YES...There will be blood!

The 4th Annual SAW Halloween Blood Drive poster has been released. Looking forward to yet another sick and twisted installment of the jigsaw series. This Halloween: Give till it HURTS!!!

What The F*ck !?!

Carrie has gone "dark" and all I can say is WTF!
I bet that Jennifer Hudson had something to do with this!
She be always trying to steal the limelight.

Beyond Reach by Karin Slaughter (2007)

This is the 6th installment of the Grant County Series.
Started: 9/24/2007
Ended: 10/18/2007
>>>>>>>>>>WARNING-SPOILERS AHEAD<<<<<<<<<<
Synopsis:
In a stifling jail cell in a hardscrabble Georgia town, Detective Lena Adams sits in stubborn silence: bruised, angry, and the only suspect in a horrific murder that left a woman incinerated beyond recognition. Lena was found beaten and in shock at a high school football field where a torched Cadillac Escalade held the remains of an unknown victim. A hundred miles away, Police Chief Jeffrey Tolliver has gotten the call that his young detective has been arrested. Jeffrey's wife, pediatrician and medical examiner Sara Linton, has little patience for Lena or her dramas. Fighting a heartbreaking malpractice suit, struggling to pick up the pieces of a shattered career, the last thing Sara needs is to see Jeffrey playing Lena's knight in shining armor. Sara cannot guess that within days she herself will be at the center of a bizarre and murderous case. For Lena has fled back to the place where she grew up hard, careening back through the shadows of her past and into a shocking underground world of bigotry and rage. The man who raised her is slowly killing himself with drugs. The man who beguiled - and beat - her is reaching out from prison. And now only Jeffrey and Sara can free Lena from the web of lies, betrayal, and brutality that has trapped her - as this powerhouse of a novel races toward its shattering climax…and a final, unforgettable twist.
Characters:
Lena Adams: Detective; stubborn & quick tempered; blatant disregard for her own safety; long history of questionable behavior; ex-boyfriend is an asshole white supremacist doing time in jail (Ethan); 35 y/o; traveled to Reese after she received a call that her uncle had fallen off the wagon and was back to using drugs; found injured at a crime scene and became the prime suspect of arson & murder; manipulated Sara in aiding her escape from the hospital; on the run and wanted; eventually she turns herself in to the Reese police department, only to have the judge let her out until trial; turns out she had incriminating evidence of Reese's corrupt law enforcement and made a deal to keep her mouth shut if they let her go
Sara Linton: Pediatrician; part-time coroner for Grant county; owns and runs the Heartsdale Children's Clinic (presently closed); raped when she was an er intern in Atlanta; can't have children; being sued for malpractice after one of her patients dies from leukemia; re-married her ex-husband Jeffrey about 6 months ago; self-confidence at a low due to her pending legal problems and how her local townspeople have ostracized her; asked to perform autopsy on remains of unidentified corpse in Reese by the sheriff; holed up in a dump of a motel, while her husband assists the local law enforcement; in the process of adopting a child; fearful of raising a child when her husband holds such a dangerous job
Jeffrey Tolliver: DEAD: Chief of Police; mad at Lena and himself for allowing her to get them mixed up with Reese's local neo-Nazi gang problems and drug trafficking; killed in an explosion caused by a bomb placed in his mailbox; dies in Sara's arms
Becky & Jim Powell: Suing Sara for malpractice after their son, Jimmy (age 6), dies from leukemia
Buddy Conford: Sara's personal attorney
Melinda Stiles: Attorney counsel for Global Medical Indemnity Insurance; Sara's other attorney; insurance company finally decides to settle with The Powells awarding them $1 million dollars
Sharon Connor: Attorney representing The Powells
Dr. William Harris: Oncologist; Jimmy had been referred to him by Sara
Nelly Morgan: Office manager of the Heartsdale Children's Clinic
Tessa Linton: Sara's sister; in Atlanta counseling homeless people
Cathy & Eddie Linton: Sara's parents; Driving cross-country on vacation
Sibyl Adams: DEAD:Lena's twin sister; lesbian; at age 8, was blinded by her uncle Hank when he hit her drinking and driving; raped and murdered; later revealed that she was accidentally blinded by her mother when she pulled out of the driveway where Sibyl was playing
Hank Norton: Lena's uncle; raised his two nieces when their parents passed away; ex-junkie but apparently has fallen off the wagon; owns and runs a bar on the outskirts of Reese; bar has been closed down by ATF because bartender was caught selling meth; found nearly dead,naked, beaten & strung-out on drugs in his back yard by Sara & Jeffrey; turned out he was forced back onto drugs by Clint because he had witnessed Jake Valentine & Fred Bart's involvement in the local drug trafficking ring; lied to Lena & Sibyl about their mother's apparent death and role in Sibyl's accident that resulting in her blindness; wanted to protect their mother's memory; still continues deception with Lena that her mother is dead
