Seven Deadly Zins

October 22, 2018
The discovery of a body in a fermentation tank at Tim Slade’s winery in Sonoma County, Calif., drives Parra’s so-so sequel to 2017’s A Case of Syrah, Syrah. Tim is suspect number one in the minds of the local cops, and his friend Taylor O’Brian, the founder of a wine tourism company, steps up to help him out. Meanwhile, another friend asks Taylor to look into a “weird healing guru,” who has come to town with plans to develop a large compound in which to accommodate his many followers. Another death is followed by the kidnapping of Taylor’s Aunt Jemma. The ransom request is merely that Taylor cease her investigations. On the personal side, Taylor bounces lightly back and forth between two potential suitors, the local sheriff and her lawyer. Overwrought prose (“ ‘I’m fine,’ he said through gritted teeth that chattered”) slows the action, which eventually reaches a convoluted conclusion. Even cozy fans used to minimal character development and illogical behavior will struggle with this one. Agent: Paige Wheeler, Creative Media Agency.

November 1, 2018
A body in a vat of zinfandel cuts short Taylor O'Brian's latest Off the Beaten Path tour.Taylor (A Case of Syrah, Syrah, 2017) wants desperately to compete with Bridget Miller, whose Quirky Tours jaunts through Sonoma Valley fill two shocking-pink buses daily. But it's all she can do to muster six passengers willing to venture out in her rainbow-hued Volkswagen van for tours of local vineyards that are off the map. Tim Slade's Rock Paths Winery, she reckons, should appeal to connoisseurs who appreciate old vine zinfandel. And it does--until Slade shows them his latest batch, which includes realtor Jeffery Hoag bobbing in the stainless steel vat along with the grapes. Sexy Sheriff Hennessey trains his baby blues on Slade, making Taylor determined to find out who really killed Hoag. But there are so many suspects to choose from: Tim's girlfriend, Mandy Richards; Mandy's guru, the compelling Dr. Brinkman; a gaggle of Brinkman's starry-eyed disciples; Tim's hired man, Mateo--not to mention the hordes of tourists who pass through on Taylor's and Bridget's tours. As the bad guys get more desperate, the body count rises. And the initial crime spawns a host of subsidiary felonies, pitting Taylor against villains whose motives are murkier than a 10-year-old sauvignon blanc.Calling out a cast of thousands makes it harder than ever for Parra's heroine to keep her eye on the ball, much less compete with a classy act like Quirky Tours. A simpler plotline and more focus on the main players might help thirsty readers savor future offerings.

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