Once again CeCe finds herself embroiled in a murder investigation with her twin and friends happily stepping in to assist. This book takes the series to a new level of greatness as the murder is particularly well written with twists, turns, red herrings and many suspects to choose from. As typical with this author, she makes the stories have more depth by adding in storylines for several characters to layer over and throughout the mystery to give the town, the people and the story more depth. The characters are realistically flawed to make them even more engaging and endearing so that you can connect with them and bring them more fully to life in your mind. I absolutely can't wait to come back to visit the wine bar and area again very soon!

EXCERPT: I followed her through the office door, clicking it shut behind me. Jo moved into the garage proper, and I stepped in behind her. She moved to one side. My hand flew to my mouth as a noisy breath rushed in.
A man lay face down. He was pinned under the lift, except it wasn't lifted at all. 'Pinned' wasn't the right word either. It was more like he'd been crushed. My brain was oddly keeping track of words. Words or not, this was murder. He couldn't have lain on the floor AND controlled the lever. The bouquet of the shop now included another smell, and it wasn't a pleasant one.
Dark stuff stained the floor under his head. That had to be blood. The thought roiled my stomach. But who was this guy? And why was he dead?

ABOUT 'DEADLY CRUSH': It’s the beginning of a new year, and for widowed single mom and recent L.A. transplant to California wine country, Cece Barton, that means green hillsides, flowing streams from winter rains, pruned vineyards—and a murder to solve . . .

After a mostly stress-free Christmas with her college-age daughter, and despite enjoying a current budding romance with fellow newcomer, Benjamin Cohen, it’s time for Cece to focus on Vino y Vida, the Colinas wine bar she manages. Electrical work and an outdoor security camera are needed, and she’s hired local electrician Karl Meier to do the job, along with the help of his nephew Ian. But she regrets her choice when she witnesses Karl needlessly berating Ian in her presence. On top of that, Karl leers at her, then presents her with an inflated bill before the work is complete.

Still, she’s shocked when she gets a call from Karl’s ex-wife, Josie, that she’s found Karl . . . crushed to death beneath the lift in her automotive shop. Cece convinces Josie to call the police, even though Josie is terrified. After all, Karl was an abusive husband, was threatening her, and she has no alibi.

With Josie’s future on the line, and maybe her own, Cece starts her own investigation. From the customers Karl cheated to the other women he harassed; she finds there’s no lack of suspects—other than the shelter kittens to whom he was an uncharacteristically sweet volunteer.

With a bouquet of motives and unanswered questions, Cece is going to need the help of her twin, Allie, who owns a nearby B & B, as she dives into Karl’s past—before the killer catches up with her, and the lights go out for good . . .

MY THOUGHTS: I read Deadly Crush, the second book in the Cece Barton Mysteries, as a stand-alone, not having read the first in the series and it worked just fine.

It seems that Cece has previously solved a murder in Colinas and so she is the ideal person to call for help when mechanic Jo finds a body in her workshop. The identity of the victim only makes more trouble for Jo, although there is no shortage of suspects for the man's murder - he was not well-liked and had a shady past.

I liked the way the author blended Cece's family, personal and business lives seamlessly into the narrative and how Cece could use the cover of her business to continue her investigation into the murder. But she always put her business first.

There are red herrings carefully laid, and a little suspense when it appears Cece is being followed.

I also enjoyed the character of Cece's sister, Allie, who jumps at the chance to help Cece investigate, unwittingly placing herself in danger.

I enjoyed this cosy-mystery. The plot is well developed as are the characters, and I didn't know who the murderer was until s/he was apprehended.

I will definitely be reading more books by this author.

⭐⭐⭐.7

#DeadlyCrush #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: Maddie Day is a pseudonym for Agatha Award-winning mystery author Edith Maxwell.

Edith was first recognized for her fiction writing at the age of nine.

She won the Pasadena Star News contest for her short story, “Viking Girl” and walked away with the prize money of $2.00!

So how did Edith go from being a nine-year-old award-winning fiction writer to the best-selling mystery author and sought-after speaker that she is today?

While writing has been a life-long craft, her fiction career took a few detours before she penned her many multi-setting crime capers. Constructing fictional worlds rich with passion, intrigue, and the true mystery of human behavior is what makes her happiest.

