In a cozy mystery filled with natural cures and edible plants that you will love, an organic winery becomes the backdrop for murder! Fortunately, solving crimes comes naturally to charmingly unconventional amateur sleuth and holistic doctor, Willow McQuade, as she looks for clues that will reveal a killer’s true vintage.

Business is blooming at Nature’s Way Market & Café, and shop owner, holistic doctor, and amateur sleuth, Willow McQuade has never been happier. Her new medicinal herb garden is a hit, so is her new book, she’s in love with ex-cop and animal rescuer Jackson Spade, and enjoying teaching seminars about edible plants and natural remedies.

But everything changes when Willow’s old boyfriend and TV producer, Simon Lewis, winemaker David Farmer, and his wife Ivy, ask her to cater a party at Pure, their new organic vineyard, to kick off North Fork’s Uncorked! week and the competition for Wine Lovers magazine’s $200,000 prize. Pure’s entry, Falling Leaves, is the favorite to win, and the wine flows freely until after Simon’s toast when smiles give way to looks of horror. Ivy’s twin sister, Amy has been murdered! Turns out, the poison that killed her was actually meant for David. But who wants him dead? A rival vintner? Or someone closer to home? This time the truth may be a bitter vintage to swallow.

DANDELION DEAD EXCERPT:

   I went over my agenda for my 10:00 a.m. Edible Plants Workshop, featuring the calendula and yarrow that that we had harvested on Sunday. Both herbs were versatile, and I was looking forward to teaching my class how to make calendula and yarrow teas, a calendula, yarrow, and oatmeal facial, and other beauty and health treatments.

I gathered all my materials, including the plant cuttings from Sunday that I’d stashed in the oversize fridge in the back of the kitchen and previously dried flowers, and set up a table in front of the counter. Even though I was teaching a class, customers would still be able to shop for groceries and eat in the café.

At nine forty-five, all but two of the people who had attended the foraging workshop had arrived, and by ten fifteen we were all in the kitchen and I was teaching them how to make freshly brewed calendula tea, one of my favorite natural remedies.

“Calendula is pretty amazing. It has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties.” I poured boiling water over dried calendula blossoms. “Even a simple calendula tea can be used to treat lots of common complaints like a sore throat, or a urinary-tract infection or indigestion, along with minor wounds and burns, skin irritations like insect bites, acne, athlete’s foot, itchy scalp, and even flea bites and hot spots on pets. Just keep in mind that the correct ratio is a tablespoon of petals to one cup of water.” I finished pouring the water and put the teakettle back on the stove.

“Now, we’ll need to let this steep for at least fifteen minutes, but I’ve also got a batch that is ready to go to the next step.” I pulled a saucepan off the stove and grabbed a mesh strainer. “First, we’ll need to use this strainer to catch the blossoms and other parts of the plant.” I poured the warm brew through the strainer, and into a clear glass bowl. “And that’s it. You can use it warm or cold, but it does have a short shelf life, so be sure to keep it in the fridge and to use it within two days.”

The class clapped.

“Thanks. Now I’ll teach you how to use calendula in specific skin-care products, like for diaper rash, for example. All you’ll need to do is add coconut oil, beeswax, and zinc oxide powder to make a salve. Let’s try that first, and then we can move on to wound-healing salves. First we’ll put coconut oil, which is solid at room temperature, over a low heat to liquefy it, then add the calendula and let it infuse.” But as I reached for the coconut oil, my phone buzzed.

“Excuse me.” I pulled out my phone. It was Simon, probably calling to discuss the strategy for our investigation, but maybe not. “I need to take this, but I’ll be right back. Grab a blueberry muffin and coffee if you like.”

The class eagerly dug in.

I stepped outside the kitchen. “Simon?”

“Willow?”

“Yes, I’m teaching a class. Everything okay?”

There was a long pause. “No, I’m afraid not. There’s been another attempt on David’s life.”

“Is he all right?”

“He’s pretty freaked out.”

“I’ll bet.” David was already anxious about his safety after Sunday, now this. “I just have to finish up my class and I’ll be right down.”

I have never enjoyed a cozy mystery as much as I enjoyed this one. I wish I would have started this series years ago! Willow is a wonderful holistic character, and I love that she is natural remedy inclined. The murder in this book made me sad, as it did all the characters, it was one that we all seemed to like. But good and bad have to die in the name of a good mystery.

I personally liked that Willow proclaimed going vegan in the book, as this was my first to read in the series (4th out of 4) I am unsure if she chose this in a previous book. Each choice she makes though is a conscious one that I have been personally working on making. You could say that I thought of Willow as my character idol. I want to have more natural and vegan lifestyle ways.

If you are looking for a cozy that makes you feel good reading it, trust me when I say this book will make you feel warm in our chilly days, and happy in the warm days. It is a great way to have nonfiction, sound research presented in the holistic department.

Readers, do you like to use natural remedies?