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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining. Might be worth it for the recipes and wine pairings., July 13, 2006
In this second book in the series, Nikki Sands has settled into her new job at the winery in Napa Valley. She's made a few close friends, and is beginning to explore romantic entanglement with two men. One is her boss, and the other is the brother of Isabel, a good friend. Life's pretty good. But then...
Isabel, who owns a new restaurant, agrees to cater a wedding, then she discovers that the bride is marrying Isabel's (sort of secret) lover. Understandably, Isabel is upset, expecially when it turns out that the bride, Susan, is a mean and nasty person. After Susan is murdered at the wedding, the police decide that Isabel is to blame -- and Nikki, of course, has to find the real culprit. The only problem is that Susan was mean and nasty to LOTS of people; the question is, which one of them had reason enough to kill her?
The book is entertaining, if not breathtakingly "force this book on all my friends" so. Nikki has believeable reasons for making her decisions, the victim deserved her ill fate (you know that from the first chapter), and the author does keep you guessing about the identity of the murderer. A few too many things happen conveniently for the plot's sake, but they're all forgiveable in a cozy little story like this.
The story stands well on its own; you don't need to have read the previous book in the series (though you might learn a little more about Derek by doing so; he's away on business for a large chunk of this story). You can certainly put your feet up, pull the box of chocolate chip cookies closer to you, and spend an enjoyable afternoon falling into this tale.
One thing that Michele Scot does particularly well is weave the wine and food into the story. After a chapter in which the characters had an important conversation while eating dinner, for example, the book has a mini-chapter with the recipe specifics. I'm not sure what people will think of me when I pull out a mystery book from which to cook "pork tenderloin with port wine mushroom sauce, with Alexander Valley Vineyards Sin Zin," but the recipe is appealing enough that I plan to do just that.
Not a WOW but definitely entertaining... particularly if you're a foodie.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A delicious, intoxicating read, July 4, 2006
I loved Murder Uncorked, so couldn't wait to pick up Murder by the Glass... and now that I've finished it, I'm thirsty for the third.
If you're looking for an escape to the wine country... spiced with a touch of murder, plenty of romance (with two dishy, to-die-for men), and lots of great wine and food, look no further. Scott pulls you in on the first page and doesn't let go till you're done. Her characters are great -- I love the Bridezilla in particular, as well as the two men who are vying for the leading role in Nikki's life -- and the plot is a puzzler that will keep you guessing to the end.
Murder By the Glass is a perfect read for a summer afternoon -- with a glass or two of wine and some munchies, of course. Be warned, though -- the ending will leave you anxiously awaiting the release of the next installment. Fortunately, you can pass the time trying out the fabulous recipes (and wine-pairings) sprinkled throughout the book. That's what I plan to do!
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
More Delightful than a Great Bottle of Wine..., June 29, 2006
In the 2nd installment in the Wine Lover's Mystery series, Nikki Sands is surrounded by love, wedding bells, wine, and jealousy. Nikki, the Malveaux Estate's winery manager, attends the first wedding that best friend, Isabel, is catering for her new restaurant, Grapes. It sounds innocent enough, but it turns out that Isabel was coerced into catering the wedding for ex-boyfriend, Kristof, and his fiancé', Susan. Isabel is having a difficult time with the "bridezilla", and Nikki quickly steps in to lend her emotional support and encouragement. When Susan is found dead moments after the wedding ceremony, all eyes turn to Isabel as being the likely suspect. And when several pieces of incriminating evidence point directly to the jilted lover, Nikki jumps to her friend's defense and begins to investigate. Meanwhile, Nikki is having a difficult time juggling two men...her boss, the handsome, somewhat elusive, Derek Malveaux, and the exotic and romantic brother of Isabel, Andres. In between her job at the estate and dates with two exciting men, Nikki figures out that Susan had numerous enemies and that finding the murderer will be much more difficult than choosing the best wine to pair with dinner.
I enjoyed both of the books in this series and am looking forward to many more books to come by this talented author! Nikki is a strong female character, and I am intrigued by both of the love interests in her life. Unlike many other cozies, neither love interest is involved with law enforcement, which is a refreshing change of pace. Nikki uses her contacts within the wine industry to unearth any gossip, and uses intuition and street smarts to catch a killer. This is a great, fast moving read to take to the beach on a hot summer day.
The first book in the series is called "Murder Uncorked". Enjoy!
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