Returning from a party late one night, chef Sunny McCoskey is the first to discover the body of a murdered woman left outside a local winery, and she may even have witnessed the killer driving away.

Thrust into the center of a crime that has rattled the tranquil Napa Valley, Sunny pursues her own investigation, a journey that takes her from Northern California's wine country to the insular houseboat community along the San Francisco Bay. Uncovering a tangle of secret liaisons, Sunny closes in on the murderer, who responds with one more desperate act.

With Murder Alfresco, author Nadia Gordon again takes us into the heart of the food and wine culture of the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, and introduces us to an array of irreverent characters. As the Los Angeles Times said, "Sunny is a welcome, energetic heroine. . . . She and her pals are fun to be around."

From Booklist

On her way home from a late-night party, chef Sunny McCoskey sees a corpse hanging from a tree at one of Napa Valley's premier wineries. Since she may have seen the murderer drive off, and the murderer may have seen her, Sunny is concerned for her personal safety. The police consider her a material witness and caution her not to discuss the case, but she cannot resist a little independent investigating. With the help of her eclectic group of cooks and vintners, she ignores the danger and mucks about among the wine country's high society and the colorful community of houseboat dwellers in Sausalito. Readers will turn pages quickly as they long for a glass of chardonnay and a meal at the Wildwood Cafe. Recommend this thoroughly engaging series--Murder Alfresco was preceded by Sharpshooter (2001) and Death by the Glass (2003)--to fans of the movie Sideways. Barbara Bibel
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Review

"An amusing romp in the culinary underworld." Booklist

"Highly enjoyable." –Washington Post Book World

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.

**

A decadent day of poolside sunbathing turns into a scandalous night—culminating in murder. By morning, the police are pounding on Sunny McCloskey's door, and she is once again thrust into the center of a tense investigationinvolving a hedge-fund billionaire with a spectacular estate in California's Napa Valley. Steeped in good food, great wine, and plenty of summer heat, Lethal Vintage offers a fascinating look at what goes on in those mansions above the vines.

About the Author

Nadia Gordon is the author of four Sunny McCoskey mysteries and has served as a judge for the Edgar Awards and is a national board member for Sisters in Crime. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.