Dying on the Vine by Marla Cooper

"Dying on the Vine" is the second book in the charming Kelsey McKenna Destination Wedding Mystery series, and it is a fun romp through California wine country. I have not read the first book in the series, "Terror in Taffetta", but plan to remedy that soon, and I had no problem following the characters or story line. This adventure finds Kelsey, who usually handles weddings far from her San Francisco home, hired to be the “day of” the wedding coordinator at nearby high-end Higgins Winery. Only after she accepts the job does she discover the couple fired their previous planner, renowned “Queen of the Wine Country Weddings” Babs Norton, and that the couple has no idea about the vendors and other details Babs coordinated. When Kelsey drops by Babs’ office to pick up the couple’s file, she finds Babs dead. At first, Kelsey has no plans to investigate, but when Babs’ nasty assistant Stefan publicly accuses her of murder, she has no choice but to look into things. With the help of her photographer friend Brody and her assistant Laurel, she tackles the cut-throat competition and uncovers secrets that lead her straight to the killer. Marla Cooper strikes a nice balance of humor, mystery, danger, and romance in "Dying on the Vine". Protagonist Kelsey is personable and appealing. Even though she is no fan of confrontation, she does all she can to bring the culprit to light. She does find herself in some precarious and funny situations, but at no point did I think she was “too stupid to live”. Brody and Laurel are also likable, and I particularly enjoy the bantering between Kelsey and Brody. The supporting characters are engaging and offer enough variety to keep things interesting. Stefan is simply horrible, but, in the end, I do feel sorry for him. The mystery surrounding Babs’ death is well thought out and executed. With each clue Kelsey unearths, the potential suspect list grows, and there are plenty of red herrings to keep readers guessing. The killer is unexpected, and I love it when I do not figure out whodunit early in the book. The northern California setting is beautiful, and I feel like I have been on a mini wine country vacation while reading. I really enjoyed my time with Kelsey and crew and look forward to reading more in what I hope to be a long running series. I recommend "Dying on the Vine" to any cozy reader, especially those who enjoy a heavy dollop of humor to go with the investigation.