Amateur sleuth Taylor O’Brian asks, “What could possibly go wrong?” Everything, beginning with Taylor herself in Nancy J. Parra’s first Wine Country mystery,  A Case of Syrah, Syrah.

When Taylor’s Aunt Jemma had heart problems, Taylor moved to her aunt’s small winery in Sonoma County, California. After six months, though, she’s restless and ready to launch her own business, Taylor O’Brian Presents “Off the Beaten Path” Wine Country Tours. “What could possibly go wrong?” She bought a small van to transport groups. She has insurance. Her first venture is with the staff of the yoga studio where she and her best friend, Holly, take classes. Granted, Laura, the owner of the studio, is a micro-manager, but the tour doesn’t last forever. In fact, for Laura, it’s over when she goes missing and Taylor and Laura’s husband, Dan, find her body. And, Taylor’s business may be over quickly. Her corkscrew is found in Laura’s neck. Everyone else seems to have some sort of alibi, which puts Taylor on the top of the suspect list.

Under other circumstances, Taylor might have been interested in either Sheriff Hennessey or her attorney. But, neither can keep her out of jail as she bumbles along, talking to too many people, and turning in evidence that no one else found. Taylor’s aunt puts her winery up as a bond, but Taylor still ends up in handcuffs, an orange jumpsuit, and with a night in jail. With business suffering, Aunt Jemma suggests they investigate, and Taylor and Holly jump into the investigation wholeheartedly. That also means Taylor puts her mouth and her feet in all the wrong places, including another murder scene.

And, that’s my problem with Taylor O’Brian and Parra’s book. Despite all the advice from her own attorney and the sheriff, Taylor persists in doing all the wrong things. She talks to people she’s not supposed to, goes places where she shouldn’t go. She comes across as oppositional, willful, and naive for a twenty-eight-year-old. Others may say all amateur sleuths in cozy mysteries investigate their own cases. But, most of them don’t appear as immature and reckless as Taylor does.

I am curious, though, as to how Parra will address the fires in Sonoma County in future books. However, after the incidents in A Case of Syrah, Syrah, I wouldn’t trust Taylor O’Brian to lead a tour group.

Nancy J. Parra’s website is www.nancyjparra.com

A Case of Syrah, Syrah by Nancy J. Parra. Crooked Lane Books. 2017. ISBN 9781683314332 (hardcover), 320p.

*****
FTC Full Disclosure – I received the book to review for a journal.