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Wine & Dine Mysteries #7

Killer Among the Vines

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From #1 Amazon & New York Times bestselling author Gemma Halliday comes a killer new culinary mystery novel in the USA Today bestselling Wine & Dine Mysteries!Emmy Oak's family run winery has been in the headlines one too many times and for all the wrong reasons. Which is why she's decided to hire a night security guard, Bill Buckley, to keep an eye on the place. Only when Buckley calls her in a panic about a tripped alarm, Emmy again fears trouble at Oak Valley Vineyards. A fear that is realized in the worst way when Emmy rushes home to find her security guard dead among the blooming grape vines.Was it poachers? Trespassers? An interrupted would-be burglar? Or was the attack less random and much more personal...Emmy's sorta-maybe boyfriend Detective Christopher Grant worries the killer might have been after her. But as Emmy learns more about her late employee, she realizes Buckley had far more enemies than she. Before becoming a security guard, Buckley was a police officer...who was caught taking bribes to look the other way. A scandal that illuminates a whole host of suspects, including an angry ex-wife, a former partner with a grudge, and a convicted madame turned cookie purveyor with revenge on the mind. Not to mention the surly teenage son of Buckley's live-in girlfriend, who would do anything to get rid of his almost-stepdad. But when Emmy finds out Detective Grant also has his own connection to the dead man, she suddenly wonders what else Grant may be hiding about his past. Can Emmy ferret out the killer among the vines... before they come looking for another victim?**Simple and delicious recipes and affordable wine pairings included!** "Ms. Halliday is the undisputed queen of the genre."~ Fresh Fiction"I rank A Sip Before Dying as one of my favorite fun reads. I say to Gemma Halliday, well done!"~ The Book Breeze"The Wine & Dine Mystery series is a definite to read and keep an eye out for more to follow."~ Cozy Mystery Book Review This story does not contain any graphic violence, language, or sexual encounters. Its rating would be similar to PG-13 or what you would find on a Hallmark Channel movie or TV series.

239 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 25, 2021

104 people are currently reading
99 people want to read

About the author

Gemma Halliday

95 books1,893 followers
Gemma had a hard time figuring out what she wanted to be when she grew up. She worked as a film and television actress, a teddy bear importer, a department store administrator, a preschool teacher, a temporary tattoo artist, and a 900 number psychic, before finally selling her first book, Spying in High Heels, in 2005 and deciding to be a writer.

Since then, Gemma has written several mystery novels and been the recipient of numerous awards, including a National Reader's Choice award and three RITA nominations. Her books have hit both the USA Today and the New York Times Bestseller lists.

Gemma now makes her home in the San Francisco Bay area where she is hard at work on her next book.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Profile Image for Gloria.
1,183 reviews146 followers
May 19, 2021
This fun series never disappoints. There is another murder in Emmy Oak's family vineyard, Oak Valley Vineyards. This time it's her security man. He let her know that one of the triggers had gone off in the vineyard and then didn't answer her calls. Someone had shot and killed him. Accident or on purpose? Her special friend Detective Christopher Grant and his crew are investigating but this one ties in close to Grant's past work with the SFPD. Emmy feels guilty that it happened at her vineyard and wants to make amends to his girlfriend but things are never simple. Her best friend Ava is front and center to help Emmy find answers against Grant's wishes, of course. I do believe that Ava is the main instigator and Emmy goes along reluctantly, although too reluctantly. They do get themselves in tight spots. Sometimes I cringe and want to yell at them to stop. Emmy and Grant have some hot arguments and on top of that, Emmy's accountant told her to get a cash flow or it's time to sell her failing vineyard. This is another fun mystery to unravel and the suspect and/or suspects are not as clear cut as expected. Danger is around Emmy when she least expects it.
I received a complimentary ARC from the author/publisher. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.
Profile Image for Julesy.
559 reviews53 followers
May 25, 2021
I have read all the book in this series and each one has deserved a raving 5 stars. I absolutely adore the characters, the setting, the secondary characters, and the mysteries. Just like in some of the previous books, Emmy Oak, owner of Oak Valley Vineyards, works with her BFF Ava to solve the murders. Emmy has suffered a difficult year, as most small owner businesses, and is barely standing on her own two legs. She has a dilemma of whether to sell her precious family-owned vineyard. To double her troubles, her security guard has been murdered in the vineyard. She feels compelled to find out who would want to murder her security guard. Or was she the supposed target?

