New release from Sibylline Press today!

Mortal Zin

A Novel

by Diane Schaffer

Mystery | Trade paper $22 | ISBN: 9781960573933 | On Sale TODAY!

A crusading attorney’s death. Sabotage at a family winery. Secrets buried in California’s past…

When corporate attorney Noli Cooper visits her godparents’ Santa Cruz Mountain winery, she’s hoping for a few quiet days to consider her future. But the future will have to wait. The body of her childhood mentor, a crusading social justice lawyer and local hero, is discovered in a rocky ocean cove. The sheriff is quick to call it suicide. Noli knows he’s wrong. Teaming up with PI Luz Alvarado, Noli dives into a world where nothing is as it seems.

As threats mount and the winery teeters on the brink of ruin, Noli and Luz must navigate a treacherous landscape of greed, revenge, and long-buried secrets. Their investigation weaves through the rich tapestry of California’s vineyard history, the mystery of zinfandel grapes, and the haunting legacy of the Vietnam War. With a murderer on the loose, predatory neighbors circling, and Noli’s godfather framed for murder, the clock is ticking. Can two fearless women from different worlds unravel the truth before it’s too late?

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“A satisfying, fast-paced whodunit with two strong female leads.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“Through twists and turns, beaches, vineyards and coastal redwoods, historical layers and modern changes is Santa Cruz, the story’s setting, described in such engaging detail that, for this alone, Mortal Zin stands as a notable debut by Diane Schaffer.”

—Robin Somers, author of Eleven Stolen Horses and Beet Fields

Diane Schaffer

Diane Schaffer, a Stanford PhD, is a retired professor and longtime resident of Santa Cruz County. Mortal Zin, her first mystery novel, is rooted in her summer work in a Santa Cruz zinfandel winery, where she became fascinated with the unique history of zinfandel, California’s mystery grape. When she’s not writing, she’s hiking, river kayaking, or reading a good mystery novel. She now lives in Ashland, Oregon, with her husband.