Marla CooperCritiques

4 out of 5 stars.

Dying on the Vine is the second installment in the Kelsey McKenna Destination Wedding mystery series by Marla Cooper. It was very well-written, but not quite my cup of tea.

I had a hard time deciding how to score this book. I ended up giving it 4 out of 5 stars because while I had some personal issues with it, it is still a very well-written book and other people may very well enjoy it. I, unfortunately, didn't really enjoy it, which I was disappointed with. I wanted to like it. I had enjoyed the first in the series, Terror in Taffeta, a month or so ago.

There were two things about this book that I just really didn't like:

The first reason is that while I like Kelsey's character as a person, she takes WAY too many chances with dangerous situations. Heroines like this are ones that I tend to call "too stupid to live". Most cozy mystery heroines take some chances here or there, but Kelsey just doesn't seem to stop and think about the danger. Even when the danger is pointed out to her, she ignores the warning and goes and does whatever she was thinking of anyway. Not a good way to operate unless you want to end up dead too early in life.

The second reason is that I just found the plot line to be moving along too slowly. I thought the first book also moved along slowly. I was hoping that would change with this second book, but it didn't. The plot line was interesting, it just moved along too slowly for my taste.

One thing that was an improvement over the first book was that the setting descriptions were better in this book. I was much more able to envision the settings than I was in the first book. That was a wonderful improvement.

It's a well-written book and if you don't mind heroines who are always running off into danger with no thoughts of self-preservation, then you might very well enjoy it!

** Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book. I was not compensated for my review. All opinions and conclusions expressed are my own. **

Fun mystery with a destination wedding I Mexico and one of the bridesmaids turns up dead. And the wedding planner is put in charge of finding the killer.

This book was laugh-out-loud funny, without resorting to wacky hi-jinks. I hope Ms Cooper writes many books in this series!

In Dying on the Vine, the second book in the Kelsey McKenna Destination Wedding Mystery series, author Marla Cooper weaves an intriguing cozy mystery tale that follows the amateur sleuth adventures of wedding planner Kelsey McKenna when she finds rival wedding planner, Babs Norton, the self-proclaimed Queen of Wine Country Weddings, dead on her office floor. Kelsey is determined to find the killer before another wedding planner is next, herself included!

Dying on the Vine is a captivating and fast-paced whodunit tale set in the scenic wine country of California, that has enough quirky characters, witty banter and humor, drama, intriguing twists and turns, and conspiracy theories that will keep you guessing the identity of the murderer. You can't help but get caught up in the drama and calamity that ensues as Kelsey tries to solve the murder case of a rival wedding planner before another wedding planner is killed! Kelsey's amateur investigative adventure unfolds with a wonderful balance of comedy, drama, and suspense that easily kept me guessing, and left me wanting more. I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much I enjoyed the rich description of the wedding destination setting of the California wine country, it sounds like it is a wonderful place to have a wedding!

Dying on the Vine is an entertaining cozy murder mystery that will easily engage you to join Kelsey in her latest wedding destination adventures!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2017/04/dying-on-vine-by-marla-cooper-...

Dying on the Vine is the latest novel by Marla Cooper. This is the second book in Kelsey McKenna Destination Wedding Mysteries. Kelsey McKenna is a destination wedding planner in San Francisco, California. She is attending the Wine Country Wedding Faire to assist her friend, Brody, a wedding photographer. He has a booth at the fair and needs extra assistance. In the afternoon, Brody introduces Kelsey to Haley Bennett and Christopher Riegert. They are in desperate need of a wedding planner for their event in four weeks at the Higgins Estate. Kelsey agrees to meet them the next morning. The day is going well until she runs into the obnoxious Stefan Pierce, assist to Babs Norton of Weddings by Babs. Stefan seems to delight in being rude, condescending and nasty. Kelsey is glad when she escapes his presence. The next day she meets with her new clients. It turns out that they originally had Babs as their wedding planner until Haley’s father fired her. Kelsey bites the bullet and calls Babs. Babs agrees to meet Kelsey the next morning and turn over the files on the wedding (the bride knows none of the details regarding her wedding). Kelsey picks up pastries along the way. Kelsey hits the buzzer and receives no answer. She finally sneaks in when someone exits. The door to the offices is open and Kelsey enters when no one responds. Kelsey is startled when a phone rings and the pastries go flying around the room. She gets down on the floor to pick them up and discovers Babs dead behind the couch. Kelsey manages to call the police despite her fright. She attends Babs’ funeral with her assistant Laurel and is invited back to Babs house afterward by the deceased sister, Margot. Stefan is not pleased by Kelsey’s attendance and announces to one and all that she killed Babs. When this announcement affects her business, Kelsey starts searching for the real killer. Kelsey will need to be cautious since it seems to be open season on wedding planners. The killer strikes down another one and, if Kelsey keeps poking around, she could be next.

