Death by the Glass

Sunny McCoskey #2

by Nadia Gordon

High-stakes wine fraud and murder disguised as a heart attack compel Sunny McCoskey to again toss aside her chef's apron and don the role of sleuth. When the list of suspects includes her new lover, the celebrity chef at a posh Napa Valley eatery, the personal risks of her investigation rise dramatically. With the same eclectic crew of gourmet friends and sassy co-workers who helped her in Sharpshooter, Sunny proves that she has a nose for crime as well as for a good Cabernet Sauvignon.

Genres: Mystery, Wine, Fiction, Mystery Thriller

264 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Nadia Gordon is the pen name of writer Julianne Balmain.

Reviews

[Kate Mcglashan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is good genre fiction that was just what I needed right now. It’s part of the mystery formula to explore a community, and this book depicts the Napa food and wine world in rich and entertaining detail—and I say that having no interest in, and even revulsion toward, that scene. The crimes—the murder and the others uncovered—are organic to the setting as well. The book hits the sweet spot of fun and page-turning without being juvenile or mindless on the one hand, or too psychologically dark and thrill-seeking on the other.

[Chazzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunny McCoskey is the chef and owner of Wildside, a small restaurant in the Napa valley area of Northern California's wine country. She also has a recent reputation of solving mysteries...even if it has only been one.

When Nathan Osborn, owner of the posh Vinifera restaurant, is found dead at home, Sunny can't seem to shake the feeling that a heart attack is the real reason for the death. Even if the coroner lists it as the reason, Sunny feels there is more to the story.

Along with this new mystery she also has been introduced to Andre Morales, an up and coming chef who is not only great in the kitchen but also in the bedroom. Torn between spending time with Andre and tracking down the possible murderer puts Sunny in between a rock and and hard spot.

Sunny's feeling that the smashed bottle, found at the scene, the missing bottle that Nathan had had his last drink out of and the possibility of poison being the cause of the heart attack makes for some hard choices.

The story moves along at a good clip, and the backdrop of the story is pleasant. There are enough curves and detours to make it not so simple to figure out, yet to so obtuse to make you lose interest.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found myself becoming frustrated with the main character who becomes compulsive about finding out what happened-murder/not murder- to a man she never met or knew anything about, making unnecessarily risky decisions and going about this investigation by annoying total strangers and her friends.

But it kept my interest, although the extensive wine descriptions and label details were as I say….extensive.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not quite sure why the chef of a small restaurant in Napa feels the need to try and solve the murder (she's the only person who thinks it's murder, btw) of a guy she has never heard of until the day he dies. So be it, though....if only the author wouldn't spend so much time describing food and cooking techniques, instead of developing characters and coming up with a less convoluted plot.

[Trudy Flynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Page turner

I rate it a five star because it was a fun read. I quite enjoyed it I love the people in the book. I really couldn't put it down the twists and turns was so much fun. You know a who done it .

[Eadie Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nathan Osborne, owner of Vinifera Restaurant in Napa Valley, is found dead of an apparent heart attack. Sunny McCoskey thinks it is murder and once again turns sleuth. First she needs to figure out how the poison got into his wine glass. A fast-paced culinary mystery with themes of greed and revenge with interesting characters. Looking forward to reading the 3rd book in the series. Recommended.

[Mindy]

Clever and fun murder mystery set in the Napa Valley with a young female chef as amateur detective, assisted by her friends in the local food and wine scene. Two more novels complete the series. Wish there were more!

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Kathye Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having grown up in one of California's wine counties, I was disappointed with this book. It's listed as a "Sunny McClosky mystery" so evidently this is one of a series, but it's the first I read. Frankly, it was kind of blah, either more California wine info and less French, more food and cooking info or more mystery would have improved it a great deal. Even more romance would have helped. I felt it tried to be too many things at once and missed on all points. I would have liked to at least cared the mystery - a murder was solved, instead I was just relieved it was over. Way too much emphasis on French wine, California wineries are extrodinarily proud of their wines and restaurants in that are promote them to the max. Some of the food talk was good, but not really that appetizing and the romance was so back burnered because Sunny just had to solve this mystery that there really wasn't any.

[Samantha Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley Mystery Series. I enjoyed this book as much as the first. The book lacked the environmental themes, but brought in new discussion topics. I don't want to give anything away, but let me just say that after I read the book I am definitely more thoughtful about the food and wine I buy. The mystery kept me guessing and I enjoyed the main character, Sunny, just as I did in the first book. After finishing this book I attended the conference, "Literary Orange" where I got to meet the author, Nadia Gordon!! I was so excited. I loved hearing her discussion of food and hearing her talk about why she selected a chef to be the protagonist of her books. I am offically hooked on this series.

[Homerun2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading the first book in this series, Sharpshooter, I looked forward to more. And while the setting was still unusual and appealing, this one was a disappointment. I realize in cozy mysteries that you often have to set logic aside. But the heroine/chef was so bulldoggedly persistent that it was impossible to believe that anyone would have talked to her in real life. Usually at least there is some faint hook that gives the protagonist an excuse to delve into mysteries. But in this novel, we are expected to believe that an amateur sleuth with no ties to the murder victim, defying all common sense and common courtesy, hangs on long enough to solve a case. Unfortunately, by the time the case is solved we are all pretty tired of her obsessive meddling.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Number two in the series and it follows the plot of the first book in that there is a death in the first chapter and then Sunny spends the rest of the book poking her nose where she shouldn't, all the while cooking and dining with friends in an atmosphere of conviviality and joie de vivre. Then we wrap up the plot in the last two chapters and solve the case. These remind me of the Number One Ladies Detective with the lack of violence and the protagonist being a perceptive woman. You get caught up in the environment of Napa and food. I think we would all want to eat at Sunny's restaurant and want her to be our friend.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed my first read of what appears to be a series. The heroine doesn't appear to be overly noisy as in so many "amateur detective" series. She seems more curious to me, but, that being said, she is a very pushy person - intruding on people's lives and grief to satisfy her curiosity and solve the mystery. She even sabotage's what appears to be a good relationship, because she is so consumed with finding out what happened.