Edith lives in Amesbury, Massachusetts, but is originally a fourth-generation Californian. She has two grown sons and lives in an antique house with her beau and their sweet tabby cat, Martin. (Source: edithmaxwell.com)

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Kensington Publishing, Kensington Cozies, via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Deadly Crush by Maddie Day for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Maddie Day continues the Cece Barton mysteries in Deadly Crush. Cece is getting the lighting rewired in the wine bar she manager, Vino y Vida, but Karl the electrician over bills her and disses his nephew who is helping him. Karl's ex-wife who does the upkeep on Cene's classic car contacts her because Karl's body is discovered crushed under her car lift. Whodunit? There are too many locals who have beefs with Karl to make it easy for the cops. Meanwhile Cece is exploring her relationship with her new boyfriend. Excellent cozy.

Cece’s wine tasting business is doing well. She lives in the same town as her twin, Allie, the real estate maven and she has build a cadre of friends. Life is good. Then she gets the phone call from her mechanic friend Jo. There is a body in her repair shop and it is the electrician CeCe just used and to whom Jo had been married. As often is the case with cozies, the deceased is not a very nice person. His work is questionable, he is nasty to the people around him but he has one redeeming quality. He loves kitties and is very kind to them.

Right from the start, CeCe is convinced the killer is not Jo. So who committed the grisly crime. What CeCe is able to discover is how many people the victim wronged. There is quite a substantial list. They include everyone from relatives to real estate developers. They all have a reason to want Karl gone. Who did the deed?

As CeCe and Allie narrow down the suspects the actual killer confronts them. Help comes at just the right moment when another of the suspects turns up and foils the plot of the villain. It’s not a story filled with a lot of suspense or tension but it remains entertaining. Four purrs and one paw up.

Most books by Maddie Day have been enjoyable, but for some reason I cannot get into this series. It features a widowed woman managing a wine tasting bar at a vineyard. As much as I would like to enjoy this series, so far it has not grabbed me. Really 2.5 stara

Had Cece Barton known better, she would never have hired electrician Karl Meier to make repairs on her Northern California Vino y Vida wine bar. She was in dire straits though, and it was too late that she learned of Karl’s abrasive attitude and shoddy practices, not to mention his poor treatment of his nephew assistant. Her friend and mechanic Jo had warned Cece not to hire Karl, so it doesn’t look good when Jo tells Cece that Karl has just been crushed to death in her auto shop. The investigating sheriff’s department detective immediately suspects that Jo may have intentionally caused the accident that killed her ex-husband, which is why Cece decides to take matters into her own hands and once again investigate a murder.

Ever since the death of her husband, Cece has had a rocky relationship with her daughter Zoe. Now that she’s turned 21 though, Zoe has matured enough to want answers about her father and the reasons that he was forced out of his job in Japan and eventually divorced by her mother. All trails lead to a history of affairs on his part, which is also why Cece has only recently let down her guard enough to enter into a relationship with law enforcement consultant Benjamin Cohen. Karl seemed to have had his own acrimonious relationship with the women in his life, meaning that there’s a number of women with motives for wanting him dead. Angry former clients only add to the list of suspects, which means that Cece will be busy as she “helps” the Sonoma County investigators, who themselves seem to be battling over law enforcement territory.

This second in the series, spun off from a short story novella, continues to explore the fascinating relationships and bonds between twins. Cece first came to Sonoma County to be near her fraternal twin sister Allie, who is herself the mother of adorable twin boys. Wine country and the business of wine tastings make for a fun and enviable setting, with the customers varying from bridal parties to another set of identical twins. Threats against the wine bar have Cece alarmed and wary that she is getting too close to finding out the truth, but that doesn’t stop her from helping her friends as she continues to run her business. An unlikable victim and sympathetic suspects keep readers invested in the plot without feeling too terrible about the murder, which perfectly suits this food and wine-centric mystery. This is a subline read to relax with while enjoying a tasty beverage and delicious appetizers.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

With the holidays behind her, Cece Barton is getting things done at Vino y Vida, the Colinas wine bar she manages. Hiring Karl Meier for electrical work may not have been her best decision. He’s a creepy grouchy man who verbally abuses his helper, his nephew Ian, who did all the work – work that took much longer than planned. Then the man handed her a scrap of paper with the amount he said she owed, higher than agreed and before the work was done.

Turns out Karl wasn’t a popular guy around town but she never expected to get a call from his ex-wife and her new friend Josie asking her to come quickly to her automotive garage. When she arrives she sees Karl is dead, crushed under the car lift.

Josie is frightened, she doesn’t have an alibi, but Karl was an abusive husband, and that’s why she left him. Cece persuades her to call the police but when they arrive they question Cece as a suspect too. To clear both their names Cece starts to investigate. With the women he harassed, customers he gouged, and others that just generally disliked him, she had a plethora of suspects. She needs her twin sister Allie’s help to sort through all the clues, motives, and opportunities. She just hopes they can decant the killer before the killer bottles them.

