Monday 19 October 2020

Roses, Wine & Murder: In the City of Steeples by Rose Young

Vineyards, gardens, fine wine and food pairings delight… 
yet, in this case, death disturbs all tranquility! 
Roxanne Samson, a sweet and sensible gardening expert is being targeted after a wealthy wine connoisseur is found dead in her city garden. Soon her friend, Georgi Algarve, a flamboyant wine aficionado and manager of the Vinho Verde wine bar, realizes both their lives are in serious danger. While trying to discover the murderer in their own haphazard way, the endearing duo, weave their way deeper into trouble when a deadly game of blackmail is played. 
New London’s prominent detective, Dan Morrison, juggles multiple suspects and a Long Island widow, as a maniac’s malevolence snakes through the City of Steeples. While Fire Chief Samson does his best to manage his concern for his wife Roxanne, his crew is called to attend to another unresponsive victim. 
Struggling to manage the escalating situation, Detective Morrison’s pressure is compounded when the President decides to give a speech at the Coast Guard Academy. Needing to solve the case quickly, Morrison presses for more evidence and finds a new perspective from the enigmatic medical examiner, Dr. Angela Storm. 
When suspicions arise, about an incognito killer traveling across Long Island Sound, Ferry Captain Matthew Griswold, assists with the twisting, turning investigation by putting his crew on high alert. 
In between all the mayhem, wine dinners are hosted by Georgi at the Vinho Verde wine bar and we all learn a little more about him than we anticipated. Roxanne tries to relieve her stress, by whipping her garden into shape, and researching poisonous plants which she finds out, are the killer’s forte. 
Roses, Wine & Murder is a thrilling madcap adventure laced with New England history, scenic vineyards, and some Coast Guard action. This is a modern-day murder mystery that will entertain with plenty of flair and foul play. 

Received 5 STARS by Readers' Favorites Reviewers! 
“The story combines aspects from different genres — thriller, historical, mystery, and crime fiction — and pulls the reader into an intriguing world. Roses, Wine & Murder has a beautiful setting, a gripping plot, and readers can’t resist the wonderful pacing. It’s one of the most entertaining books I have read in this genre this year.” Arya Fomonyuy - Reviewer for Readers’ Favorite - 5 STARS 


“The picturesque setting, coupled with the gripping plot, with wine dinners, poisonous plants, and a gritty investigation make this story a memorable one. …an exciting read, intelligently plotted and accomplished to a masterly finish. A must-read from one of today’s best storytellers.” Divine Zape - Reviewer for Readers’ Favorite - 5 STARS 

“Georgi and Roxanne, are a dazzling pair, playing well off each other with complementing personalities. There's a sharp wit, humor, and intelligence in Young's writing that will easily charm you. …a fun ride, funny and compelling, with a complex mystery of threads that slowly come together in a satisfying conclusion.” Liz Konkel - Reviewer for Readers’ Favorite - 5 STARS 


“Roses, Wine & Murder - In the City of Steeples has a little of everything for readers; New England vineyards, gardening, mystery, intrigue, friendship, crazy escapades, and is truly a book worth reading.” Trudi LoPreto - Reviewer for Readers’ Favorite - 5 STARS   (Summary via Goodreads)


Before you start reading Roses, Wine, & Murder by Rose Young, you are going to want to have a snack handy and a glass of wine closer....maybe the whole bottle.

Roses, Wine & Murder teams up two unlikely people, a gardener and a wine aficionado, to work together to solve a murder.  Roxanne Samson is married to the Fire Chief and she is on the New London Beautification Committee where she tends to gardens and flowerbeds around New London making the area even prettier.  It is while tending to one of the gardens that she comes across the body of a wealthy wine connoisseur.  Georgi Algarve manages the Vinho Verde Wine Bar and is a part owner.  The deceased man Roxanne found in the garden is Mitch Stockman, the owner of the wine bar and he and Georgi were quite close.  Roxanne and Georgi know each other because Roxanne tends to the flower boxes at Vinho Verde.

When Roxanne is mugged and Georgi is attacked they decide to work together to find out who killed Mitch and why.  The attacker seems to think that Roxanne has something that was left at the crime scene and this person will do whatever it takes to retrieve it.  Unfortunately the two have no idea what that is.

Roses, Wine & Murder takes the reader down the back road into wine country and the dark paths that a killer has traveled.  Little do the two know the danger that they are heading into and the craziness behind the killer.  This person will do whatever it takes to retrieve the item that was misplaced....but again Roxanne and Georgi do not know what they are looking for.  They do, however, uncover information that proves that they are in way over their heads and that there is a lot more to this case than they realize.......

Young has written a very captivating and descriptive story....so descriptive that readers will feel like they can smell the flowers, taste the wine and feel the sea breeze.  Luckily we don't have to feel Georgi's anxiety as well....

Even though they are an unlikely pairing, they work well together and help solve the case and all is well....until readers get to the page after the story ends and we see that Georgi is going to get right in the middle of things again in Young's next book in this series.  Hopefully he leans on Roxanne again ......


Review by Missi M. 

 


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