***I received an advanced reader's copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Confession: wine themed cozy mysteries are my jam...or maybe my glass of wine! This first in the new Colorado Wine Mystery series is fun, with a very determined heroine who faces obstacles from day one of her new winery. When someone passes away on opening day, Parker Valentine has to find ways to keep her dream a reality. Some of the characters are facing dejection and sorrow in their lives, not to mention bad family dynamics.

Loved this!

Pretty good start to this new series. I didn’t know much about wine making in Colorado, so it was unique in that regard. The cast of characters were enjoyable too. I will read the next installment.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, which I voluntarily chose to review.

Loved this start to a cozy series set at a winery. It was nice to see a cozy set in an unqine sitting. The other kept me guessing all the way to the end.

Oh this cozy was DELIGHTFUL! I think this book will be enjoyed by a younger audience, as well as the typical reader for the cozy mystery genre. I loved all of the millennial references! This was just the perfect comfort read for fall, HIGHLY recommend!

Killer Chardonnay by Kate Lansing has Parker Valentine opening Vino Valentine in Boulder, Colorado. Parker is surprised when food and wine blogger, Gaskel Brown arrives for a tasting. His review could make or break her new venture. Gaskel tastes her chardonnay and does not seem to enjoy it. He then disappears into the restroom. When the critic fails to return, Parker finds him dead on the bathroom floor. Detective Eli Fuller, an old school chum, is on the case and it does not look good for Parker. Gaskel was poisoned which has #killerchardonnay trending online. Parker’s winery is in danger of closing if she cannot restore her reputation and prove she did not kill the critical critic. Killer Chardonnay is the debut of A Colorado Wine Mystery series. I found Killer Chardonnay to be nicely written with good pacing which made this lighthearted cozy mystery easy to read. Parker Valentine is a friendly and relatable main character with a passion for wine making. I liked her cat, Zin (Zinfandel is full name). There are a variety of secondary characters that include Parker’s parents, her brother, best friend, and a love interest or two. I liked the descriptions of Boulder and Parker’s winery, Vino Valentine. I could imagine the both from the author’s word imagery. It was interesting learning about the different wines and how they are made. I am amazed at the different flavor profiles that can be obtained from grapes (I could envision someone swirling a glass and taking a taste stating they could taste a hint of chocolate or pear with a hint of smokiness—you can tell I do not drink wine). The mystery had a variety of suspects along with misdirection. There was action as the killer attempted to warn off Parker and keep her from finding pertinent clues. The poison was unique, but I wish it had been harder to identify the guilty party. I could see Parker in my mind as she put together the final clue and identified the killer. There was a little too much romance for my taste plus I am never a fan of multiple of love interests. I prefer romantic relationships in cozies to develop slowly instead of instant passion like a romance novel. I would have preferred if the author had not used foul language in this story. There was some luscious food served in Killer Chardonnay. Recipes and wine pairings are included at the end of the book. Killer Chardonnay is a merry cozy mystery with a butchered blogger, wicked wines, a cute chef, social media madness, and a cunning killer.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this title.
What a pleasing, entertaining cozy mystery. Better written than most with interesting characters and lots of plot twists. Can't wait for the next.

I really enjoyed reading this first book in a new cozy series. Vino Valentine's opening day has arrived and Parker is excited to showcase her wines. When a local food blogger arrives she is nervous about his review. When he dies after tasting her wine she is worried about her new business. Even though the police are investigating she sets out to solve the murder and save her winery. I really enjoyed the wine and food background as well as the Boulder setting. The author does a very good job with capturing the Boulder flavor. The characters are interesting and I am looking for word to finding out more about them. There is a little romance. The mystery was good with lots of suspects and red herrings. I was able to solve it. I liked it that she worked with the police and did not keep her investigation to herself. It was a quick and easy read. Enjoy

Honestly I would feel weird giving a cozy mystery more than 3 stars, so don't take my typically harsh rating as a criticism! This was a very solid cozy with a good sense of place and details of the wine industry (nothing I hate more than inaccurate "details" about something I know) and a touch of romance... A lovely escape from heavier reads or a fun pick for vacation. I will definitely have a second glass! :)

The fine print: I was already behind and didn’t write reviews for a huge chunk of the pandemic, so anything I read from February-July was reviewed in August or later… hence the lack of details!

