A Case of Syrah, Syrah: A Wine Country Mystery

After a decade in San Francisco advertising, Taylor O’Brian, the 28-year-old narrator of this sparkling series launch from Parra (Gluten for Punishment), is lured home to Sonoma, Calif., by her aunt Gemma’s heart attack. Gemma’s fine—unless Taylor mentions leaving; so Taylor buys a green 1970s VW van and throws her restless energy into launching Off the Beaten Path Wine Country Tours. Roadblock to success: her very first client, unpleasant yoga teacher Laura Scott, takes a corkscrew in the neck at Quarryhill, an exotic botanical garden. Sheriff Ron Hennessy arrives to investigate; shell-shocked though Taylor is—she found Laura’s body, and it’s her corkscrew—she notes Hennessy has “gorgeous blue eyes that had seen too much.” He’ll figure out whodunit, right? But Taylor tops the DA’s suspect list, and Hennessy has to arrest her, even though he would clearly rather kiss her. “When this is over, you can call me Ron,” he says, in one of many sweet, funny scenes. Hurrah, hurrah for the freshness Parra brings to this cozy. Agent: Paige Wheeler, Creative Media Agency. (Dec.)

Correction: An earlier version of this review incorrectly identified the agency that represents the author.