Murder Uncorked by Maddie Day is the first in a new series! I have read Maddie Day's other series and was excited to try another one out! This one takes place in California at a wine bar in Sonoma County. It was a good start to a new series, but felt like some of the characters needed to be rounded out more. I thought the mystery itself was good, but dragged in parts and the conclusion was okay. I would definitely check out more in the series though and really enjoyed the main character.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

The first in a new cozy series from the author of the Country Story mystery series. This one centers around CeCe, a recently widowed single mom who has moved to California to manage a wine bar. She stumbles into a murder investigation and must investigate to clear her name.

This style is very reminiscent of Day’s other mysteries. If you are a fan of the Country Store mysteries, you are sure to be a fan of this new series!

This is a solid mystery and it would have been the excellent start of a new cozy series but Cece is a bit repetitive and tells the same information a lot of times
Will try the next
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I’ve read other books by Maddie Day/Edith Maxwell and really enjoyed them, but Murder Uncorked just wasn’t doing it for me. The two biggest reasons were how much the main character, Cece, continually repeats information about the suspects and various clues (although it’s always done in cozies, this was over done), and how she droned on about various subjects, including why she decided to eat what she does. I didn’t feel like it added to the story or helped us get to know Cece better. It felt more like the author needed to vent about how many horrible things are happening in the world. And I get that, one hundred percent. The world is not prospering, but when I read fiction, I want to escape a lot more than this book allowed me to.

The other thing that I really had a problem with was how many times Cece decided to withhold information from the police. Once again, this often happens in cozies, but all the times she did it really seemed excessive… and to not tell the police you had been in a hit and run! And to go along with withholding information, is how many times she was going to do something or look something up for the case, and then she would put it off. I know it was to prolong the story/drama, but I just found it annoying after a bit.

I did appreciate the older main character, the location, the wine tasting, and the relationship between Cece and her daughter and between Cece and her twin, but I don’t know if that is enough to keep me reading the series.

I first met CeCe Barton as part of the "Christmas Mittens Murder" three-story collection that also feature Lee Hollis and Liz Ireland. I liked CeCe then and was delighted to have the chance to get a sneak peek at her true debut. I do wonder, however, if those who didn't read an early copy of the Christmas collection might be confused by references to CeCe helping solve a previous murder in that books collection. That said, the author does her usual excellent job of introducing the characters and setting, in the process doing an excellent job bringing out the vibe of California's wine country. The characters are diverse, including in age. For instance, CeCe's neighbor is a 90-year old who keeps his fabulous garden up as well as urging CeCe to pursue her dream of writing. A former journalist, he offers her the use of his writing nook, so to speak.

As with any new series, it was slightly slow to evolve as we met the characters, some of whom sound like, well, real characters. Perhaps the most important in CeCe's life is her twin sister, Allie, who is married and has twins with very different personalities. CeCe's relationship with her own daughter is distant although one gets hints that they may find common ground in the future. There's also a hint of possible romance, so keep your ears (eyes?) tuned for that as the series evolves.

I won't detail the plot as others will have done a far better job than I can. I'll simply say there were quite a few suspects given the victim's unlikable personality. Heck, the detective in charge even gives CeCee a long look as a suspect based on her less than harmonious business dealings with him, Victor. This sense of being watched as a suspect is ultimately what drives CeCe to investigate. Unfortunately, although she shows common sense and caution, you know it's inevitable she'll find herself in danger. It was interesting to see CeCe's relationship with Detective Sgt. Kelly Daniell, by the way, and brought Daniell to life as a real person, not just another detective for the amateur sleuth to square off against. That is one of this author's main strengths, creating well-rounded characters that add to the equally well-crafted plot. I'm going to be curious to see how this relationship grows...or doesn't. If you're like me, you'll find yourself quickly being hooked on the story and wanting to know more about CeCe's small town and friends.

Bottom line, as I looked back after finishing up, I had to admire how cleverly the author wove clues into the story, both of guilt and innocence, while doing all the necessary background reveals that make a new series work. I think I was as invested in getting to know the characters and backstories as I was in figuring out the murderer. Thanks #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks - #KensingtonCozies for reintroducing me to CeCe, who I'd found intriguing in the Christmas story collection. I'll be looking forward to following her adventure in California's wine country.

Cecelia 'Cece' Barton and her twin sister, Alicia 'Allie' Halstead, both live in Colinas, California. Allie is a successful real estate agent and B&B owner while Cece has run the Vino y Vida wine bar since she solved the murder of its last owner and moved from Pasadena at the end of the previous year.

When one of her patrons, with whom Cece had exchanged angry emails regarding a business dispute, is found dead, Cece finds herself high on the local police department's suspect list. At the same time her sister is once again matchmaking, this time with her handsome and secretive new B&B long term resident, but Cece doesn't need the complications of a new relationship as she tries to clear her name, does she? With clues beginning to emerge identifying a number of suspects, Cece finds herself in danger as it becomes clear one of them has no hesitation in killing again.