The Facts:

Title: Killer Chardonnay

Series: A Colorado Wine Mystery

Author: Kate Lansing

Publisher: Berkley

Format: Paperback and e-book, I read the ebook

Published: May 26, 2020

Read an excerpt: here

Buy It: Amazon Barnes Target Walmart

Summary so you understand what it’s about:

Parker Valentine, the owner of Vino Valentine, is finally going to see her dream become a reality. What she didn’t plan on is a couple arguing during the grand opening just as the local critic, Gaskel Brown, enters Parker’s brand new establishment. Chaos takes over the explanation of the wine-making process. Parker checks on the critic who becomes ill only to find him dead in her bathroom.

That surreal moment will determine if Parker’s business stands a chance of being open the next day. Detective Elli Fuller is on the case. It just so happens that Parker knows Fuller from high school. He was the kid who had a bad reputation. Apparently, he grew up.

During the investigation, it’s quickly learned that the critic was pretty hard on local businesses. So, there’s a good chance anyone he gave a bad review about their restaurant could have killed him.

Parker is not really sure why Moira Murphy and her husband, the owners of a competitive winery, are showing interest in her business, but they seem to be supportive. So that’s questionable. Parker’s friend, Sage, wonders if one of the guests from the recent-graduates table at the grand opening has anything to do with Brown’s death. She told Parker that he was acting strange. Sage’s boyfriend, Jason, also noticed that Max was nervous. Shortly after, Parker’s life is threatened, her brother’s property is stolen, and her business is all over social media. That isn’t the kind of promotion you need to succeed.

The “Colorado Wine” Mysteries series is one I’m going to follow. I loved it from the beginning. The story moved along quickly and the characters had a personality you love. Parker is young and yet determined to follow her dream in being an entrepreneur. It’s no easy task to develop wine when the competition is fierce. There were numerous suspects in this story, any one of them had the motive, means and opportunity to kill the food critic. It was interesting who it really was. Loved that two men cared about Parker, but who will she come to love?

four bottles of Chautauqua Chardonnay out of five

Denise Fleischer

gottawritenetwork.wordpress.com

July 19, 2020

I requested and received an e-ARC of this book from Kate Lansing and Berkley Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Love, love, love pocket mystery books and this one did not disappoint! I had no idea who the killer was until the reveal and the story line kept me hooked the whole time, I did not want to put it down. I really loved the recipes at the back of the book and cannot wait to try them out.

One of Parker Valentine’s biggest dreams is to open her own winery. Where better to do that than her hometown of Boulder, Colorado? She’s more than a little nervous as she is also desperate to please her difficult parents.

Opening day has arrived, but things take a nasty turn when a famous food and wine critic shows up unexpectedly. He doesn’t seem to be thrilled with her wine and that’s no way to start off her new business. Things really turn into a nightmare when the critic suddenly dies after drinking her wine.

The gossips are out in full force when #killerchardonnay starts trending. Parker’s clientele is almost non-existent and the police turn their investigation on her. The town thinks they have a killer in their midst.

Parker takes it upon herself to do some investigating and find out who the real killer is, despite the police telling her to butt out.

I loved, loved, loved this one! It’s the first in a brand new cozy mystery series, A Colorado Wine Mystery and it’s off to a wonderful start. It’s so much fun to get in on a series right from the start.

The characters are well-written and well-developed. Parker is an ambitious, likeable amateur sleuth, surrounded with a strong supporting cast. I feel like I’m part of their group already :)

It’s a fast-paced mystery which kept me guessing until the end. I thought I knew who did it but I was so wrong and happy to be wrong. There’s an exciting finale to wrap everything up. I’m really looking forward to the next book in the series. Yes, I wanted wine with every page I turned! Great start!

This is one of those books I would have rated higher than five if I rated books higher than five :)

Vino Valentine is the culmination of Parker Valentine’s dreams. Opening day for her winery is crucial to the long-term success of her dream, and she’s planned well for this. Unfortunately, things go astray when a well-known food and wine critic shows up and drops dead after a taste of her chardonnay. Now, hashtag KILLER CHARDONNAY is trending, and it looks like Parker’s dream may be dying from the start. Can she uncover who the murderer is in time to save Vino Valentine and her dream?

Parker is a great heroine and I love her ambition and willingness to pursue her dream. She put in a lot of labor and love into Vino Valentine, and readers can’t help but cheer her success on even as her business appears to be crashing and burning from the start. However, I have to admit that I have a soft spot for her brother, Liam, despite his seemingly inability to follow any sort of real career path. He’s loyal to his sister and his family, however, and I love the direction Kate Lansing is taking with him.

