Taylor O’Brian, a tour guide in Sonoma County, takes small groups on wine country tours. Taylor decides to guide some investors to the winery owned by her friend Tim Slade. But when an FDA inspector is found floating face down in one of Tim’s vats of squished grapes, Taylor has to find the killer before Tim is sent up the river.
This was a good whodunit filled with suspense, intrigue, and wine. Taylor was a very likeable character who loved to take control and figure out the truth. She did things that would get her in trouble, although it was always to help someone she loved. The plot was intricate, and there were many suspects and red herrings to keep a reader guessing. I think this book would be a fun read for cozy mystery lovers who love wine. I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.

Well, I have to say this tale started with an intriguing low ride, which is the ideal thing cause it helps to keep you captivated to its pages. It is like drinking wine slowly, you don’t know you have had enough until things start looking out of perspective in a very happy way of course. It spotlights the wine industry, expanding your knowledge with interesting and revealing facts. I find this to be pretty darn cool, I felt like I was part of the tour, the excitement in this book is very tangible. Taylor and her aunt Jemma couldn’t seem to stay away from this murder mystery, it was too close for comfort and it involves their friend, so of course, they had to help him. A deeply enticing and engaging book, it gets its grip on you and won’t let go until you have reached the end, Nicely done I was totally engrossed in this tale, a must read for sure.

This is a solid series. This book didn’t seem to be as slow moving as the first. I still loved that one but this one seems to have found the rhythm. I would recommend it to others. I enjoyed it.

I do love a good cozy especially one about wine country! Our heroine is an entrepreneur and problem solver. Meet Taylor O'Brien, owner of Off the Beaten Trail tours who gives quirky tours tailored to fine wines and outdoor encounters. She had the niche market, at least until some unexpected competition showed up. But never fear, her friends will still be there for her, like Holly her best gal pal (because all cozy hero/heroines need someone to watch their back) and Tim, the best guy friend (yep it's good to have a platonic friend too). Tim has it all and is about to have a wonderful new Zinfandel that is sure to put his vineyard on the map, with a magnificent blend, more than 7 actually. At least he was until a body turns up in the fermenting vat. Bonus points to the author for an interesting body location. It made me flinch to think of all that lovely wine being spoiled. Over shadowing it all is a Hollywood-style self help guru with his flock of followers who are self realizing that all things are possible at least until he ends up dead as well. Tim is under suspicion for both murders. Taylor is a great character, a true friend, and a fearless spirit. I look forward to reading more about her exploits and adventures.

The second book in the Wine County mysteries has 3 separate themes and is a mystery with a tint of paranormal. One is Taylor O'Brien tours to quirky out of the way wineries, the second Mandy involvement with a new age guru and the last another girl is completing with Taylor with the same business and has two vans and many of the wineries and tourist places locked up. Unfortunately, the themes are not brought together to form one tale. Taylor's actions make sheriff look like an idiot.
Taylor is taking a group of investors around a few wineries and at the first one Tim, the owner is showing the group how he makes wine by stirring it twice a day and he turns up a body in the wine. The sheriff arrested Tim for the murder. Mandy Tim's girlfriend is involved with a new_aged guru. The moves fast at this point and take some odd turns. Is Tim guilty of two murder? The ending is different.
Recipes are included

Disclosure: Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for a review copy. The opinions expressed are my own.

Taylor O’Brian, owner and tour guide of “Off the Beaten Path” in Sonoma Valley, wasn't exactly planning that the possible investors that she was guiding would see a body floating a vat of pressed grapes. But that's what the found when they arrived at the winery owned by her friend Tim Slade. Every time Taylor thinks that she has found a way to prove Tim's innocence, she finds him in another compromising situation. And Tim's girlfriend isn't helping much. She is spending most of her time (and Tim's money) following a guru who she's to have some kind of special formula to attract and control others - is it something in the tea of something in the air?

The mystery part of the storyline was pretty straight forward, however, there were some strange red herrings that didn't really seem to work, or if they did I didn't see it - problems with her would-be boyfriend, possible love triangle, as well as some competition on the tour guide front. Hopefully, these will be resolved in future installments.

An intriguing story with lots of twists. Great character development. Our heroine innocently get caught up in murder. She only wants to help a friend clear himself of the crime. This will keep you guessing.

I found this book slow to start but ultimately was a relatively fun read with an interesting setting of the wine country. Some plot issues remained unresolved, and could probably have been tightened up to give a better read.
A good cozy mystery otherwise.

Seven Deadly Zins is the second installment in the A Wine Country Mystery series set in Sonoma, CA and featuring local tour guide, Taylor O'Brian. Taylor's "Off the Beaten Path" tour is taking a group of wine investors to Tim Slade's neighboring vineyard, Rock Paths for a behind the scenes look at the workings of a small winery. Unfortunately, during his demonstration Tim stirs up the dead body of local realtor, Jeffrey Hoag in one of the wine vats.

