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The Wine Trail Mysteries #2

Chardonnayed to Rest

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Finding a murderer requires 100% proof.
 
In Seneca Lake, New York, Norrie Ellington’s Two Witches Winery has been selected by the local vintner community to host the annual Federweisser, a celebration of the season’s first fermentation of white Chardonnay grapes. But the festivities are spoiled when Norrie learns that landowner Roy Wilkes has raised her neighbor Rosalee Marbelton’s rent so high, she may have to close her vineyard.
 
Before the rent hike could go into effect, Wilkes is found dead on Roslaee’s property—stabbed by a flowerpot stake—and she becomes the police’s number one suspect. To clear her friend’s name, Norrie conducts her own investigation. But as she gathers clues, Norrie finds herself targeted by a killer, and if she’s not careful, her desire to see justice done may die on the vine . . . .

231 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 25, 2018

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About the author

J.C. Eaton

25 books324 followers
Ann I. Goldfarb
New York native Ann I. Goldfarb spent most of her life in education, first as a classroom teacher and later as a middle school principal and professional staff developer. Writing as J. C. Eaton, along with her husband, James Clapp, they have authored the Sophie Kimball Mysteries (Kensington), The Wine Trail Mysteries (Kensington Lyrical Underground), and coming in August 2018, The Marcie Rayner Mysteries (Camel). In addition, Ann has nine published YA time travel mysteries under her own name. Visit the websites at:
www.jceatonmysteries.com
www.facebook.com/JCEatonauthor/
www.timetravelmysteries.com

James E. Clapp
When James E. Clapp retired as the tasting room manager for a large upstate New York winery, he never imagined he’d be co-authoring cozy mysteries with his wife, Ann I. Goldfarb. Non-fiction in the form of informational brochures and workshop materials treating the winery industry were his forte along with an extensive background and experience in construction that started with his service in the U.S. Navy and included vocational school classroom teaching. Visit the website at www.jceatonauthor.com

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
Profile Image for Carrie.
3,329 reviews1,611 followers
September 25, 2018
Chardonnayed to Rest by J.C. Eaton is the second book in the cozy The Wine Trail Mysteries series. Each book in the series has it’s own murder mystery to solve so they can be read as a standalone if choosing to do so.

Norrie Ellington had been asked to return home to upstate New York by her sister to oversee the family business, Two Witches Winery. Norrie’s sister and her brother in law had been given a grant to study a species of insect in Costa Rica for a next year and while Norrie has made her life in New York City she would be able to continue her job as a successful screenwriter anywhere.

After a couple months back at the winery and one successful murder case solved Norrie has settled in to her new role until her sister’s return. But when a fellow neighbor stumbles on yet another dead body it isn’t the law she calls but Norrie having made a name for herself in the crime solving department.

Another great cozy read from the husband and wife team of J.C. Eaton. This second book improved over the first installment in my opinion. I thought the first was weighed heavily down on the winery setting and this one while still giving it that feel covered more in the character and story growth putting it right up there with my over favorites from the authors. If looking for a cozy with a lot of laughs and good mystery you can’t go wrong with their books.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Profile Image for LORI CASWELL.
2,573 reviews291 followers
March 2, 2019
Dollycas’s Thoughts

We are back at the Two Witches Winery just in time for the annual Federweisser celebration. Norrie tries to juggle the preparation for the event along with meeting here screenwriter deadlines. Thankfully the staff of Two Witches has things well in hand because Norrie receives a frantic call from Rosalee Marbleton telling her she has found a dead body on her property. The dead man turns out to Roy Wilkes, the man owns access to the water needed for Rosalee’s winery. He had recently raised the rent so high that it could put her out of business. It’s not bad enough that she found the body but the murder weapon also belongs to her. Rosalee knows it looks bad and begs Norrie to find the real killer. A task Norrie doesn’t take lightly. Neither does the killer as he sets his sights on her.

