The Merlot Murders ((Wine Country Mysteries, Book 1)
The Merlot Murders ((Wine Country Mysteries, Book 1) “Finely ladled suspense,” says the Sun-Sentinel about the complex flavor of Ellen Crosby’s debut mystery set in the wealthy Blue Ridge wine country of northern Virginia, where vineyard heiress Lucie Montgomery must find a killer or lose her cherished family heritage.
Leland Montgomery’s death was deemed accidental, but when his daughter Lucie returns home from France, she finds the once-thriving family vineyard run down, collapsing under huge debt. Lucie’s godfather warns her that Leland’s demise may have been the result of an attempt to force the sale of the vineyard. Her extravagant brother and rebellious sister are determined to sell the estate, and there’s something suspicious about the vintner her father hired right before he died. When another oenophile turns up dead, asphyxiated in a tank of Merlot, Lucie — the lone holdout preventing the vineyard’s sale — realizes she’s next in line for an “accident.” Can she trust in the proverb in vino veritas — in wine there is truth — as she attempts to survive a very bad year for Merlot?
Customer Review: It’s Going to be a Bumpy Ride
I started this out on audio, didn’t much care for it, then switched to the book and enjoyed it much better.
Lucie Montgomery returns home to Virginia after living for two years in France recovering from a bad car accident that has left her leg twisted and practically useless. But this doesn’t get Lucie down; it’s just one more thing to deal with. She is returning home because her father, the head of the family vineyard has died from an apparent hunting accident.
Being away so long has left Lucie out of the loop and she returns to find that the vineyard, is crumbling under debt, her brother Eli is determined to sell off the whole shebang so he can build a new more fabulous home and her little sister Mia is now dating the guy that caused the accident that damaged Lucie’s leg.
Not that this isn’t complicated already, but when Lucie’s godfather is found murdered and the rest of the twisty plot of who done its and who will be murdered next, and who has a secret past and who will save the day. Not to mention a hidden necklace that belonged to Marie Antoinette and Lucie’s mother’s diaries. Yes, parts do get a little confusing with multiple plot lines and some apparent useless information, but hopefully the second in the series will straighten this out.
Customer Review: Merlot Murders
This is a great book especially if you live in or around VA. The characters are really interesting and you learn a lot about wine making. The book is the first in a series of four books and the second one is even better (The Chardonnay Charade). Recommended to anyone who likes murder mysteries.
