Dollycas's Thoughts
Cece Barton was originally introduced in a novella as part of Christmas Mitten Murder.
Cece Barton is a widowed single mom. With her daughter away at college and their relationship struggling Cece has moved north to Colinas where her twin sister Allie Halstead owns a Bed and Breakfast. She is now the manager of Vino y Vida Wine Bar and is learning the politics regarding the local wine association. She is also experiencing her first Alexander Valley harvest and all it entails. The tourists are now flocking to the area too and a wildfire is getting closer and closer to Colinas.
When Vincent Sardo who works for the VVA, a regional group of vineyard owners, is murdered Cece finds herself at the top of the list of suspects because of a few terse emails and phone calls. New to the area Cece is going to need her sister's help to clear her name and catch the killer before she is forced to take up residence behind bars where they don't serve any wine.
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We enter Cece Barton's life at an interesting time. She is trying to move on after her husband's death while her daughter is still dealing with her own grief and is not ready for her mother to make changes. Their relationship is a struggle. Cece is very close to her sister and is happy to have her nearby. She starts out a little less confident being new in town and being a murder suspect doesn't help but she gets stronger as the story continues. I enjoy the relationship she has with her sister and the relationship that is growing with her elderly neighbor, Richard. The relationship with her daughter is conflicted but is a work in progress. Ms. Day always creates characters that feel very true to life and leaves room for them to grow as the series continues. That again, is the case here in the first book of the Cece Barton Mysteries. I am invested and want to get to know them all better.
The victim in this story had made plenty of enemies and was just very unlikable so I had no problem with his death. The author plotted out this mystery so well with some admirable twists. One clue stuck in my head though that helped others fall into place faster for me than they did for Cece. That didn't take away from my excitement of the reveal and the showdown. The only thing that I wish Cece would have done differently would have been to trust the police more and report crucial events and pertinent information.
I do love the wine bar theme and the town of Colinas and all its happenings. The author always does an excellent job of setting the scene making it easy to visualize everything.
Murder Uncorked has set this series off to a grand start. While the murder mystery is wrapped up Cece's life in Colinas is just getting started. I am excited to see what Ms. Day has planned for her next.
Cece Barton was originally introduced in a novella as part of Christmas Mitten Murder.
Cece Barton is a widowed single mom. With her daughter away at college and their relationship struggling Cece has moved north to Colinas where her twin sister Allie Halstead owns a Bed and Breakfast. She is now the manager of Vino y Vida Wine Bar and is learning the politics regarding the local wine association. She is also experiencing her first Alexander Valley harvest and all it entails. The tourists are now flocking to the area too and a wildfire is getting closer and closer to Colinas.
When Vincent Sardo who works for the VVA, a regional group of vineyard owners, is murdered Cece finds herself at the top of the list of suspects because of a few terse emails and phone calls. New to the area Cece is going to need her sister's help to clear her name and catch the killer before she is forced to take up residence behind bars where they don't serve any wine.
____
We enter Cece Barton's life at an interesting time. She is trying to move on after her husband's death while her daughter is still dealing with her own grief and is not ready for her mother to make changes. Their relationship is a struggle. Cece is very close to her sister and is happy to have her nearby. She starts out a little less confident being new in town and being a murder suspect doesn't help but she gets stronger as the story continues. I enjoy the relationship she has with her sister and the relationship that is growing with her elderly neighbor, Richard. The relationship with her daughter is conflicted but is a work in progress. Ms. Day always creates characters that feel very true to life and leaves room for them to grow as the series continues. That again, is the case here in the first book of the Cece Barton Mysteries. I am invested and want to get to know them all better.
The victim in this story had made plenty of enemies and was just very unlikable so I had no problem with his death. The author plotted out this mystery so well with some admirable twists. One clue stuck in my head though that helped others fall into place faster for me than they did for Cece. That didn't take away from my excitement of the reveal and the showdown. The only thing that I wish Cece would have done differently would have been to trust the police more and report crucial events and pertinent information.
I do love the wine bar theme and the town of Colinas and all its happenings. The author always does an excellent job of setting the scene making it easy to visualize everything.
Murder Uncorked has set this series off to a grand start. While the murder mystery is wrapped up Cece's life in Colinas is just getting started. I am excited to see what Ms. Day has planned for her next.