I really like Norrie. She takes on everything thrown at her. She has become to go to person called to investigate anything shady or nefarious in the Seneca Lake wine community. Heck, they call her before calling the authorities, something that really upsets Deputy Sheriff Gary Hickman. Norrie has a great group of people to support her. These characters are diverse and very well crafted. They have their gifts and idiosyncrasies, but they will do anything for Norrie and the Two Witches Winery. The author has done a great job of making these characters genuine.

J. C. Eaton has fermented a fun mystery for readers to enjoy. A victim no one knows much about except for the fact that he didn’t have any friends and that no one is upset he is gone. A little digging brings more suspects to light but the author also serves up a good share of red herrings to divert and confuse. I enjoyed following along with Norrie, Theo, and Don as they not only did the legwork but online searches too. Even following along I was surprised by the way the big reveal took place. It was exciting and loved that some assistance came from someone truly unexpected.

I was captivated from beginning to end. A real character-driven mystery with just a blossom of romance and glass or two of humor. This Wine Trail Mystery gives us a peek at winemaking and running a successful winery along with an entertaining story. Pinot Red or Dead? will be out March 26 and I am impatiently waiting 🙂
Profile Image for Ell.
472 reviews58 followers
July 18, 2018
I like the setting of this cozy mystery. The Finger Lakes region of upstate NY is charming. The Wine Trail Mysteries are set in Seneca Lake at the Two Witches Winery. In Chardonnayed to Rest, it is time for the annual Federweisser festival, a celebration of the season’s first fermentation of white Chardonnay grapes. But not everyone is in a festive mood and sourly Roy Wilkes isn’t making any friends while raising land rents and issuing threats. Soon, Roy is found stabbed and our heroine, Two Witches Winery owner Norrie, finds herself investigating the death in order to clear her friend and prime suspect Rosalee’s name. It was a bit slow moving for an avid reader like myself who has more than a dozen books she wants to start reading on any given week. Other’s may appreciate the pace. All in all, it is a fun read. 3.5 stars.
Profile Image for Betty.
2,006 reviews57 followers
September 9, 2018
The second installment of wine series finds that Two Witches Winery has been selected to host the annual Federweisser to celebrate the first fermentation of the white Chardonnay grapes. Norrie is still in charge of the family's Vineyard. She received a call from a frantic neighbor that a body was found on her land. Rosalee Marbleton’s was having problems with the corpse and she wanted Norrie's help. The story takes an odd turned as Norrie decides the sheriff will not investigate correctly and feels she needs to find the killer. Norrie makes a lot of mistakes that put her in danger that I found it hard to believe. The unique ending will surprise you.
I recommend this book.

Disclosure: Many thanks to Kensington Books for a review copy. The opinions expressed are my own.
Profile Image for Dez Nemec.
815 reviews28 followers
September 26, 2018
Chardonnayed to Rest is the second of the Wine Trail Mysteries, following A Riesling to Die. Having read the first, I was naturally curious to see what Norrie Ellington was up to at the Two Witches Winery. At the outset of the first book, we are told that Norrie has reluctantly agreed to oversee the family winery while her sister and brother-in-law take a year to go to Costa Rica to study bugs. As we know it is only supposed to last for a year (although there are more hints here that the BIL's grant may get extended and last longer), this book takes place a mere 2 months after the first.

Norrie is busily writing screenplays and attempting to enter the busy season at the winery. At the monthly winery owners meeting, she hears that Rosalee, owner of Terrace Winery, is having problems with the new owner of the neighboring property. Her water supply runs under his land and he has jacked up the prices for the land use. She's stuck with it because obviously without water, there are no grapes. A few days later, Rosalee finds the owner, Roy Wilkes, dead near the pump house. Rosalee calls Norrie and demands that she comes over and investigate. Upon arriving at the scene, Deputy Hickman, whom by now Norrie considers her nemesis, warns Norrie to stay away from investigation. Naturally, Norrie doesn't listen and embarks with Theo and Don on a mission to save the day.

