MURDER UNCORKED

Already the author of mysteries set in Cape Cod, Indiana, and a British retirement village, fourth-generation Californian Day launches a series set in her native Sonoma wine country.

Vino y Vida offers tastings of the Alexander Valley’s best wines, curated by Southern California transplant Cece Barton. But when Vincent Sardo puts the arm on her to host a Vineyard Valley Association event, she bristles. His proposal would lose her a day’s worth of business on Saturday, her most profitable day, and he makes it clear he’d expect her to pay for the wine as well. Sardo’s unexpected death ends his badgering but poses another challenge: Will his murder disrupt the functioning of the little historic complex that houses her wine bar? There are plenty of suspects, including Inez, Sardo’s estranged wife, and Nico Rispoli, owner of the Vino y Vida building. But Detective Sergeant Kelly Daniell of the Colinas police seems too interested in Cece for her comfort. Cece’s twin sister, Allie, reminds her that she’s no stranger to sleuthing, but Cece doesn’t want anything to distract her from reestablishing a positive relationship with her daughter, Zoe, now in her second year at the University of California, Davis. She’s also exploring a relationship with handsome Benjamin Cohen, who’s staying at Allie’s bed-and-breakfast. Daniell’s persistence, along with customers’ speculations about how Vino y Vida may have contributed to Sardo’s demise, make Cece rethink her priorities.

Day’s series debut more than does justice to her West Coast roots.