| A Vintage Murder: A Wine Lover's Mystery | 
 enlarge | Author: Michele Scott
Publisher: Berkley
Category: Book
List Price: $6.99
Buy New: $2.95
You Save: $4.04 (58%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  12 reviews
Sales Rank: 42846
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.6
ISBN: 0425222543
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780425222546
ASIN: 0425222543
Publication Date: July 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand New and Factory Sealed Item Fast Shipping
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 1-5 of 12 | | NEXT » |
 Mystery Series + Wine/Recipes November 4, 2008
I loved this series - read all 4 books in about 4 weeks! I haven't tried the wine/food pairings, but I am looking forward to that.
 A not-very-wine mystery in the land down under October 25, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I've been following Michelle Scott's series about Nikki Sands from the beginning. I like the premise: an actress who takes a job at a Napa winery and, following the cozy mystery formula, stumbles upon bodies that just demand her problem solving skills. As with well-crafted novels, I learned something new about the subject matter (in this case, wine) while I was entertained by the setting and the tale-spinning. But this entry in the series is disappointing.
For one thing, A Vintage Murder has very little wine in it. Picking up right after Silenced By Syrah, Nikki and her boss (and new beau) go to Australia to cut a deal with a winery in the Barossa Valley. A movie is being made on the grounds, and shortly after the female lead just-so-happens-to-die, Nikki (the ex-actress, remember?) takes over the part. And, of course, she is convinced that the death was a murder. (You'll get all that off the back of the book, so it's no spoiler.)
Maybe the premise could have worked, but Scott doesn't pull it off all that well. You learn more about movie-making and Australian animal training than about wine (which isn't bad, but not what we've come to expect from a wine series). But mostly, the plot is too contrived. I wasn't able to buy into the events that transpired or the characters' behavior. For example, with a major motion picture underway, would any director sign an actress (even a good one) simply because she was _there_?
The result is that I'm glad I read this book... but it wasn't up to the rest of the series. I'd give it a solid "it's okay." I still care about the characters, and if (like me) you've been reading since its inception there isn't a reason NOT to pick this one up. But if you're a fan of Aussie wines and you're hoping for a good cozy mystery set in that environment, you'll be disappointed.
Adventurous October 16, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book takes place in Australia. Nikki and her business partner Derek are in Australia on a business trip; they will be back in Napa Valley soon.
Even though Nikki and Derek are conducting wine business, this trip is definitely eventful, interesting, and adventurous, from Derek's hilarious brother Simon to a movie-making scene to murder. One interesting thing was the horrible-tasting wine at that horrible winery that Nikki visited. (Not the winery they are doing business with - just a winery they visited and test-tasted.)
A movie is being made on site at the vineyard. It is a movie dedicated to someone who truly loved animals. Then a murder happens. Nikki is determined to solve the mystery of the murder.
Nikki makes a decision between the two guys in her life. I will not say which one she chooses, but I will say she didn't choose the one I wanted her to!
This is a Wine Mystery Series. The books in this series are awesome. Both the atmosphere and the mystery part are good, well-written, and fun. A person does not have to be a wine lover in order to like these books. In fact, I am a teetotalist. The most these books will make me thirsty for is sparkling grape juice.
This author also writes a Horse Lovers Mystery series. In fact, that series is how I became attracted to her books. I felt sure I would enjoy a Horse Series.
This book has such a beautiful cover. Even though I would have read the book anyway (as I read all the Wine and Horse books by this author), the cover alone would have been enough to attract me! Even though we aren't supposed to judge books by their covers - this book can be judged by its cover! When I saw the beautiful purple artwork, I immediately adored it! And this book does live up to its cover!
Another Great Book from Michelle Scott! October 5, 2008
Michelle Scott has once again, captured the attention of the reader, that you can't put the book down. The continuing adventures and mysteries of her main characters keep you captivated and a great read.
Terrific continuation of this series September 3, 2008
As the latest installment of this fun series, this book starts to get more into detail on the lives of the main characters. I enjoyed this one very much, but I've liked the series from the beginning. I love wineries and am fascinated by their inner workings, so this book series really works for me.
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