Jake Valentine: DEAD: Sheriff of Reese; young, tall & lanky; not earned respect from his deputies, especially Don; had a younger brother that died from a drug overdose 6 years ago; turns out Jake is corrupt, an actual skinhead drug trafficker running millions of dollars worth of meth through Reese; younger brother was also involved but got hooked on meth; has a swastika tattoo on the top of his head and a tattoo of his blood type on the inside of his arm (symbolizes rank of general in white power movement); Lena discovers tattoo on his arm when Sara is tending to an injury to his side; Jake holds Lena & Sara at gunpoint inside Hank's house; ordered Charolette's death to send a message to others to keep their mouths shut; ordered Clint to get Hank hooked back onto drugs; had married Myra, who was the baby sister to the Fitzpatrick brothers; was planning to setup Fred Bart to the GBI as the mastermind of the meth trafficking ring in Reese; after Fred found out about the double crossing he handcuffed Jake to Lena and setup a meth lab in Hank's house rigged to explode; before explosion that would kill him, Lena sawed off Jake's hand to escape
Don Cook: Reese deputy; older; ran against Jake for Sheriff and became bitter when he lost election; took over as Sheriff after Jake's death
Frank Wallace: Senior detective ; about to retire from the force at year's end; poker buddy of Eddie Linton
Nick Shelton: Friend of Jeffrey's; works for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI); supplied Jeffrey with info/history of the Skin Brothers
Ethan Green: Lena's ex-boyfriend; asshole white supremacist who physically and mentally abused Lena; has a swastika tattoo on his heart; 24 y/o; busted carrying a concealed gun while on probation (Lena framed him); doing time in the state prison; contacted Hank to manipulate Lena in coming to visit him in prison; threatens Lena that he will be out soon and that they can be together again
Angela Adams: Lena's mother; died due to complications 13 days after giving birth to her twins; in actuality, after her husband was killed she got hooked on meth from Fred Bart; gave her daughters up to Hank since she could not care for them; was in & out of jail for 20 years; Hank fabricated her death to protect her daughter's memories of her; one day she begged money from Hank to buy drugs and on her way out, accidentally hit Sibyl with the car, blinding her; became a maid at the dumpy motel Jeffrey & Sara stayed at in Reese; Jeffrey came to the realization that she was Lena's mother
Calvin Adams: DEAD:Lena's father; cop; killed on duty when he pulled over a car and the person shot him; was killed before he knew Angela was pregnant
Charlotte Warren-Gibson: DEAD: Sibyl's closest friend growing up; teacher; married with 3 children; called Lena to inform her that her uncle had fallen off the wagon; revealed she was lovers with Sibyl when they were younger before Sibyl left for college; a recovering alcoholic; Hank was her AA sponsor; tried to commit suicide a few years back; later discovered that she was the woman found in the Escalade, burned to death; was killed because she knew too much and Jake wanted to send a message to others to keep their mouths shut
Larry Gibson: Charlotte's husband; brought in Hank's drug box, claiming it was his wife's when he reported her missing to the sheriff; box contained Lena & Sibyl's actual birth certificates that stated Hank was their father (Angela had faked the certificate to ensure Hank could care for her girls)
Boyd Gibson: DEAD: Was thrown through Sara & Jeffrey's motel window with a pearl-handled knife (Lena's) jutting out of his back; white supremacist with a red swastika tattoo on his arm; worked in Hank's bar as the bartender and was caught selling meth; later spotted looking for something in Hank's bar when it was torched; killed by Clint
Bob Burg: Nick's ex co-worker at the GBI; corrupt; caught
Al Pfeiffer: ex-sheriff of Reese; run out of office and town by neo-Nazi gang that firebombed his house; moved out to an isolated and remote mansion in the Okefenokee swamp; rumored to be corrupt
Skin Brothers (aka The Brotherhood of The True White Skin): neo-Nazi gang symbolized by a red swastika; run by 2 brothers (Carl & Jerry); produce & deal methamphetamines
Jerry Fitzpatrick: runs Skin Brothers; extremely wealthy and secluded at his compound in Keene, New Hampshire
Carl Fitzpatrick: runs Skin Brothers; in jail for killing 2 cops when he was seventeen; over the years has gained control of the neo-Nazi gang inside prison while his brothers controls gang outside
Carlos: Sara's morgue assistant in Grant Co.
Myra Valentine-Fitzpatrick: Jake's wife; short and fat; works at local high school; baby sister to the Fitzpatrick brothers; takes refugee at the New Hampshire compound after her husband is killed
Grover Gibson: Larry & Boyd's father; alcoholic; beat wife and kids
Deacon Simms: DEAD: Lena found his naked, beaten corpse in Hank's attic with his swastika tattoo carved off his body; 60 y/o; was AA friend's with Hank; corpse was part of Jake's plan to setup Fred Bart as the meth trafficking ringleader
Clint Jones: DEAD: Thug with a red swastika; got Hank hooked back on drugs; killed by Fred Bart via a gunshot between the eyes
Fred Bart (aka Black Mask): Reese's local dentist and coroner; sleazy and bald; killed Charlotte on the football field by pouring lighter fluid all over her and then setting her on fire while she was tied-up in the backseat of the Escalade; caught and left to deal with the retributions of the Fitzpatrick brothers
Harley: Drug boss; took Deacon's motorcycle for himself after the old man was killed