KILLER CHARDONNAY is the first book in the Colorado Wine Mystery series and is a fun start to the series. Kate Lansing has created a delightful cast of characters coupled with some scrumptious sounding wines and foods. There’s a potential love triangle brewing, and it will be interesting to see what direction Kate Lansing takes us as Parker encounters more murders (after all, she’s a cozy mystery heroine lol). KILLER CHARDONNAY is a spectacular first start and, begging your pardon for the pun, a killer start to the series! I look forward to the next installment.

*review is in the editing queue at Fresh Fiction*

I was worried that this would be a cookie cutter cozy, but was pleasantly surprised. The main character, Parker Valentine, is driven to figure out who poisoned a food reviewer in her winery on its opening day in order to save her business. She is determined and smart as she asks questions and refuses to stop investigating, even when the detective on the case warns her to leave it to him

The solution comes in a bit of a rush, and I was expecting a more drawn out unravelling at the end - until I realized that I was 90% of the way through the book and still had no idea who the killer was.

Overall, this is a solid start to a new series, and I'm looking forward to reading the next one.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

Killer Chardonnay is the first book in the new series, A Colorado Wine Mystery, by Kate Lansing. I must say, I was engaged quickly and the story kept my interest until the very end. It had many components which I value in a cozy mystery -> engaging characters, a murder with a cornucopia of suspects, sufficient twists and turns to keep this reader guessing until the very end and finally a budding romantic connection (?) – to be explored in subsequent books further ☺

To set the stage for writing this review, I am sitting at my desk with a glass of Chardonnay Riesling, once again reviewing the notes I took while reading this engaging tale.

The story begins with Parker Valentine arranging open bottles of wine behind the countertop in her very own winery, Vino Valentine. It is opening day and I love the enthusiasm that Anita (Parker’s assistant) exudes. While Parker is full of nervous energy and doubting that anyone will even show up to the opening, Anita states:

“People are going to flock here like internet junkies to viral kitten videos. I mean, look at this place.”

And then Parker open’s:

“The sign on the door is made of varnished oak and features a design of clinking glasses. It’s heavy with importance as I flip it from closed to open. And nothing happens. There’s no great tilt to the universe, no angelic chorus overhead, no stampede to get trampled in.”

Shortly upon opening, customers arrive. First, Parker’s best friend Sage and her live-in boyfriend Jason. Then a group of college-age guys and then a couple – who over time begin to bicker and cause a scene (turns out to be Murphy’s Bend Vineyards owners Moira Murphy and her husband). Liam (Parker’s brother) arrives along with friend Reid Wallace (turns out to be a chef hoping to open his own restaurant). During this time another customer walks in – a stocky built man – who looked familiar to Parker – one Gaskel Brown, a critic who has a food and wine blog. This could be good! And then it wasn’t. Turns out the first wine he tasted (Chautauqua Chardonnay) was a killer! I expect this is certainly not the grand opening that Parker envisioned.

The police arrive on the scene and low and behold, the detective attending the death is Eli Fuller – a renowned stoner from high school. And what would a good cozy be without an animal? Zin is Parker’s cat and quite the character.

There are many story-lines that come into play and muddy the waters. Some more interesting that others, but they certainly provide distraction from the real killer. And of course, the start of a romance, possibly? Even though it is well known that Liam’s friends are OFF limits to Parker. Oh well, maybe just this once?

Another feature of a good cozy (okay – in my mind) is how well the food is described. If my mouth waters, I am happy ☺.:

“Toasted flatbread slathered with hummus and slow-roasted garlic. Grilled jumbo shrimp marinated in mango chutney. Thinly sliced flank steak drizzled with chile verde. An Italian spin on ratatouille with basil, sun-dried tomatoes, and a balsamic glaze.”

One of the best things about this new addition to the cozy mystery genre is that I was kept guessing as to “whodunit” until the end. Just the way I like my cozy mysteries. I will eagerly anticipate the next addition to the Colorado Wine Mystery series by Kate Lansing.