Ms. Day has created interesting core characters for this series. Cece is finding her stride in her new job and is much more confident than in Murder Uncorked. She is making inroads with her previously estranged daughter. She has a closer relationship with her twin sister. She has a true friend in her neighbor Richard despite the age difference they have common interests. She also has a “beau of sorts” who is a consultant to various law enforcement agencies. She employs and works side by side with Mooncat and Dane at Vino y Vida. In this story, we meet Jo Jarvin an auto mechanic who specializes in vintage cars like Cece’s Blue. The characters are diverse and well-crafted with plenty of room for growth as the series continues.

The author seamlessly weaves Cece’s everyday life together with her sleuthing, giving the story an excellent flow. Sifting through all the suspects was a huge job, but she did receive help and information from a variety of people. They wanted to help while also hoping to be deleted from her suspect list. She also had an eagle-eye neighbor making key observations. But she and Allie make a mistake going into WWNDD (What Would Nancy Drew Do) mode, followed quickly by an intense showdown.

I love the wine bar theme. Informants and suspects come right through the door as do some interesting tourists. I would love to have a job where you can take opened bottles home when the work day is done.

Maddie Day knows how to set a scene and tell a story that draws her readers in and keeps them fully engaged. Deadly Crush is a well-plotted mystery filled with twists, turns, secrets, lies, and surprises. Cece has grown since book one which has opened her up to realize all the good people she has around her. I am excited for this series to continue.

Deadly Crush by Maddie Day is the second book in a series that follows Cece the manager of a wine bar in Northern California.
She is pulled into a murder mystery when her friend finds her ex dead and calls Cece for help. Not wanting her friend to be the only suspect Cece begins to investigate and digs up lots of secrets.
We also get lots of interactions with the secondary characters of the series, who we quickly grow to care about and add a lot of life to the story. The plot moves quickly and we jump into the mystery right away which makes it a page turning fast read.
I really am growing to love this series!

We are back in Colinas, California with Cece Barton who manages Vino Y Vida. She decides to do an easy renovation by getting new lights for the bar. She hires a local electrician to install them. As he berates his assistant and takes a long time. She finds that he is not a well liked guy.

She decides to take her blue mustang to Jo the local mechanic who specializes in vintage cars. Jo calls her the next morning to meet her at the mechanic shop right away. Cece walks in and sees a dead body. She tells Jo to call the police right away. The police suspect that Jo is the killer. Cece decides to help investigate to clear Jo.

I enjoyed following the clues with Cece. I had no idea whodunnit until the end. I really enjoyed this mystery and love getting to know the characters more. I can't wait to read more from this series.

Cece Barton is settling into Colinas enjoying her job at Vino y Vida, being nearer her twin Allie, her nephews and her boyfriend Benjamin.
Then a rude and unkind man is killed. Cece investigates to help her friend and mechanic Josie. There are plenty of suspects because the man offended every where he went.
There are vineyard tours happening, and it brings plenty of business to Vino y Vida. There is a good mix of investigating, theorizing and building relationships between characters.
I enjoyed this cozy mystery. Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington for the opportunity to read this book.

Second in the Face Barton Mystery series, Deadly Crush is as enjoyable as the first book. Cede is getting comfortable in wine country when a second murder occurs. Another awesome cozy from one of my favorite authors! Its always an awesome time reading a book by Maddie Day! Thanks#Netgalley and #Kensington for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

Deadly Crush is the second cozy mystery in the Cece Barton Mystery series. Cece is settling in nicely to her new life in wine country, but when she ends up in the middle of another murder investigation she is willing to do anything she can to find the true killer. Will she be able to get to the bottom of the case before it’s too late?

I am a huge cozy mystery fan and I started this series when it came out last year and was pulled in immediately. I love the vineyard setting and find it a nice change from the other cozies I read. Cece is a great main character and I enjoy visiting her to see what mystery she’s getting into this time. This mystery pulled me in from the beginning and was a quick and easy read that held my attention. I was kept guessing until the end and enjoyed the twists and turns along the way. If you are looking for a solid newer cozy mystery series with a great setting this series is worth giving a try! I look forward to seeing what Cece’s next mystery has to bring.

"Deadly Crush (Cece Barton Mystery)" by Maddie Day does the wine theme without making everyone seem like alcoholics. That can be a fine line to walk as a theme.

