Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is the 10th book in the Cookbook Nook mystery series, I think this is one of the best. We’re back in Crystal Cove for an art festival, and one of the artists is murdered. When one of Jenna’s friends is accused, she goes into crime solving mode to help him. I highly recommend this book!

A trip back to Crystal Cove, California means it is festival time. The Fifth Annual Art and Wine Festival is kicking off with an art poster contest for the next event. Cookbook Nook and Café co-owner, Jenna, is one of the finalists out of several locals. Lots of events are planned around the artsy town, including in local businesses like the Cookbook Nook, for the long weekend. But it is marred by a murder when another contestant is found dead, killed by another artist's sharp tool and also had been poisoned. There had been several conflicts between him and others so there is a group of possible candidates to look at and of course, Jenna has to check them out. Local Police Chief Cinnamon is trying to keep her in line but Jenna and her friend, Bailey, does a little sleuthing to help out their friends. This is a fun addition with quirky, artsy folks, food and wine to taste during the festival activities. There are some interesting relationships that are previously unknown. Lots of surprises. Oh and Jenna and Rhett are trying to tie down a wedding venue.
I received a complimentary ARC from Beyond the Page Publishing and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed are mine only.

Wining and Dying by Daryl Wood Gerber is book #10 in the Cookbook Nook Mystery series. It can be read as a stand alone as the author gives enough backstory so you know what is happening.
In this addition, Crystal Cove is having an Art and Wine Festival and Jenna has a piece in the final judging. When one of the other finalists is found murdered Jenna knows she will have to do some sleuthing of her own since the evidence is building on one of her friends.
This easy to read Cozy has plenty of suspects and plot twists, a great setting, likeable characters, family, friendship, and romance. There are recipes included.
I was given an ARC by Beyond the Page Publishing via NetGalley for an honest review.

Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught!

I have read one other book in this series before picking up this one. I remember the other one being a good book but not something I would read again and had similar feelings about this one.

Jenna, owner of the Cookbook Nook and Café, is prepping for the fifth annual Art and Wine festival in the small town of Crystal Cove, CA. She is also a finalist among local artists for having her artwork featured on next year's festival poster. There are six other finalists, including an obnoxious narcissist named Quade who thinks he is better than everyone and menial chores of adulthood are beneath him. So when Quade winds up dead, no one really misses him, except several of Jenna's friends are accused as suspects so she again sleuths her way into whodunit.

There are a lot of characters in this book and even with the character guide in the beginning, I had trouble distinguishing who was who. Also, while I realize this book takes place at a wine festival, there is a LOT of drinking in this book. Seems like no one can do anything in it without having some wine with whatever they are doing. Just struck me as odd.

Jenna is a likeable enough protagonist but I don't find her to be someone I would like to revisit over and over, like some of the other cozy heroines. All in all, I enjoyed the book enough to give it four stars but I doubt I will be getting more books by this author any time soon.

What I Loved:

The Art. One of Jenna’s side passions that has cropped up in the series is a love of art, from oil painting to watercolors, and in Wining and Dying, we finally get to see her painting in earnest for a competition. While the murder victim Quade is the resident winning artist, I loved seeing Jenna, the character we have been rooting for for ten books, doing what she loves most. Also fun was meeting the other art contestants and learning more about the real artists that Gerber drops into the narrative (Diego Rivera, Roland David Smith), who I then immediately Googled. One of the fringe benefits of reading cozies is that they often throw in gems of knowledge like this, and Gerber is no exception.

The Murder. There is something to be said for the unlikeable murder victim. Agatha Christie was a huge proponent of the unlikeable murder victim, and every time I encounter one in cozies, I perk up a bit. I love how much it expands the suspect pool, and I love it when the narrative peels back the person’s life and backstory like an onion, leaving behind a still unlikeable, but more relatable character. Quade was the perfect example of this – an unlikeable, arrogant, moody artist who has deep-seated issues stemming from being an orphan and meeting his birth parents later in life. The suspect pool is limitless, and Quade’s death is as sensational as he was in life – forgery, theft, blackmail, oh my!

What Didn’t Work as Well:

Rhett and Jenna. I know it is just me, but Rhett and Jenna just don’t do it for me. They seem to live vastly separate lives – they literally have been engaged for months and have both been in major relationships, yet don’t want to live together until marriage? Whenever Jenna does something dumb in her quest to solve murders, Rhett “won’t let her out of his sight” but seems to be back at his restaurant within a day or two. Now the wedding is postponed, and while the scenes with Rhett and Jenna were cute, they were few and far in between. I hope that with more page time, I will “get” them more.

