Thank you to the authors, publishers, and Level Best Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing.
Villain in the Vineyard
A Chesapeake Bay Mystery
Judy L. Murray
If you are a fan of Delaney Nichols from the Scottish Bookshop Mystery series with her bookish voices, then you are really going to enjoy Helen Morrisey and her Detection Club, which is made up of some of the greatest female fictional sleuths. There is Nancy Drew, Jane Marple, Jessica Fletcher, Nora Charles, and Agatha Raisin. Each of the sleuths is unique and offers different insights and methods. This is my first time reading a book from the Chesapeake Bay Mystery Series, and I did not put it down until I finished. Being the sort of series addict that I am, it means that I will be adding the other three to my TBR list for a possible binge-reading weekend. This cozy mystery is so well-written that it elicits emotional reactions that are almost visceral. The characters are completely relatable, and their reactions to their circumstances are believable.
Helen Morrisey is the sassy sort of true-blue friend who you would want to sell your house or help you find a new abode. Her best friend is Tammi Damon, an irreplaceable assistant who endeavors to talk Helen off the ledge and remind her that Twizzlers are not a food group. We learn that Helen is a widow, but she isn’t alone. She has a set of grown children––twins Lizzie and Shawn, who respect the uniqueness that is their mom while also showing her such love and support that it makes you sigh. Rounding out this inner circle is Helen’s love interest, Detective Joe McAlister. Helen and Joe have an easy-going relationship with plenty of teasing as well as tenderness and a little agitation. (Helen has been known to take a risk or two.) Joe appreciates Helen’s ability to notice details and to think through situations. He is not necessarily a huge fan of the Detection Club because sometimes the ladies convince Helen to dig a little deeper and look a little longer.
With two murders, there are a good number of suspects. For Bill Elison, there is Todd Myers, the ill-tempered son-in-law for starters, and there is concern also that those who clean houses see and know things that maybe they shouldn’t have. For Oscar Banyon, there are quite a few more since he was a bit of a snoot who isn’t mourned by anyone, including his wife, Paula. At one point, I suspected that everyone had done the deed including the FBI agent who probably moonlighted as a Wonder Woman stand-in.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable cozy, and I am looking forward to getting caught up by reading the first three with a glass of wine and some Twizzlers.
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