a high jacked load of Pinot Noir followed by their own Pinot Noir sabotaged. If that isn't enough, Norrie's Plott Hound, Charlie, finds a wallet that Norrie discovers leads to the body of the Lake-to-Lake Wine Distributors owner, Arnold Mowen.

As they prepare for the flood of holiday shoppers on the wine tour, Norrie is busy ferreting out clues. Apparently Mowen was not a beloved boss and few who was stuck with his distribution service were thrilled with his tactics, so there becomes a long list of suspects. There is no lack of well-developed characters, filling in a well-plotted device with humor, first person observations and discoveries. Norrie makes for a fun, flawed, and slightly neurotic protagonist, who is bound and determined to flush out the felon.

Mowen had instructed his attorney to read his will at Two Witches Winery at midnight twenty-nine days following his death. Tension builds toward the big reveal with more than one thinking they would inherit Mowen's money. With all the twists, loose threads are tied very neatly, but is it possible that Norrie decided on the culprit too soon?

The third in the series could well function as a standalone. I was given this ebook download by the publisher and NetGalley and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. Recommended for all who enjoy a well-paced cozy with a spritz of red wine.

See my full review at https://rosepointpublishing.com/2019/03/31/pinot-red-or-dead-by-j-c-eaton-blogtour-bookreview-giveaway/

3 stars
The newest book in the Wine Trail mysteries series. It is just okay. A decently written book but nothing special. A cozy mystery that is easily figured out. I typically love J.C. Eaton books but this one just didn't do much for me.
I will continue to read this author but not this series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

It wasn’t supposed to happen this way, but Norrie Ellington finds herself in charge of her family’s winery. It was supposed to be managed by her sister and her husband, but circumstances called them out of the country for a year. It’s up to Norrie to keep the business afloat in the small town in upstate New York.

When their wine distributor’s truck is hijacked and the pinot is stolen, things take an even more deadly turn when the owner of the distributing company is murdered. The police believe he’s the victim of a hunting accident, but Norrie suspects it goes much deeper than that. She’s determined to find out what really happened to the man.

I came in late to this series as this one is the third book in the series. However, I fell right into the action and didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything. The author gives some background info and the mystery itself is self-contained in this book. The storyline doesn’t carry through to each book. It’s a new one every time. I do want to read the first two books as I love seeing character growth from book to book.

The story moved at a nice pace. The characters are full of a life and interesting. The author gave us an intricate and explosive finale. Of course after I finished this book, I really wanted a glass of wine :)

Dollycas’s Thoughts

We return to Two Witches Winery in Seneca Lake, New York, right before the big holiday event Deck the Halls Around the Lake. This time pinot noir is the featured wine and someone wants to be sure there is a shortage of this fine vintage. Sabotaged barrels and stolen bottles are making local vintners amp up security and press for answers. Then their wine distributor in murdered. His body is found between Norrie’s winery and Don and Theo’s winery by her dog. The police try to play it off as a weird hunting accident but Norrie knows that isn’t the case. She again teams up with Don and Theo to save their wine and catch the killer.

Book 3 has Norrie’s sister and brother-in-law still in Costa Rica hunting down the rare insect but she is in contact with the head of their program in New York much more this time as he can get her into the places she needs to investigate. You see Mr. Arnold Mowen seems to have promised a lot of people he would bequeath all his worldly possessions to them upon his death. It seems someone couldn’t wait for that event to happen naturally. Some of those people reside in a place that is having a pest control problem and have called in an expert, Norrie’s new friend. Now she needs to find the evidence to tie either these individuals or one of her other suspects to not only the murder but the tampering and stealing of the pricey rare pinot noir.

Norrie continues to impress me, especially when she, Theo and Don mix themselves up in a police investigation. They dig into everything, no matter how far-fetched. Norrie puts herself out there too, where she could get in a lot of trouble. It is so much fun following her around, sometimes in circles to get to the truth.

J. C. Eaton had offset our regular characters this time with some really quirky characters. Lavettia Lawrence, the deceased girlfriend seems to think she has become Norrie’s new best friend and Norrie handles it with grace and uses it to her advantage too. But Lavettia is just one in a rather long list of suspects. The mystery had many components and twists too. Arnold’s will was crazy, not the craziest I have ever heard of but it was out there. It all leads up to a great reveal.

I have enjoyed all three escapes to the Two Witches Winery. The characters are well rounded and engaging, the location is somewhere I would love to actually visit and as a wine novice, I love learning something in every story. Pinot Red or Dead? was a cleverly written mystery with the perfect amounts intrigue and humor. I loved it and am looking forward to more books in this series.

For a sleuth procedural this has some strange methodologies, and a lot of it consists of a long wait. This, unfortunately, makes the book rather boring. The setting and the characters are very good, but the story needs structure and pace.

Norrie Ellington is a screenwriter and was suppose to be a silent partner in Two Witches Winery, her family’s winery on Seneca Lake in Penn Yan, New York. That is no longer the case. Her sister and brother-in-law are out of the country for a year and she is managing the vineyard. The holiday season is approaching and the annual ‘Deck the Halls around the Lake’ event is in the planning stages.

The wine community is shocked when a truck transporting cases of wine to the retailers is hijacked. They discover all of the Pinot Noir is stolen. Soon afterward they become aware of sabotage at the vineyards. Oak barrels that contain Pinot Noir waiting to be bottled are being damaged and tampered with. Why a shortage of Pinot Noir? Who would benefit? It appears the only one that would is their wine distributor, Arnold Mowen.

Norrie finds Arnold Mowen’s body face down in the snow in a ditch between Two Witches and the Grey Egret. The investigation begins. There are multiple people believing they would inherit Arnold Mowen’s business, Lake-to-Lake Wine Distributors. Throw in disgruntled customers and there’s no shortage of suspects.

This is a fast-paced, well-written story. Learn a little about the Finger Lake region and the winery business. Pick up the book, leave your troubles behind, and get away for a while.

I volunteered to read and review an ARC of this book provided by Lyrical Underground and NetGalley. These are my unsolicited opinions. I am not required to leave a favorable review.

This is a fast-paced, well-written story. Learn a little about the Finger Lake region and the winery business. Pick up the book, leave your troubles behind, and get away for awhile.

Cozy Vineyard Mystery in Upstate New York
This book is the third in a series, yet it stands alone well. The author gives just enough background on prior murders so the new reader is not lost and the longtime reader is not bored. There is not quite enough information given on the human characters or relationships for the new reader. The plot-line is great. There are plenty of suspects to consider. There are many red herrings. In fact, too many. Our heroine is constantly taking her theories to the police and doesn't seem to understand why they find her a nuisance. I got very tired of her flying off on a tangent because she is forcing the facts into fitting her theory – if there are any facts! I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.