My Review:
I really enjoyed this installment and was caught off-guard on several plot twists, most notably the ending where Jeffrey is killed. I like Slaughters's writing style as she goes back and forth in time and shifts perspective to illuminate the experiences of the different characters, adding to the mounting suspense. I have to admit I was very sad and shocked reading Jeffrey's death. After six books, you become invested in these characters and their lives, and it was just heartbreaking closing this book. RIP Jeffrey Tolliver, you will be missed!
Book Score: 9.5/10

Closure (2007)

Referred to as "Straightheads" over in the UK. The X-Files' Gillian Anderson gives an impressive performance as a woman obsessed by revenge in this sleek and chilly English thriller by documentary filmmaker Dan Reed. Anderson is top-billed as a Brit businesswoman who invites the rough-hewn tech (Danny Dyer) who's installing her security system to a business party in the country. Slow-boiling sexual tension between the two to an erotic encounter in the woods – which is soon undercut by a savage attack by a group of local hunters, who gang-rape Anderson and beat Dyer senseless. As they recover, viewers soon learn that the pair's trauma runs deeper than just the physical level – Dyer is emotionally shattered, and Anderson is gripped by a need to repay her attackers with violence more terrible than what they visited upon her. Though the plot occasionally veers into implausible territory, the couple's search for the guilty party – and the gruesome fate they have in store for them – is unnerving, and made all the more so by Anderson intense turn, which presents a torrent of conflicting emotions raging just below her cool, porcelain surface.

