I love cozy mysteries, and can look past a lot of cheesy things in the genre, but this one felt lackluster to me.
This is listed on Netgalley & Goodreads as the first book in a new mystery series. Yet the story kept referring back to events and a murder investigation that happened before this story takes place. That was kind of annoying - either it’s the first, or it’s not.

I’m not the biggest fan of first person POV in mysteries or thrillers because it takes away some of the suspense and the element of any real danger happening to the narrator.

I found a lot of the events to be eye roll inducing & completely unbelievable, which turned this from reading for enjoyment to now being read for a laugh. As an example:
Someone tried to break into Cece’s house at night. Her response was not to call the cops or investigate herself, but to sit on her couch and wait for the morning to come to then go check her door. I guess she doesn’t own a flashlight?

Tbh I didn’t care for Cece’s character and didn’t connect with her at all. Some of the side characters were alright, but it’s not enough to get me to read more of this series.

Thank you @Netgalley and @kensingtonbooks for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Posted to Instagram @rolandreviews - Nov 3, 2023
Posted to Goodreads @Katie&Roland - Nov 8, 2023

Okay, after every book I read by Maddie Day, I always say that I can’t love her more, yet here we are!

We are introduced to Cece who has relocated to wine country in California (wine anyone?!). Her twin sister runs a guest house that’s near by to her, which is one of the reasons she moved in the first place.

However, when a murder happens, both sisters suddenly become suspects and they’re pretty much in a race against time to clear both of their names!

I loved how much information was in there about wine, as I don’t drink wine often, so everything in there was pretty much new to me.

This gave me small town/cozy mystery vibes all in one.

I loved it so much and can’t wait for more from Cece Barton!

A beginning to a new cozy series with lots of potential to become a staple in most cozy collections. This story had all the elements that make a cozy great – an amateur sleuth starting over with a quirky job in a small town with delightful secondary characters filling out the cast. Cece Barton was a delight to get to know and I definitely want to keep reading to continue learning about her while watching her fumble through solving murders. The murder in this novel was a great opening case as it gave us time to get to know the citizens of Colinas while uncovering the clues that eventually lead to our killer. Overall, a great start to a new cozy series from an award winning writer.
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for early access to this title in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars
A nice beginning to a new contemporary cozy mystery series, this novel is for wine aficionados and includes a Northern Californian atmosphere. I enjoyed the wine bar scenes, both as informative tidbits and the fun social setting for the neighborhood (as well as the diner). Loved the Japanese restaurant descriptions too. The MC took longer to warm to than her family, friends, and new love interest, but she grows on you. There's a short story that introduces some characters that may be beneficial to read first as it is mentioned a few times, but you can read this book as a stand-alone. I'd like to see the relationship between the MC and her daughter improve in the next one and some additional development of the detectives as well. For cozy mystery fans

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Murder Uncorked
By Maddie Day
Kensington
October 24, 2023

Review by Cynthia Chow

Following the death of her less than faithful husband and the heartbreaking estrangement with her daughter, Cecelia “Cece” Barton moved to the wine-producing town of Colinas, California to pursue a new career as the manager of Wino y Vida Wine Bar. There she can also be near her fraternal twin sister Allie Halstead, the manager of a local Bed and Breakfast. During her usual shift Cece has the unpleasant privilege of serving Vincent Sardo, a member of the Vineyard Valley Association regional business group which is hosting an upcoming event. Almost as disturbing as the congenital condition that prevents him from having a sense of smell is his leering, sexist attitude, but not even those should have been enough to warrant his death.

Vincent Sardos’s body is found the next morning though, and with the cause of death uncertain Cece becomes an early suspect due to her having possibly served him his last drink. New suspects quickly arise with the arrival of his ex-ish wife, not to mention the suspicion that Vincent may have been embezzling from the VVA. Protective of her new life, the wine bar, and especially of the new community she has quickly grown to love, Cece begins to discreetly question those who may have had in interest in wanting Vincent dead. That still leaves time for her to enjoy vegetarian meals at Eddie’s restaurant next door and babysit for her twin sister’s own set of twin boys. Allie may also have a hand in helping to set Cece up with a hunky visiting accountant, and despite her assertions that she’s not yet ready to date she also can’t help but notice Ben Cohen’s appeal. Genetics, financial shenanigans, and predatory behavior all make for motives for murder in the tourist attracting community that celebrates both wine and cuisine.

