by Kathleen Costa

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

Vines and Villainy
Lillian Callahan, known best as Lily, moved past her life as a soap opera star and took control of the inheritance from her Aunt Lettie: Calla Lily Vineyard and Winery in the heart of Napa’s wine country. She’d spent most of her childhood there, and now, along with a B&B, housing more friends than guests, and revitalizing the on-site theater, she’s set to make it a success. There’re plenty in her life to call family from vineyard employees and a young foster boy to several friends from her soap opera days to Marlowe her protective Miniature Pinscher, however, at the top of her list is her handsome fiancé Deputy U.S. Marshall Austin Jennings whom she met surprisingly when someone was shooting at her. She’s been entangled in a bit of trouble coming upon a few suspicious death, but with her handsome U.S. Marshall and friends, her posse, dubbed Calla Lilly’s Murder Club, she’s swept out of harm’s way.

The Vintner’s Other Daughter Earns 5/5 Glasses of Port … Intriguing Cozy!
A group of volunteers and the police meticulously search for any evidence that could lead to the whereabouts of Josefina Figueroa. Last night, the fourteen year old disappeared and theories are rampant. Rendezvous? Runaway? Abduction? Oddly, four years prior, Josefina’s older sister, Maria, herself fourteen, went missing, and although the Figueroa family became very reclusive soon after, they had been experiencing problems even before Maria’s disappearance. Some even heard Sophia, the late grandmother, believed the family was cursed.

The weather is cold and the terrain is difficult, made worse for Lily since Marlowe prefers to be carried instead of walking, so she is cautious … Whack! A stranger leaps from the bushes, knocks her to the ground, and runs off. She’s startled further by a cold foot, a body; it’s Maria Figueroa, alive. Later, Lily is asked to view a body in the morgue to see if it is the same man with whom she had her run in. A cold case confusion. A dead body mystery. A sighting of the missing girl. A family less than cooperative. It’s all hands on deck for this mystery.

Pop the Cork! Anna’s Back! Anna Celeste Burke is back with the fourth book in her delightfully entertaining series, Calla Lily Mystery, with a complex cold case, a curious kidnapping, a murder mystery, and rumors of a family curse. The appearance of Maria curiously coincides with Josie’s disappearance, and those who knew both girls offer strange stories of strict parental control, absence of real friends, and rumors of arranged marriages. The Figueroa family, too, has a complicated, if not strange, family dynamic with a past of rivalries and feuds, a staunch matriarch, and one grumpy Uncle Jaco with a scar on his face. It gets more intriguing with warring families, business competitors, a clandestine affair, and secret marriages … Do I hear Shakespeare taking notes?

Some have knitting clubs, others book clubs, but here, it’s Calla Lily’s murder club. This eclectic group of women, sometimes a few interested teens, is well organized, meticulous, and with a variety of reasonable sources at their disposal. This is a realistic element used to help reveal details, theories, and a few “red herrings” through their discussions. I really enjoy the use of a cast of character list providing extra background and details about the main, reoccurring, and new characters, and I’m a truly a fan of chapter titles. I’m so glad Anna, and Lily, are back!

Recipes! Anna Celeste Burke has fascinating experiences with the culinary arts, ask Disney, so it’s fun to see what she chooses for these extra treats. Enjoy a Spanish Omelet ala Zelda, Pan de Mallorca, Pound Cake Cupcakes, Ginger Sweet Tea Whisky Short Ribs, and Spicy Blueberry Clafoutis. Something for every taste … delicious!

Calla Lily Mystery
Lily’s Homecoming Under Fire (2019) KRL Review HERE
A Tangle in the Vines (2019) KRL Review HERE
Fall’s Killer Vintage (2019) KRL Review HERE
The Vintner’s Other Daughter (2023)

Be a Big Anna Celeste Burke Fan!
Dr. Anna Celeste Burke, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, is “Snooping into life’s mysteries with fun, fiction, & food—California style!” Her series offer something for everyone: Georgie Shaw Mystery, Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery series, Seaview Cottages Mystery, Calla Lily Mystery, and Corsario Cove Mystery. Each entertaining series offers a different aged female with realistic flaws but an endearing strength of character. Each series has a different setting within California from the coast to the desert, but all with well-written adventures, humor, and realism.

Facebook – Anna Celeste Burke
Website – Desert Cities Mystery/Anna Celeste Burke
Twitter – aburke59

Don’t Miss This Special FREEBIE! Anna Celeste Burke joins several popular authors offering a book thru Prolific Work’s sixty-book Twisty Tales & Cozy Crimes giveaway. Anna’s book, A Fool’s Gambit, from her Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery, is available for download. The books are claimed thru Prolific Works as an ePub, mobi, or pdf file. Pick up one, two, or all sixty books, including joining Georgie as she investigates a link between a dead man and Marvelous Marley World West Coast Chess tournament. Checkmate!

To enter to win an ebook copy of The Vintner’s Other Daughter, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “daughter,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen March 18, 2023. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter.You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify. A new episode went up last week.

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Kathleen Costa is a long-time resident of the Central Valley, and although born in Idaho, she considers herself a “California Girl.” Graduating from CSU-Sacramento, she is 35+ year veteran teacher having taught in grades 1-8 in schools from Sacramento to Los Angeles to Stockton to Lodi. Currently Kathleen is enjoying year 2 of retirement revitalizing hobbies along with exploring writing, reading for pleasure, and spending 24/7 with her husband of 26+ years.

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.