by Tracy Condie

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase it.

Vengeance in the Vines is the follow up to series-starter Tragedy in Tahoe from the Rylie Sunderland mystery series. It picks up where the first one stopped, with Rylie, a displaced veterinarian, trying to be a locum, or substitute, veterinarian. The vet office aspect of the story is a nice touch. It gives Rylie, an outsider, a quick way to meet a few of the locals. Rylie is not from St. Helena, and while her best friend Sophie is a local, she is very busy with her remodeling business, so Rylie has to discover much of the locale and locals on her own. That is not to say that Rylie is completely alone; she has Bella, her golden retriever. Bella needs exercise, so Rylie meets other dog owners at the dog park. Owners like Patricia Davenport, who introduces Rylie to a ladies’ group. Being a dog owner also gives her something in common with Alex Marchetti, son of the victim, as well as detective Aaron Michelson who has been assigned to the case.

I enjoyed learning about the St. Helena area through the eyes of Rylie. I have wanted to check out the Napa Valley Wine Train for years, and this book inspired me to really start planning a trip. Likewise, her visit to the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) for lunch and bread-making class has me adding those to my bucket list as well. I do wish she had included one of the appetizer recipes or a focaccia bread recipe.

There are some good suspects and some even better misdirection. The only people whom I was sure had not killed the victim were Rylie and her bff Sophie. Sophie’s husband, Lucien, is a suspect, which is all the more reason for Rylie to help detective Aaron Michelson solve the crime.

The romance was a little quicker and more intense than an average cozy but still very (PG-rated) cozy-friendly. All in all, this is a good follow-up to the series starter and works well as a stand-alone.

You can click here to purchase this book from Amazon.

To enter to win a copy of Vengeance in the Vines, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “Vengeance” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen March 8, 2025. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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Tracy Condie is a paralegal by day and cozy armchair sleuth by night. When she is not working or reading, she enjoys preparing the recipes found in culinary cozies or researching recipes of meal items described therein and sharing reviews of both books and food on Instagram and on KRL. She lives in Corona, California with her husband and dog Zoolie, and looks forward to visiting with their grown sons when their time permits.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.