A Vintage Murder: A Wine Lover's Mystery

• #23 in Best Wine Books

12 Reviews

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This book takes place in Australia. Nikki and her business partner Derek are in Australia on a business trip; they will be back in Napa Valley soon.

Even though Nikki and Derek are conducting wine business, this trip is definitely eventful, interesting, and adventurous, from Derek's hilarious brother Simon to a movie-making scene to murder. One interesting thing was the horrible-tasting wine at that horrible winery that Nikki visited. (Not the winery they are doing business with - just a winery they visited and test-tasted.)

A movie is being made on site at the vineyard. It is a movie dedicated to someone who truly loved animals. Then a murder happens. Nikki is determined to solve the mystery of the murder.

Nikki makes a decision between the two guys in her life. I will not say which one she chooses, but I will say she didn't choose the one I wanted her to!

This is a Wine Mystery Series. The books in this series are awesome. Both the atmosphere and the mystery part are good, well-written, and fun. A person does not have to be a wine lover in order to like these books. In fact, I am a teetotalist. The most these books will make me thirsty for is sparkling grape juice.

This author also writes a Horse Lovers Mystery series. In fact, that series is how I became attracted to her books. I felt sure I would enjoy a Horse Series.

This book has such a beautiful cover. Even though I would have read the book anyway (as I read all the Wine and Horse books by this author), the cover alone would have been enough to attract me! Even though we aren't supposed to judge books by their covers - this book can be judged by its cover! When I saw the beautiful purple artwork, I immediately adored it! And this book does live up to its cover!

This book had some funny moments and I am very glad the author has Nikki reach a decision regarding her love interest instead of spending a dozen books with an unrealistic love triangle (hello, Joanne Fluke). Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed with the book. The Australian setting has such potential, but there is very little detail about the backdrop, to the point where the book could just as easily been taking place in Napa. I liked that we got to know Nikki better since more details about her background were provided, but the thing that I could not get past was the whole angle of Nikki stepping in for the lead actress in the movie being filmed at the vineyard. To me, it was just way too unrealistic that Nikki would be asked to step in for the murdered lead actress on a moment's notice, to co-star with a leading man that is likened to the celebrity level of Clooney and Pitt! The previous books lead us to believe that Nikki was a mediocre actress who never made it, now suddenly some old clips of her show on the internet convince the producer that she is the next Nicole Kidman? On top of that, she learns an Australian accent in one day? I appreciate that inserting Nikki into the movie is a good way for her to investigate, but it just was a bit much. The murderer was an interesting surprise, and Simon's appearance on the scene was entertaining, as were the pop culture references. Readers of the series will still enjoy this book, but I am looking forward to the story and character returning to work in Napa.

The latest entry in the Wine Lover's Mystery series is a mixture of romance and murder. When protagonist Nikki Sands joins her boss-now-boyfriend Derek in an adventure to the wine country area of Australia, she has no idea how wild her life is about to become!

Nikki and Derek are on a fact-finding mission, hoping to get a license to distribute wine in the States from a dynamic popular Aussie winemaker. Their romance is so new that even a simple kiss causes Nikki to tremble in her boots. And then there's the brouhaha at the winery: a Hollywood movie production company is filming a hot new movie with hot young stars, complete with dingoes, snakes and boxing kangaroos.

The Napa couple have only been in Australia two days when the leading lady of the movie dies, due to a venomous bite from a brown snake. The bizarre death is written off as an accident, despite the actress' unpopularity and diva behavior, but Nikki isn't sure. Is she the only one that believes Lucy Swanson was murdered?

As the story unfolds, our characters are joined by Simon, who is Derek's gay brother, and Marne, a nasty nuisance from Nikki's Hollywood past, a gossip columnist with a vitriolic tongue. When Nikki is tapped to take Lucy's place as lead in the movie, she puts herself in the perfect place to snoop. Each day brings new revelations and more bizarre behaviors from the movies actors, the winemakers and the support staff of the movie company. As Nikki tries her best to be a dynamite actor, she is constantly distracted by clues and confused by contradictory information.

The book is a great summer read--and the recipes are mouthwatering. Each recipe includes suggested wine pairings, and whether or not you will ever try the recipes, they add spice and interest to the plot. It would have been good to have a bit more on the wine making of Australia, and such mundane information as the difference between Syrah and Shiraz. (Both are basically made from the same grape, a Rhône varietal.) Nonetheless, this book kept my interest from beginning to end, and left me eager to try the Chocolate Silk Pie, paired with the 2004 Zinfandel Crookshed as its wine partner!

by Laura Strathman Hulka
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

This story is a nice addition to the set. We finally find out which man Nikki chooses; although, was there any serious doubt? The story advances nicely and takes a couple unexpected turns. The plotting is much tighter than previous stories. The resolutions involve more than just solving the crime; there are many personal issues that are also settled (or at least heading in that direction). I am already eagerly anticipating the next in the series 'Corked by Cabernet'-due out in February.

I've enjoyed the series thus far, and I didn't have any real opinion one way or the other as to which man Nikki should end up with, but this book was a bit of a let down.

The mystery itself was fairly well written, but I would have like more of a mea culpa from Derek when he realized she was right all along, and the death was no accident.

What I didn't care for was the so-called romance. The back of the book reveals who her choice was, and that's pretty much a no brainer. Okay, let's get this romance humming along then....but Derek doesn't want her butting in. Not exactly the most supportive of soon-to-be lovers who's been around when she solved other cases, and he leaves town after they've had a fight so he doesn't factor in for a good portion of the book. When he returns, there's no big "I was wrong" scene, their problems are washed over in a few pages, and then it's about consumating the relationship--something that will happen without the reader's involvement.