The first of a new series, Cece Barton was earlier introduced in “Murderous Mittens,” one of the delightful stories included in the holiday anthology “Christmas Mittens Murder.” Then she was still living in Los Angeles and only visiting her sister for the holidays, just in time to solve a murder along with the help of the Local Foods Mystery series’ lead Cam Flaherty. Here Cece fully takes the lead in her queries, but she still must cope with her complicated personal issues. Allie’s twins being biracial and looking even more different from one another than Cece and Allie leads into compelling storylines, which could be explored even more in the future. While working for the State Department her late husband engaged in a series of affairs in every country, and his death by either accident or suicide left a wake of anger and resentment simmering between Cece and her daughter. Cece moved to Colinas in the hope that being closer to Zoe’s college would help to mend their relationship, but it may take a nearly fatal hit-and-run to finally bring them together. The setting of California’s wine valley allows for tense moments due to constant threat of wildfires along with tantalizing wine tastings, balancing the beauty of the area with danger. The author of numerous series under the names Maddie Day and Edith Maxwell creates another new mystery cozy that will have readers devouring the mix of romance, humor, and nature.

3.5 stars
Murder Uncorked is a good start to a new cozy mystery series set in the Alexander Valley wine country in California. The main character is Cece, who has relocated to the fictional town of Colinas to manage a wine bar in its historic district. Her twin sister, Allie, lives there and of course, that was a major reason the location and job appealed to Cece. Cece is 42 and widowed, but her marriage wasn’t a great one. Her daughter is in college a couple of hours away; their relationship isn’t a close one and Cece hopes to repair it now that she’s closer than LA.

When a murder occurs in town, Cece is one of the initial suspects because of some unpleasant business emails between her and the murder victim. So she turns into a bit of an amateur sleuth to clear her name.

I enjoyed all the wine talk and information along the way (not heavy-handed at all, it just naturally happens within the story) and a number of the local residents, especially her elderly neighbor. A possible romantic connection in the future is included. There were a lot of locals to keep track of, so that was a small issue, trying to keep straight who was who.

There’s a lovely author’s note at the beginning of the book that explains why she decided to set this new series in California wine country and the story behind some of the names she uses.

The story refers a few times to a previous case Cece helped solve, which confused me, since this is the first book in a new series. It turns out that Cece appeared in a short story/novella as part of a book called Christmas Mittens Murder. I just may try to read that book now!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Cozies for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book, although I am a bit late to it. I bounced between the ARC and the published audiobook, courtesy of my public library. The narrator, Linda Jones, did a good job with the various voices and accents. All opinions are my own.

Day's new series, about a wine bar manager turned amateur detective has everything you expect from a cozy mystery: A smart protagonist, quirky side characters, a handsome love interest, cats, and an intriguing mystery. It doesn't ask anyone to think too hard either. Regular cozy readers will drink this series up. (Sorry, couldn't resist the pun.)

I enjoyed the setting and the mystery, even if the killer was fairly obvious. As a heroine, Cece was 'okay'. I didn't love her, but I didn't hate her either.

Sadly, what knocked this book down to three stars for me was Day's insistence on injecting politics. I don't mind political commentary if done well (see my review for Yellowface). What I don't like is when the author shoehorns opinions without any subtlety or reason for existing. In cozy mysteries, dialogue is supposed to forward the story in some form, be it to reveal characterization, clues, etc. What was the point of having three (!) separate conversations about how Columbus Day should now be called Indigenous People's Day, other than to show that the heroine is politically correct and has an Indigenous friend? Especially when none of the three are especially subtle.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Three Stars.

A new and different job for a main character in a cool setting, I really liked the sisters whose lives were so different but they had that sisterly love thing down pretty well. The showdown was super exciting and I love what Cece did to that perp. She didn’t quite come away unhurt but she was in lots better shape than that killer. Wonder what kind of adventure she’ll get into next?