Dying on the Vine is a humorous cozy mystery. It has more of the cozy element than the mystery. I found the book to be easy to read with a good flow. The main character owns her own business, is clumsy, babbles when nervous, and prefers to avoid confrontations (uncomfortable situations, people she does not like, etc.). I prefer strong female characters who are intelligent and confident (especially when they own their own business). While this is the second book in the series, it can be read alone. Terror in Taffeta is the first book in this series. I give Dying on the Vine 3 out of 5 stars. Dying on the Vine is just not my type of book. I am not a fan of the inane humor in Dying on the Vine. It had me rolling my eyes until I gave myself a headache. The mystery was complex (which is why I gave it a 3) and many readers will not guess the identity of the killer. The descriptions of the wine country were lovely. I can see why brides like to have weddings in Napa Valley. If you enjoy comical cozy mysteries, then I suggest you give Dying on the Vine a try.

I really enjoyed the story and thought the author did an amazing job of developing her characters. I loved the setting of a winery and it was easy to picture it with the authors vivid description. What better place to have a wedding then at a beautiful winery. The landscape is gorgeous, the main room is big and perfect for large crowds. It makes a picturesque wedding that any bride would love.

Kelsey is a wonderful wedding planner and has many clients. Of course in the wedding planning business there are many to choose from. Babs Norton seems to be the queen when it comes to being a wedding planner. She thinks she knows everything about Napa Valley and helps couples have the most exquisite weddings imaginable. Her assistant Stefan is kinda stuffy and I thought he was quite jealous of Babs. When Stefan accuses Kelsey of stealing clients the stage is set for disaster.

When Kelsey goes to see Babs at her office she is in for a shock. She finds Babs laying on the floor. With her quick thinking she calls 911. To me this is where the story really starts taking off. Of course the police suspect Kelsey and she is set to proof her innocence. I didn't care for the detectives at all. They seemed ready to throw Kelsey in jail and throw away the key.

The story has many twists that keep readers glued to the book. I loved Laurel who is Kelsey's assistant. She has spunk and is ready to play detective to help Kelsey out. The story takes us from wine country to quaint little Inns to a majestic house that all play an intricate part in the cleverly written story. I could actually feel my heart beating a little faster as more suspects and victims start to turn up. I love when an author is able to keep the identity of the killer hard to figure out. The book has lots of mystery and unsavory characters that take readers on a journey that lead to an exciting and unexpected ending. I highly recommend you grab this book and get ready for a exhilarating look into the world of wedding planners.

I received a copy of this book from Great Escapes Book Tours. The review is my own opinion.