I will try another, just to see if I get annoyed or can enjoy the character and the story. I did enjoy this read on the whole, with the reservations noted above.

[Andrea Hollenbeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Death by the Glass is a mystery about how Nathan, one of the restaurant owners, suddenly dies of a heart attack. Nathan was obnoxious, and not that many people like to drive him home after he had imbibed on too many drinks. The coroner's findings discovers that there was no foul play, but Sunny believes differently. She sets a mission to find out who poisoned Nathan, and takes great risks to get there. So many people had motive, then at the same time, Nathan's lifestyle was headed for a heart attack. Who would gain from Nathan's death? Read Death by the Glass to find out what really happens

[Andrea Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Sunny McCoskey mystery and this one was great too! I like the description of the food and the wine. One learns something in these stories. This time I learned about brandy. These stories also make me want to cook, to travel and to eat in good restarants. I really like the main cast of characters in these stories; especially Sunny,Rivka Chavez, and their small circle of friends. The desriptions of Napa are calling me to visit! I am on to the third and I hope also to find the fourth book in the series in our library. If you like mysteries, food and wine these books will keep you entertained.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is something so appealing about the setting of this series. Who wouldn't want to work in Napa, just 5 days a week, and have wonderful friends who cook good food and serve exquisite wines? So someone gets murdered every once in a while . . . small price to pay for this lifestyle! I discovered this series when Giada DeLaurentis hosted her book group on her show and this series was the book they were reading -- I'm not kidding. So it just goes to show you can discover good books anywhere.

[Chaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nadia Gordon writes beautifully, bringing the setting and her characters vividly to life for me. I've read two in the series now, having started with #2 and immediately downloaded and read #3. There are some things that jar - such as Sunny's insistence on unnecessarily putting herself in harm's way and consistently tampering with evidence - but not enough to keep these books from being a very enjoyable read.

[audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luminous foodie murder set entirely in the overheated, incestuous world of high-end restaurants, with an interesting accidental sleuth and a panoply of interesting supporting characters. Minor hiccups with plotholes and strings left dangling at the end.

But I'll definitely be picking up another in the series.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A readable mystery, but not very compelling and the specialized info (mostly about wine/alcohol) wasn't very interesting; I only learned one thing of any real value. The characters were interesting, though almost all needed a lot more development. Overall, decent if you pick it up cheap and have nothing better to read, but forgettable.

[Harriet · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first foray into the series. It's interesting to read about wines, the wine/restaurant industry, and Napa Valley. I don't know how much I like Sunny, she seemed overly pushy, needing to know everything, no matter the consequences, to the point that she sabotages her budding relationship with a new love interest.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think we can all agree that we need the Jessica Fletcher-type of suspension of disbelief in any sort of amateur sleuth series. But even with that, almost no decision Sunny makes in this book makes any sense. The plot is really off the charts in terms of being contrived. I've only read a few of these, but this is by far the worst one.

[Les · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't drink wine and I know little about it. This mystery set in California's wine country is a page turner. Sunny McCloskey is the chef and owner of a small organic gourmet restaurant and amateur sleuth. If I wanted anything more from the book it would be recipes for the delicious dishes that are interwoven in the story.

I read this one first then went back and read the whole series.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A murder mystery, the police think it was natural causes but the main character sees somethings that the police don't and worries the problem until the end is found. A couple of high end restaurants, expensive wine and the people who live this life (the cooks, waiters, owners) populate the story. Amazingly while food is shown it is not a main character.

[Ellen Marchessault · Rating 3 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT! It's always the partner, isn't it? Eliot Denby was sick of being fleeced by Nathan Osborne, so he doctored Nathan's favorite after-dinner drink. Sunny McCoskey can't seem to help herself when it comes to amateur sleuthing. She also can't seem to get a man; murder gets in the way. Let's hope she and Andre can hook up in the third book of this entertaining series.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun and quick read. The author is a San Franciscan who write murder mysteries set in Napa Valley. I really enjoyed it, and it made me excited to go to Napa in a few weeks. Already thinking of buying more of her work. Dad, you would like it!

[Belinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this more than I expected. Sonny is a very direct sleuth. She actively confronts her suspects, no slinking around back alleys for her. This is despite the fact that she often has very little evidence to back up her suspicions. Big nod to Purdue.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Similar to the first book in the series, this is mindless entertainment involving murder, wine, and Napa Valley. I enjoyed it, even with figuring out the identity of the murderer within the first forty pages. Somewhat recommended.

[Fay Hensley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy quick read, with plenty of twists and turns to keep me interested. I didn't read the first Sunny McCoskey book, but I definetly will. The murder concept was interesting and I learned a bit of wine culture as well.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very solid cozy mystery set in California's wine country. Good writing and I enjoyed the descriptions of food and wine. The mystery was solidly crafted and I would definitely read more in this series.

[Lorna]

I enjoyed this book and will look for others in the series. Sunny is overly concerned in matters that are really none of her business, much like an adult version of Nancy Drew or Trixie Belden, but it still makes for a good story.