Category: Cozy Mystery

• Title: Till Death Do Us Port
• Author: Kate Lansing
• Series: Colorado Wine Mystery #4
• Genre: Cozy Mystery
• Takes Place: Boulder, CO
• Main Character: Parker Valentine
• Other Characters: Emma, Nash, Michael, Mrs Valentine. Eli, Caroline, Prynne, Sage, Liam, Reid, Jack, Josie, Xavier, Clyde, Grace, Sloan, Chastity
• Stars: 5

With yet another fantastic novel in the Colorado Wine Mystery Series, Kate Lansing has excelled once more. I adore wine, so I’m loving all the wine-related references in this series and how the author deftly integrates Parker’s knowledge of wine into a convoluted mystery.

It’s wedding season and Parker’s cousin Emma is getting married so Parker, the proprietor of Valentine Winery, is thrilled to be supplying the wine for the festivities. Parker’s boyfriend Reid is out of town on business, thus Parker will be attending the wedding alone. There is some family conflict, as there usually is during weddings. Reid’s absence causes Parker’s relatives to ask a lot of questions about her relationship or even if her boyfriend exists. There are awkward moments because the Bride’s mom is there along with her dad, and his new wife. To make matters worse, the challenging wedding planner, who was recommended by Emma’s stepmother, is found dead right as the vows are about to be exchanged.

Since Prynne, the wedding planner, was difficult to work with, the suspect list is long. Once again, Parker finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery and this time she will be assisted by an unexpected ally. Parker is determined to find the killer so her cousin will have her happy ever after. When a suspect is taken in for interrogation, Parker is convinced they have the wrong person, despite the evidence. Parker is racing against the clock to prove who committed this crime.

Along with the new characters, I also adore the recurring cast. Every character has different personalities and is well-developed, three-dimensional, and well thought out. Parker is demonstrating her strength of character by overcoming her fears and stepping outside of her comfort zone. She is having trouble worrying about a potential development in Reid’s career and how it may impact their relationship. I am glad to see the bond is growing between Parker and her mother.

Throughout the book, you’ll be kept guessing thanks to the author’s skill at twisting stories. Just when the reader thinks they have it all figured out, She adds yet another twist to the tale. Similar to her previous books in the series, this one has many twists and turns leading up to the shocking conclusion that you won’t see coming.

Happy Reading!

• Title: Mulled to Death
• Author: Kate Lansing
• Series: Colorado Wine Mystery #3
• Genre: Cozy Mystery
• Takes Place: Silver Creek Lodge
• Main Character: Parker, Reid, Liam, Sage
• Other Characters: Annemarie, Akira, Paisley, Boone, Hudson, Sherrif Scott
• Pets: The resort cat Madeline
• Stars: 4

Another great Read in the Colorado Wine Mystery series by Kate Lansing. I have really enjoyed this series. I am a wine lover so I enjoy all the wine references throughout the book.

Parker goes on a much-needed vacation with her boyfriend Reid in this episode. They are accompanied by Parker’s best friend Sage and her brother Liam, who are now dating. Since they are in Colorado in February, they will be going snow skiing at Silver Creek Lodge. Parker also takes use of this trip to pitch her wine to the Lodge’s proprietor. When they arrive at the lodge, Paisley, the unwelcoming person in charge of checking them in, greets them. Akira, the wine director, meets with Parker. They are joined by the lodge owner, who also happens to be an Olympic gold medalist. Parker is hopeful that the lodge will include her wine on their menu because they both genuinely enjoy it. She is ecstatic because she is sure they will purchase her wine.

They are ejoying their vacation and head to the slopes for some skiing. They are having a great time until Parker finds the owner of the Lodge dead on the slopes from an apparent skiing accident. With Annemarie being experienced skier, she wasn’t believing this was an accident. Parker ends up entangled in a murder mystery one again. Could Parker’s own investigation get her killed!

I love the protagonist in the story and the supporting characters are also great. All the characters are well developed and interesting. The gorgeous scenery that the author described made me want to visit Colorado. This book also takes place around Valentine’s Day so their is some romance. Reid & Parker are really getting to know each other as she reveals a little bit more of her past.

Despite being very obvious, this mystery was nonetheless enjoyable. Although the author does put the reader through a bit of a roller coaster with multiple suspects for the potential murderer, I was still able to figure it out. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author. Don’t forget to check out the recipes with wine parings in the back of the book.

Happy Reading!

• Title: A Pairing to Die For
• Author: Kate Lansing
• Series: Colorado Wine Mystery #2
• Genre: Cozy Mystery
• Takes Place:  Boulder, CO
• Main Character: Parker, Reid
• Other Characters: Gary, Camilla, Ben, Tristan, Oscar, Nick, Katy, Sage, Eli, Brit, Tony
• Pets: 2 cats Zin & William
• Stars: 4

A Pairing to Die For is the 2nd book in the Colorado Wine Mystery. Even though I am a wine lover, I found all the references on making wine a bit drawn out. I enjoyed some of it but then it got a bit old because I found it bit redundant. I am not a foodie so some of the references to the food, got a bit old so I would skip over some of it. I wanted to get on with the murder and solving the case.

Parker and Reid are in the early stages of establishing a relationship and things are progressing nicely. Parker has her own Winery and Reid has opened his new restaurant. They collaborate on wine pairings to match Reid’s recipes. When Reid’s estranged family come to town to celebrate the grand opening of his new restaurant, Parker is ready to make a great first impression, but that won’t be enough when disaster strikes. This sends Reid to the kitchen so Parker has to deal with his family alone. To top the evening off, Reid’s Sous chef is found dead in the alley behind the restaurant and Reid is arrested for the crime. Things definitely aren’t going as planned. According to the police this case is so clear-cut that they aren’t even looking for any other suspects.Parker is convinced that Reid could not have done this heinous crime and she is determined to prove it. There are a few people who could have had motive to want the sous chef gone but who would have been willing to kill him! Could Parker’s investigation put her in jeopardy?

I really liked this book and the mystery. The only reason I gave this book a 4 is due to all the references on making wine and food got a bit distracting but over all, it was great mystery. The characters are well developed and I felt like I knew them. Parker & Reid’s relationship is sweet and I love seeing where it is going to go. There may also be another romantic relationship in the works. The mystery was good with lots of twists and even though I had my suspicions on who the killer was, there was a twist I didn’t see coming. 

“When you find someone who truly complements you, who brings out new sides of yourself you didn’t know existed, well, that just might be a pairing worth dying for.”

Happy Reading!