This is the first novel in Maddie Day's new cosy series but Cece and Allie were introduced in the September released multi-author festive Christmas Scarf Murder short story book. That murder is mentioned but without spoilers and this obviously introduces all the main protagonists in far more detail. I enjoyed this very much, fell for a few red herrings, and liked spending time with Cece and her insatiable curiosity!

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Kensington Cozies, but the opinions expressed are my own. I enjoyed this, and look forward to reading more in the series very soon.

I adored this cozy mystery! The group of characters were fantastic, and I loved the setting. I enjoyed the plot twists and the mystery. It was well paced and well written!

I had previously read Maddie Day’s Counrty Store cozy mysteries, so I was thrilled to see she was starting a new series. Cece Barton is a 42 year old widow starting over in a small town in the Alexander Valley wine region. She is moving there to run a wine bar and be closer to her twin sister Allie and her estranged daughter Zoe who is in college at UC Davis. When the head of a local business association is murdered, Cece ends up as one of the suspects. Of course, she starts asking questions, and that puts her in the line of fire for the real killer. Overall, I enjoyed this cozy mystery, but there were a few areas that kept this from being a five star read. First, I had a real hard time keeping up with all of the characters. We are introduced to her family, a lot of friends and potential suspects, and it was really hard to remember who everyone was. I assume that many of these folks will be potential suspects in future mysteries, that the intrepid Cece will have to solve. Overall, I enjoyed the setting, the relationship between Cece and her sister and the fun mystery. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

#Murder Uncorked is the first in a new series by popular author Maddie Day. In the book Cece Barton has moved to wine country in north California to take a job managing a wine bar and live near her twin Allie. This book get right into the story and the mystery so I honestly felt I had an advantage by reading the novella that sets up Cece's move and gives you more insight into her background in the anthology Christmas Murder Mittens. When the story open Cece observes a large, loud confrontation between two men in her wine bar, while trying to decide if she should step in, she realizes the argument is between the complex manager of the historic district that houses her wine bar and a representative of a local winery owner's group that has been try to get her to host a large group event for free. She has been having a hard time getting the man to take no for an answer but had only dealt with him by phone or email so she decides to stay out of it. The next day he is dead. With the mail trail Cece gets a visit from the police and so it begins, who wanted Vincent dead? There is a long list of potential candidates, Vincent was not well liked.I really enjoyed the setting here, the characters are really wonderful. I have to admit there are a couple things about Cece I find a little annoying, things I don't usually see in Ms Day's work. The first is the constant self doubt and questioning Cece seems to have in her decision making and the second is the information withheld from the authorities. If someone aimed a truck a my bike and took me down, especially if I has witnesses I would call the police. Overall this was an enjoyable read and I hope Cece conquers some of these first book growing pains. I am definitely looking forward to the next book. Thank you to #NetGalley and #KensingtonCozies for a chance to read.

This is the first in a new series by one of my favorite authors, Maddie Day. Cece Barton was first introduced to us in Christmas Mittens Murder and takes place in the California wine country. Cece has recently moved to Colinas, California to manage a wine bar and to be nearer her twin sister. When a man that Cece was having a minor dispute with is found dead, which puts Cece on the suspect list, she decided to investigate. A cute cozy with great characters set in a beautiful location. I highly recommend reading Murder Uncorked.

This is the first full-length novel in Maddie Day’s new series. I recommend reading the novella in Christmas Mitten Murder since it provides some essential background information about Cece Barton and her decision to move to Colinas. This book suffers at times from the “first book in a series syndrome.” There is a lot of necessary exposition and world building in this novel. The main flaw is Cece herself. I like her better when she is interacting with her sister and nephews. Unfortunately, Day has become a bit preachy at times in her novels and this novel is no exception.

Murder Uncorked is the debut Cece Barton Mystery written by Maddie Day, a prolific cozy mystery writer whose books have entertained me for the last few years. Set in California wine country, the background is exciting and educational, offering a wonderful setting that soothes as it whets the appetite for murder and drama. Cece is a mother, just over 40 years old, and widowed. There's a mystery with her husband's death but we don't know it yet. And her daughter, Zoe, and Cece are a bit disconnected, but there is hope for the future. In this installment, we get to know her friends, an eclectic and diverse cast of characters who grow on you over the course of the book. While the mystery is easy to solve, it does provide strong character development, letting readers get to know Cece's neighbors, colleagues, and friends, not to mention the hunky guy who takes her on a date while she's crime solving. Looking forward to more to come.

A new series by Maddie Day features Cece Barton, the manager of Vino y Vida wine bar in California. It's tourist season and this is a busy time at the wine bar, but when someone is murdered, Cece resists getting involved, but then can't help herself. With the aid of her twin sister, bed and breakfast owner Allie Halstead, they poke around until someone gets nervous and threatens them. The setting for the book is lovely and it could be an interesting new series. I think the police in town are portrayed as slightly incompetent, but hopefully that will change in future books.

I received a free copy from the publisher through Netgalley and I voluntarily reviewed it.