Anderson clearly carries this film from start to finish and her solid, emotional performance never waivers. It does not hurt that she looks incredible. Why could she not look this good for most of the X-Files? I have to say, she has enormous nipples that remind me of an air valve on an inflatable beach ball. Also watching her terminator-style performance in the woods with a rifle & scope got me jacked up. Got to love those bitches on a mission. Dyer on the other hand just seems lost. His performance is often annoying and tends to be a whimpering pussy through most of the film. The revenge attack at the end was quite surprising as I never ever thought I would see Scully raping a man with a shotgun up his arse. Good bloody times over in the UK. Overall, I enjoyed the movie, though it was a bit disturbing at times (the dog did not need to be killed)!
Movie Score: 8.5/10

The Girls Are Back In Town!

Dead Sea by Brian Keene (2007)

Started: 9/23/2007
Ended: 10/11/2007
>>>>>>>>WARNING-SPOILERS AHEAD<<<<<<<<<<<
Synopsis:
Trouble begins when a virus infecting the rat population of New York City begins spreading among animals and humans alike—one bite, one drop of blood or one string of saliva is all it takes to kill its victims, within minutes, and instantly revive them as mindless, flesh-eating zombies. Narrating this grim tale is gay 30-something black guy named Lamar Reed, who makes a hair-raising trip through the carnage of zombified Baltimore before he and a small group of survivors manage to commandeer a Coast Guard ship and get it out to sea. Together, the eclectic group search the coast for a safe harbor; meanwhile, an endless parade of zombies search the survivors' floating haven for a way in. Keene piles on the gory thrills as Lamar and his shipmates struggle through this diseased world, though they can be overly chatty at times (dialoging on everything from religion to Joseph Campbell). Delivering enough shudders and gore to satisfy any fan of the genre, Keene proves he's still a lead player in the zombie horror cavalcade.
Characters:
Lamar Reed: Laid off from work and had to resort to stealing from his ex-employer to pay off some bills; lived in the "projects" of Fells Point, Baltimore; barricaded himself in with one of his neighbors, Alan, when Hamelin's Revenge (name given to the virus) began to spread; on a recon trip outside for food and supplies, Alan, was attacked by a zombie. Lamar had to shoot & kill Alan to prevent him from becoming a zombie
Tasha Roberts: Black 11-12 y/o; mother killed by zombies; found by Lamar and together with her brother, Malik, they head to the harbor to try and escape the zombies & fire that is burning the city down;
Malik Roberts: Black 8 y/o; thinks he is the man of the house since his father was never around; adapts quickly to the chaos & death surrounding him
Mitch Bollinger: DEAD: Bible salesman; gun aficionado; described by Lamar as a leather daddy/bear; Lamar and the Roberts are saved by Mitch on their travels, and together make it to the harbor where they board the USCGC (US Coast Guard Cutter) Spratling as it is preparing to ship off; On board they discover they are accompanied by 20 other escapees; attacked and bitten by Joan; killed by Lamar via gunshot to the head
Ollie Murphy: DEAD: boiler operator; alcoholic; drinks cough syrup to keep sloshed; implied to be killed by Runkle after he became a zombie
Joan Barnett: DEAD: Middle-aged woman who becomes friends with Lamar and his group; dental hygienist; attacked & infected by either Alicia, Basil or the Professor; killed by Tasha via shotgun blast
Cleveland Hooper: DEAD: Black ignorant asshole that antagonizes people; cook at a diner; trouble-maker; assigned to the galley and food inventory; during a convoy to land for supplies at a rescue station near Virginia Beach, Hooper is exposed to Hamelin's Revenge (discovered several zombies that had been tied up to makeshift crosses; the copper wire holding a zombie in place sliced through the decomposing rancid flesh and showered gore all over Hooper); killed by Mitch via gunshot to the head
