Review of Party Wine

[Sara Gajre]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Party Wine" by D.R. Ransdell.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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I would rate this book with 4 stars out of 5.

Party Wine by D.R. Ransdell is a gripping whodunit murder mystery that took me on a journey of parties, wine, secrets and unexpected twists.

The story is set in a hill town of Italy named Monteleone, where the mayor of the town is found dead in Sofi Francese’s balmetto. Sofi is forced to solve this mysterious death of her cousin- in- law with a flirty yet grumpy detective, Vincenzo Bot. The two of them learn to work together as they slowly uncover what exactly happened and who had it out for the mayor through the parties and the gossip loving community. As they delve deeper into the murder, Sofi is not sure how to feel about this small hill town anymore.

D.R. Ransdell has crafted the characters extremely well. Vincenzo’s character is very well written with his tragic past relationship. Sofi’s character was also very well written, we had the insight about her time spent in America as well as her Italian roots. I expected to know just a smidge more about Magru and Antonella’s character. It would have also been better if we could get a little more insight into Grazia's character and her emotional state after her husband (Mayor) passes away.

The narrative of Party Wine, while slow at the beginning, gains speed and intrigue after. There are many really unpredictable moments which left me gaping and satisfied. Nevertheless, the tension in the book could have been increased a notch, which would make a huge difference. Beyond that, the ending of the book was not predictable and kept me interested about who the killer was. The book is extremely well written and edited as there are nearly no errors.

One of the most captivating aspects of the novel is the atmospheric setting of Monteleone. The place is described exceptionally. The balmettos, the parties, the community and their love for food, wine and gossip was written very well. As the plot unfolds, the duo shorten the suspect list and look at all the right places to find out about the killer. The author also tells us about the characters internal battles and how they deal with them while solving a murder.

In conclusion, Party Wine is an amazing story. The author also ties together all the loose ends, giving us an unexpected and satisfying ending. The final twist is unexpected yet believable, leaving me in awe of the author's storytelling skill. This is a book for anyone who is a fan of thrilling whodunits.

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Party Wine
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