Princess Fuzzypants here: I had the pleasure of reading an introductory novella earlier this year for this new series. This is the first book in the series and I think I am going to enjoy it. Cece is a transplant to Northern California where she now manages a wine bar in the same community where her twin sister, Allie, lives. She gets caught up in another murder when a rep from the local wineries association is killed. She, like so many others in town, had run ins with the abrasive man. She initially gets drawn in when the detective investigating questions her about the situation. It is a rather flimsy reason to get caught up but her curiosity gets the better of her.

That is until she realizes she has put herself in the cross hairs of the killer. Although she continues to help the police, the self awareness of her danger is refreshing. Nothing ruins a good story more than an oblivious heroine. While she is trying to be careful, she still manages to put herself at grave risk. The way it is done is both exciting and satisfying which gives me great hope going forward.

Five purrs and two paws up.

Raise a glass to Cecelia Barton a widowed single mom and recent L.A. transplant to California wine country, as she suddenly finds herself at the center of a murder investigation. As manager of Vino y Vida Wine bar in Colinas Cece first Alexander Valley harvest is a whirlwind of activity. Her sister Owen’s a nearby Victorian bed and breakfast and accustomed to the hustle and bustle of peak tourist season. Cece barely has a moment to enjoy her new home in between worrying about her estranged college age daughter juggling her responsibilities at the bar and sticky politics of the local wine association. Colinas is suddenly rocked by a murder within the wine community and Cece is a possible suspect. With her reputation and lively hood on the line, the Sonoma County sheriff breathing down her neck Cece starts her own investigation. Tensions are already high in the valley as a massive wild fire creeps towards Colinas,threatening homes, vineyards and vital tourist trade. With Allies help Cece is determined to catch the killer and clear her name before everything she’s worked for goes up in flames. This is a great story everyone will enjoy reading.

This is a fun start to a new cozy series! While it clearly kicked off in a prior crossover novella, you don’t need to have read it to enjoy this book. There’s clearly plenty of growth that needs to happen with the characters, but there’s plenty of time for that moving forward. This book established a solid setting with a sufficiently interesting cast. It’s a promising start to a series I’m looking forward to continuing.

Murder Uncorked by Maddie Day was a struggle for me to read. The biggest problem is the unlikeable Cece Barton. Cece lacks confidence in herself, which we get to hear about often. She tends to blather on about her food choices (I could care less) and other mundane subjects. We also get to hear how Cece is estranged from her college aged daughter, her twin sister’s busy life, and Cece’s new job. This information allows us to get to know the character, but I do not feel the details need to be repeated (repetition is a big problem in this book). The characters lack development. When Cece reaches out to her daughter during the case (a bid for sympathy), the situation feels contrived. The scene had me rolling my eyes. The mystery is simple. It is silly that Cece sees herself as a suspect and feels the need to clear her name. There is a small suspect pool. The killer can easily be identified (did everything but hire a skywriter). Cece goes over the clues and suspect list repeatedly. She withholds information from the police. I know that is common for amateur sleuths in cozy mysteries, but I feel that when your life is endangered, it is time to talk to the cops. I found it annoying the number of times that Cece would put off looking up or doing something to aid the case (once or twice maybe, but multiple times). Quilt stalling and solve the case already (of course, I already knew who did it but I wanted confirmation). The pacing is slow (which made the book feel long). The character’s dialogue tended to meander (I would reread a conversation trying to figure it out). I did not appreciate the author using the book as a platform for her politics. I read books to escape reality, not to be preached to. While Murder Uncorked is technically the first book A Cece Barton Mysteries, we are introduced to Cece in Murderous Mittens which is one of the books in Christmas Mittens Murder. The mystery from Murderous Mittens is mentioned more than once in Murder Uncorked. This book felt like something a newbie writer would produce instead of an established author like Edith Maxwell. I will not be continuing with this series. As you can tell, A Cece Barton Mysteries is not for me (I do suggest you download a sample to judge it for yourself).

Loved this first book of the series! I love reading about wineries and winemaking. This was a fun read and I'm excited to read more in the series!