I really like this author's Country Story Mystery series and I was excited when I heard of this new series. Murder Uncorked is the first book in this new series set in California, where main character Cece runs a wine bar. I think this is the first cozy mystery I read that takes place in California and I felt the setting and store made for a different vibe than her other series, but Maddie Day's writing style is the same and I could get easily sucked into the story. I read the prequel story in Christmas Mittens Murders before starting this book, so I was already a bit familiar with the characters.

I liked Cece as a main character, she's smart and capable. It made sense how she got involved and I liked how she went about it in a smart way and took the danger seriously. Even though that doesn't stop her from investigating I liked how she took the threat seriously and tried to be smart about things.

I liked reading about her relationship with her twin Allie, they are quite close and I haven't read many cozies with a close sister dynamic. Allie's sons also made some appearances and it was fun to see how Cece was an aunt to them. Cece also has a daughter who is studying at a university nearby, but their relationship is a bit difficult at the moment and she tries to improve that. Cece also has some good friends, like restaurant owner Ko and the couple Henry and Eddie. She also interacts with her older neighbor. And there is a possible love interest in Benjamin. They all made numerous appearances in the book and I liked she had such good friends around her. It was fun reading about all the character and seeing them interact.

The daily life and the cosy vibe of it all really worked for me and is one of the aspects I liked about Maddie Day's country store mystery series as well. I already feel like I've gotten to know the characters and I look forward to spending more time with them in the next book.

The mystery was a solid one and I liked seeing how things progressed throughout the book. It didn't keep me guessing too much though due to some important clues not coming to light later on. And when some clues came to light it felt quite obvious who the killer was. There is a lot of Cece asking questions and some characters involved to the mystery she gets to know. One of the suspects got ruled out in an unusual way, which was interesting.

To summarize: Murder Uncorked is a great start to this new series by Maddie Day and I already look forward to the next one. I liked reading about main character Cece who was smart and capable. It made sense how she got involved and I liked how she tried to be smart about investigating, although she still gets in trouble. I liked reading about Cece's relationship with her twin Allie, I haven't read a lot of cozies with a close sister dynamic. Cece has some good friends around her as well as a possible love itnerest. The cozy vibe and reading about Cece's life was one of my favorite parts of this book. The mystery was a good one, but didn't keep me guessing as much. There were some important clues that only came to light late in the book and after that it was quite clear who the murderer was. I really enjoyed reading this book and I can't wait to read more about these characters in the next one!

Cece Barton is a widowed, single mother new to California wine country. She soon finds herself in the midst of a murder investigation. Using her own sleuthing skills, Cece must investigate the murder herself, all the while dealing with California wildfires all around her and a deputy sheriff on her heels. Well-written, entertaining, and fun, I highly recommend this book to all cozy mystery lovers out there. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced e-reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a first in a new series, Wine Bar Mystery, by Maddie Day. Cece Barton is the new manager of the local wine bar.
Cece finds herself involved in a murder investigation of a man that isn’t very nice. There is a large suspect list.

I found the story well-written, the characters engaging, and the promise of an interesting series wanting more.

I thank Netgalley for allowing me to read the book. I was given an advanced copy and am NOT required to leave a positive review.

I received this as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


This book definitely hits all the cozy marks: our FMC has a quirky job, small town, great food, side characters you wanna get to know, and cats!

What I didn't love was the fmc making obvious bad choices. Like, telling us repeatedly that she should text the cops & deciding not to. I hope that changes in future novels!

What I liked was the setting. I usually read cozies in the midwest or new England (don't ask why 🤷‍♀️) so reading about northern California was a treat! I also have a fondness for wine, so I loved seeing the field through Cece's eyes. She's also very environmentally conscious and reminded me of a friend's mom that brought back great memories.

I'd definitely recommend to anyone who likes a cozy, and is looking for something *not* set in a kitchen!

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC.

I am a big fan of Maddie Day cozy mysteries so I was really excited to see that she had another series on the way. I absolutely loved this book. I loved the character Cece and the storyline. So excited to read more.

As Much as I wanted to love this I just couldn't get into Murder Uncorked. Firstly, the cover is absolutely gorgeous and of course, I love a good title that goes with the plot. Secondly, the plot was pretty interesting, and just like any cozy mystery the main character Cece gets sucked into the case. The only thing I had a problem with is connecting with Cece, which is pretty important when you know this will be a Main character of the series.

This is the first book by Maddie Day I've read (I'm not sure why I'd never picked up one before!), and the first book in a new series seemed the logical place to begin. Perhaps it's always been true, or maybe I'm just noticing it more as a woman in my 50s, but it's nice to see more books centered around "mature" women without making them seem "old"!

While Cece Barton is officially introduced in a short story, it's possible to enjoy "Murder Uncorked" without reading it. This is a classic cozy with an amateur sleuth, small town, and possible love interest, but it's well done with interesting characters and several false leads. I look forward to following Cece's adventures in future books!

Thanks to Kensington Books for access to a digital ARC on NetGalley.