I voluntarily read and reviewed and ARC of this book provided by Kensington Cozies, and my opinions are my own.

This was my first book by this author. I loved the cozy setting in the book and I really liked how all of the characters were described. The murder mystery aspect was really well written and I definitely liked the overall book.

Murder Uncorked is book #1 in the Cecelia Barton Mystery series by Maddie Day.

I read the novella prior to this book, so I knew who CeCe was. I like the characters in this book and the setting. There are a lot of characters. It didn’t take long for the murder to take place and the investigation to start. This was an entertaining first book and I look forward to many more.

Thank you to the author, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Dollycas's Thoughts

Cece Barton was originally introduced in a novella as part of Christmas Mitten Murder.

Cece Barton is a widowed single mom. With her daughter away at college and their relationship struggling Cece has moved north to Colinas where her twin sister Allie Halstead owns a Bed and Breakfast. She is now the manager of Vino y Vida Wine Bar and is learning the politics regarding the local wine association. She is also experiencing her first Alexander Valley harvest and all it entails. The tourists are now flocking to the area too and a wildfire is getting closer and closer to Colinas.

When Vincent Sardo who works for the VVA, a regional group of vineyard owners, is murdered Cece finds herself at the top of the list of suspects because of a few terse emails and phone calls. New to the area Cece is going to need her sister's help to clear her name and catch the killer before she is forced to take up residence behind bars where they don't serve any wine.

____

We enter Cece Barton's life at an interesting time. She is trying to move on after her husband's death while her daughter is still dealing with her own grief and is not ready for her mother to make changes. Their relationship is a struggle. Cece is very close to her sister and is happy to have her nearby. She starts out a little less confident being new in town and being a murder suspect doesn't help but she gets stronger as the story continues. I enjoy the relationship she has with her sister and the relationship that is growing with her elderly neighbor, Richard. The relationship with her daughter is conflicted but is a work in progress. Ms. Day always creates characters that feel very true to life and leaves room for them to grow as the series continues. That again, is the case here in the first book of the Cece Barton Mysteries. I am invested and want to get to know them all better.

The victim in this story had made plenty of enemies and was just very unlikable so I had no problem with his death. The author plotted out this mystery so well with some admirable twists. One clue stuck in my head though that helped others fall into place faster for me than they did for Cece. That didn't take away from my excitement of the reveal and the showdown. The only thing that I wish Cece would have done differently would have been to trust the police more and report crucial events and pertinent information.

I do love the wine bar theme and the town of Colinas and all its happenings. The author always does an excellent job of setting the scene making it easy to visualize everything.

Murder Uncorked has set this series off to a grand start. While the murder mystery is wrapped up Cece's life in Colinas is just getting started. I am excited to see what Ms. Day has planned for her next.

Having read Maddie Day’s short novella The Murderous Mittens , I was anxious to read more about CeCe Barton and her twin sister . Readers do not need to read the novella first . The location is a great setting and Ms. Day creates a plot that is fun and easy to follow . There was some slow areas in the beginning but I look forward to the next CeCe mystery.

I just reviewed Murder Uncorked by Maddie Day. #MurderUncorked

I had such a blast reading this story. I finished it more than a week ago and I am still thinking about the story and the characters! I cannot wait for the next in the series already! I enjoyed the setting in California wine country but the wine references were not overwhelming to the character development or the mystery storyline. I like our main character, Cece, and learning about her family life and past. The author focused on her present life and didn't delve too deep into her past while also giving the reader the right amount of info to appreciate where she is. I felt she walked the line perfectly. The murder mystery was great and I was into it from the start. I enjoyed the interactions with Cece's Very Old Man neighbor and the detectives in the story. Looking forward to the next in the series!!

Murder Uncorked released on Tuesday so you can get it NOW! Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for my e-arc!

3.5 out of 5

MURDER UNCORKED is the first book in the brand-new Cece Barton Mystery series by Maddie Day. I so wanted to love this book since I’ve enjoyed the other series by the author. There are a lot of things going for it:
1) Location, location, location—Sonoma wine country!
2) Wine bar! Need I say more? Except I’d love to sit and sip at Vino y Vida!
3) Close sisters and great family dynamics, aside from a disgruntled college-aged daughter.
4) A protagonist who’s in her 40’s and is independent.
5) A mystery to puzzle over.

