A Pairing to Die For
The Blurb
It’s fall in Boulder, Colorado, and the leaves aren’t the only things changing. Parker Valentine, the owner of Vino Valentine for wine enthusiasts, is finally settling into her winery and her new relationship with Reid Wallace, a local chef. But their delicate pairing is endangered when Reid’s estranged family comes into town to celebrate the opening of his new restaurant.
Reid and his family are immediately at loggerheads, given their often acidic temperaments, but Parker still wants to make a good first impression. However, her efforts might be in vain when Reid’s sous chef is found dead in the alley behind the restaurant, and Reid is implicated in the murder. In order to save Reid, Parker will have to find the real killer, even if the truth is difficult to swallow.
The Details
Series: A Colorado Wine Mystery – Book #2
Author: Kate Lansing
Genre/Category: Cozy – Amateur Sleuth/Wine Shop
Publisher: Berkley
ISBN: 0593100204
Page Count: 320
Rating: 
The Review
A Pairing to Die For is book two in the “A Colorado Wine Mystery” series. Parker is spending most of her time coming up with new wine blends and keeping up with her new boyfriend, Reid. Unfortunately, his arrogant family comes to town, and chaos ensues; childhood mischief comes back to haunt Reid, and murder soon follows.
Parker is a character who is consistent, loyal, and ready to help no matter the personal cost. When Reid is accused of killing another chef, Parker knows he is innocent and sets out to prove it. Reid’s family doesn’t seem to care, and they offer no help. The only person she can turn to is a friend and the lead detective on the case, who happens to be a former love interest. Things get weird quickly as the wine flows, and Parker finds to her horror, that she has become the target of a possible killer.
The suspects in this new book center mainly around Reid’s restaurant and his employees. Some have motives to have killed the victim, but none of them seem likely. Reid has secrets, and Parker has to uncover all of them to show that he isn’t a killer. Parker’s wine and the winery, as well as Reid’s restaurant, are the primary locations throughout the story, but the details and descriptions do not get bogged down or repetitive.
This story revolves around family relationships, as we get a good idea of Reid’s childhood and how he was raised, and the dynamic between Parker and her mother comes more clearly into focus and allows their relationship to mature. Her mother is showing an interest in winemaking and helping Parker with her business, while Reid’s mother tries to convince him that Parker isn’t good enough for him. In the end, the killer is exposed but does not bring comfort to anyone involved. Both parent/child relationships are enhanced, and Parker and Reid are brought closer. My only problem with this book was that I do not like the present tense format of this book; it made it hard to read and stopped the flow. However, I recommend that readers grab their favorite food, a nice glass of wine, and settle in their favorite chair to enjoy A Pairing to Die For.
The Author
Kate lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband, three-year-old daughter, and a chair-napping tabby cat named Maple. Her love for mysteries began when she devoured From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler as a young girl and has grown from there.
Readers will also enjoy the first book in this series, Killer Chardonnay or another wine-based series, such as J.C. Eaton’s delightful book Sauvigone for Good.
Represented by: The Knight Agency
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Contact The Cozy Review
I’ve really enjoyed both the books in this series. Great setting, premise and characters. Can’t wait for #3! Like the author, “…Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler” was one of my two favorite books as a kid (the other was “Harriet the Spy”).