Sharpshooter: A Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley Mystery (Napa Valley Mysteries) [Paperback]

Nadia Gordon (Author)

Book Description

Series: Napa Valley Mysteries | Publication Date: June 1, 2002

Sunny McCoskey is the independent chef/owner of Wildside, a little cafe nestled in Napa Valley, where the food is exactly right. When the heir apparent to a major vineyard is shot dead, and Sunny's eccentric winemaker friend, Wade, is arrested for the murder, she launches her own investigation. The solution lies in the tangled personalities and politics of the wine industry, and in the threat posed to the valley by the glassy-winged sharpshooter. Set in a region renowned for its food and wine, Sharpshooter launches an entertaining mystery series featuring Sunny and an engaging cast of wine professionals, cooks, socialites-and suspects.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The scion of a wine family is found murdered; chef Sunny McCoskey's friend Wade Skord is a prime suspect; and the glassy-winged sharpshooter (an insect) is threatening Napa Valley produce, not to mention Sunny's organic restaurant, in Sharp Shooter, Nadia Gordon's tale of land fever and love gone bad in the promised land. The personable McCoskey navigates wine country denizens and six-burner stoves with equal aplomb, and foodies and oenophiles especially will enjoy Gordon's blend of solid suspense and gourmet culture.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A highly enjoyable book." -Washington Post

"The book's local color and its culinary, oenological, and ecological details are priceless. . . . There's enough about cooking, eating, and drinking to give you an appetite before you're halfway through." -Los Angeles Times Book Review

"The personable McCoskey navigates wine country denizens and six-burner stoves with equal aplomb, and foodies and oenophiles especially will enjoy Gordon's blend of solid suspense and gourmet culture." -Publishers Weekly

"A promising debut with a strong plot and colorful characters." -Booklist

"Heroine Sunny McCoskey is bright, tenacious, and extremely likable, and Gordon paints a vivid portrait of the Napa Valley and its wine-and-food culture. I'm looking forward to many more novels in this intriguing new series." -Marcia Muller

"Napa Valley, the good life, sunny skies, fine cuisine, and fleshy reds. But, isn't there something murky at the bottom of the bottle? Yes, and it is murder, no less. The mystery of wine . . . If a wine does not have some mystery to it, we call it plonk. SHARPSHOOTER is not plonk. A crime novel with taste." -Kermit Lynch

"Those of us who enjoy an authentic look into another culture while reading a mystery are going to enjoy joining Nadia Gordon in the wild, weird wine industry." -Tony Hillerman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (June 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081183462X
• ISBN-13: 978-0811834629
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #485,659 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

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Mystery Convert!, November 13, 2002

By 

Tom Herren - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sharpshooter: A Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley Mystery (Napa Valley Mysteries) (Paperback)

I really enjoyed reading this book and I don't normally read fiction. (As my previous reviews indicate.) I had just finished reading a beautiful big coffee table book - "Napa Stories: Profiles, Reflections, and Recipes from the Napa Valley" by Michael Chiarello. I was certainly in the mood.

Author Nadia Gordon did her homework about the Napa Valley. As a biologist I wasn't sure the glassy-winged sharpshooter was an actual insect. Well, it certainly is. She creates a very real "sense of place" about this world famous valley. She weaves in a lot about wine making, believable local politics, society and personal relationships.

I guess I am being a little bit picky, but I wish the book were a little bit longer to flesh out some of the characters more. However, this is the first of a series, so I guess it is a complement that I would like to know the characters better. The only other comment would be one of the main characters is named Rivka. It is a little bit difficult to mentally pronounce.

I must admit it was a great read and I look forward to the rest of the series.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As snappy as opening good Merlot, July 14, 2002

By 

Ben Hordowitch (Parsippany, New Jersey, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sharpshooter: A Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley Mystery (Napa Valley Mysteries) (Paperback)

I found this book from my little neighborhood book store couple weeks ago. I just wanted to have something light to read at the beach. It was light but on a good way, like good summery Chardonnay. Writing is very snappy, fun and it is a page turner. I read it on one sitting, which needless to say wasn't the smartes thing to do on a beach. So, despite my severe sunburn I do recommend this to anyone who's into good, fun mysteries. My hat's off to you Nadia, or should I say skin?

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sharpshooter, August 6, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Sharpshooter: A Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley Mystery (Napa Valley Mysteries) (Paperback)

I can't wait for the next Nadia Gordon's book.
I loved it. Great book specially the Napa Valley setting. I love that area and felt like I was there with Sunny!
I recommend it for anyone looking for a good mystery.
Thanks to my train commute, it made my ride shorter and something I was looking for so I could grad my book and read another chapter.