A PAIRING TO DIE FOR

A Colorado winemaker’s relationship with her boyfriend’s family sours more quickly than month-old merlot.

Parker Valentine, whose Vino Valentine tasting room is making its mark in Boulder’s artisanal food scene, is no stranger to disapproving parents. Her mother, a chemist by trade, finds Parker’s vocation a little too much like a hobby and frequently suggests ways for her daughter to find something more professional. But Mama Valentine’s gentle prodding is nothing compared to Camilla Wallace’s all-out assault on Parker and everything she stands for. Nothing about her son Reid’s life in Boulder pleases Camilla: not his romance with Parker, not his hip new restaurant, Spoons, and especially not his long-standing friendship with sous-chef Oscar Flores. When Oscar’s found stabbed to death outside Spoons, Camilla really couldn’t be happier—at least until Boulder police detective Eli Fuller arrests Reid for the murder. Even then, Camilla, with the full support of her other sons, attorney Ben and physician Tristan, turns her back on Reid, letting him languish in jail. That leaves it all up to Parker. Though she isn’t quite sure Reid returns her affection fully enough—after all, he’s never uttered the L word—Parker goes all in to save him, risking her peace of mind, her friendship with Eli, and her own safety in the process.

Another typical entry in the spunky-woman-defends-accused-lover canon.