Just like in the first, the characters are unique, even the new ones added into the mix. This book has a little more danger for Norrie, but of course all turns out well. I did think the murderer was obvious, although the motive wasn't.

Looking forward to the next one, although near the end, Norrie does think: "At least I knew one thing—I was never, ever, going to go out on a limb to solve another murder. That was my plan on paper, anyway." Sure....

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Brenda.
536 reviews26 followers
September 3, 2018
Chardonnayed to Rest is the second installment in the Wine Trail Mysteries series set in upstate New York near Seneca Lake. Screenwriter Norrie Ellington is settling in to her temporary position of watching over the families Two Witches Winery while her sister and brother in law continue their search for an elusive bug in Costa Rica.

Two Witches has been chosen to host the annual Fedderweisser, the first harvest of the Chardonnay grapes. Anxious for things to run smoothly, Norrie is saddened to hear that neighboring vineyard owner Rosalee Marbleton is having troubles with getting enough water for her grapes. She and her sister Marilyn had purchased a waterline that ran through a neighbors property and brought water to her vines, but those owners had sold the property and the new owner, Roy Wilkes has raised her rent beyond her means.

When Roy is found stabbed to death on Rosalee's property, and with one of her ornamental planter stakes, it doesn't take long for Deputy "Grizzly Gary" Hickman to take her in for questioning. Able to prove that she's innocent, Rosalee begs Norrie to help track down the killer since the police now have their eyes on other members of her staff.

A fast paced plot with likable characters and just a touch of insight into the world of a vintner. Things are starting to heat up in the romance department for Norrie and I'm hoping the author doesn't head towards the dreaded love triangle.

I received an advanced copy of Chardonnayed to Rest from NetGalley via Lyrical Underground, a division of Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.
Profile Image for Kirsti.
2,456 reviews86 followers
August 7, 2018
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

I'm so glad to have discovered yet another excellent cozy mystery book! I loved this from the first moment, despite this being the second book and I hadn't read the first. It's just one of those series that you can jump straight into, thankfully. To begin with, we have an excellent sleuth with her motley collection of trusted friends either encouraging or actively working with her to catch the killer. We have plenty of leads and no one person really stands out, although I had my suspicions. Theo and Dom stand out as two great characters that Norrie can rely upon to help, and I loved their interactions.

Not too much romance in this one (yet) but I know who I'd like Norrie to pick if it comes down it. There's an unexpected cutie here, and I can't wait to see more of him!

A really excellent cozy series, I highly recommend it. Five stars!
Profile Image for Patrizia.
1,632 reviews38 followers
April 12, 2019
Altro buon libro. La protagonista sembra essere sempre di corsa e alla fin fine il colpevole le è servito su un piatto d'argento, nonostante i suoi tentativi investigativi.
Profile Image for Literary Redhead.
1,939 reviews541 followers
July 3, 2019
Chardonnayed to Rest is a fine and very fun mystery with wine set in Seneca Lake, New York, at Norrie Ellington’s Two Witches Winery. After a murder is discovered, Norrie works to clear a friend unfairly suspected, but soon finds herself targeted by the killer who may wish her dead on the vine. 5/5

Thanks to the author, Kensington Books and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#ChardonnayedToRest #NetGalley
Profile Image for RO G'ma.
1,028 reviews38 followers
September 6, 2018
Chardonnayed to Rest is the second book in J.C. Eaton’s (the husband and wife writing team of Ann I. Goldfarb and James E. Clapp) The Wine Trail Mysteries series. The story flows smoothly with a steadily paced plot, twists and turns, and a well-developed cast of quirky characters. This is a quick and easy read with an interesting mystery and humor.