Jenna’s Reckless Abandon. This has been a pretty constant complaint throughout this series (and frankly most cozies), Jenna has basically no regard for her safety, her friend’s safety, or law enforcement. This isn’t a cozy series where the police are inept or cruel; Cinnamon the police chief is very good at her job and a great friend to Jenna. That is almost what makes it more infuriating when Jenna goes off to confront a killer with a quick call to the police, who she just hopes will follow closely behind. This is book ten of the series, and the tenth time Jenna has almost gotten herself or her friends killed by rushing headlong after murderers.

The art festival is under way and Jenna's art is in the running for an award, but when a contestant is killed she jumps into action trying to figure out what happened before a dear friend is caused heartbreak if the police arrest the wrong person. A great cozy mystery with a lot of meat on it's bones as there is multiple plots twisting together to make one incredible book. A fantastic setting, wonderful characters and intrigue all create the perfect book to entertain and delight you. This is an excellent series if you haven't already read the previous books you absolutely should!

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Beyond The Page Publishing, in return for an honest review. This is the 10th book in this series and can be read as a stand-alone. Jenna Hart, co-owner of The Cookbook Nook, is also a budding artist. She’s thrilled to be one of the finalists in her town’s 5th annual Art and Wine Festival to create the festival’s next poster. When a fellow finalist is killed after setting several people’s tempers on edge, Jenna realizes that she offers a unique perspective to help the police solve the crime. Certainly, there are lots of suspects to consider! Jenna’s also trying to plan her own wedding to Rhett when their wedding venue has to cancel, as well as manage her business.
This was an interesting book with lots of suspects and backstories. The author does a good job of building the story and keeping the characters clearly written for the audience. The ending was a good surprise and I look forward to the next in the series.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were perfectly suited for the story theme. Jenna and her friend, Bailey took the reader on many adventures. Having the festival over several days brought the reader along for all the activities which brought all the characters into the many parts of the story. The ending was brought to ahead with the realization of who had murdered Quade as well as telling the reader which direction the characters were going in their lives. I plan to read other books in this series as well as looking forward to the next one.

Thanking you NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for this ARC.

Wining and Dying by Daryl Wood Gerber, a Cookbook Nook Mystery, opens with the fifth annual Art and Wine Festival and Jenna is a finalist, as is Keller Landry, Chief Katie's husband. There is plenty going on, as you can imagine, with a gathering of vintners and artists. Plenty of personalities co-mingling. Including one really obnoxious, young man, Quade, who seems to think he is irresistible to Naomi. Sadly, Naomi doesn't agree. His painting disappears so he supplies another one for the judging...not exactly within the rules, but what can be done? If it's gone, it's gone. Then, he's murdered. Odd circumstances, too. Lying on a couch, naked, curled up and dead. Had he been dead when the owner of the bungalow had entered before and washed his dishes? One of many questions needing to be answered.

Jenna is curious. Is it because of what had happened with her husband? He was dead and then he wasn't, then he was. Her fiancé, Rhett, supported her need to know, but he worried. Her father, an ex-lawman, worried as well, but she stayed curious and kept searching. The Chief of Police and her good friend, Cinnamon, worried, too. She had a busy life, surrounded by friends. It is like going home to read another in this series. Gerber keeps coming up with intriguing plots and interesting peripheral characters to keep it all moving. Jenna and Rhett's wedding is coming soon. They've moved in together already. The babies of her best friends, Bailey and Kate, are healthy and entertaining. Is that in her future? A continuing story, my favorite. Gerber does it well, keeps all the balls in the air as she spins s new one. Good work!

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Wining and Dying by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #netgalley #wininganddying

Jenna is getting excited about the Crystal Cove annual Art and Wine festival where she is showing one of her own paintings. When an up and coming artist is murdered all the evidence points to one of Jenna’s friends.

To clear her friend Jenna will haft to start digging into the lives of other suspects including the mayor’s son, another art instructor and a guru who likes to stalk women.

Jenna will have to sort through the clues before she puts the killer behind bars while avoiding being the next victim.

I love this series. And always look forward to the next book to see what Jenna and her friends are up to!!

