Accolades

Dear Y’all,

I’m just dying to know what you think about my new book. Please send your comments to my email address, judy.n1@comcast.net as the form below refuses to hook up. Please include your full name, city/state, and email address (the email address will not be shown on this web site). xxJudy

November 11, 2009

If you need a perfect way to spend these great fall days and evenings,
grab An Unholy Alliance. Judy Nedry has included all the elements for
a great read: mystery, great characters, humor, and interesting
information about wineries and wine making. This is an intriguing plot
that keeps you waffling about the identity of the villain to the
conclusion as character after character becomes a strong
possibility. The humor is “laugh out loud” as Emma Golden unravels
this “must read” mystery.

Nadine Luther
Clackamas, Oregon

September 26, 2009

Two major themes through Judy Nedry’s life, her love of writing and her deep knowledge of the Oregon food and wine industry, have come together to form An Unholy Alliance.

It’s an impressive first book, a murder mystery set in the vineyards of Oregon, with an attention to detail that brings the reader the textures, flavors, aromas and colors of the region. The irony of a wine industry mogul drowning in a vat of his own wine is heightened by the dismay of his employees at the spoiling of the product.

The protagonist, Emma Golden, is a flawed woman who has reinvented herself for the better, and like many in her position she sees herself and her associates with uncompromising clarity. Her interactions allow the exploration of female friendship and the responsibilities it carries, and we come to know Emma and to admire her in spite of, or in many cases because of, her past stumbles.

The characters around her are true to type: the Latino woman in domestic work to put her daughter through university; the daughter herself, brilliant and determined but still fighting racism; the oppressed son of an overbearing father; even Emma’s ex with whom she still shares some interests.

A murder mystery is a demanding genre, as the writer has to weave many strands into a convincing narrative, much like driving a team of horses, and Judy Nedry handles the the reins with care and skill. Judy refers to her book as “An Emma Golden mystery”. Is that a hint that we might meet her again in another book? That would be welcome.

Margaret Hurle

NSW, Australia

August 29, 2009

This book is a must-read for anyone loving mystery, murder and especially wine. A must read for anyone in Oregon’s beautiful wine country. The pace of the novel is absolutely perfect…couldn’t put it down, so I didn’t. The second book I read in one sitting and can’t wait for the next one. Way to go, Judy.

H.O Peterson III

King of Prussia, PA

August 18, 2009

As I wine writer I put names on every character, be they right or wrong. What an interesting contortion of events preempted by circumstance.

Thank you Judy for writing this book. Not a book reader by instinct, An Unholy Alliance was read in a manner of a few days on the treadmill and bicycle. Couldn’t stop, couldn’t put it down. Wow, am I ever in good shape!

Can’t wait for the next one, in what I hope will be a series. Go girl….your public is loving it!

Renie Steves
Fort Worth, Texas

June 28, 2009

Judy Nedry’s latest book, “An Unholy Alliance”, kept me up until
midnight to find out “who done it”. To me, that’s the mark of a
great mystery! The book’s main character, Emma, is a lively, clever
and determined sleuth. I felt as if I were experiencing her antics in
person as I whizzed through the chapters. What a treat to sit down
with a great read about Oregon’s wine country and the people who make
it such a unique place.

I’m not sure what Emma will be up to next but I’m looking forward to
being in on the adventure. Thanks, Judy!

Lynn Greenwood
Portland, OR

June 26, 2009

Emma Golden has the curiousity, courage & patience to be a great
sleuth. As a lifelong fan of Agatha Christie and the one-of-a-kind
Miss Marple, I loved getting inside Emma’s brain and also her psyche
as a woman of a certain age who has overcome a lot. Judy Nedry has
birthed an intelligent and creative character, who led me through An
Unholy Alliance on one bicoastal plane ride last week in great style.

Judy’s years in the Oregon wine industry, as a writer, vineyard and
winery owner, and all around insider, give real substance to the
setting and events at hand. She’s also a gifted mystery writer; I
really didn’t know whodunit until I was turning the last few pages.

Bravo, Judy – what will be Emma’s next adventure?

Lila Gault
New York, NY

June 25, 2009

If you love a good mystery, Oregon’s wine country, and an insiders knowledge of the intricate workings of the wine industry you are going to LOVE this novel! Only Judy Nedry could weave this intricate web of mystery while meandering through wine country with a heroine as witty as Emma.

Jessie Thaten Allen

New Bern, NC

I love Emma!

The world needs more Emma Goldens. She’s intelligent, curious, wise and imperfect, like a lot of us of a certain age.

As a reader I’m always looking for popular fiction that’s intelligently written and offers me both a good story and the opportunity to learn something. Bravo Judy Nedry! You’ve delivered on both counts. When can we expect the next Emma Golden mystery?

Linda Baldwin

Spokane, Washington

June 11, 2009

Emma is Golden!

Beware of illicit love. The whole affair can wind up in the tank.

Such might be the advice of Emma Golden, narrator of Portland writer Judy Nedry’s first fiction outing, An Unholy Alliance .

Golden, a fascinating character based in part on Nedry’s extensive experience in the Oregon wine industry, knows Oregon winemaking. Her tale blends local history, winemaking lore and middle-age angst on the reliable canvas of a solid whodunit. It’s entertaining as well as educational.

Nedry has non-fiction titles to her credit, handsome coffee-table efforts on the Northwest wine biz—Oregon Wine Country (1998) and Washington Wine Country (2000), which provide a framework for Emma’s Big Adventure, while Nedry’s 20-plus years as a wine and food writer can be credited with the wealth of oenological tidbits that make An Unholy Alliance such an absorbing read.

Agent of many of the novel’s deft touches, Emma Golden is the creation of a mature writer. She is a reluctant sleuth, enticed into the role by a largely plausible sequence of ordinary events. Emma, by turns short-tempered and farsighted, revealing and oblique, compassionate and impatient – all of it salted with humor — is a narrator you’ll remember.

And her bedmate, Winston, is a real dog. Schnauzer, that is.

Andy Whipple
Portland, Oregon

–Author of RIVERWATER, a coffee-table textbook
on the McKenzie River (2008) and The English Pub (1985)

June 6, 2009

Fast moving plot in a believable setting because of the author’s wine expertise. Unforgettable characters. A must read for mystery enthusiasts!

Janet Nedry

Portland, Oregon

June 6, 2009

A group of complicated characters, subplots and vivid settings are a must for books on my favorite list. “An Unholy Alliance” had all of these.

Rebecca Macy
Portland, Oregon

May 31, 2009

I am an avid reader. I always feel the need to have one untouched book
in hand waiting for me to enjoy when I have completed my current story.
If you, the addicted reader, are like me, you find one in ten or more
books that really grabs your attention. This is what is known as the
“page turner”. ”An Unholy Alliance” is one in a hundred! It kept me
turning the pages until the very end.

If you enjoy strong characters, a unique murder mystery plot, and the
opportunity to feel like you are actually a part of the Northwest wine
making industry, read this book. You will be excited!

Lynda Roberts
Ontario, Oregon