Tran: DEAD: Asian; does not speak English; assigned to the galley and food inventory; accidentally blew himself up with a grenade after becoming a zombie; explosion caused a breach in the ship's hull and hence caused the Spratling to sink; the remaining survivors had to escape on a lifeboat
Captain Wade Maxey (aka Chief): DEAD: Retired from the Coast Guard; overweight & middle-aged; worked on the Spratling as a curator and tour guide when it became decommissioned as a US Historical tourist site; swallowed whole by a zombie whale
Tum: DEAD: Retired harbormaster; 2nd in command to the Captain; helps pilot the ship; during a convoy to land for supplies at a rescue station near Virginia Beach, Tum is given "Holy Communion" by Reverend Ortega (forced-fed zombie blood and flesh) and contracted Hamelin's Revenge; killed by Mitch via a gunshot to the head
Basil Martin: DEAD: Web-designer; short & balding; loved the zoo his whole life until he found himself trapped in one looking for his wife (zombie food); escaped and found his way to the harbor; contracted Hamelin's Revenge from handling a bloody zombie fish; killed by Lamar via gunshot to the head
Steve Runkle: DEAD: Baltimore City Police Officer; Late 30's, tall, muscular and fit; huge ego and mean-spirited; infected with Hamelin's Revenge by Murphy; after Malik speared him in the back and he was forced overboard from the lifeboat, a zombie shark dragged him under to his death
Steven Williams (aka Professor): DEAD: Retired elderly professor of English literature & mythology; smokes a pipe; contracted Hamelin's Revenge from handling a bloody zombie fish
Carol Beck: Red-headed; quality control manager at a injection molding plant
Stephanie Pollack: DEAD: Diabetic; ran out of her insulin and fell into a coma; eventually died under normal circumstances and never became a zombie
Daniel Ortega: DEAD: Hispanic reverend that went insane; crucified zombies on makeshift crosses; believed he could bring back the dead to life; exposed Hamelin's Revenge to Tum; killed by Mitch via gunshot to the head
Cliff Shatner: DEAD: Student; early 20's; after becoming a zombie-killed by Chuck via a gunshot to the head
Nick Kontis: DEAD: Teenager; found shredded apart; never became a zombie
Alicia Crawford: DEAD: Teenager; wears eyeglasses; after becoming a zombie by either Joan, Basil or the professor, she is killed by Lamar via a gunshot to the head
Tony Giovanni: DEAD: Tow truck driver; attacked & infected by Basil; killed by Lamar via gunshot to the head
Chuck Mizello: DEAD: Forklift driver; attacked & infected by Cliff; killed himself via gunshot to the head
The story concludes with the four remaining survivors (Lamar, Tasha, Malik and Carol) residing on the jack-up oil rig in the middle of the Atlantic. The sea surrounding them is dead now as the majority of sea life has become infected. As a month passes, Lamar notices in horror that Hamelin's Revenge has finally spread to the bird population, causing the survivors to barricade themselves inside. Lamar silently questions to himself on how long their food and water supply will last. The final paragraph has Lamar pondering the evolution of the human race and whether the next step be simply to just open the door?
My Review:
I have to say I was really disappointed with this book. After reading The Rising and City of The Dead by Brian Keene, I was very excited to read his next installment of a post-apocalyptic world where zombies stalk and kill what remains of mankind. The fast pace and impeding doom just were not as evident as in his last books. The characters seemed to prattle on and on about nothing and when the majority of them meet their end, it is done off-screen. The gore level is way down from his previous works and sex was non-existent. I would have to say this story was basically PG-13, which translates as "boring kiddie fare". I read horror for a reason: violence, gore & sex and got little to none on all three counts. Bottom line, there were so many places this story could have gone, but in the end it just fell flat.
Book Score: 7/10