This is the 10th book in this popular cozy mystery series and one of my favorites in the series. Jenna and Cinnamon are back and working together on a complex sleuth that kept me guessing to conclusion.
Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity for review. My review opinions are my own.
I highly recommend this cozy mystery series for your reading enjoyment. Jenna is busy running her popular business "The Cookbook Nook" and planning her wedding. The Cookbook Nook is charming and a delightful store that sells cookbooks of all types and holds events.

The fifth annual Art and Wine Festival is a exciting event the entire town is excited for. Jenna has entered a contest to create a painting that will be the poster if she wins. She is surprised to be named one of the final artist to be considered. Another finalist named Quade is a obnoxious type everyone dislikes that ends up murdered. Jenna is on the case and even with her friend Cinnamon the chief telling her to not be involved she goes ahead as suspects abound and red herrings are many as her inquires continued to solve this case. With suspects in her sights, wedding plans that go from bad to worse and more clues then she can follow up on Jenna is on the right path to solving the murder.

I always enjoy returning to this wonderful cozy series. it has the perfect blend of great charcters and a well crafted sleuth. A very enjoyable next in series.

Crystal Cove, California is hosting its fifth
annual Art and Wine Festival.
Jenna Hart owns and runs the Cookbook
Nook with her Aunt Vera. Aunt Vera is a
quirky character that readers will love. She
has a great sense of humor and adds flavor
to the story.
The reader gets to tour the restaurants and
shops, while they enjoy the wine, food and art
along with the tourists and other towns folk.
Jenna is one of the seven amateur finalists in
the town’s art competition. All is going well until
one of the other amateur finalists is discovered
dead.
A well created cast of characters. Several of
the characters have interesting backstories
that will deepen the puzzling plot.
I enjoyed going to the Art and Wine Festival.
I found the story very informative about art,
artist, culinary cookbooks and Latin-themed
cookbooks
I savored the recipes included after the story
ended such as: Asparagus-Gruyere Tart,
Gluten-free Single Crust Dough, Chicken-Basil
Parmesan, Chipotle Dipping Sauce, Chocolate
Mint Muffins, Gluten-free Chocolate Mint Muffins,
Savory Shrimp Appetizer, Wine Cookies and
Gluten-free Thanks Wine Cookies.
Plus you will get to meet Tigger, the cat and Rook,
the Labrador retriever as they embark on living
together.
This is book # 10 in Cookbook Nook Mystery
series. It can be read as a stand alone as the
past and present mix together effortlessly.
I volunteered to read Wining and Dining.
Thanks to the Cozy Mystery Review Crew,
Net Gallery and Beyond the Page Publishing.
My opinion is voluntary and my own.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wining and Dying is book 10 in the Cookbook Nook Mystery series by Daryl Wood Gerber. The first chapter was a bit slow from introducing the characters and relationships in Crystal Cove. It really helps readers like me, who are newcomers to the series, catch up.

Crystal Cove is holding a wine and arts festival and Jenna is a finalist in the art competition. All is going well until until another contestant is murdered. When Jenna’s friend, Keller, is accused; she gets involved.

This was an interesting mystery with plenty of suspects. Every time I had it figured out, another person with a motive came to light. The atmosphere of the novel was very well done; I felt like I was there. The one fault in the book is that I felt bogged down by the lengthy descriptions of clothing worn by the various characters.

I tried a couple of recipes from the book and they were very tasty!

It was great going back to visit Crystal Cove to visit some of my favorite book characters. This was definitely a roller coaster ride of a mystery! There were all kinds of secrets, and I wasn't sure who could be trusted, except for the key characters, of course. I'm really enjoying that Jenna has made a good friend out of Pepper and even police chief Cinnamon. But Cinnamon always gets to get in her snarky comments, because it just wouldn't be the same without lol.

I was never sure until Jenna figured it out as to whodunit. And what a showdown! Luckily, the killer was outnumbered. All the pieces of the mystery either fell into place with an explanation or from the killer personally. I'm hoping the next book will be featuring a wedding!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Within the waves, in India ink, he had written a quote by Mahatma Gandhi:

“You must not lose faith in humanity.
Humanity is an ocean.
If a few drops of the ocean are dirty,
the ocean does not become dirty.”



The author has created a weak cozy mystery that spent too much time describing the clothing worn by the various characters rather than developing the mystery behind Quade’s (a character with a single name) murder.