In this one the electrician Cece hires turns out to be someone she wishes she hadn't hired and the more people she talks to about him the more she realizes she should have asked around before hiring him. Next thing she hears about him, he's dead in her friend's auto-body shop. Since this friend is also his ex-wife some suspicion falls on the friend and Cece just has to help.

Cece Barton, the manager of a California wine bar, is back in this outstanding second installment in the series. With its interesting plots and terrific characters, this series is quickly becoming one of my absolute favorites, though the author's Country Store series remains my favorite cozy series.

Here, Cece needs some electrical work done at the wine bar and, the next day, the problematic electrician is found dead at Jo's car repair place. Of course, Cece gets involved in solving the murder.

I love the character interactions and growth in this series. Hope there are many more books to come.

Highly recommended!!

Deadly Crush by Maddie Day takes us to the Alexandra Valley north of San Francisco and is wasn’t warm. Rain forecast for later. Cece had taken Vino and Vida into the black in the years she’d been manager so she was beginning to upgrade. Her first improvement was swapping the old pendant lights for new ones. It had been tough to find an electrician but she finally had in Karl Meier. It turns out that was a mistake, which she learned on her own, but discovered that literally anyone could have told her if she’d asked. Not only was he late and slow, but he was rude and very rough on his nephew/assistant. She had to get her vintage Mustang convertible to JJ’s Automotive for some work and she had to work herself. The next morning, Jo, the mechanic, called and asked her to hurry over. She did and found Karl Meier dead.

Cece is a good heroine. She has a boyfriend, but he is not local law enforcement, which is a nice change. She is very familiar to local law enforcement, though, and they were not happy to see her at the crime scene. This is a small town where everyone knows everyone’s business. She had not been there long enough to know all the past relationships, but she was learning fast. It was an entertaining book, but all of Maddie Day’s are. And the oddest person came to her rescue. I always like it when there is a legitimate twist. Good read.

I was invited to read Deadly Crush by Kensington Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #KensingtonPublishing #MaddieDay #DeadlyCrush

Cece and Josie find themselves as suspects in a murder case. it turns out the contractor who has been harassing Cece it also Josie’s ex-husband. When he is found crash to death, both ladies need to clear their name. Apparently there are plenty of people with a motive to get rid of Karl, but can Cece figure out who killed him before they stopped her once and for all.

Maddie Day is a great author. I like a lot of her series and read them all. She weaves a great mystery along with developing solid, dimensional characters that you can’t help but feel connected to. You never go wrong with reading a cozy mystery by Maddie Day.

Deadly Crush is the second in this series, although there is a prequel. If you love twins, there’s more than one set in the series. Set in small-town wine country in California, Cece is managing the local wine bar. She hires an electrician who is rather obnoxious and wonders about him. Cece’s life is rather complete, her twin sister and twin nephews live in town, she has a man in her life, and her college daughter is starting to come around. But Cece has another side solving mysteries. When the obnoxious electrician turns up dead, she’s back on the job. I love this series. #DeadlyCrush #NetGalley

Deadly Crush is book #2 in the Cece Barton Mystery series by Maddie Day.

I love that this is set in wine country. CeCe hires an electrician who leaves a lot to be desired. When his wife tells CeCe he is dead, she investigates to clear her name. The author delivered another entertaining read. The characters are likable and it was a solid mystery. There were plenty of suspects and red herrings to keep you guessing until the end.

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

This is the second book in the Cece Barton Mystery series. It is set in California’s wine country shortly after the holidays. Cece’s friend Josie calls her when she discovers her ex-husband under a lift in her place of business, an auto garage. Her ex turns out to be a not so nice guy so, who wouldn’t want him dead.

I enjoyed the twists, turns, and mis-directions. The author does a great job leading the reader around the crime. We get to know more about Cece’s support crew and Cece’s relationship with her sister.

I like the hometown feel, the descriptive narrative that let’s me picture the town and its inhabitants and visitors.

If you like strong women, this cozy mystery is probably for you. I recommend this book.

I was given an advanced readers copy and am not required to leave a positive review.

This is the second in Maddie Day’s Cece Barton Cozy Mystery series. Cece is a widow who manages a wine bar in Alexander Valley in California wine country. She had previously been involved in solving a murder, so when her friend Jo calls her late one night asking for help, she doesn’t hesitate. Jo is a mechanic and her ex-husband is found dead in her garage, so she is the prime suspect. Problem is, her ex had made a lot of enemies, so there was no shortage of other potential suspects. Of course, Cece cannot help herself and starts digging for the truth. This is a fun cozy set, and since I love the California wine country, I love the setting. This is definitely a good series to follow. I received an arc of this book for my honest review.