Dying on the Vine is the latest novel by Marla Cooper. This is the second book in Kelsey McKenna Destination Wedding Mysteries. Kelsey McKenna is a destination wedding planner in San Francisco, California. She is attending the Wine Country Wedding Faire to assist her friend, Brody, a wedding photographer. He has a booth at the fair and needs extra assistance. In the afternoon, Brody introduces Kelsey to Haley Bennett and Christopher Riegert. They are in desperate need of a wedding planner for their event in four weeks at the Higgins Estate. Kelsey agrees to meet them the next morning. The day is going well until she runs into the obnoxious Stefan Pierce, assist to Babs Norton of Weddings by Babs. Stefan seems to delight in being rude, condescending and nasty. Kelsey is glad when she escapes his presence. The next day she meets with her new clients. It turns out that they originally had Babs as their wedding planner until Haley’s father fired her. Kelsey bites the bullet and calls Babs. Babs agrees to meet Kelsey the next morning and turn over the files on the wedding (the bride knows none of the details regarding her wedding). Kelsey picks up pastries along the way. Kelsey hits the buzzer and receives no answer. She finally sneaks in when someone exits. The door to the offices is open and Kelsey enters when no one responds. Kelsey is startled when a phone rings and the pastries go flying around the room. She gets down on the floor to pick them up and discovers Babs dead behind the couch. Kelsey manages to call the police despite her fright. She attends Babs’ funeral with her assistant Laurel and is invited back to Babs house afterward by the deceased sister, Margot. Stefan is not pleased by Kelsey’s attendance and announces to one and all that she killed Babs. When this announcement affects her business, Kelsey starts searching for the real killer. Kelsey will need to be cautious since it seems to be open season on wedding planners. The killer strikes down another one and, if Kelsey keeps poking around, she could be next.

Dying on the Vine is a humorous cozy mystery that has more of the cozy element. I found the book to be easy to read with a good flow. The main character owns her own business, is clumsy, babbles when nervous, and prefers to avoid confrontations (uncomfortable situations, people she does not like, etc.). I prefer strong female characters who are intelligent and confident (especially when they own their own business). While this is the second book in the series, it can be read alone. Terror in Taffeta is the first book in this series. I give Dying on the Vine 3 out of 5 stars. It is just not my type of book. I am not a fan of the inane humor in Dying on the Vine. It had me rolling my eyes until I gave myself a headache. The mystery was complex (which is why I gave it a 3) and many readers will not guess the identity of the killer. The descriptions of the wine country were lovely. I can see why brides like to have weddings in Napa Valley. If you enjoy comical cozy mysteries, then I suggest you give Dying on the Vine a try.

This was a great little cozy mystery. I'd never read this author before and I am certainly going to be reading her in the future. The cover definitely caught my eye as well as the description and I'm glad that I requested this book.

Someone has it out for the wedding planners all taking place in the scenic wine country of Napa Valley. Or so it seems. Babs Norton the "official queen" wedding planner of Napa Valley is found dead in her office and Kelsey McKenna who just took over a unsatisfied client of Babs found her. Babs' partner is furious and accuses Kelsey of stealing the client and killing Babs. So starts the war.

There are many plots going on in this book including some nefarious things going on at the vineyard where Babs was the only wedding planner allowed to conduct business. There's also a little romance going on in the romantic setting of the beautiful Napa Valley.

A very entertaining book that I enjoyed reading and was glad that I requested.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

In Terror in Taffeta, the first book in the Kelsey McKenna Destination Wedding Mystery series, author Marla Cooper weaves an intriguing cozy mystery tale that follows the amateur sleuth adventures of wedding planner Kelsey McKenna as she finds herself with the added duty of investigating the murder of a bridesmaid.

Set in the colonial town of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, Kelsey has coordinated the destination wedding of Nicole Abernathy and Vince Moreno. The wedding plans are going as expected until bridesmaid Dana Poole drops dead during the wedding service, and the bride's sister Zoe is arrested for the murder. And if you think that isn't bad enough, add in a momzilla, who demands that Kelsey fix the mess that they find themselves in while being detained in Mexico!

Terror in Taffeta is a captivating and fast-paced whodunit tale that has enough quirky characters, witty banter and humor, drama, intriguing twists and turns, and conspiracy theories that will keep you guessing the identity of the murderer. You can't help but get caught up in the drama and calamity that ensues as Kelsey tries to solve the case of the bridesmaid murder. Kelsey's amateur investigative adventure unfolds with a wonderful balance of comedy, drama, and suspense that easily kept me guessing, and left me wanting more. I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much I enjoyed the rich description of the wedding destination setting of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, it sounds like it is a wonderful place to have a wedding!

Terror in Taffeta is an entertaining cozy murder mystery that will easily engage you to join Kelsey in her latest wedding destination adventures!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2016/08/terror-in-taffeta-by-marla-coo...