Penny Lively loves running her family’s winery, but to keep business growing, she needs to find a way to attract more guests. When she’s approached to invest in a new train line through wine country, Penny and her intoxicating winery manager, Connor, hightail it to a lavish resort to hear the details. Unfortunately, her neighbor’s daughter, Chantal, is also there, swirling up trouble by flirting with the married investors—and with Connor too.
When one of the investors’ wives is murdered, Chantal, who was seen fighting with the woman, is the prime suspect. Chantal may be a sour grape, but she’s no killer. So Penny, who’s become a sleuthing connoisseur, starts sniffing out the real suspect—and discovers that her fellow potential investors have been savoring more than their share of deadly secrets…
About the Author:
Carlene O’Neil grew up in the heart of Northern California Wine Country and is accredited by the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. A former television writer, she currently makes her home outside Los Angeles, where she can be found sailing in the Santa Monica Bay or doing research for her next novel.
Clearly, any novel set in wine country requires extensive research. One Foot in the Grape is her debut novel, now available from Berkley Prime Crime.
Review of Ripe For Murder
Review (4.75 Stars) What a great mystery!!! Ripe For Murder had the right combination of humor, suspense and a well-written story line that kept me entertained until the very last page. I loved spending time with Penny, Connor and Antonia in this mystery while learning all the aspects of running a winery. In this story, Penny and Connor are looking to invest in a train line that will take a tour through wine country. Chantal, the resident vixen, has a physical altercation with an investor’s wife and when the wife ends up dead, she becomes the prime suspect in her murder. Now, Penny must find the real killer before all their plans for a wine tour comes to a halt.
This is the second book in the Cypress Cove Mystery series and I absolutely adore this series!!! The characters are fun and entertaining and I just can’t get enough of this series. I would recommend that you start with the first book, One Foot in the Grape, to learn more about Penny and her family’s winery. This is a delightful series and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
