Publishers Weekly
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After a decade in San Francisco advertising, Taylor O'Brian, the 28-year-old narrator of this sparkling series launch from Parra (Gluten for Punishment), is lured home to Sonoma, Calif., by her aunt Gemma's heart attack. Gemma's fine-unless Taylor mentions leaving; so Taylor buys a green 1970s VW van and throws her restless energy into launching Off the Beaten Path Wine Country Tours. Roadblock to success: her very first client, unpleasant yoga teacher Laura Scott, takes a corkscrew in the neck at Quarryhill, an exotic botanical garden. Sheriff Ron Hennessy arrives to investigate; shell-shocked though Taylor is-she found Laura's body, and it's her corkscrew-she notes Hennessy has "gorgeous blue eyes that had seen too much." He'll figure out whodunit, right? But Taylor tops the DA's suspect list, and Hennessy has to arrest her, even though he would clearly rather kiss her. "When this is over, you can call me Ron," he says, in one of many sweet, funny scenes. Hurrah, hurrah for the freshness Parra brings to this cozy. Agent: Paige Wheeler, Folio Literary Management. (Dec.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Library Journal
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Restless after moving to her Aunt Jemma's small winery in Sonoma County, Taylor O'Brian decides to start her own wine country tour company. She books her first trip with the staff from a yoga studio. When Laura, the group's leader, is found dead with Taylor's corkscrew planted in her neck, -Taylor becomes the prime suspect, especially since she had a disagreement with Laura and her husband. Although her own attorney tells her to stay home, Taylor insists on asking questions and showing up at the wrong spot. This time, the wrong spot is another murder scene. VERDICT With recipes and wine details, this series debut from the author of Newlywed Dead will appeal to fans of Ellen Crosby's books set at a Virginia family winery. However, Taylor's character and humor, immature and oppositional at times, may be attractive to readers of Linda -Lovely's Bones To Pick, which features -amateur sleuths in their 30s.-LH © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Taylor O'Brian has recently moved to Sonoma, California, to help her Aunt Jemma, who has recently suffered a heart attack, at her vineyard. To support herself, Taylor opens a wine-country-tour business called Off the Beaten Path. Unfortunately, on Taylor's first tour, yoga teacher Laura Scott is murdered, found with Taylor's corkscrew in her neck, leaving Taylor the chief suspect. Taylor feels compelled to investigate to clear herself since she feels the police aren't looking at other possible suspects, including the victim's husband and yoga colleagues. Against the advice of her attorney and the local sheriff, Taylor and her friend Holly transform into sleuths. An engaging lead character, the rich wine-country frame, and hints of possible romance in the future offer scope for future installments in the series. This entry is marred only by Taylor's poor judgment in some of her actions, making her look more and more guilty. Readers may also enjoy such wine-centered mysteries as Ellen Crosby's The Vineyard Victims (2017) and Nadine Nettmann's Decanting a Murder (2016).--O'Brien, Sue Copyright 2018 Booklist