The Countdown to SEX has begun!!

Carrie & Mr. Big - together again! Today Sex & The City: The Movie begins shooting! This is one of the first pics to be released. Mr. Big looking damn good!

Charlotte knocked Up

Hallows Eve by Al Sarrantonio (2004)

A haunted, atmospheric tale, Hallows Eve, is set in a town dominated by pumpkins. The high-growth industry that turns the landscape orange each year... and supplies the obvious name of Orangefield...allowing local businesses to thrive on all things Halloween.
That makes Orangefield a nexus for Samhain, Lord of the Dead, who draws his identity from the Celtic festival of the dead coinciding with Halloween. Samhain plans to expand his domain into the living world, ceasing all life as we know it. Later it is revealed that Samhain is actually working on orders by his master, The Dark Lord.
The story takes place during the Annual Pumpkin Days Festival, a week-long carnival, leading to the ultimate celebration: Halloween!

>>>>>>>>>>>WARNING-SPOILERS AHEAD<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Characters:

Corrie Phaeder: DEAD: Returns to his hometown of Orangefield after fleeing it suddenly a dozen years ago , following the murder of his mother; still believed by local authorities to be the killer, Corrie left to escape demons...literal ones...who make his life waking nightmares and shifting realities. Sure enough, upon his return, his "friends" show up again, most notably in the form of a pumpkin-headed scarecrow. But John, as the scarecrow calls himself, is not what he seems. Thus the plot shifts wildly toward the realm of fantasy as Corrie confronts these dark forces for the final showdown on October 31st-Halloween; 30 y/o LA photographer; sacrifices himself in order to close the rip between worlds that would have destroyed earth
Bill Grant: Detective; does not understand the "weird shit" that keeps happening around Orangefield; initially believes Corrie to have murdered his mother; eventually is convinced by John to protect Corrie & Reggie from Samhain, who is determined to kill them; Bill fights off trick-r-treat goblins, possessed town-folks, swarms of hornets and an army of pumpkin men to ensure that Corrie & Regina live through Halloween
Rose Grant: DEAD: Bill's wife with severe psychological problems; refuses to take her medications; after being committed, she died accidentally while receiving electroshock treatments; revealed that Samhain had a hand in her death

Jeff Luney: Cabdriver; gossip hound
Lucy Williams: Bitchy real estate agent
Pell "Farmer" Simpson:DEAD: Detective; keeps to himself; serial killer; when he was 12 years old, he killed his mother and a neighborhood girl by bashing their heads in with a rock; Pell then kills his stepfather by making it appear that he shot himself in the head with a gun after he killed his wife and a young girl; Samhain has him kill Marvin Soames and Kathy Marks; Pell attempts to kill Bill, Corrie & Regina, but is killed when he is trapped in Riley Gates house that gets blown-up
Chip Prohman: Desk sergeant; loud, fat & lazy
Fred Williams: DEAD: Bee Keeper; hangs himself following the deaths of The Kerlans
Peter Kerlan: DEAD: Children's book writer; stung to death by hornets
Mrs. Kerlan: DEAD: Peter's wife; trapped in a shed with a huge hornet's nest; Samhain brings back her dead skeleton to life, covered in hornets, to terrify her husband
Charley Morton:DEAD: DA who died from anaphylactic shock due to a hornet sting
Riley Gates: DEAD: Bill's mentor; ex-partner; now retired from Orangefield's police force; killed by Marvin Soames, who gutted him with a hunting knife
Jerry Farrow: Police Captain; mean-spirited; makes a deal with Bill that he and the governor will not charge him if he keeps his mouth shut about how a serial killer was on the force and all the paranormal events that occurred on Halloween
Kathy Marks: DEAD: Librarian; ex-girlfriend of Corrie; mentally unstable; haunted by her suicide attempt when she was younger when she tried to hang herself; clinically depressed; never got over Corrie when he left town without her; killed by Pell when he drugged her and convinced her to hang herself
Corrie's Mother: DEAD: Stabbed 23 times; found at the bottom of the stairs while Corrie was confined to his wheelchair at the top of the landing; revealed that Pell had murdered her on orders by Samhain
Regina "Reggie" Bright: 7 y/o neighbor to Corrie; speaks whole paragraphs in one sentence; makes it back from the void, however her hair has turned white
Marcia & Ted Bright: Reggie's parents
Aaron "The Pumpkin Tender" Peters: DEAD: Blew his brains out
Annabeth Turner: 11 y/o; saved Kathy from hanging herself when she was younger
Marvin Soames: DEAD:Town drunk; Samhain orders Soames to kill Riley Gates; after he is jailed for murder, Samhain has Pell visit and guts him in his cell

