"Superb amateur sleuth"

In Los Angeles, wannabe actress waitress Nikki Sands serves a nasty bimbo and her hunk, but the woman treats her like dirt for doing her job quite well. Nothing satisfies the bimbo especially when Nikki displays her knowledge of wines. When a drink she is carrying spills on the bimbo, Nikki saves her boss the trouble of firing her by quitting. She goes across the street to get a drink when the hunk follows her. Derek Maleveaux buys her dinner, but asks Nikki to select the wines; she does a perfect job at that. Impressed, Derek, owner of Maleveaux Estate, a winery in Napa Valley, hires her on the spot.

They fly to his estate, but even before she unpacks Nikki notices something strange outside. She investigates only to find the murdered corpse of renowned winemaker Gabriel Asant. While the police look at Derek as the prime suspect, Nikki, who has had TV experience as a detective, decides to use her skill to uncover the identity of the real culprit but is unaware that if she gets to close she could be next.

Besides educating readers on what wines to use with different repasts, MURDER UNCORKED is a superb amateur sleuth tale starring an upbeat heroine and a fabulous prime suspect. The story line is fast-paced even before Derek flies Nikki to his estate as the audience will enjoy the lead female's failed efforts to appease the bimbo customer from Hades. The romance between the lead couple is a light blending that augments a fun who-done-it.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted September 15, 2005

Summary

Recipes and wine pairings included!

Nikki has just set foot on Napa Valley's rich soil when she realizes her new job may not be as safe as she thought. First off, Derek Malveaux is disconcertingly sexy. Second, his top winemaker is dead in the bushes outside Nikki's cottage. It doesn't take a connoisseur of foul play to know something's taken a terrible turn...

Nikki Sands was like every other aspiring actress—waiting tables between jobs. But Nikki had taken serving wines to heart. She knew enough to impress Napa Valley's golden boy, Derek Malveaux, who offered her a job at his vineyard. And though Nikki may have left her dreams of stardom behind, the world of wine is ripe with intrigue—and the seeds of sleuthing are planted...