Murder Alfresco (Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley Mysteries) [Paperback]

Nadia Gordon (Author)

Book Description

Series: Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley Mysteries | Publication Date: April 2, 2008

Walking home late one night from a party, Napa Valley restaurant owner Sunny McCoskey happens upon the shocking sight of a murdered woman, bound and hanging from the tree of a local vineyard. Shortly before, she'd seen a truck leaving a local winery, driving without its headlights on. Was it the murderer? And did the murderer see her as well? Sunny's investigation introduces her to a whole new array of colorful characters and suspects, including a hardy contingent of Northern California surfers and a shady community of houseboaters. With the help of her lively and irreverent crew of friends, Sunny uncovers dark motives amid the cool chardonnays, and finds herself the focus of the killer's unwelcome attention.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

On her way home from a late-night party, chef Sunny McCoskey sees a corpse hanging from a tree at one of Napa Valley's premier wineries. Since she may have seen the murderer drive off, and the murderer may have seen her, Sunny is concerned for her personal safety. The police consider her a material witness and caution her not to discuss the case, but she cannot resist a little independent investigating. With the help of her eclectic group of cooks and vintners, she ignores the danger and mucks about among the wine country's high society and the colorful community of houseboat dwellers in Sausalito. Readers will turn pages quickly as they long for a glass of chardonnay and a meal at the Wildwood Cafe. Recommend this thoroughly engaging series--Murder Alfresco was preceded by Sharpshooter (2001) and Death by the Glass (2003)--to fans of the movie Sideways. Barbara Bibel
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"An amusing romp in the culinary underworld." &nash;Booklist

"Highly enjoyable." –Washington Post Book World

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (April 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811858170
• ISBN-13: 978-0811858175
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #956,200 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

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars On the edge of my seat again, August 18, 2006

By 

Lynn D. Lonjers (Humboldt County, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder Alfresco: A Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley Mystery (Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Once again, Nadia Gordon has kept me on the edge of my seat in her latest Napa Valley mystery. I am associated with a vineyard, winery and restaurant in the very very northern part of California and find the accuracy of her descriptions of the wine and food industry to be right on. Besides, her characters are alway people I'd like to meet. I can hardly wait for Sunny's next big adventure.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Looking forward to the next book., June 16, 2007

By 

Cyn (New England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder Alfresco: A Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley Mystery (Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley Mysteries) (Hardcover)

I enjoyed the previous 2 books and was hoping I would this one also and was not disappointed in anyway.

I enjoyed the mystery and story as well as the food and wine references. I love both food and wine and this series feeds those loves along with my obsession for reading.

As a previous reviewer noted there was less character development than the previous books but that did not detract from this story.

I was sad to finish it and even sadder to see how long I have to wait for the next book to come out.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as her previous books, August 2, 2005

By 

Kristin (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder Alfresco: A Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley Mystery (Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley Mysteries) (Hardcover)

I have really enjoyed this series and looked forward to this book, but I felt like this book got away from the things that made Sharpshooter and Death by the Glass fun. There was far less character development and far more of Sunny trying to be introspective. The plot was not plausible and there was less of the fun foodie/Napa references. Overall, not that engaging.