Wow, there is so much I love about this book. First, the location is in my home area, and I love how Diane Schaffer accurately describes the towns and locations. I also love all the insight and knowledge of wine-making. Her description of the harvest and crushing is so perfectly accurate. That is just the background on this thriller. You have the subject of PTSD, and some stories of the horrors of the Vietnam War. Mix in a little family drama, and you will have a book that should be savored like a good glass of zin.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sibylline Press for the ARC

The book has multiple genres, but as the main, I'd call it a detective.
Noli has burnout and comes back to her hometown, in hopes of having her old job back as the PI instead of a big city corporate lawyer. She has stayed with her godparents since her parents are both dead (one under the strangest and most tragic circumstances), and now she returns here. By the door, she finds a disturbing note from one of her father's friends, and calls him just to find out that he has been found dead. Creepy, right?
She meets Luz, the new PI who worked for the latter friend, and together they are looking into the whole situation.

The vinery business, conspiracies, literal Vietnam flashbacks, family mysteries, vine-making process, and murder mystery are coming one after another. Loss, love, grief, and revenge - all these make the story worth your time. If you want to know how to make your own vineyard work, it is the right place to find out.

As for me, the story is going too slow at the beginning, and too fast in the second half of the book. By the end, the events are going like a rollercoaster, and it's hard not to lose it.

As for a debut novel, it is a solid 4/5. Not considering this fact, it is 3-3.5 tops.

Mortal Zin is an intriguing blend of suspense and dark humor that kept me engaged throughout. Diane Schaffer creates a vivid, offbeat world populated with memorable characters whose motives kept me second-guessing at every turn.
The story moves quickly and delivers some satisfying twists, though at times the plot felt slightly overstuffed, making it a bit hard to follow in places. Still, the sharp writing, quirky tone, and inventive premise make it a compelling read overall.
Overall, it’s an entertaining and unusual mystery that stands out, even if it doesn’t hit every mark perfectly.

DNF at about 25%. I found the cover of this novel very promising, but the novel itself felt very amateurish. There was nothing in the story to grip on to, and any stakes of the story presupposed a knowledge of a ton of backstory that it was not terribly forthcoming with. There was nothing to keep me reading.

Premise seemed cool, writing style pulled me in. I loved the dog at the beginning.

Unfortunately, in my personal opinion the writing style seemed passive, and telling rather than showing.

I think this is a great beach read or bed time read still, but I personally could not get into it as I hoped I would.

I put this one down at 36%. I’m also not someone who drinks at all so if you are a wine fan I think you’ll enjoy this one more.

Just because I didn’t connect with this book and I’m not the reader for it doesn’t mean it won’t be your favorite next read! I’m very picky with thrillers and the writing style and length are big aspects of an enjoyable experience for me. This book seemed rather lengthy as well. I have a feeling it will be a great physical book experience. It just wasn’t for me.

Thank you for this ARC. I appreciate the opportunity to leave honest feedback voluntarily.

I absolutely loved Mortal Zen, fast paced ,lots of wine background which I found interesting. The Vietnam tragedy was a surprise but good to hear about the tragedy again. She interwove this so well into the Tory. Loved the characters too.. thank you Dine Schaffer..looking forward to more books!