Bottle-Shock: A Deadman Gulch Mystery, Kim Fielding

Description

Midlife crisis? Please. This one comes with a body count.

In Bottle-Shock: A Deadman Gulch Mystery, Everett Vaughn has already blown up his old life—divorced his husband, walked away from his career as a Chicago attorney, and spent a year drifting across the country trying to figure out what comes next. His latest stop: the sleepy (and slightly suspicious) former gold rush town of Deadman Gulch, California.

Helping his sister open a charming new bookshop just in time for the town’s annual wine celebration seems like a safe landing. That is, until Everett takes on a handyman job for local developer Blake Cannon—who promptly refuses to pay him… and then winds up very, very dead in his own wine cellar.

Now Everett has a problem. A dead man, a motive, and his name floating uncomfortably close to the top of the suspect list.

Determined to clear himself, Everett starts digging into the town’s secrets, uncovering a web of grudges, quiet resentments, and small-town politeness stretched thin over something much darker. Along the way, he clashes (and sparks) with the maddeningly smug—and undeniably handsome—Sheriff’s Sergeant Cole McBeth.

Sharp, witty, and just a little bit wicked, this cozy-with-an-edge mystery blends queer life, second chances, and murder among the vineyards. Because sometimes finding yourself means stumbling over a corpse first.

Book Details

• Author: Kim Fielding
• Format: Paperback
• Publication Date: March 21, 2026
• ISBN: 9781952724237