Norrie Ellington, a successful screenwriter and a silent partner in Two Witches Winery, her family’s winery in Seneca Lake, New York. Her older sister and brother-in-law, Francine and Jason Keane, are spending a year in Costa Rica while Jason researches a bug and Francine asks Norrie to temporarily move to the winery and oversee operations. Norrie reluctantly agreed since she can write anywhere and the winery’s staff is experienced. During a meeting of Women of the Wineries, the women vote to include Theo Buchman and his life partner, Don, who own the Grey Egret Winery in their organization, and change their name to Winery Owners of the West, so they can continue to use the acronym, WOW. The local wineries are preparing for Labor Day Weekend, which is always a busy holiday for them, and in two weeks, Two Witches Winery will be hosting the Federweisser Festival. While attending the meeting, Norrie learns that Roy Wilkes, the new owner of the land where Terrace Wineries’ water pipeline runs, has raised the rent so high that Rosalee Marbelton fears she may have to close her vineyard. When one of Rosalee’s four Corgis, finds a body early one morning near the pumping station for her pipeline, instead of calling 911, Rosalee calls Norrie. Deputy Sheriff Gary Hickman is convinced Kelsey Payne, Rosalee’s handyman, is guilty and doesn’t seem to be looking any further. Since Norrie helped solve a murder before, Rosalee wants her to start investigating.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.
10.4k reviews174 followers
September 17, 2018
Roy is the classic cozy villain- he's hiked rents and been a rat to lots of people- and he's found dead on the property Rosalee rents from him. Luckily for Rosie, Norrie, a wannabe scriptwriter who is keeping an eye on her family's vineyard, decides she'll investigate. This one had the right elements but for me, at least, fell short, Maybe Norrie was a little out there, maybe it was the implausibility of Norrie not only babysitting the vineyard but also hosting a big event, but for some reason, this one did not resonate with me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
Profile Image for Maria.
1,942 reviews71 followers
August 28, 2018
The story was good. It kept me interested until about halfway through then the MC's antics became too much. Norrie did so many things that made no sense. It made it difficult to get invested in the story. But I love the other characters in the series.
Profile Image for The Cozy Review.
554 reviews40 followers
September 20, 2018
In Seneca Lake, New York, Norrie Ellington’s Two Witches Winery has been selected by the local vintner community to host the annual Federweisser, a celebration of the season’s first fermentation of white Chardonnay grapes. But the festivities are spoiled when Norrie learns that landowner Roy Wilkes has raised her neighbor Rosalee Marbleton’s rent so high, she may have to close her vineyard.

Before the rent hike could go into effect, Wilkes is found dead on Rosalee’s property, stabbed to death, and she becomes the number one suspect. To clear her friend’s name, Norrie conducts her investigation. But as she gathers clues, Norrie finds herself targeted by a killer, and if she’s not careful, her desire to see justice done may die on the vine.

--

Series: The Wine Trail Mysteries - Book 2
Author: J.C. Eaton (Ann I. Goldfarb & James E. Clapp)
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Lyrical Underground

The work of J.C. Eaton (Ann I. Goldfarb & James E. Clapp) is always original. Their combined skill makes just about anything they write entertaining and fun. Chardonnayed to Rest is the second book in the “Wine Trail Mysteries” series. The writing is easy to follow with smooth transitions.

Norrie Ellington is a bit preoccupied with her own interests. Her writing career is on the line if she doesn’t meet her deadlines. Unfortunately, the winery and murder keep getting in the way. It is easy-to-understand Norrie’s self-absorption. What writer worth a dime isn’t self-centered? But this character takes things a bit too far.

Norrie is supposed to be looking after her family winery, which her sister- and brother-in-law take care of, while they are away for a year. She isn’t good at it. In truth, if this were real life, the winery would already be shut down with Norrie in charge. She pays no attention to the winery business, and it would be astounding if it actually made money and stayed afloat. The character is just a bit too inattentive, and her interests take precedence over everything, and everyone else. It appears that if her neighbor hadn’t been accused of murder, she wouldn’t even be aware that someone had died, or of the festival her winery is hosting, or anything else that takes place throughout the story. To put it simply, Norrie is not a pleasant character. Other characters are hugely more attractive to readers.