4 Stars
Parker Valentine is about to see her dream come true. Her winery Vino Valentine, is opening its door. The wine is ready to flow, allowing Parker’s talent shine through grapes and fruits she blends. Opening day is not quite what Parker envisioned when a local food and wine critic unexpectedly stumbles into Vino Valentine. Not being too found of Parker’s Chardonnay, Mr. Critic doesn’t manage to stumble his way back out of the winery when he ends up dead on the floor. Creating the hashtag #killerchardonnay. Parker is caught in the middle of a hot mess as she instantly goes from a new business owner to one trying to save her business.
Parker rocks! I love how she approached everything that was happening around her. She was smooth, just like her wines. She could’ve fallen apart at many points in time yet she held her head high and made it her mission to get to the bottom of it. The descriptions of the wines alone make me wanna run to my local vineyard and see if I can find something even remotely close. I could totally see myself hanging out at the Vino Valentine. The mystery is well written. The story flows easy and just when you think you have it figured out, nope. Kate Lansing throws that twist that changes the game. The story flows so easily and the characters entertain and intrigue before you know it you have become fully invested in Parker. Killer Chardonnay is a mystery, with a good deal of suspense and a great heaping of romance added in. We all know I love the romance, Ms. Lansing blended it perfectly making it an enjoyable part of the story.
Killer Chardonnay is an easy lighthearted enjoyable cozy mystery that is just the beginning to what I’m sure is going to be a fantastic series.
The cat, Zin!!!! That cat, any cat owner will completely understand.

Let’s raise a glass of vino to Coloradan Kate Lansing’s Killer Chardonnay and Parker Valentine, an ambitious and talented vintner. Valentine’s first name is unisex but her career choice is not: in California, America’s premier wine region, only around 10 percent of winemakers are female. Parker has been obsessed with wine making since her year abroad in Florence, where she first encountered Chianti.

It was love at first sip. The complexity of the flavors and how a winemaker can manipulate them enthralled me.

My ever-observant aunt got me a winemaking kit for my twenty-first birthday and even offered up her garage as a space for me to prep it in. By the time my first batch of wine—a merlot I was probably a little too proud of—was complete, I was hooked.

Fast forward six years to the opening of Vino Valentine, Parker’s “own winery in her hometown of Boulder, Colorado.” Parker cherishes Boulder’s juxtaposition of urbanity and mountain majesty. Her decision to lease space in a modern shopping center in the “industrial part of North Boulder” makes perfect sense. Next door is a “trendy café” that pulls in the coffee-lovers and across the way is “a nursery with rows of shrubs laid out like a welcome mat to the rolling foothills.” Customers with a lot in common, she hopes.

The stage is set—unscented candles lit, “oak-barrel tables” scattered about, vineyard photos on the wall—but what if no one comes? Anita, Parker’s assistant, reassures her: “This is Colorado, the land of handcrafted concoctions, they’ll show.” First Parker’s BBF Sage arrives, and then her brother Liam with a friend, and suddenly Vino Valentine is filled with people enjoying her wares. Unfortunately, Parker can’t pat herself on the back because the proverbial merde hits the fan. A quarreling couple christens their argument with a tossed glass of red and then a “popular food and wine” blogger shows up, uninvited.

Gaskel Brown, the most reputable critic in the front range, is in my winery, at the exact moment chaos descends.

Why isn’t Parker thrilled? A rave review would launch her winery. Gaskel “is notoriously hard to please:” restaurants have gone out of business after a bad review from him. Parker settles down the quarreling couple, seats Gaskel at the bar (where he “pulls out the stool and wipes a fleck of nonexistent dust from the seat”) and pours him a glass of chardonnay.

My success or failure hinges on a glass of chardonnay. I’ve poured everything into opening my own winery—my savings account, the better part of my twenties, my social life. If this doesn’t pan out, I’m not sure who I am anymore. Just a wannabe entrepreneur with an overfondness for wine on the fast track to spinsterhood. I can’t blow this.

Gaskel “breathes in the aroma, a tiny crease forming between two rather bushy eyebrows,” and they discuss the fruity notes in the wine, but he doesn’t seem to like it. He tosses the rest of his glass into a vase of daisies and starts taking notes on his tablet. Parker offers him “the Mount Sanitas White or the Pearl Street Pinot,” but to no avail. Gaskel doesn’t notice that the names of Parker’s wine pay “homage to the locale.” He stands up, coughing and sweating, and heads to the bathroom. Parker initially resists snooping, but curiosity wins out: “The words sour, bitter, and amateur leap off the screen.” Parker ricochets between shame and the mantra, “taste is subjective,” but she’s worried when Gaskel doesn’t come back. She finds him on the floor of the bathroom, “vomit all over his face and starched shirt.” Dead.