This series has it all: mystery, good characters, good plots, and a touch of romance. I highly recommend reading this book and the others in the series. I suggest reading them in order as there is a build-up of characters involved.
Profile Image for Kathleen.
1,209 reviews64 followers
June 7, 2021
Killer Among the Vines Earns 5/5 Hearty Zins...Engaging & Clever Fun!

Gemma Halliday has added another satisfying seventh adventure to her Wine & Dine Mystery series. If it were real life, Emmy should give up the winery and escape to a deserted island, but fortunately it’s not and cozy fans, like me, can enjoy the delightfully devious creativity of Gemma Halliday! Security has become an issue with all the recent bother (cozy code for murders), so hiring security guard Bill Buckley was a necessary expense. But, Emmy prays the call she receives to report a silent alarm tripped is a pesky deer bent on a juicy treat and not an intruder bent on more bother. “No!” She discovers Bill Buckley dead. With Emmy developing feelings for Detective Grant and he for her, he is shocked to find her in the middle of another murder. Along with worries about finding investors and wedding season approaching, the investigation brings up an important, yet disturbing, thought. Why does this keep happening to Emmy?

Cheers to Gemma Halliday! I really enjoyed the complexity of the murder investigation with various possible motives opening a whole can of worms of questionable ethics, blackmail, connections and animosities, and disgruntled exes creating engaging avenues to explore, conflicts with Detective Grant, and predicaments putting Emmy in danger. The drama is a reasonable length allowing the opportunity to also explore fascinating and endearing side stories: continuing relationships, more than a few misunderstandings, efforts to save the winery, conversations about art, thoughts on music, food, and coffee, and Emmy’s realities with her mother who suffers from early on-set dementia. The ending was a big “Wow!” and a cliffhanger introduced with a phone call just may lead to the next book. Like many, including me, this book, and especially the series, is a top favorite!

The Best Bonus! Create your own “Wine & Dine” experience with Gemma Halliday’s easy-to-follow recipes incorporated into the story, with direct links to the recipes in the eBook version. I greatly enjoy the added Tips for exchanges or techniques, and of course, the no-hassle wine pairing suggestions of specific wineries. In this book enjoy Walnut Mushroom Au Gratin Copycat, Creamy Pork Marsala, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Lobster Bisque, Cherry Vanilla Muffins, Cherry Mimosas, and Nicky’s Smashburgers. Yum!

Disclosure: I received an ARC from Gemma Halliday Publishing. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.
Profile Image for Missi Martin (Stockwell).
1,179 reviews36 followers
September 26, 2021
I am a huge fan of the Wine & Dine Mystery series by Gemma Halliday and who wouldn't be .... there is so much to love about this series....from the people, to the storyline, to the relationships and friendships, to the setting, and, of course, the murders !!
Killer Among the Vines is the seventh book in the Wine & Dine Mystery series and main character Emmy Oak has a lot on her plate. She is always struggling to keep her family vineyard up and running but it looks like her hard efforts may be losing the battle. She needs a miracle to happen to save the vineyard and her small group of employees that she sees as family. The last thing she needs is a murder on the property....but that is exactly what she gets when her newly hired security guard Bill Buckley goes out on the grounds to check out what triggered the alarm system. Unfortunately by the time Emmy gets there, she finds Buckley shot to death.

And if you are a fan of this series like me, you already know that Emmy will see this as personal and go looking for the killer even though her boyfriend, Detective Christopher Grant, is beyond capable of finding the bad guys and continually tells her that fact. However when her and her best friend Ava start looking into the murder, they find a long list of possible suspects and a lot of secrets and lies to work through.....but when Grant's name in thrown into the mix, Emmy will have some hard questions to ask ....

Readers will fall in love with everything about this series. The characters are easy to relate to people, people you would love to hang out with, the series is set mainly in the family vineyard and who wouldn't want to hang out there ? The friendships and the relationships are ones readers will wish they had ..... who wouldn't want David Allen as a friend ?? And one a last note.... readers get to know Emmy's mother more in this book and it looks like we are going to see more of her and her life in the next book.....if the ending of this book is an indication.