Rosalee, with her straightforward manner, and her ability not to know when to stay silent is endearing. Don and Theo are adorable as a couple and as neighbors. They play a pivotal part in the investigation and find most of the interesting clues. Readers will want to learn more about them and follow their antics in future books. The victim, although not necessarily likable is intriguing. The more information that is uncovered about him, the more the reader will want to know why, and who killed him.

The wine country setting is exciting. Having competing wineries working together and helping each other is a delightful idea that would be great in a world where it’s every man for himself. A sticking point for some readers will be the name of Norrie’s winery; Two Witches Winery can be misleading to readers who think they are getting a paranormal/witch-based cozy.

There is some humor in this book and an interesting plot. When the killer is revealed, it won’t come as a surprise but how it transpires might. In the end, if a reader is looking for a quick read where they don’t have to do a lot of deep thinking to figure out what is going on or who the killer is, then Chardonnayed to Rest is for them.
Profile Image for JoAnne McMaster (Any Good Book).
1,296 reviews23 followers
September 10, 2018
Norrie Ellington is managing the family winery while her sister Francine and her husband Jason spend a year in Costa Rica searching for a rare bug. Norrie is a screenwriter who has her own deadline to make, so she's needing all the free time she can get to finish it.

Unfortunately, it won't be this week, and possibly not the next, either. Her friend and a fellow winery owner, Rosalee Marbleton tells Norrie that a newcomer to Penn Yan has bought land nearby that she has a pipeline for water running though, and he's raised the rent so high she may have to close her winery. But when Roy Wilkes's body is found by Rosalee she calls Norrie in a panic. Along with another winery owner, Theo, they investigate and sure enough, Roy is dead.

But when Rosalee's handyman Kelsey is arrested for the crime and it's implied that Rosalee may have put him up to it. she begs Norrie to find out the truth. Against her better judgment, Norrie agrees. But will digging into another murder find a killer or will it put her next on the list to die?

This is the second book in the series and I have to say that I liked it better than the first. The characters are starting to develop personalities and come into their own and I felt that this was lacking in the debut book, and Norrie is becoming more comfortable with the employees at the winery, even though she's not as fond of the place as is her sister.

There were, however, a couple of things that rankled me a bit: in the first book she met a couple of developers that were so "hot" she couldn't think straight; and in this book she meets an attorney and mentions that she's never met anyone so attractive. How hot is this guy? Does Norrie find one to surpass another around every corner? Then I get the feeling that a love triangle might be in the offering. Please, please no. Love triangles are never fun to read about at all, and take away pleasure in the book.

The other thing that bothered me is the fact that Norrie doesn't realize just how much like Deputy Gary she is. She decides one person is guilty and refuses to even consider anyone else might be the culprit. She just goes around trying to prove she's right. I get that she's a screenwriter and has a vivid imagination, but she should also think logically and look for clues, sifting through them to find the truth. Instead, she comes up with hair-brained schemes she decides will bring the killer to justice. While we, the readers, had a pretty good clue as to who the killer was because of a single act, Norrie was oblivious to that fact. Also, and I can't help but wonder about this, who is the sheriff in this town, and shouldn't a homicide detective be investigating murders, not a town deputy? Just curious.

Aside from these things, I found that the story was written well and put together nicely. The reason for the murder was believable, and even the final confrontation - given the personalities involved - was believable as well.

I thought the bowlers and quilters were probably the funniest part of the story and even made me laugh out loud at one point, and I do love Norrie's "thoughts in her head." She's pretty sarcastic to herself, and it gives a bit of lightness to the story that keeps it moving along at a good pace. In the end, I thought this was a pretty decent book and a fairly quick read. The murder was tied up creditably, and I would like to see what the next in the series brings. Recommended.
Profile Image for Stormi (StormReads).
1,869 reviews175 followers
November 22, 2019
Though I am trying to work my way through this series it still just isn't as good in my opinion as the writing duo's other series I adore. 

In book two the wineries are gearing up for Federweisser and this year it's Two Witches Winery's turn to host it. It has something to do with the fermentation of Chardonnay wine and it's a big ole party with lots of tasty treats. 