Maybe it was my fault for eagerly anticipating this book, and what I viewed as the importance of Nikki's final choice. Obviously it wasn't a big deal to the writer as the romance is just kind of skimmed over. Since I feel that any future books will be written the same way, I'm going to stop reading the series at this point.

I loved this series - read all 4 books in about 4 weeks! I haven't tried the wine/food pairings, but I am looking forward to that.

I've been following Michelle Scott's series about Nikki Sands from the beginning. I like the premise: an actress who takes a job at a Napa winery and, following the cozy mystery formula, stumbles upon bodies that just demand her problem solving skills. As with well-crafted novels, I learned something new about the subject matter (in this case, wine) while I was entertained by the setting and the tale-spinning. But this entry in the series is disappointing.

For one thing, A Vintage Murder has very little wine in it. Picking up right after Silenced By Syrah, Nikki and her boss (and new beau) go to Australia to cut a deal with a winery in the Barossa Valley. A movie is being made on the grounds, and shortly after the female lead just-so-happens-to-die, Nikki (the ex-actress, remember?) takes over the part. And, of course, she is convinced that the death was a murder. (You'll get all that off the back of the book, so it's no spoiler.)

Maybe the premise could have worked, but Scott doesn't pull it off all that well. You learn more about movie-making and Australian animal training than about wine (which isn't bad, but not what we've come to expect from a wine series). But mostly, the plot is too contrived. I wasn't able to buy into the events that transpired or the characters' behavior. For example, with a major motion picture underway, would any director sign an actress (even a good one) simply because she was _there_?

The result is that I'm glad I read this book... but it wasn't up to the rest of the series. I'd give it a solid "it's okay." I still care about the characters, and if (like me) you've been reading since its inception there isn't a reason NOT to pick this one up. But if you're a fan of Aussie wines and you're hoping for a good cozy mystery set in that environment, you'll be disappointed.

Michelle Scott has once again, captured the attention of the reader, that you can't put the book down. The continuing adventures and mysteries of her main characters keep you captivated and a great read.

As the latest installment of this fun series, this book starts to get more into detail on the lives of the main characters. I enjoyed this one very much, but I've liked the series from the beginning. I love wineries and am fascinated by their inner workings, so this book series really works for me.

What's to say, but once again a great book from my favorite author. I have enjoyed all of the wine lover's mysteries and this one is no exception. Once again the reader is taken for a fun, comedic, mysterious ride and this one is set in Australia.

In this segment, Nikki has made a decision on which man is the right man for her and to no surprise for followers the series, it is Derek Malveaux.I personally loved the charming Andres, but Derek is a hard one to resist. Things turn deadly as usual, when a big time "wench" of an actress ( I am being nice here) making a movie on a vineyard that Nikki and Derek are visiting winds up dead by a snake bite. Nikki believes it is foul play and she sets out to prove her theory correct. Lots of twists and turns and a surprise ending that reminds one of Hitchcocks's PSYCHO makes this book well worth the read. Pick up the entire series first though because it all leads up to this one and you'll be happy you did.

I absolutely find this a fun and delightful series. Of course, Simon is a scene stealer. He is Nikki's BFF and a reader can't help but love him. Anyhoo, pick up the book and the series. I hope there's more to come.

Nikki Sands and her boss, and now boyfriend, Derek are off to Australia to try to get the licensing rights to distribute a wine in the states from an Aussie winemaker. When they arrive at the winery, they find a Hollywood film crew is taping a movie. Lucy Swanson, an up and coming starlet, is the leading lady. She appears to be making everyone's life miserable except her own. Also in the film are snakes, dingoes, and boxing kangaroos.

When Lucy is found dead of a venomous bite from a brown snake, the police and everyone on the set say it was an accident. Nikki doesn't believe that and sets out to prove it wrong.

She is offered Lucy's part in the movie and takes it to make her investigation that much easier. Simon, Derek's gay brother, is star struck with the leading man in the film and becomes Nikki's body guard and manager to stay close to the filming.

Marne, a gossip columnist from Nikki's Hollywood past, stirs up the pot. Soon Nikki finds herself at odds with Derek. Can she find the killer without putting herself in harm's way and straighten things out with Derek?

I love this series. Having this book set in Australia was a nice change of pace and a great location. Nikki is a wonderful character, and I'm thrilled to see her with Derek. The sexual tension in the book added to things quite nicely. Having Simon show up also threw a wrench into Nikki's and Derek's plans.

The plot has many twists and turns and kept me guessing right up to the end. I hope there will be more in this series, although I'm not sure that's true. I love Nikki, Derek, and Simon. I highly recommend this book.

Well, I had the pleasure of blurbing this book and I think I may have ended up at Ms. Scott's door, begging to blurb it had I not been asked! This is one of my favorite cozy series and A Vintage Murder is a fantastic addition to the Nikki line. I adore the romance angle of these books and think the author incorporates Nikki's love life into the book without compromising the solid mystery story. The Australian setting is so fun! It can be tough to read about characters you know and love when they are transplanted into a different setting, but again, the authors makes the change of scenery work. While some cozies follow rather dry, goody-goody main characters, Nikki has spunk and humor and I simply can't get enough of this series. Once again, Michele Scott draws vivid supporting characters and plots a strong mystery for her readers.