What didn’t work for me:
I didn’t need to be told that the protagonist, Cece, is a vegetarian / sometime pescatarian every time she consumed food (and she eats in almost every chapter!) Yes, the food mentioned sounds delicious and I wish there were some recipes included in the book, but mentioning her dietary lifestyle once would have been sufficient. The constant repeating pulled me from the story. Since I read an ARC of the book, perhaps it was cleaned up in final editing.

Without going into great detail, there was over-the-top telling (preachy) throughout the book pertaining to social issues. I appreciate when authors bring a spotlight to certain issues, but show me why it matters to the characters and maybe use it in the plot… and spread the issues out over the series instead dumped into one book.

Several things happened to Cece during her investigation, which would have had any logical person running to the police. Instead, she brushes the potentially dangerous incidents aside when, by reporting them, could have aided the police in capturing a killer.

Given that this is the first book in the series, I’ll give the next one a try and hope some of the quibbles I had with the first have been resolved. Cece and the gang have a lot going for them.

Murder Uncorked is the first book in the A Cece Barton Mystery series by Maddie Day.

Cece Barton is a widowed empty-nester who has moved from Pasadena to Colinas in the Alexander Valley. Cece wanted to be closer to her twin sister, Allie, and her nephews. Also, to be closer to her daughter, Zoe, a student at UC Davis. Cece manages a wine bar, Vino y Vida. One day, Cece’s customers, Benjamin and Vincent, are having an argument that is starting to get heated, and Cece is about ready to ask them to leave, but they stop, so Cece lets it go. The following day, Allie calls her sister to tell her that Vincent has been found dead in his apartment. A couple of hours later, there is a knock on Cece’s door, and she opens the door to see Detective Sgt. Kelly Daniell. Daniell is there to question Cece about heated emails Cece had recently exchanged with Vincent. Cece feels that she is a prime suspect in the murder of Vincent and decides to take it upon herself to make sure she isn’t arrested for murder. Cece starts asking questions around town, but she soon learns that maybe she has been asking the wrong people as a hit-and-run driver nearly injures her.

The story is well-written plotted, and moves at a nice pace. The characters are all interesting and believable. I hope to learn more about the differences that Zoe and her mother are experiencing in future books.

This story is an excellent start to a new series, and I look forward to the next book.

It’s the last Wednesday of October! That means it’s review time. I stuck with the cozy mystery genre for this month, mostly because I was too lazy to look for anything else. Murder Uncorked is the first novel (though there is a short story prequel) in a new series by Maddie Day and was released from Kensington Books yesterday (the 24th). As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s get to it.

Murder Uncorked follows Cece Barton as she moves to be closer to family and tries to settle in a small California wine country town. She’s kind of a suspect when a guy she’s been arguing with via email about business matters ends up dead. She’s only met him once, but she feels the need to clear her name. Toss in every cozy mystery stereotype (enthusiastic supporter of shenanigans, inept and exasperated detective, mysterious love interest, etc.) and you’ve got yourself a story.

If I’m being honest, the plot is super thin here. The obvious killer is the killer. There’s no real hiding it. The bank robbery thing that’s thrown in there to muddy things up is extremely awkward and not set up at all. It comes out of left field and just feels random and unnecessary. It made me cringe. Besides that, the plot is pretty standard and not all that entertaining.

Also, the pacing is rough. This is most obvious in the dialogue with the completely random and jarring changes of topic. All of these characters blurt things out like it’s a natural thing, and in real life, a few conversations might go that way, but not in books. The dialogue needs to flow naturally and convey information in a smooth manner. Just like the rest of the book should. But everything here is choppy and annoying and jars me out of the story.

The characters were all flat and did nothing to break free of their stereotypes. The attempted growth between Cece and her daughter is the most interesting thing in the book and it’s just emotional blackmail. I mean, seriously. Cece calls up her basically estranged grown ass daughter and is all like “I almost got killed because I keep putting myself in stupid situations. Feel bad for me and love me again.” And the daughter falls for it. There’s no actual growth despite what the story says. You can’t just put emotional blackmail in a book and call it character development. It’s gross. And none of the other characters are any better.

