Very interesting read. It was exciting and had dark humour twisted in. Very well written. I like how the author has played it all together.

Quirky, Psychological Suspense…
Clever and entertaining, quirky psychological suspense. A gripping and darkly humorous tale with a well crafted cast of characters and a well portrayed ‘ angry young man’ in Keir Rothwell, a man with a troubled past and a very big chip on his shoulder.

I’m really not sure what to write here. This is a confusing novel, in a saturated market of crime thrillers this doesn’t make the grade but so obviously could have done if some things were different. There is some incredible character development but the story is not able to be enjoyed because it is so far out of the realms of believability.

This was a compelling and thoroughly enjoyable read from start to finish with a great storyline! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🍷 Murder by the Bottle 🍷
Today is my day on the blog tour for this quite unusual book. I’ll be very honest, I didn’t think this was for me to begin with, I nearly gave up after the first few chapters but wanting to try and carry on to give it a chance, I picked it up again and read on. I became hooked and finished it in two days! Now, I’m not saying I loved this book, I just couldn’t stop reading it. I needed to know what happened next. Keir is a very strange protagonist, I hated him, he is unstable and disturbing, I didn’t like most of the characters to be honest, but then I think that’s the point. I did like Petra but that was unfortunate! I kept reading, as I said, as I needed to know what happened and let me tell you a lot happens!! The ending,however, annoyed me as we don’t really find out what happens to Keir, I sought an answer and didn’t get it, although in a way it’s a clever finish to the book. So, in conclusion, I don’t know if I liked the book or not?! I would say it should appeal to contemporary thriller readers, so give it a go if that’s your thing.

A diverting, if unremarkable entry into the crowded field of crime novels told by unreliable criminal (possibly sociopathic) narrators. Obviously these narrators of never "heroes" but some of them are more likable than others, and Kier I found to be more grating than intriguing. The wine world setting is an interesting one and helps to set this book apart from others in the genre, but overall, there's nothing particularly special or new here. But, if you really like this kind of crime story, there's nothing particularly bad about it either and it's a sold enough vacation read.

A fast paced, well plotted and intriguing story. The author is a talented storyteller and delivers interesting characters and an excellent plot.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Murder By The Bottle is a brilliantly written and expertly crafted story that delves into the dark and ludicrous mind of a psychopath, intelligently exploring the narrow-minded, self-absorbed, and completely deranged nature of someone living on the periphery of normal society.

There’s a dark satire that runs throughout the narrative, but maybe that’s in how you engage with Kier’s character. Because I love a disturbed character that you can’t help but relate to in their frustration with other humans. Sometimes we all have that impatience with our behaviour as a species, and I really enjoyed Kier’s mockery of the shop’s clientele and ignorance of other’s opinions. Of course, I would never want to be friends with him, but I loved this in-depth look into his mind, however reliable it may be.

The book ends with a journalist’s analysis of Kier’s story, using Murder By The Bottle as a story within the story, and I think this is an ingenious technique. I loved this deconstruction of the story and examination into how much we can trust the narrator. Because even though they seem to be willing to share everything, Whitfield also makes you very aware of how someone like Kier would see themselves as an indestructible hero, and would be unwilling to acknowledge their own flaws.

This is a great debut by Ed Whitfield who obviously knows how to write, construct an intriguing plot, create fully-fleshed characters, and draw the reader in. If you want to know how to write your first book, this is how you do it.

Holy WoW! Murder by the Bottle was outta this world amazing!
When I read the description I knew it was going going to be good!
This story is what sold me. Art, wine and murder?! I'm game!
The writing was really well done. Its fast-paced and intriguing.

Thank you NetGalley and RedDoor Books for this ebook copy!
Ill post to my Goodreads and bookstagram account next week!