Thomas Jr. Reynolds: 13 y/o; helps Bill Grant with the sordid history of Orangefield; plans to continue in his father's footsteps in recording Orangefield's history; left town after Samhain told her to do such

Thomas Reynolds: DEAD: Historian, who wrote "Occult Practices in Orangefield and Chicawa County, New York 1668-1940" Volumes I & II; Samhain had threatened him not to publish his works, but he did at the last moment and Samhain killed him

Anja Reynolds: Russian; Thomas Jr.'s mother; left town after Samhain told her to do such
My Review:
I would not consider this Horror, but more of a Dark Fantasy. The story does grow tangled and a little hard to follow at times; the depiction of souls on Samhain's side...cardboard cutouts, balloons and spongy geometrical shapes...are pretty fucking silly, adding a Candyland air to an otherwise menacing scene.
Still, despite some minor hitches, Hallows Eve succeeds by providing a creepy location, sinister forces at work and a population of innocent and not-so-innocent residents to weave into the story. While Samhain remains somewhat two-dimensional and ultimately not scary by book's end, it's a concept worth further development in novels to come. I would pick up the next installment.

Book Score: 7.5/10

Murder Uncorked Book Review- Michele Scott (2005)

This is the 1st Wine Lover's Mystery
Started: 9/16/07
Ended: 9/21/07
>>>>>>>>>>WARNING-SPOILERS AHEAD-WARNING<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Synopsis:
Nikki Sands was like every other aspiring actress—waiting tables between jobs. But Nikki had taken serving wines to heart. She knew enough to impress Napa Valley’s golden boy, Derek Maleveaux, who offered her a job at his vineyard. And though Nikki may have left her dreams of stardom behind, the work of wine is ripe with intrigue—and the seeds of sleuthing are planted.
Nikki has just set foot on Napa Valley’s rich soil when she realizes her new job may not be as safe as she thought. First off, Derek Maleveaux is disconcertingly sexy. Second, his top winemaker is dead in the bushes outside Nikki’s cottage. It doesn’t take a connoisseur of foul play to know something’s taken a terrible turn...
Characters:

Nikki Sands: Aspiring actress/waitress; raised by Aunt who retired recently from the LAPD as a homicide detective; 34 y/o, shoulder length blond hair with green/blue/grey eyes; ashamed by her white-trash family roots; her mom was a whore and her "father" (unknown whether he was her biological father) died drinking & driving; she was then shipped off to her Aunt Cara
Derek Malveaux: Multi-millionaire; holds largest share and therefore runs Malveaux Estate Vineyards; dirty blonde with ocean-blue eyes; asks Nikki to come to Napa Valley to work for him; impressed with her wine knowledge after she waits on him; does not live at the Malveaux Mansion, but prefers to reside on the property in a barn he restored/custom-built himself; heads an annual benefit for the Leukemia Foundation; mother passed away from leukemia when he was 7 y/o; attracted to Nikki but does not act on his feelings; feels he is not ready for a relationship and does not want to hurt Nikki
Maurice: Bartender at Chez la Mer; Nikki's friend whom she worked with at Chez la Mer; ~64 y/o
Gabriel Asanti: Italian winemaker; Nikki finds him murdered behind her cottage shortly after she arrives at Malveaux Estate; a known womanizer; DEAD: apparently strangled by vines; rumored to have had an affair with Meredith while she was still married to Derek; rumored to have entertained possible employment with competing vineyard-Sumner Winery; secretly fucking Minnie
Meredith Malveaux: Derek's ex-wife; cheated on Derek several times; dark hair and eyes; shallow, materialistic, money-hungry, plastic & fake; due to the divorce settlement: continues to live at the Malveaux Mansion and is the manager of the estate bistro that only serves lunch; Derek suspects she may be stealing a portion of the profits; Nikki will be her boss and oversee the management of the bistro; help in the killing of Gabriel because he rejected her for Minnie; killed Minnie for not only stealing her man but trying to frame her for stealing; ultimately in cahoots with her twin brother Cal and her mother Patrice; had originally planned with Patrice to marry Derek and get impregnated, divorce and then use the child's custody as a playing chip in exchange for the vineyard; later-- planned with Cal to extort money from their mother Patrice after killing Derek
Minnie Lark: Malveaux accountant; young, prim, wears glasses and looks every bit the librarian with her severe chin-length page boy haircut; impeccable skin; dreams of moving to Tuscany; suspects Meredith is stealing from the estate bistro; friends with Andres; secretly fucking Gabriel; DEAD: strangled to death with a phone cord; found by Nikki upstairs in Malveaux Mansion during Annual Leukemia Benefit; discovered that she was the one stealing from the bistro, setting-up Meredith, so that she & Gabriel could run off to Tuscany and purchase a vineyard
Andres Fernandez: Winemaker @ Spaniards' Crest Estate; known to be rivals with Gabriel; dark rugged good looks; believes wine making is an art and Gabriel did not respect it; sister Isabel
Isabel Fernandez: Andres' sister; pursued by Gabriel, but she wanted nothing to do with him; owns & runs new restaurant "Grapes"
Simon Malveaux: Derek's gay half-brother; spoiled rich kid; lives at the Malveaux Mansion; despises Derek out of pure jealousy; blackmailed by unknown person who caught him with fuck-buddy, Samuel; decided to pay Samuel to leave Napa Valley
Marco: Simon's partner; thick Italian accent; leech with a sarcastic sense of humor; gossip hound and fame hungry; lives at the Malveaux Mansion; smokes
Patrice Malveaux: Derek's stepmother; redhead with light green eyes; plastic & fake; despises Derek because he holds the largest share of the Malveaux Estate; lives at the Malveaux Mansion; smokes; does not acknowledge that her son is gay; when she was young, she become pregnant with twins and gave them up for adoption; later was reunited with her children, Cal & Meredith and they plotted on getting their hands on the Malveaux Estate
Chandler Malveaux: Deceased; still in love with his first wife who died from leukemia; married Patrice out of guilt when she had helped him out financially years ago
Jeanine Wiley: Police officer called onto the scene when Gabriel's body was found by Nikki; freckled-face redhead; fan of Nikki's cancelled TV show alter ego: Det. Sydney Martini; shy
Oliver: Derek's dog; Rhodesian Ridgeback
Tara Beckenroe: Briefly dated Gabriel; known as a barracuda in her quest to obtain a man; writes for Winemaker Magazine; bitchy; slept with Cal; researched and figured out the DNA connection between Cal and Meredith; saved Nikki when she was being strangled by Cal; out to get Derek for herself
Stan Horn: Police Chief of Napa Valley; 65 y/o; resembles Santa Claus
Cal Sumner: Owns Sumner Winery; Johnny Depp look-alike; tried to get Gabriel to come work for him; dating Meredith; friend's with Derek; wanted to be a country-western singer; twin sister is Meredith, mother is Patrice; was losing his winery due to bad business deals; finished killing Gabriel after Meredith hit him over the head with a wine bottle; set-up Manual to take the fall for the killings; tried to kill Nikki but was knocked out and tied up by Tara
Manual Sanchez: Vineyard worker; Mexican immigrant; wife and newborn killed in an auto accident; has 2 young children: Catalina & Mateo; framed, arrested and charged as the "Wine Lovers Killer"; children are taken by Child Protective Services
Mark Anderson: Brute cop
Samuel Eades: Gay barista at local Starbucks; was having an affair/fucking Simon; aspiring actor who wants to move to LA;

My Review:
Overall, I enjoyed this first installment, although not as good as the Coffeehouse Mystery Series. Like a fine wine, this one needs time to breathe, but I will definitely read the next book.

Sex: No fucking, past actions implied
Language:Swearing is very limited (bitch seemed to be the strongest word used)
Violence: Past actions implied; tame stuff here
Book Score: 8.5/10