And Murder for Dessert [Hardcover]

Kathleen Delaney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 2007

Ellen McKenzie and her fianc, Chief of Police Dan Dunham, are on their way to the very upscale Harvest Festival Dinner, hosted by Ellens niece, Sabrina, and her husband, Mark Tortelli. They are seasoned winery professionals. What could go wrong?
New to Silver Springs Winery, the Tortellis have been worried for weeks that their jobs depend on the success of this event, and the reputation of the guest chef hasnt helped calm their nerves.
Otto Messinger is noted for his temper tantrums. Ellen is hoping hell keep himself in check. Dan is hoping the Tortellis, who have been staying with Ellen for a month, will triumph and soon find their own place to live.
Tonights guest list seems to include everyone who has ever had a feud with Otto, a fact the little chef is thoroughly enjoying. The dinner progresses, a little shaky but without disaster. Then its time for dessert. But where is Otto?
It is Sabrina who finds him, quite dead, in a wine fermenting tank. Who helped him into it? Dan seems to think it was Sabrina. Ellen would prefer Dan find another suspectand there are plenty.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Harvest Festival Dinner at the Silver Springs Winery sounds ideal, and it is—until master chef Otto turns up dead before the sumptuous final course in Delaney's auspicious first outing in California wine country. Real estate broker Ellen McKenzie and her fiancé, chief of police Dan Dunham, are soon embroiled in the case. Ellen's niece Sabrina and Sabrina's new husband, Mark Tortelli, were counting on this splashy event to solidify their reputation as new managers of Silver Springs—especially since there's some question as to why they left their last job. The legendarily cantankerous Otto had numerous fans but even more foes, including Mark's father. Feuding shareholders and real estate developers further threaten the winery's tranquility, and Ellen must sift through all the drama to find the killer, while planning her wedding and solving family problems. Delaney's choice of setting, gossipy milieu and colorful (if somewhat predictable) suspects help to keep Ellen scrambling and move the action right along. (July)
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Review

"...congenial characters make Delaney's debut an enjoyable addition to the cozy scene." --Kirkus Reviews

“Delaney’s choice of setting, gossipy milieu and colorful...suspects help keep Ellen scrambling and move the action right along.”      —Publishers Weekly
 

 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 241 pages
• Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press (July 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590584236
• ISBN-13: 978-1590584231
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,364,187 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kathleen Delaney was born in Southern California, married right out of highschool and had five children. It wasn't until she moved to California's central coast with her last remaining "still at home" child, her parents, six horses, three dogs, an unknown number of cats and a brand new real estate broker's liscense, that she finally realized her life long dream of writing a novel. The settings for her Ellen McKenzie mysteries are taken from some of her experiences while living there. She now lives, and cntinues to write, in South Carolina where she and her two dogs live in a one hundred year old house.
The last two years, actually almost three, have been filled with adventures I would just as soon not have had. I lost my left leg due to PAD right before Thanksgiving, and have spent a lot of time learing how to walk again. Am doing fine and am grateful it was the left one. Driving would have been a lot harder if it had been the right. It makes traveling a little harder, and I find I'm conscous of things I never knew before, like how few handicaped rooms hotels have. But I'm still traveling and still writing. My 4th book, Murder Half-Baked, was released this last May, and I have started a new series, the first book is finished and with my agent. As for traveling, I've been to CA three times, Alaska and Florida, did my solo flight (first trip without any help) all through Virginia, Williamsburg, Mt Vernon and Montecello. Went a lot slower than I used to but it was fun. So, catch up with my latest adventures on my Camel Press Blog or just my rambling thoughts, and take a look at the books. Until later--Kathleen

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Murder at a Winery, August 23, 2007

By 

Dawn Dowdle "Mystery Lovers Corner reviewer" (Lynchburg, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: And Murder for Dessert (Hardcover)

Ellen McKenzie never thought she'd get remarried. So why is she now engaged? She's really not sure how it happened. She loves Dan Dunham, Santa Louisa Chief of Police, but marriage?

Her niece, Sabrina Tortelli, and her husband Mark are coming to stay with Ellen. Mark is the new winemaker at Silver Springs Winery, and Sabrina will be managing the tasting room and doing special events. Ellen, a realtor, has been wrangled by her sister Catherine to let them stay with her while Ellen finds them a rental.

At the Harvest Festival Dinner at the winery, guest chef Otto Messinger and Frank Tortelli, Mark's dad, get into a verbal fight. Soon after Otto is discovered dead in one of the old fashioned wooden fermenting tanks. Sabrina and Mark are both suspects, but Sabrina appears to be their prime suspect.

Ellen doesn't believe Sabrina did it. She sets out to find out who did, with the help of her Aunt Mary. To complicate life even more, an old high school classmate of Ellen's is back in town and trying to pick up their "romance" where it left off. Funny thing is, there was no romance!

Can Ellen keep Sabrina out of jail and find the real killer without becoming the next victim?

I really enjoyed this book. Ellen is such a wonderful character. The interaction between the various characters is well written. The story moves at a good pace. The winery is a good setting for this story as well.

I highly recommend this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars All the right ingredients., June 19, 2011

By 

Barbara J. Williams (doraville, ga United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: And Murder for Dessert (Hardcover)

And Murder for Dessert contains all my favorite ingredients: interesting and lively characters; charming setting; a dash of humor with the mystery; and, gosh darnit good writing. Looking forward to more from Kathleen Delaney.

4.0 out of 5 stars A tasty event read, October 17, 2010

By 

carl brookins "Carl Brookins" (St. Paul, Minnesota, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: And Murder for Dessert (Hardcover)

The niece of real estate broker Ellen McKenzie and her husband, Mark Tortelli move to a new job in the California wine region at Silver Spring Winery. This sparks immediate tension between Sabrina, Mark, Ellen and Ellen's current lover, Dan. Naturally there is something odd about the reasons Mark and Sabrina have suddenly appeared on the scene. Dan, who happens to be the chief of police, and it anxious to marry Ellen is put off by the presence of the other couple.

As things progress, Sabrina and Mark arrange a dinner at the winery to introduce themselves to the community. To do this they hire one of the most detestable chefs on the entire West Coast. There are several other mildly and strangely odd characters in this story. And of course there is a murder. As these things go, you can easily image who gets killed, where the body is found and who gets accused of the murder.

A classically structured traditional or "cozy" mystery that is smoothly written. The characters are carefully worked out to cover most types of individuals one might expect to find in any small community. Both Mark and his wife, Sabrina, come with family baggage, that is relatives who are forever poking their illogical noses where they are not wanted or needed. There are funny bits and there are poignant bits and the murder is logically solved.

I cannot enthusiastically recommend the book because there is no one here with whom I really connected. The level of angst and handwringing rises to surprising heights and in the end I was willing to suggest Ellen and Dan and the rest of the cast left standing pick up and move to the mountains. Nevertheless, the book is well-written and well-constructed.