Sharpshooter is the first of Nadia Gordon's three (so far) Sunny McCoskey mysteries set in Napa Valley, and it is the second one I've read. (I read Death By the Glass first and reviewed it here.)

Sunny McCoskey is the owner and chef of a small restaurant, Wildside, in a small Napa Valley town. When one of her closest friends is arrested for the murder of a young wine baron, she turns sleuth, investigating the terrain and asking questions that, frankly, might be considered pushy and slightly unbelievable. But the story and the characters pulled me in such that I was willing to suspend disbelief for the sake of finding out who did kill the arrogrant Jack Beroni.

The title is a play on words: the sharpshooter killed a man at night with a rifle from about a hundred yards, and the glassy-winged sharpshooter is an insect that could destroy the vineyards -- and becomes a political issue that underlies the murder.

More than the characters and the setting, I enjoy Gordon's details, what she has McCoskey noticing about the quality of the night air, the scents of vineyards, the feel of water. I also like the dynamics of the friendships in that small Napa Valley town that bring these characters to life.

I have already checked out Gordon's latest Sunny McCoskey mystery, Murder Alfresco. I recommend these mysteries as hearty and satisfying side dishes to your more serious (or heavy) reading.