The police arrive. She recognizes the detective, Eli Fuller, from high school. “The renowned stoner of the Boulder Cineplex” is now in law enforcement? Eli asks what wine Gaskel was drinking—Chautauqua Chardonnay—but when social media finds out what Gaskel was drinking, it’s dubbed #killerchardonnay. Parker learns the hard way that the adage, “all publicity is good publicity,” is not always true. In the aftermath of Gaskel’s death, few oenophiles stop by for a tasting.

Parker is a determined woman who refuses to walk away from her lifelong dream. She decides to host a VIP event, pairing her wines with the exquisite farm-to-table creations of Liam’s friend chef Reid Wallace. And track down the killer because the police say Gaskel was poisoned by aconitine, a plant-based poison, not her chardonnay. How hard can it be to suss out a murderer?

Kate Lansing will turn readers into Boulderites: obsessed with organic food, the perfect caffeinated drink, local brews and wines, and, of course, the views from every corner. Might they be tempted to try bouldering, Parker’s favorite recreation? After Parker’s dramatic and depressing opening day, she goes home to cuddle her rescue kitty, Zin (think Zinfandel), and seek refuge on her balcony.

Resting my forearms on the railing, I appreciate an unobstructed view of the Flatirons, the slanted rock formations that overlook Boulder. Under the pale moonlight, they look like giant slabs of stone being tugged in opposite directions, much like my life.

The first book in a new mystery series should set the stage for future stories and with Killer Chardonnay, Lansing succeeds admirably. Parker has a tight circle of friends, all with intriguing backstories and careers. Cat lovers, take note of Zin. Many twenty-somethings have lingering tensions with their parents and/or siblings—as does Parker. There’s a romantic interest, or in Parker’s case, two (the chef and the detective.). Readers will wonder what’s next for vintner Valentine. While they wait for the second Colorado Wine Mystery, they can try out tempting recipes and wine pairings like Mango Chutney and Shrimp paired with “a citrusy sauvignon blanc with herbal notes in the nose and tropical fruit on the palate.” Santé!

From Berkley Publishing Group comes the first book Killer Chardonnay in a new wine shop based cozy series, "A Colorado Wine Mystery."

Parker is a new business owner; she wants to make it on her own but wants her family's support. Problem is, her family doesn't seem interested, or so she thinks, other than her brother. Opening a business is taking everything she has, but she isn't sure if it's going to be enough. Having one of the least liked critics in the area die the first day she opens, doesn't bode well for the future. Social media has a new hashtag, and her business is in the middle of a storm that Parker may not recover from.

The characters in this debut novel are still growing, and that is an excellent way to start. Parker needs confidence in her skills and business know-how, but overall she has the quirks and personality to keep readers interested. I am not a fan of a love triangle, especially in the first book in a series, but hopefully, this will be resolved in book two and not dragged out over multiple books.

I had two issues with Killer Chardonnay. Number one, the police investigation. In real life, there is no way Parker would have been permitted to carry on with business if the police thought her business or products had anything to do with the death of a patron. Everything would have been confiscated, and the place closed down until the coroner makes a determination as to the cause of death: number two, the killer. I knew almost from the moment the murder happened the identity of the killer. When in the end, the motive is brought to light, it is not a surprise.

In general, this was a good first book in a series that holds great promise. The writing is very smooth and pretty much flawless. The setting is intriguing, and most of the characters are fun. The murder, although routine in many ways, is made fresh by the location. The suspects and there are plenty of them, all have good reason to kill the victim, and no one will feel any sympathy for him. I am happy to recommend this book.

Be prepared to read this book start to finish since Kate Lansing is expertly introducing the reader to a new town, new people, and an interesting education on wines and food pairings.

Parker Valentine has worked hard for this day, the day her dreams come true and the doors of Vino Valentine, a wine tasting room in Boulder, Colorado has opened. What she didn’t anticipate was much-despised food and wine critic Gaskel Brown dying after his first taste of her Chardonnay. Now with the speed of social media, and a trending hashtag, Parker needs to find the real killer before she must shut her doors for good.

Throughout this book, quite a few characters, love interests, and scenarios are thrown at the reader as Parker puts the pieces together, and if you are paying close attention, you might find the clue that has you tapping your chin and saying ‘aha”, but not to worry if you missed it since you gladly go where she is leading and each character does sound more interesting, and plausible, than the last.

I loved this new cozy mystery series! The atmosphere was wonderfully written with dynamic characters set in a cozy winery.

This book is COZY! Perfectly written, completely charming, absolutely wonderful. I loved the plot and the characters. It was so memorable! I can't wait to see what comes next from Kate Lansing.