The realtor was the boss of Tim's girlfriend, Mandy and he'd been pressuring several of the small local wineries to sell out to a big developmental group. A verbal dispute between Tim and Hoag was witnessed by several people and it's no surprise when Tim is taken in to custody as a murder suspect. Determined to clear her friend's name Taylor sets out with the help of her Aunt Jemma and best friend Holly to track down the real killer.

In town is the famed Dr. Adam Brinkman, a self professed spiritual advisor who has developed a somewhat cult following. People are paying hundreds of dollars for tickets to hear the man speak, and Mandy is pushing everyone around her to attend his speech. Taylor and Holly along with local reporter Chelsea decide to attend the event to see what all the fuss is about and are immediately concerned when a suspicious tea is handed out to all attendees and a brainwashed mentality seems to overtake the crowd.

Taylor's investigation leads her believe that there is a connection between the guru and the dead realtor and despite the warnings from Sheriff Ron Hennessey to leave things alone, she quickly finds herself the target of a dangerous killer.

A fast paced story that can be downed in one sitting. While the culprit is fairly easy to identify early on, the reasons behind the crime take many twists and turns that lead to a shocking reveal. There are several confusing elements that don't seem to fit in the plot and no answers for the inclusions are ever given, which might have easily been cleared up with just a little more editing.

I received an advanced copy of Seven Deadly Zins from NetGalley via Crooked Lane Books. While not required to write a review I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.

I find it well written and even liked the first chapters, but after the murder things get a little obvious in the characterization of the bad guys. Thank you for the ARC.

Very entertaining book. Main character wished up a little from the last book but still did some questionable things. Overall though, good story, fun quirky characters and a surprise ending I didn't see coming. Well done!

amateur-sleuth, women-sleuths, murder, wine, California, law-enforcement, lawyers

Taylor appears to be a magnet for dead bodies, and this one is a shady realtor discovered in a vat of very desirable zinfandel. She has some very good friends and a dear aunt who aid and abet her in all things. From this basic start, add in the beleaguered vintner, a fascinating sheriff and similar lawyer, an iffy and expensive guru, and Taylor's rather neglected tour guide business just for interest, then let the sleuthing begin!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley.

I liked the mystery and the setting. However, there are a number of questions that never get answered so one is left hanging on these. I like the idea of quirky tours of wine country, but Taylor seems to take her business rather casually. While I don't particularly care for the characters, I always enjoy the mystery and the solving of it so will continue to read this series.

I received and eARC from the publisher via NetGalley for my honest review.

Taylor O'Brian owns "Off the Beaten Path" wine country tours. When she's taking her group on a tour of a winery she's just added, the owner Tim Slade is showing them certain aspects of how wine is made, but unfortunately, he also discovers a body in the vat. When the police arrive it takes a while to identify the bloated (and discolored from wine) man, but it becomes known that it's Jeffery Hoag, a realtor that Tim's girlfriend Mandy worked for.

But no one seems to know how he got in the vat - Tim claims he wasn't there when he went out the evening before; still, the police insist they have DNA that proves Tim committed the murder and arrest him. While Taylor knows he's innocent, the police believe they have their man. Taylor, on the other hand, sets out to find the real killer.

But she has problems of her own. First she discovers that there's a new tour operator in town who seems to not only take people on wine country tours, but has state-of-the-art buses and manages to get them into wineries Taylor as yet hasn't been able to breach.

Then there's Dr. Brinkman, who seems to be taking the area by storm with people swarming to get into his motivational speech talks, and she is given tickets for herself and her friend Holly. When she also invites reporter Chelsea to the speech, they are given tea that neither Taylor nor Chelsea will touch, but Holly drinks it and shortly thereafter thinks Brinkman is the best thing ever and is ready to turn everything she owns over to him. It doesn't help that Tim's girlfriend Mandy is also enamored by Brinkman and is trying to get Taylor enamored as well.

But after Tim is released on bail, it is only a short time later that Taylor agrees to meet with Brinkman and she and Mandy see Tim leave his dressing room covered in blood. When the doctor is found dead, Tim is arrested for murder this time as well, without bail. But when she and Chelsea probe deeper to find the truth, it is something that cuts Taylor to the bone in a time-crunching scare that finally ferrets out everything she wants to know...

