Dollycas's Thoughts
With the holidays behind her, Cece Barton is getting things done at Vino y Vida, the Colinas wine bar she manages. Hiring Karl Meier for electrical work may not have been her best decision. He's a creepy grouchy man who verbally abuses his helper, his nephew Ian, who did all the work â work that took much longer than planned. Then the man handed her a scrap of paper with the amount he said she owed, higher than agreed and before the work was done.
Turns out Karl wasn't a popular guy around town but she never expected to get a call from his ex-wife and her new friend Josie asking her to come quickly to her automotive garage. When she arrives she sees Karl is dead, crushed under the car lift.
Josie is frightened, she doesn't have an alibi, but Karl was an abusive husband, and that's why she left him. Cece persuades her to call the police but when they arrive they question Cece as a suspect too. To clear both their names Cece starts to investigate. With the women he harassed, customers he gouged, and others that just generally disliked him, she had a plethora of suspects. She needs her twin sister Allie's help to sort through all the clues, motives, and opportunities. She just hopes they can decant the killer before the killer bottles them.
Ms. Day has created interesting core characters for this series. Cece is finding her stride in her new job and is much more confident than in Murder Uncorked. She is making inroads with her previously estranged daughter. She has a closer relationship with her twin sister. She has a true friend in her neighbor Richard despite the age difference they have common interests. She also has a âbeau of sortsâ who is a consultant to various law enforcement agencies. She employs and works side by side with Mooncat and Dane at Vino y Vida. In this story, we meet Jo Jarvin an auto mechanic who specializes in vintage cars like Cece's Blue. The characters are diverse and well-crafted with plenty of room for growth as the series continues.
The author seamlessly weaves Cece's everyday life together with her sleuthing, giving the story an excellent flow. Sifting through all the suspects was a huge job, but she did receive help and information from a variety of people. They wanted to help while also hoping to be deleted from her suspect list. She also had an eagle-eye neighbor making key observations. But she and Allie make a mistake going into WWNDD (What Would Nancy Drew Do) mode, followed quickly by an intense showdown.
I love the wine bar theme. Informants and suspects come right through the door as do some interesting tourists. I would love to have a job where you can take opened bottles home when the work day is done.
Maddie Day knows how to set a scene and tell a story that draws her readers in and keeps them fully engaged. Deadly Crush is a well-plotted mystery filled with twists, turns, secrets, lies, and surprises. Cece has grown since book one which has opened her up to realize all the good people she has around her. I am excited for this series to continue.
With the holidays behind her, Cece Barton is getting things done at Vino y Vida, the Colinas wine bar she manages. Hiring Karl Meier for electrical work may not have been her best decision. He's a creepy grouchy man who verbally abuses his helper, his nephew Ian, who did all the work â work that took much longer than planned. Then the man handed her a scrap of paper with the amount he said she owed, higher than agreed and before the work was done.
Turns out Karl wasn't a popular guy around town but she never expected to get a call from his ex-wife and her new friend Josie asking her to come quickly to her automotive garage. When she arrives she sees Karl is dead, crushed under the car lift.
Josie is frightened, she doesn't have an alibi, but Karl was an abusive husband, and that's why she left him. Cece persuades her to call the police but when they arrive they question Cece as a suspect too. To clear both their names Cece starts to investigate. With the women he harassed, customers he gouged, and others that just generally disliked him, she had a plethora of suspects. She needs her twin sister Allie's help to sort through all the clues, motives, and opportunities. She just hopes they can decant the killer before the killer bottles them.
Ms. Day has created interesting core characters for this series. Cece is finding her stride in her new job and is much more confident than in Murder Uncorked. She is making inroads with her previously estranged daughter. She has a closer relationship with her twin sister. She has a true friend in her neighbor Richard despite the age difference they have common interests. She also has a âbeau of sortsâ who is a consultant to various law enforcement agencies. She employs and works side by side with Mooncat and Dane at Vino y Vida. In this story, we meet Jo Jarvin an auto mechanic who specializes in vintage cars like Cece's Blue. The characters are diverse and well-crafted with plenty of room for growth as the series continues.
The author seamlessly weaves Cece's everyday life together with her sleuthing, giving the story an excellent flow. Sifting through all the suspects was a huge job, but she did receive help and information from a variety of people. They wanted to help while also hoping to be deleted from her suspect list. She also had an eagle-eye neighbor making key observations. But she and Allie make a mistake going into WWNDD (What Would Nancy Drew Do) mode, followed quickly by an intense showdown.
I love the wine bar theme. Informants and suspects come right through the door as do some interesting tourists. I would love to have a job where you can take opened bottles home when the work day is done.
Maddie Day knows how to set a scene and tell a story that draws her readers in and keeps them fully engaged. Deadly Crush is a well-plotted mystery filled with twists, turns, secrets, lies, and surprises. Cece has grown since book one which has opened her up to realize all the good people she has around her. I am excited for this series to continue.