I highly recommend grabbing your copies and getting lost in the story.....grab a snack and glass of wine and let Halliday take you away......just like Calgon......
Profile Image for Debi Paglia .
639 reviews17 followers
May 4, 2021
I love this series! Emmy is such an interesting main character: her background as a chef, and then her decision to go back home. The setting of Napa Valley and its beautiful vineyards is lovely. Emmy and Ava’s investigations are sometimes funny and sometimes dangerous, but always fascinating. I would recommend this book (series) to anyone who enjoys a good cozy mystery.
343 reviews
December 5, 2023
A few things that I wish I could say to Emmy

1. Calling the guy you’re quasi dating (and recently sleeping with) by his last name is weird.

2. Getting mad and defensive when a police detective tells you to stay out of his investigation and quit interrogating people involved in said investigation is dumb. It is NOT the same as a random person telling you who you can and can not speak to! Conveniently forgetting the numerous times you’ve caused him inconvenience and even possibly messed up his investigation is not you being stubborn, it’s you being immature and selfish.

3. Taking offense and accusing him of treating you like a child who can’t take care of herself, would be a lot more justifiable if you didn’t almost immediately get attacked, and then either he finds you unconscious, or you have to call him for help. Then when he suggests it might be a coincidence you hotly declare that it’s a warning because you’ve been asking questions and the killer is getting concerned. Yeah, his concern for your safety is totally unwarranted.

4. Loudly proclaiming that you do not enjoying playing detective all the while going out of your way to do the aforementioned playing detective is laughable. In the same vein always justifying the playing by stating that you had no choice, or were in too deep, or you were responsible is laughable. Not laughable funny, laughable annoying.

5. Falling for the faux phone call/text/message that has you meeting the killer alone more than once is embarrassing.

6. If Every time you face death you think “man I should have listened to Grant and minded my own business” yet you keep on doing the same thing again and again you are stupid. Please quit being TSTL!

7. When a person you deem a suspect doesn’t tell you everything or hedges/evades your questions it is not suspicious or strange. You’re a stranger, it’s none of your business. What’s strange is you thinking anyone would even answer your questions at all.

8. If your winery is barely making it, maybe you should quit eating out, driving all over the place snooping and instead stay home and put your energy into saving your winery. (I’m not sure why Eddie is needed instead of doing that job herself. I guess it’s so that she could play detective all day. Which she does. All.the.time! She is at the winery some, but it’s never to work. She is a trained chef, the winery has a commercial kitchen …. I’m thinking there’s something that could be done with that.)

9. Learn to tell Ava No and mean it. If she continues on, let Her be the one to take the blame.

10. Judging David by how he dresses and his “job” but still using him whenever it’s convenient for you is shameful.

11. Keeping the fact that you only have enough money for one more payroll from your workers, who you supposedly view as family, is utterly selfish. They have bills too and if you don’t give them time to come up with a new job, they could be in a real bind. Not how you treat faithful employees. Also, if they’re like family, maybe see if Conchita and Hector and or Jean Luc want to become partners? While it turned out ok, it was a cowardly thing to do.




Things I wish I could tell authors

1. Have the heroine own up to her nosiness. Quit having them try to justify it. I could get behind a heroine who admits to just being nosy. It’s when they use pathetic justifications and act like it’s suspicious or strange for people to not be 100% forthcoming when asked questions that really annoys me. Makes the book hard to read.

2. Quit having heroine’s call their romantic interest by their last name. I know of no one in real life who calls their significant other by their last name. It’s weird.

3. Have their day job be at least somewhat realistic so they can snoop when they want. Make them own a business and have employees. It would have worked in this case, except it was continually hammered into the story that the winery was broke. So it really didn’t make sense for her to be gone so much.