Rosalee calls Norrie in the early morning hours one day frantic because her dog Violet has found a dead body close to the pump house they use. It the man who has raised the rent on the land that Rosalee rents to use the water from the lake for her winery and so of course she is going to be a suspect, or someone from her winery. 

The police detective isn't surprised that Norrie is sticking her nose in things and tells her not too, but of course she doesn't listen. Norrie isn't a bad sleuther but it's some of the things she does to find out her information that I don't agree with much and it drives me crazy.

I am not much of a fan of Grizzly Gary aka detective Hickman but I sometimes feel that Norrie treats him as if the police are dumb which I am not a fan of, though the detective could be a bit better at certain things. I also think that maybe if Norrie would give the police everything she knows early on instead of waiting till later he might take her more seriously. I felt like she was impeding the investigation by not going to him right away, though I know she doesn't because he will be mad she is interfering but still it bugs me. Instead she implements a plan to locate a certain person during the Federweisser which ended up being a mess though it did lead to the killer but that was something all in itself...lol.

I do like some of the characters in the series and look forward to reading about them. It seems that maybe the authors are going to give us a couple of potential romantic interest for Norrie in Bradley the lawyer and Godfrey the bug science guy. I kind of like Godfrey best. My favorite characters are still Theo and Don they humor Norrie a lot and are good friends.

Overall, it was a good mystery and I I thought it was okay. I figured out the murderer but not the why part so that was enjoyable as well.
Profile Image for Cozy Reviews.
1,841 reviews5 followers
October 3, 2018
The charming setting of a winery in upstate New York is the outstanding back ground for this excellent cozy mystery series.. I have read the entire series and highly recommend all books in the series. Each book can be read as a stand alone. This is written by a husband and wife team who write a well crafted mystery with great charcters and a dose of humor.

Chardonnayed to Rest features wineries in picturesque upstate New York. The winery owners work together as friends and neighbors to put on celebrations. Everyone is busy working on a new event to be held at the Two Witches Winery. Norrie is managing the winery for her sister who is out of the country. When a murder occurs at the winery across from Two Witches Norrie is on the case and wants to clear her neighbors from any suspicion. She is a experienced sleuth and with help from her friends soon is deep into clues. Her life is in danger and attempts are made on her life . When someone is arrested she is sure that person is the wrong suspect and that she is still in danger. She is correct and soon solves the multi-layered mystery.

This is a well crafted mystery with charming supporting charcters and a beautiful winery as the back ground of the story. It is pleasing to read and has a fast pace to the mystery and plot. I look forward to the next book in the series. it has a aspect of a new romantic interest for Norrie which did not overpower the story but left the reader hoping for more in the next book. This series is always a fun and interesting mystery read. Thank you for the ARC which did not influence my review. Very well done to the author's
I
Profile Image for Lghiggins.
853 reviews10 followers
September 27, 2018
Chardonnayed to Rest is a fun, cozy mystery authored by the husband and wife team that goes by the name J.C. Eaton. It features wineries in Penn Yan, New York. The winery owners there support each other and collaborate on various projects such as the Federweisser celebration which is slated this year to be held at the Two Witches Winery. Norrie, a successful screenwriter is maintaining her career while taking over supervision of the family winery for a year for her sister who is hunting an elusive bug in Costa Rica. With an experienced staff, what could possibly go wrong? Unfortunately, a murder occurs at the winery across from Two Witches.

Norrie does some unofficial sleuthing with friends Don and Theo of the Grey Egret winery. Along the way she meets a handsome lawyer and a likable entomologist. There are also some attempts on Norrie’s life. Someone is arrested for the murder, but Norrie is convinced that they have the wrong person, and she is determined to prove it.

Chardonnayed to Rest moves quickly and has lots of suspects and a resolution I didn’t see coming. Some parts were amusing and some caught me laughing out loud. I can’t wait to see what adventures await Norrie in the next book in the Wine Trail Mysteries.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Lyrical Underground (Kensington Press) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
116 reviews
July 17, 2018
In this second of the Wine Trail mysteries (A Riesling to Die was the first), we find Norrie back at the vineyard she is watching for her sister and brother-in-law while he is abroad with the family studying a rare insect. Things have calmed down a bit from the last body they found, but unfortunately, a new corpse is found, and is a landowner that was giving a hard time to Norrie’s friend. Guess who becomes the primary suspect? Especially when the murder weapon turns out to belong to the friend. Yup – things aren’t looking good, and soon the friend is asking for Norrie’s help because of her stellar work finding the killer the first time around.

I tried. I really did. I read the first book and enjoyed it, so when I had the opportunity from NetGalley and the publisher to read this one, I jumped at it. It was fun to hear back from the original characters and see what they have been up to, but it just didn’t MOVE for me. I tried to go back several times and pick it back up, but I just couldn’t finish, and I’m not even all that interested to find out who the killer was. Unfortunately, this might be the last book in the series for me. It’s not that it was BAD, but because I am not invested in the characters yet, I am giving up. There are just too many other books to read. Maybe if I were a wine drinker I would find it more interesting?
Profile Image for Tari.
2,684 reviews83 followers
December 28, 2020
I always love the characters and humor in this author's books. I'm not as far along in this series as I am their other one (Sophie Kimball), but I'll get there. When Norrie decided to investigate a murder that took place at a neighbor's winery, she had no idea just how full her plate would get with that and the prep for the upcoming Federweisser, not to mention a couple of death threats. Such is the life of an amateur sleuth though, so Norrie continued knowing that telling the local authorities would get her nowhere, since the sheriff's deputy made it clear before that he didn't like her in his business.

I wasn't ever completely sure about whodunit, but I did have a gut feeling about one of the suspects. It was kind of a convoluted explanation but with the characters involved, it had to be that way lol. There were some pretty funny moments all through the book but especially at the end. It'll be fun finding out what other adventures Norrie gets into while her sister and brother-in-law are off chasing elusive insects. I have the books to date in the series, I just need to read them.
Profile Image for Cris (The Biblio Blonde).
231 reviews44 followers
August 21, 2018


Chardonnayed to Rest was the second book in a series set in the Finger Lakes wine region of NY. Loved the setting of these books... it sounds beautiful and the winery trail community sounds like it would be a great place to visit!

In this book, an area resident is found dead and suspicion falls on the owner of a nearby vineyard. Norrie, still at Two Witches Winery, investigates and gets herself into hot water again. The story culminates in a festival at the winery, accompanied by a couple of new friends Norrie has made, pandemonium in the form of quilters and bowlers, and a lot of wine!

There's a lot to like about this series, including the setting, some quirky characters... and did I mention wine? I almost felt like too many characters were introduced and I had to really work to keep track of them - true of the first book in the series also. All in all, 3.5 stars, and if you're a wine lover, round up to 4!!

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this title.

Profile Image for Kathleen.
1,556 reviews10 followers
September 21, 2018
I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy from Kensington Book’s Lyrical Underground via Netgalley and these are my own opinions.

I requested this book on Netgalley as I enjoy the first in this series and it is set in the picturesque Finger Lakes in New York. Also, the cover is hard to resist and the description was enticing.

Lots of suspects, twists and turns and great characters. I am having a hard time believing Norrie can write screen plays, manage a winery and sleuth at the same time. I do not believe the police in this story are inept even though Norrie feels they are. There is more of an adversarial tone towards the law than other cozies without supporting evidence for the underlying current.

We do find out what a scumbag the victim was and it isn’t hard not to be sad he is no longer among the living.