This is the second book in the series and I have to say that I liked it much better than the first. However, there were still a couple of things that bothered me, and one of them is how Taylor treats men. She states how she likes Sheriff Ron Hennessy (she waffles between calling him Ron sometimes and then Sheriff others), and mentions how he was going to ask her out for coffee but never did. When he finally does mention it, she tells him that they'd better wait until the case is settled before doing so. Say what? She laments he never asked her out, he mentions that he'd like to, and she puts him off? So what does she do? The attorney, Patrick, asks her out and she thinks that her "crush" on the sheriff will probably come to nothing so she might as well date Patrick. Huh? She'll settle for someone she's not interested in as much because the sheriff didn't drag her off that minute for coffee? And she's the one who put Ron off. To tell the truth, I don't like the way this is going - that of the Love Triangle. It's never interesting, and you have to realize that if this were a man who was treating two women this way, you'd not be happy with it.

I also didn't care for the way the police seemed to be less intelligent than Taylor. No matter what she was told, she was always right and they were always the ones who pretty much didn't have a clue, just wanted to nail someone for the murder. If these things were different, this could have been an excellent book. Below is a spoiler that asks a few questions but also gives away a bit of the plot, so please do not view if you have not read the book. Thank you.

THIS IS A SPOILER THAT CAN ONLY BE SEEN BY THOSE WHO WANT TO SEE IT:
There were questions that were never answered, and should have been: We're given a glimpse of the ever-present "evil nemesis" in the form of Bridget - the person who is trying to make the life of the protagonist miserable. Bridget is a rival business owner who doing her best to put Taylor out of hers. I don't know if she'll be in future books because she just disappears from the story and Taylor never mentions anything about it. Is Bridget going to be a permanent part of the story line? It seems that she was there to show us Brinkman's power, but the story never went anywhere with it. I really hope in the next book we find that after Brinkman's demise her business folded and she left since I really hate this type of character, but even more so since the protagonist never fights back, she just 'ignores' the nemesis. Who ignores the person who's trying to ruin your livelihood? What happened to the senator? He took all that money and was trying to rezone winery areas, but we're never told the outcome of this. Was he exposed? Why didn't the sheriff just look around for Aunt Jemma? He seemed to take the killer's word that she wasn't there without doing a thorough search. Since Taylor found her so quickly, couldn't the police have done the same? What was the result of the contents of the tea? Chelsea had it analyzed, but we never found out what it contained - nor what was "in the air" even though the sheriff said they were also checking on that. These are questions that should have been answered. Unfortunately, I felt as if it was just another book using the same old plot lines - love triangle, evil nemesis, incompetent officers that are dumber than the protagonist.
END OF SPOILER

While I felt the story started slow, and I wasn't really interested in the seancé episodes, I did like the way it picked up toward the end; I did like the resolution of the murders and how they were eventually handled. It was an easy cozy to get through and I will read the next in the series.

I received a free copy of SEVEN DEADLY ZINS (Wine Country Mystery Book 2) by Nancy J. Parra in exchange for an honest review. Taylor O’Brian is happy to do a favor for a friend; she has a tour group comprised of people interested in the possibility of investing in a winery, and her friend Tim Slade has just asked her to introduce him to just such a group. Alas, no one wants to invest in a winery that has bodies floating in its vats. When Tim is arrested for the murder, Taylor investigates the crime in an attempt to clear his name.

This was an interesting adventure in wine country. I had not read the first book (A Case of Syrah, Syrah). The characters were likeable, and I became interested in the future of Taylor’s business.

#SevenDeadlyZins #NetGalley

Taylor runs a company providing wine country tours in Sonoma County. Shes taking a tour of potential investors to her friend Tim's winery when they find a FDA Inspector dead a vat of wine.

Tim is arrested and a further murder makes him look even more guilty. Taylor is determined to prove his innocence and find the guilty party.

It's a fun and intriguing mystery with nice descriptions of wine country.

Thank you Nancy J. Parra.....this book was so fun and so good. Would definitely recommend it to all! Characters and setting were great! Can't wait to read more!

This the first time I have read this author, Nancy J. Parra and the first Wine Country Mystery. This book was an absolute page turner.Just when you thought you knew who the murder was you found out he/she wasn't and it made you keep turning the pages to find out who it was.. All of the characters were great but the one that stood out was Taylor. She wasn't going to stop until she found out who the murderer was. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery,

Seven Deadly Zins is Book 2 in the Wine Country Mystery Series.

Taylor O’Brian, owner of “Off the Beaten Path”, takes groups on wine tours of Sonoma County. In this second story, Taylor finds that her friend Tim Slader is in hot water when he is arrested on murder charges for an FDA inspector found dead on his property.

Taylor and her friends work to prove his innocence, which is a tough job and Tim is sour "grapes" about the whole thing especially when he is found standing over a second body.

This was a fun mystery that wine lovers and cozy mystery lovers will enjoy. The characters were well defined with a solid plot that leaves one guessing who the murderer is until the very end

Seven Deadly Zins is a well written mystery. I enjoyed the plot, characters and setting. I really enjoyed the author’s writing and will be reading more of her books. Mystery fans will enjoy this book. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my digital arc. This is my unbiased review.