I feel as if Norrie took a big step backwards in her character development. Rather than the sharp, competent character we have come to expect she was downright silly and ditsy. The whole premise with the mystery was to motivated by saving her 'friend' Alex from murder charges. She didn't even meet Alex until the murder had been committed. All of the angst just didn't work. I'm committed to the series and the authors, but enough of her 'get out of town' mentality and a little more maturity would be appreciated.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This is the sixth book in the series and I really enjoyed reading it. I haven't read the other books yet. I liked getting to know the characters in this book. There are several quirky characters that add humor. Norrie Ellington is the main character. She is running the family winery that she and her sister inherited. Her sister is out of the country with her husband who is on a business trip. Norrie is smart and compassionate. When a friend is accused of murder, Norrie isn't about to let him be convicted of a murder that he didn't commit. The story and the conversations flowed smoothly. I need to go back and read the rest of the series.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Beyond The Page Publishing, in return for an honest review. While the sixth book in this series, it is easily read as a standalone. Norrie Ellington, co-owner of the Two Witches Winery in upstate New York, is counting down the last 30 days until her sister and brother-in-law return and she can head back to her life in Manhattan. Unfortunately, things keep happening! In this case, the summer solstice and full moon fall on the same night, invoking a purported curse of the two original sisters/witches. When an obnoxious local man is killed, Norrie decides to figure out whodunnit before the wrong person is convicted. Added by local winery owners, the Two Witches staff and others, Norrie is out to prove there is no curse, except the humankind.
The authors write well-crafted characters and have a great setting for their story development. The mixture of the curse origins and the modern work very well. I, like other reviewers, struggle with Norrie’s decision-making skills and the danger into which she puts herself, aided and abetted by these same friends and neighbors. She deliberately puts herself and others into dangerous situations and trusts she won’t be harmed or arrested just because she believes she knows better than the local police. This is a solid cozy mystery. If the authors continue it by extending Norrie’s reasons to stay at Two Witches, I hope they’ll revise the relationship between Norrie and the police so it is more believable and less adversarial.

Visiting Two Witches Winery with Norrie is always interesting, A unique touch with the full moon and the solstice occurring the same night, lining up with a local legend. Enjoyable book and wish I had such great friends as Norrie does with what she gets into.

Folklore and a present-day murder intermingle in this book. Summer solstice and a full moon occur on the same night, precisely when an important wine event is held. After the murder of a despised local historian, an arrest is made but Norrie, the temporary Two Witches winery manager, fights...hard...to clear her arrested friend. A curse also threatens the wine event and Norrie finds her time divided between hunting down the murderer and running the winery. Fortunately for her, Norrie knows all the right people who help her in her searches which lead to many trails.

The plots are interesting as is the assortment of characters. The writing style makes this a smooth and easy read, not to mention spirited. The food descriptions make me hungry! I like the historical and modern blend. The ending is fun.

What lacks for me is the believability of Norrie who finds herself in tricky situations yet always has friends still willing to risk arrest with her. Her character is a bit silly and lacks credibility. I don't love the police looking foolish trope but that's just a personal preference.

However, I really like other books by the author duo. The book is still worth reading, just a little too light for me to really engage in and love.

My sincere thank you to Beyond the Page Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Norrie Ellington is still at Two Witches Winery, while her sister and brother in law are away. As much as Norrie is anxious to return to her own life away from the winery, she has a close relationship with several people in the small town.
When Norrie looks at her calendar, she sees that a full moon will take place on summer solstice. This discovery only brings an old tale of curses to light, and all Norrie can do is hope that nothing goes wrong. We all know how that will end, and Norrie finds herself defending the curse, and trying to solve the murder of someone who had plenty of enemies.

I really enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to reading more in this series.
#netgalley #deathdismayandrose

Age Old Curse Or Cold Blooded Murder....
Book six in The Wine Trail Mystery series. Norrie Ellington, winery manager, finds herself juggling notions of age old curses and the reality of cold blooded murder when a local historian is found dead. Enjoyable cosy mystery with a likeable protagonist and a colourful cast of supporting characters.

When the Summer solstice falls on the same day as a full moon, it is said the curse of the two witches extracts their revenge. While Norrie Ellington doesn’t really believe in curses, she knows that it will bring the looneys and look loos to her family’s winery. Then when the first victim is found, and it appears to be the work of the curse, more information is found about the curse and Norrie does everything in her power to stop the second part from occurring…all while trying to find the killer of the first victim.

This is the sixth book in this fun series and while Norrie is looking forward to having her sister back at the winery so she can head back into Manhattan…I’m kinda hoping there are more and more delays so the series can go on! I just wish Norrie were a little more assertive didn’t sound like an air head at times. Though in the end, she always manages to one up Grizzly and the suspects.

Death, Dismay and Rose is the sixth installment in the A Wine Trail Mystery series set in upstate New York and featuring Two Witches Winery co-owner, Norrie Ellington. Norrie's year babysitting the winery while her sister and brother in law are in Costa Rica is almost up and she's counting down the days until she can return to Manhattan. With all of her screenplays wrapped up for the time being, Norrie only has the annual Winemakers Dinner looming on the horizon - that is until she learns that the summer solstice and the full moon fall on the same night.

According to local legend a curse by two witches who used to inhabit the land the winery sits on says that someone will die, by suffocation. Norrie is convinced it's a bunch of nonsense but never the less is determined to make sure that nobody else dies on her watch. Unfortunately, local historian Vance Wexler has been making enemies all over town and when his body is found dead in a tent the curse appears to have come true.

Norrie, with the help of her fellow winery owners and local professor Godfrey Klein sets out to catch a killer. The plot centers around the witches curse and a local car theft ring. Filled with a cat of series regulars and a twist at the end, readers will enjoy this latest addition.

I received an advanced copy of Death, Dismay and Rose from NetGalley via Beyond the Page Publishing. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

What a fun book. The characters were believable and of course the cop just had to be frustrating. I'll have to catch up with the other books in this series.

This is a fair and honest review.

I ahve read all of this series and this was my least favorite. Although the formula seemed the same and in the past I have liked this character, this time she seemed to be silly and foolhardy. She goes about sticking her nose into the mystery because the police are supposedly not going to solve it. And for someone that she has not even met until the murder, she calls Alex a "good friend" and goes out of her way to risk herself to help him. I found this to be a reach not to mention rash and unbelievable. For someone who thinks that she knows better than the police, everything that she finds out is by chance including the murderer. I hope the next one it better.
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Love this series. Norrie owns the two witches winery with her sister. When there is a murder. Norrie sets out to investigate. To hear more read the book.

My first book by this author, JC Eaton. The Wine Trail Mysteries.
It would have helped me to have read previous ones in the series I feel.
Norrie, is running family vineyard while her sister and brother in law are out of the country.
President of local historical society is murdered and Norrie butts in worried people will believe witches curse folklore.
Norrie and her friends were fun to read about. I will need to look for previous books.