4. Quit having people moan loudly over food. It’s yucky.

5. Don’t go on and on with how broke they are, yet have them spend left and right.

6. Don’t have them keep on doing stupid stuff over and over. Give them a brain!

7. Don’t end the book on a (somewhat) cliffhanger and then not publish a new book for over 2 years (with no date for a new book in sight) while writing other books. If you’re not sure if there will be any more books, then make each book have an ending that would be ok and satisfying if you never wrote another one. Getting your readers invested only to leave them hanging isn’t very nice.
550 reviews6 followers
May 29, 2021
Emmy is back, still worried about the future of her winery. Due to several incidents in the past, she has hired a security guard. When Buckley calls her about a tripped alarm, Emmy rushes home only to find him dead in the vineyard. As Emmy learns more about her security guard, she finds that there is a slew of suspects. On the romantic side, she is also unsure about her relationship with Detective Grant. While doing her own investigation, she finds a relationship in Buckley’s past with Grant. While she knew Grant had an incident in his past that led him to his present job he has been reluctant to give her any details about it. With two mysteries to solve and a cast of crazy characters, this is a cozy mystery you won’t want to miss! Although part of a series, this book can also be read as a stand-alone.
513 reviews
May 18, 2021
This is an outstanding addition to my favorite mystery series. The Wine & Dine Mysteries have been my favorite from the start, and this one is the best yet! All my favorite characters are back and the mystery here is well done and kept me turning pages the whole time. There are lots of plausible suspects and Ava & Emmy go all "Charlie's Angels" trying to find the culprit so Oak Valley Vineyard doesn't get those bad headlines anymore. The victim this time is the security guard that Emmy just hired. Meanwhile, Emmy's mom makes a few appearances, David has an art show, and we get a glimpse into Detective Grant's back story. So much to love in this one. If Wine & Dine Mysteries aren't on your auto-buy list, they should be. I already can't wait for the next one.
4,685 reviews39 followers
May 25, 2021
Killer Among the Vines is another awesome mystery in wine country! I really love this series. The blurb van tell you plot details so I just want to mention the wonderful characters. Emmie is great. She came home to run the winery when her Mother was diagnosed with early onset dementia. Emmie constantly worries about turning a profit at the winery. Emmie's friends Ava and David provide a lot of interest to the story - as co-detectives and more. If you like puzzling mysteries with many suspects and motives do not miss this book!
Profile Image for Sue.
1,796 reviews32 followers
May 15, 2022
I love these books! I enjoy Emma, Ava, Eddie, Jean Luc and David so much. I have been annoyed with Grant and his slowness to act on a relationship with Emmy.

The recipes and wine pairings are such a nice extra. As a huge Napa and Sonoma Chardonnay fan I found this great. I’m a member of several wine clubs including Rombauer Chardonnay and a former La Crema member. I have also had Butter Chardonnay many times. So fun to see recipes specifically mentioning them.
Profile Image for Jennifer Artiles.
502 reviews6 followers
June 2, 2021
Murder at the vineyard

Another fun, witty and twisty murder tale for Emmy to solve. She has a lot of other things on her mind as well, especially the vineyard finances and the status of her relationship with Grant. I enjoyed this story, but there were some spelling and punctuation issues that detracted from it slightly. Highly recommended overall.
Profile Image for K Huskić.
2,298 reviews40 followers
May 28, 2021
Another death has occurred at the winery. Emmy's recent hire, a security guard, was found dead, and Emmy, of course, can't let it go. The deaths at the winery are not helping sales, and Emmy needs some kind of positive press to increase customers, or the winery will go under. So she and Ava get to investigating this death, and uncover many suspects and secrets.

I did predict how Emmy would improve her dire financial situation, but I am excited for the next book to see how it all goes. And I am actually wanting Emmy to be with David more than Grant now, he bugged me in this book with all his secrecy.

Another fun Emmy Oak story!
Profile Image for Jan L.
1,003 reviews21 followers
August 7, 2021
Exciting winery

Fun story with twists and turns, especially in the romance of Emmy and Grant. The decisions are good in the end but at the time seem to perpetuate the lie of "dumb blondes" lol
Profile Image for Avalon.
618 reviews3 followers
April 21, 2023
Emmy's security man is murdered in her vineyard when he goes to check why the alarm was triggered
There are a few suspects and it turns out the security man had a few secrets of his own so several people had a grudge against him. Can Emmy's detective boyfriend Grant solve the case before Emmy?
Profile Image for Charlene.
1,302 reviews39 followers
May 25, 2021
really good read, lots of twists and turns, interesting and complex characters and a good storyline.
1,790 reviews12 followers
Read
May 25, 2021
Emmy Oaks needs security for her vineyard but she might need more than a security guard. Find out how she copes with another problem at her beloved home.
Profile Image for E.
1,906 reviews
May 26, 2021
Awesome book. Really enjoyed reading it. Great series, I look forward to the next book.
Profile Image for Sharon.
2,197 reviews
Want to Read
December 8, 2025
Purchased in epub format from Barnes and Noble for my Nook
Profile Image for Shannon Binegar-Foster.
3,019 reviews22 followers
February 8, 2022
Oh my goodness this one was intense. There were so many details to keep straight. I absolutely loved every minute.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews