Audiobook review: A Case for the Winemaker by Candace Havens
Ainsley moved back to her small Texan hometown a year ago after living and working in Chicago her entire adult life. She’s starting over by opening an exciting new market shop; however when her friend is the lead suspect in a murder, Ainsley feels compelled to help clear his name.
Havens does a great job with little details about the settings, foods, and people. It’s all about showing and not telling. I feel like I know the characters in this small Texas town. I loved how the local book club works to solve the crime by committee; however, Ainsley does go it alone at times. The author pens a pretty tight mystery with enough clues and Ainsley’s intuition to put it all together. I like that there aren’t any unnecessary red herrings, and the story makes sense for the most part. I did get frustrated with Ainsley a few times when her actions bordered on TSTL-territory.
The author works to give readers some personal life with the mystery, which I enjoyed. But there is some repetition of internal thoughts and comments, like Ainsley putting down her body and how one character looks like Idris Alba, both of which annoyed me after some time. I was also put off with the author’s not-really-a-love-triangle subplot between Ainsley and her brother’s two friends. She tells one she’s not interested in a relationship after what happened with her ex (cheating); however she moons over the other friend. Both seem to be interested in her, but since we only get Ainsley’s POV, it’s hard to say. It also seemed odd to introduce a strong female police detective, building her up to be a by-the-book PITA, only to have her drop out of the story completely. All of the other supporting characters are developed over the course of the story and I’m certain we’ll see more of them in the upcoming stories.
Narration: the story is shared via the first person POV of Ainsley. Wetherell’s voice is strong and matter of fact, which suits Ainsley who is observant and focused. Wetherell does a great job of altering character dialogue based on gender, age, and in some cases ethnicity, adding slight accents without overemphasizing them. She produces a wide range of voices, both male and female, and does great non-speaking cues like chocking up, laughing, etc.
Overall, I enjoyed A Case for the Winemaker and am interested in pick up the next title should Tantor release the audiobook.
My Ratings
Story: B-
Narration: B+
Jen
About the Book:
It’s an exciting time in Sweet River, Texas, and the whole town is talking. Maybe, a little too much. Former English professor Ainsley McGregor has gambled everything on her new business: Bless Your Art, an artisan market where local artists sell their wares and teach classes.
The bright, white space is filled to the brim with colorful art, yarn, jewelry, pet treats, antiques and even a few medieval weapons. Oh, and there are wine tastings. Everything is better with wine. Ainsley is surprised by how well things are going–right up until the moment her Great Dane finds a dead body. With her friend accused of the murder, it’s up to Ainsley to find the real killer.
As the suspect list grows longer, Ainsley has her work cut out for her. The task is made more difficult by the fact her brother, the sheriff, doesn’t seem to want her help. If she doesn’t wrap up the case soon, she might be the next wine, um, one to die.
Author: Candace Havens
Narrator: Kimberly M. Wetherell
Series: Ainsley McGregor series #1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Audiobook Release Date: November 26, 2024
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Length: 6 hrs; 23 mins
Source: Publisher
Audio Speed: 1.3x
Purchase info:
Audible/Amazon (affilate link)
