Death by the Glass: A Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley Mystery [Paperback]

Nadia Gordon (Author)

Book Description

Series: Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley Mysteries | Publication Date: June 2003

High-stakes wine fraud and murder disguised as a heart attack compel Sunny McCoskey to again toss aside her chef's apron and don the role of sleuth. When the list of suspects includes her new lover, the celebrity chef at a posh Napa Valley eatery, the personal risks of her investigation rise dramatically. With the same eclectic crew of gourmet friends and sassy co-workers who helped her in Sharpshooter, Sunny proves that she has a nose for crime as well as for a good Cabernet Sauvignon.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Napa Valley chef Sonia "Sunny" McCoskey, introduced in Sharpshooter (2002), is once again investigating the seamier side of the restaurant and wine world. Cooking at a charity benefit, she meets Andre Morales, chef at Vinifera, the trendy restaurant of the moment. Romance blooms until one of Vinifera's owners turns up dead at his home with a broken bottle of rare wine nearby. Although the police think that he died of natural causes, Sunny is suspicious. It seems that the restaurant was not profitable despite its popularity. The arrogant French sommelier may be involved in wine fraud, and chef Andre did not get along with the late owner. Sunny's unwelcome probing puts her in danger, but the guilty party emerges at a cozy toast to the not-so-dearly departed. Sunny's adventures offer readers an amusing romp in the culinary underworld. Barbara Bibel
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Nadia Gordon's second Napa Valley mystery about chef/sleuth Sunny McCoskey, is the perfect book to read while eating -- preferably something slightly more upscale than a Big Mac. After dishing up 140 plates of her own small restaurant's signature hand-cranked fettucine with wild mushroom sauce for a gala charity dinner at Vinifera -- a fancier, more famous operation in Yountville -- Sunny learns that one of Vinifera's owners has been poisoned while drinking an expensive bottle of Burgundy. No glass or bottle is safe after that, and eventually every mushroom becomes deadly. Jolly, high-calorie pleasure, almost as good as a trip to the scene itself." -Chicago Tribune

"Egos as poisonous as false morels are the special of the day in Gordon's second Napa foodie mystery. Of course the reason chef Sunny McCoskey (Sharpshooter, 2002) agrees to cook her famous wild mushroom pasta for a swanky Napa Valley benefit dinner is that she sympathizes with the Open Space Coalition, but the fact that hunky star chef Andre Morales is hosting the event is a significant incentive as well. While preparing her sauce in the high-tech kitchen of Vinifera, Morales's restaurant, Sunny discovers that the jar of dried morels contains several poisonous false specimens. Spending a wonderful night with Morales compensates Sunny for having to make do with supermarket mushrooms and white truffle oil, but the trouble at Vinifera is just beginning. One of the owners, obnoxious and demanding Nathan Osborne, is found at his home, dead of heart failure while sipping a $200-a-glass Burgundy. Having discovered that Nathan and her new beau were pouring counterfeit wine, however, Sunny doesn't buy the death scene setup. So she simultaneously investigates and alienates everyone at Vinifera: handsome Andre, muscular bartender Nick, tattooed waitress Dahlia, snobby sommelier Remy, and Nathan's business partner Eliot. Sunny's neurotic habit of sticking her toque where it doesn't belong is the only sour note among the otherwise delectable details of Napa Valley food culture that Gordon serves up." -Kirkus

"Small restaurant-owner/chef Sunny (Sharpshooter) once again takes on the role of sleuth after someone murders fancy restaurant owner Nathan Osborne. Unfortunately, the prime suspect is her new lover, also a chef, but familiar characters assist. A likable second." -Library Journal

Napa Valley chef Sonia "Sunny" McCoskey, introduced in Sharpshooter (2002), is once again investigating the seamier side of the restaurant and wine world. Cooking at a charity benefit, she meets Andre Morales, chef at Vinifera, the trendy restaurant of the moment. Romance blooms until one of Vinifera's owners turns up dead at his home with a broken bottle of rare wine nearby. Although the police think that he died of natural causes, Sunny is suspicious. It seems that the restaurant was not profitable despite its popularity. The arrogant French sommelier may be involved in wine fraud, and chef Andre did not get along with the late owner. Sunny's unwelcome probing puts her in danger, but the guilty party emerges at a cozy toast to the not-so-dearly departed. Sunny's adventures offer readers an amusing romp in the culinary underworld. -Booklist

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (June 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811836789
• ISBN-13: 978-0811836784
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #916,203 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nadia Gordon's culinary mystery novels, including SHARPSHOOTER, DEATH BY THE GLASS, and MURDER ALFRESCO, are set in Napa Valley wine country and follow the sleuthing adventures of a young chef and her foodie friends. The latest addition to the series, LETHAL VINTAGE, was nominated for a 2010 Mystery Writers of America Mary Higgins Clark Award. Featured in the documentary film MYSTERIOUS CALIFORNIA, Gordon's series has been called "jolly, high-calorie pleasure" by the Chicago Tribune, "highly enjoyable" by the Washington Post, and "rapturous" by the Los Angeles Times. Find out more at www.nadiagordon.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fun light mystery, February 27, 2004

By 

Min "minlet" (The West) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death by the Glass: A Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley Mystery (Paperback)

This is clearly aimed at foodies and wine lovers, but even though I can just barely tell a pinot noir from a cab, I enjoyed it. The mystery plot is a little thin (though intriguing), but the real delight is in the dialogue. Nadia Gordon is one of the few authors who can nail witty, contemporary dialogue without it sounding forced or precious. I did live in Northern California for awhile, and I wallowed in the nostalgia brought on by vivid descriptions of (among other things) winter rains, organic produce, and the ridiculous behavior of yuppie wine snobs.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Murder Mystery with a Great Wine Flavor, December 28, 2003

By 

Thea M. Ryan (South Dakota, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death by the Glass: A Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley Mystery (Paperback)

Whether you live in the Napa Valley, or just enjoy visiting it, you'll love the setting of this book. Sunny, the main character, is a lovable, but unintentional sleuth intent on solving a murder. If you're a wine fan, you'll love the references to real wines in the book, learn a little, and enjoy the aromas of a great mystery! I've already purchased her other book!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Tenacity becomes ridiculous, June 16, 2011

By 

Lori A Hillman (Florissant, MO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death By The Glass (Sunny Mccloskey Napa Valley Mystery) (Kindle Edition)

Sunny spends a large part of her time making something of nothing and approaching strangers in a way that made me uncomfortable. Pleasant writing style overshadowed by the lack of realism.