A series of events rattle Emily Lazzaro: a near-death encounter with a pickup on a narrow mountain road, the murder of a would-be client, and an ex-fiancé who won’t let go. Can she survive a police investigation, pressure from her ex’s company, and the suspicions of a possible new love-interest—so that she can make the changes to create a meaningful new life in a special town in southern California?
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About Emily Lazzaro
Emily Lazzaro is the daughter of Wayne Lazzaro, the winemaker for the Hilltop Sunset winery in the previously published three Brynn Bancroft mysteries. She moved with her fiancé to Ramona, Calif., a rural community near San Diego, following graduation from college with a degree in hospitality. Her fiancé was eager to purchase a vineyard and develop a winery in the up and coming Ramona wine region, which suited Emily’s goals.
However, after moving to Ramona, it becomes apparent to Emily that she is not a good match for her fiancé. She discovers that he does not respect her opinions and insists on making decisions without her input. So she breaks off the engagement.
She decides to remain in Ramona despite her fiancé living there with his new vineyard. She appreciates the unique rocky terrain and proximity to the ocean and San Diego, along with the mixture of fine wineries, artists, and equestrian activities. She makes her living doing people’s taxes, and when Dangerous Changes opens, we discover she is looking to make a career change.
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MY REVIEW
Emily Lazzaro
grew up around wine making, so it was no surprise that she wanted to do the
same. She moved away from her parents and with her boyfriend Ed, searched for a
vineyard to buy together. But before they found one to buy, Emily became
stifled by Ed’s overbearing personality, and she ended the relationship. She
later meets Jackson Brekton and they become friends, even though one minute
he’s nice and then the next, he’s aloof. In the meantime, Emily and Ed are
still friends but Ed can’t seem to let go and still interferes in her life.
I liked Emily
and Jackson together. They were so compatible. I don’t understand why Emily
didn’t make it clear with Ed to take a hike. Needing a friend is one thing, but
being constantly bossed is reason enough to send him packing for good. As with
all of Ms. Strand’s stories, there was a multitude of different things going
on, but there’s always hidden clues if you just watch for them. That makes it
that much more interesting. This was a good introduction to the Emily Lazzaro
series.
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About the Author
Joyce T. Strand is the author of who-done-it contemporary and historical mysteries set in San Francisco, Napa-Sonoma wine regions of California, or Ventura, California.
Her most recent novels, Overcast Sunset and Landscape for Murder, feature protagonist Brynn Bancroft, a financial guru in transition to winemaker from corporate executive. Brynn Bancroft is a minor character in Strand’s first three novels On Message, Open Meetings, and Fair Disclosure—three mysteries solved by Jillian Hillcrest, a publicist in Silicon Valley whose boss was Chief Financial Officer Brynn Bancroft.
Her first historical mystery, The Judge's Story, tells the story of a Superior Court Judge with a passion for social justice as well as the law who strives to discover the truth behind the mystery of a robbery-murder in a small California town in 1939.
All of her novels are inspired by actual events and/or real people, although they are definitely fictionalized.
Much like her protagonist Jillian Hillcrest, Strand headed corporate communications at several biotech and high-tech companies in California’s Silicon Valley for more than 25 years. Unlike Jillian, however, she did not encounter murder in her career. She focused on writing by-lined articles, press releases, white papers, and brochures to publicize her companies and their products.
She lives with her two cats and collection of cow statuary in Southern California, and enjoys exploring and writing about the growing wine region in the Ramona Valley near San Diego.
She received her Ph.D. from the George Washington University, Washington, D.C. and her B.A. from Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA
Find the author on the following sites....
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Thank you so much for sharing your review for Dangerous Changes today x
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed this entire series.
DeleteThanks, Julie. I appreciate your comment.
DeleteYou are very welcome!
DeleteThank you for reading and reviewing the first Emily Lazzaro mystery. I'm sure Emily will become a stronger character as we move to her next adventure! I really appreciate your taking the time to support authors.
ReplyDeleteI really liked Emily and I'm looking forward to more from her.
Delete