Tried so hard to like this book but I was just so bored. There is a murder and the main character starts to investigate, I have no clue why. The first 30% of the book is just the main character driving around and talking to people.
Also, the author is setting the tone with her own political views and I'm not sure that it added anything to the book.

I really loved the setting and the wine bar, but it wasn't enough to keep me interested.

This was a great fall book- although it didn't really specify time of year. I think it's the wine setting - I live in New England and our favorite wine tour time is always in the Spring and Fall. When it's still chilly and the wine warms you up!

The atmosphere was fabulous - and I enjoyed the main character Cece, and the development of Cece's love life, the development of her relationship with her daughter and the VOM (very old man) who lives next door. While the mystery kept me engaged and the activity kept me going; the last 2-3 chapters seemed to drag out a bit. I would have liked some of that wrap up (with her possible love interest) - done earlier versus after the climax scene (where we find out who-dun-it). I had been waiting for some follow up but after the climax the information felt something that would have been best to take into the next book. Versus a quick solution here that was dragged out.

Overall a solid start to a new cozy mysteries and I look forward to the next one!


Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington books for this ARC!

I wanted to love this one as I love Maddie's other series. But I couldn't relate to the heroine in this one. Heck I didn't even like her. Though I did enjoy the mystery. But since you spend the whole series with one character the heroine as the one solving the mystery you have to at least be able to stand to be in their head.

Great 1st book a new series. Cece Barton is new in town and the new manage to Vino y Vida Wine Bar. She moved to Colinas to be close to her twin sister and family, and be closer to her daughter who is in college. Things are going well until murder happens and she becomes a suspect.
Perfect cozy read. Looking forward to book 2

This was a great and solid start to a new cozy mystery series. I really enjoyed the setting, characters, storyline and the author's overall writing style! I also appreciate that some of the dialogue used was more modern.

Set in the quaint artsy community of Colinas, CA. I don't drink, but I loved all of the scenes at the Vino y Vida wine bar. It was the perfect place to pick up on local gossip and meet this new cast of characters.

CeCe was a refreshing lead. She's a widow in her early 40s and her life isn't perfect making her incredibly realistic. I'm curious to see her repair her relationship with her college aged daughter and explore dating once again now that the hunky, yet mysterious love interest has been introduced. I loved CeCe's relationship with her twin, Allie. The two have opposite personalities, but a clear bond. Her nephews make me smile too. My favorite character was easily Richard - better known as VOM (very old man).

The mystery was well paced and intriguing. There were a few plausible red herrings and suspects. I really enjoyed seeing CeCe interact with the detective.

I would love to see this series continue!

I really look forward to reading more in this series! I am obsessed with cozy mysteries, and this fits right in with the likes of Jenn McKinlay (whom I love!)

I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

3.5 Stars

Maddie Day takes her readers to beautiful wine country California in Murder Uncorked. The debut novel in the Cece Barton mystery Series.

Cece is a widowed single mom who is trying to start a new chapter of her life. She is the manager of Vino y Vida. She’s trying to settle into a new town learning to deal with the hustle and bustle of tourist season and trying to understand the politics of the local wine Association. Just as she begins to navigate the waters of all this newness, she finds herself being a prime suspect of a murder within the wine community.

Murder Uncorked is a wonderful introduction to the series. I very much enjoyed this week. Not only did we get a good mystery that was well written and kept you guessing. We also get the story of a woman trying to restart her life. The wine bar she manages is in the same little town as her twin sister, who runs a bed-and-breakfast. Her sister is a suspect as well. I love how they stick together and take on the job of amateur sluice to clear their own names. Cece does not have the best relationship with her daughter, and we get to see how that truly affects her and how much she wants that change. As I said, this is a great introduction to what I think it’s going to be not just a good mystery series, but the story of a woman who had changes later in life and is trying to make a new life with them.

I really liked this book! CeCe was a well written character, as were all the surrounding characters. I thought I knew where the story was going and was pleasantly surprised to be wrong. I will be looking for other books by this author as I wait for the next book in this mystery series.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

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.