This can be read as a standalone.
868 reviews11 followers
October 7, 2019
Norrie Ellington is taking care of the family winery while her sister and brother-in-law are in Costa Rico and it's time for the annual Federweisser, a celebration of the season's first fermentation of white Chardonnay grapes. But before that happens, a landowner has raised the rent so high for a friend's winery water access, that she may have to close. Before the rent hike happens, the landowner is found dead on the friend's property and the first person she calls is Norrie. Norrie, with the help of Don and Theo, begin to investigate to find the real killer, because they know their friend did not commit this crime. Some tangled lives, some strange goings on and finally a satisfactory outcome! A fun read, well plotted and good characters.
Profile Image for Holly L'Heureux.
342 reviews14 followers
December 3, 2018
I won this kindle e-book in a Goodreads giveaway, and I was so happy to have received it. I think of all of these stories as cheesy murder mysteries. Not in a bad way mind you, I love them so much, I think of it more as endearing. I really enjoyed this novel. Norrie is very spunky and reminds me of myself a little. I really liked this book, the only reason I really gave it 4 stars is because I feel like I need a little more back story to the novel. I have not read any of the other novels which might be why I need more back story... once I read some of the others I may change my rating! I strongly recommend this book if you enjoy cheesy murder mysteries like I do!
Profile Image for Homerun2.
2,273 reviews13 followers
September 5, 2018
This lightweight cozy takes place in the Finger Lakes winery area of upstate New York. Protagonist Norrie Ellington is babysitting the family vineyard operation while her sister and brother-in-law are gone. Norrie is working hard at her "real" job as a Hollywood scriptwriter. When a dead body is discovered at a nearby winery, Norrie leaps in to investigate the case.

Not unpleasant, but light on plot plausibility and character development. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in return for my honest review.
1,791 reviews45 followers
September 15, 2018
The first book in the series was fun and the second entry in the series is as well. Norrie Ellington is baby sitting her family’s winery and while the business is still standing, bodies keep dropping around her. This time it’s a new landowner who moved to town and one of her fellow winery owners could be implicated. Norrie does her best to save her friend from become a suspect and turns into a target herself.

The characters are fun and the story moves at a good clip. This is a fun series that I’ll be visiting with again when the next book is released.
Profile Image for Ann.
5,400 reviews68 followers
December 9, 2018
The Two Witches winery in hosting the annual Fedderweisser celebration this year in wine country, Seneca Falls, NY. Acting as caretaker while her sister is traveling, Norris is back in book 2 of the Wine Trail Murder Series. Neighboring winery may have to close as a new town resident raises her rent and high water rates. When he turns up dead it's pretty clear someone in town is a murderer. Lots of facts on wine and vineyards. The mystery is a good one and this story can be read as a stand alone. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
671 reviews10 followers
March 21, 2019
A fun second book in this series! Norrie is at it again when one of her fellow winery owners finds the dead body of a man who had been raising her rent. She investigates with the help of Theo, another winery owner. When her car is tampered with and poisoned chocolate is sent to her, she knows she is getting close to finding the killer. With the big Fedderweiser festival coming up, she’s determined to catch a killer. Looking forward to seeing what’s next for Norrie and the rest of the winery gang as well as her friends, Theo and Don!
Profile Image for Carol.
714 reviews14 followers
July 25, 2018
Received a Kindle copy as a Goodreads giveaway. It was just OK for me. I liked the sense of humor and the New York Finger Lakes wine country setting. The main problem was that I didn't like the main character. Norrie was grating, jumping to conclusions based on flimsy evidence and too willing to dash into unlawful or unethical situations. I had trouble juggling the large cast of characters, too.
Profile Image for Melissa B.
646 reviews22 followers
September 30, 2018
What fun to read a book centered on my home area, and to have it written by people I know (and worked for Ann). This would make a great movie, good action, suspense, laughter... it had it all.
I love the characters and their portrayals. The action was believable and moved right along, definitely held my interest. Keep them coming Ann and Jim!
717 reviews2 followers
May 21, 2019
Norrie's neighbor finds a dead body on her property. She asks Norrie to find the killer. Norrie is keeping an eye on the family winery while her sister and husband are away. She is busy with her career and helping out with the winery. This story was stronger than the first one, it has nice characters and lovely setting.
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