I have nothing nice to say about the writing either. A lot of the problems came from the poor quality of the writing. I don’t know if this book was just rushed to publication or what, but it really needed more edits.

Ultimately, Murder Uncorked was not worth reading. I know Maddie Day has another series, but I have zero desire to check it out. Hopefully it’s better than this one.

Overall, I gave it 2 out of 5 stars. One and a half, really. One because it got published so someone likes it and a half because I finished reading it. But unless you’re a fan of the author, I don’t recommend wasting your time with it.

If you enjoy a glass of wine and cozy mysteries by the fire this time of year, then cheers all around as the Edgar award-winning bestselling author Maddie Day launches Murder Uncorked, her first Cece Barton Mystery novel, set in Northern California’s beautiful wine country.

Cece, a widowed single mom with an estranged college-aged daughter, has recently moved to the fictional town of Colinas from Pasadena, where she is the new proprietor of Vino y Vida, the local wine bar. She has also moved to be closer to her innkeeper/real estate agent twin sister Allie, along with her smart and adorable twin nephews.

Just as she’s settling into her first busy harvest season in Sonoma County, frustration with the politics and leadership of the local wine association finds Cece in the middle of a murder investigation where she’s the prime suspect.

Day has a gift for seamlessly layering in clues to the murderer, all the while rounding out each of the characters and their relationships from Cece to her family and friends, making each feel real.

I enjoyed reading Maddie Day’s Murder Uncorked so much that after reading references to an earlier case, I was thrilled to discover that Cece Barton’s origin story novella Murderous Mittens was recently published with Lee Hollis and Lynn Calhoon. I loved that one too and can’t wait to read the next. Both books and a bottle of wine would make a perfect gift for your favorite cozy mystery lover, even if that’s you.

I recommend Murder Uncorked to cozy mystery fans. I received this Advance Reader’s copy of Murder by Degrees from Kensington Books, courtesy of NetGalley
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Order online or buy now at your favorite independent bookstore. Mine is Sellers Books and Art in Jim Thorpe, PA.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator had a nice, easy to listen to voice. Maddie Day is a great author and I usually love her books but this one didn’t feel the same. While it is only the true first in a series (there is a novella in part of a Christmas collection), I felt like the characters were flat and not as interesting as her typical books. Hopefully the next one will be more like I’m used to reading from her.

In this story Cece just moved to Sonoma County. I loved the setting for this book! Made me feel like I was back in California at a cozy winery. Cece is the manager of a wine bar and decides to help solve a murder. I liked the book but felt like things did not seem realistic. This book is also the first in the series but kept referring to a previous murder that Cece helped solve. I do not feel like the story was really a page turner for me. It is a cute murder mystery but felt like it could have been better.


Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ACR!

What a great start to a new series! Wine, small town, and murder...some of my favorite things.

Cece Barton is starting her life over in this small California town after the death of her husband. Her twin sister lives here, which made it a logical choice. Apparently, she is good at sleuthing since there are references to her solving a murder before. This is the first in the series, so I don't know if it is a spin-off from another series or if there are just references to her solving a previous murder.

I wasn't sure what to make of Cece at first. She seemed unsure of herself and perhaps a bit wishy-washy. However, as the book progressed, I watched her develop and become a little more self-assured. She has a great relationship with her sister but a rocky one with her daughter. However, they are both still grieving a loss, and sometimes, it is easier to take out your grief and anger on someone still living versus the deceased. However, I was glad to see that the relationship started back to somewhat normal by the end of the book.

I love it when despicable characters are axed in books. It is easier than dealing with a nasty attitude for a whole book. Not that there aren't other characters that provide tension throughout, but sometimes truly bad characters need to go. I started having a strong inclination as to who the killer might be a little over halfway through the book. I didn't know the why, but I just stumbled across a clue and thought it seemed likely. Glad to see I was right!

There is even a potential love interest for Cece, and I look forward to seeing where this relationship might go.

I think this will be a fun series, and I look forward to the next book. We give it 4 paws up.