Facing a freakish May freeze that threatens her vineyard, Lucie Montgomery is forced to hire a helicopter to fly over the vines warming the arctic air next to the grapes. But her luck in salvaging the harvest runs out when she discovers the body of Georgia Greenwood, a controversial local political candidate, lying near the fields. Georgia's husband Ross--Lucie's friend and doctor--immediately comes under suspicion. As the search for Georgia's killer escalates and grows more puzzling, Lucie crosses swords with her attractive but bull-headed winemaker Quinn Santori and confronts her own unwelcome feelings of jealousy over his new romance and job prospects. Then the suicide of a young vineyard worker appears to wrap up the murder investigation--or does it?
Christine Marshall's Southern accent and clear diction set the tone for this enological mystery set in northern Virginia. Bad weather is the least of vineyard owner Lucie Montgomery's problems--she must also deal with a murder, a suicide, an alcoholic sister who may have caused a fatal car accident, her feelings for a local winemaker, and a new romance with a tycoon who wants to buy adjoining property. It's a good mystery, and Marshall brings out each character's strengths, flaws, motivations, and, in some cases, foreign accents. Lucie's determination to clear her sister ultimately solves the murders as well. A brief and informative comparison of California and Virginia winemaking follows. This is an audio worth a toast! J.B.G. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly...
A highly satisfying new series.
About the Author
Ellen Crosby is a former freelance reporter for The Washington Post and was the Moscow correspondent for ABC Radio News. She is the author of Moscow Nights and The Merlot Murders. Crosby lives in Virginia with her husband and three sons.