Set in the seaside community of Crystal Cove on the Northern California coast. The small town is famous for its lying in the midst California’s wine making country and for being an artists’ colony in its own right. It was the week of the 5th annual Art and Wine Festival and at the end of day one Quades’s body had been found in his hotel room. It seemed that everybody was a suspect - both because the guilty party was not known and because everybody seemed to have a motive. Jenna Hart was the amateur sleuth; Cinnamon Pritchett was the Chief of Police. The question became could they work together to eliminate the innocent and stumble onto the guilty. Cinnamon did not think so, but it seemed that unplanned circumstances would force them to do so.

Beginning with chapter one, we are inundated with clothing descriptions - and it does not stop. Rarely when a new character comes on stage, the author has to take a sentence or two to describe their color and styles being worn by the newly arriving character. These descriptions may have lengthened the book, but they did not improve the plot for this reader. I did appreciate the way the author wove the names of actual artists into the story (e.g. Veraluz, Diego Rivera, and Roland David Smith) along with fictional ones. I found myself, more than once, seeking more about these real artists via Google as I read. I give the book four stars.
______________
This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

I do so enjoy spending time in Crystal Cove with Jenna and her family and friends. This time it's the fifth annual Art and Wine Festival and Jenna has entered the contest to create a painting that, if she wins first place, will represent the event as a poster. She's thrilled to be one of the finalists but one of the other finalists is a real nasty piece of work. Know only as Quade he has lots of talent and is a real jerk. When he tuns up dead on the sofa in his hotel suite it's not hard to find suspects. Jenna may be good friends with the Chief of Police but she is told to stay out of the way. Not going to happen and Jenna tries to find some answers.
As well as doing her own investigation she has to deal with a major glitch in her wedding plans. She and Rhett suddenly find themselves without a wedding venue. All on top of running the Cookbook Nook with the help of her wonderful aunt Vera and The Nook Cafe - it's a lot to juggle but Jenna is always up to the challenge. The killer will be unmasked.
Every book in this 10 book (so far) series is a well crafted puzzle filled with enough twists, turns and suspects to keep the reader guessing. The cast of characters has lots of depth and the setting is one that has me wishing I could go there for a long visit. As every cozy mystery worth reading has an assortment of animals/pets, the addition of Jenna's cat, Tigger and Rhett's dog Rook round out the cast. Whenever I pick up a mystery written by Daryl Wood Gerber I know I will read past my bedtime.
My thanks to the publisher Beyond the Page and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Another good addition to this series, as entertaining and well written as the others.
I was happy to catch up with the characters and the solid mystery kept me guessing.
Can't wait to read the next installment.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Wining and Dying is the tenth book in this series although it is my first to read. Jenna the owner of the Cookbook Nook is a featured artist in the art competition at the wine festival. After their last workshop, one of the artists is found dead. Jenna finds herself busy investigating to clear one of her friends.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and the characters. I look forward to reading more.

Wining and Dying by Daryl Wood Gerber is the 10th A Cookbook Nook Mystery. It is always a pleasure to visit Crystal Cove where Katie is sure to be whipping up a delectable treat for Jenna and her friends. Jenna Hart and Rhett Jackson are working with their wedding planner on their upcoming nuptials. The final touches are also being done on their new home. The characters are the backbone of this charming series. They are warm and friendly. I like how they have evolved since the beginning of the series. The author lets this engaging cast of characters continue to grow, but she has not rushed it (like the romance between Rhett and Jenna). I just love Jenna’s cat, Tigger (I have a weakness for ginger cats). There are plenty of cozy moments for readers to enjoy interspersed with the mystery. When a fellow artist is killed and a friend is framed, Jenna works to uncover the truth. There are several suspects along with good clues and a red herring. I liked piecing together the clues and solving this whodunit. I also enjoyed the suspenseful reveal. One of these days, Chief Cinnamon Pritchett will arrest Jenna out of pique. There were some great cookbook references including a couple for cookies (those are the ones I jotted down). I look forward to Jenna and Rhett’s wedding (hopefully in the next book). There are recipes at the end of the book including one for Katie’s wine cookies. Wining and Dying can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series, though, I think it is best read in order. Wining and Dying is a delightful tale with wonderful wines, pretty paintings, tasty treats, a departed painter, wedding woes, a curious cat, and a framed friend.