The Chardonnay Charade

Wine Country Mysteries #2

by Ellen Crosby

In Ellen Crosby's second mystery as Virginia vineyard owner Lucie Montgomery discovers that uncovering a killer can bring a harvest of dilemma and danger.

Lucie Montgomery thinks she has troubles enough with a freak spring frost that is threatening to kill her tender young Chardonnay grapes, but when the body of Georgia Greenwood, a controversial political candidate, is found lying in her vineyard, the situation becomes complex indeed. Suspicion immediately falls on Georgia's husband, Ross Greenwood, who is not just Lucie's doctor but also a close friend. Determined to prove Ross's innocence, Lucie crosses swords with her attractive but cantankerous winemaker, Quinn Santori. Then a second vineyard-related death drives the tension even higher. Lucie still believes that in vino veritas -- in wine there is truth -- but she's starting to wonder if her own risk level is moving into the danger zone along with this year's Chardonnay.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Audiobook, Wine, Mystery Thriller

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Ellen Crosby is the author of the Virginia wine country mysteries, the Sophie Medina mysteries, and MOSCOW NIGHTS, a standalone. DEEDS LEFT UNDONE, her 13th wine country mystery, will be out on August 5, 2025 in hardcover, as an ebook, and as an audio book from Tantor Media. Previously she was a freelance reporter for The Washington Post, Moscow correspondent for ABC Radio News, and an economist at the US Senate. She lives in the Washington, DC suburbs of northern Virginia after living overseas for many years and is currently busy writing the 14th wine country mystery which will be out in 2026. More at www.ellencrosby.com.

Reviews

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 out of 5 stars to Ellen Crosby's The Chardonnay Charade, her second book in the "Wine Country Mysteries" series. I enjoy wine and I enjoy this series, but I found myself putting the book down a few times without any sense of urgency to get back to it. In the end, I am glad I read it and I will continue a few more in the series, but there were a few times I wasn't very engaged due to the way the story has been told.

Story
Lucie Montgomery is still healing from the death of her father and a few other family friends in the last book when the wife of her doctor is found dead in Lucie's vineyard, possibly due to her staff's negligent activities. Lucie soon learns the victim was bashed on the head prior to having some of the chemicals on her property attack the victim's body, but the suspects all point to friends of hers which makes it even harder to accept. Lucie supports her doctor who is accused of the murders and helps him prove his alibi, but when another death adds the intrigue of political scandal, Lucie's confused. Her vineyard becomes a spot for lovers' trysts upping the game of who is actually having an affair on his/her spouse. Add in a charming British transplant, some sisterly bonding time with Mia and the potential for Quinn, her new winemaker, to abandon her (or kiss her!), and you've got tons of stories beginning to burgeon. In the end, the killer is caught but it's not something Lucie is happy to hear given all that she's been through lately.

Strengths
If you love wine, you will feel right at home. The author adds in many different background stories about the grapes, processes and EPA oversight regulations. It helps you feel connected with a bit of the past when Thomas Jefferson built wineries from European grapes, something important to these Virginia vintners.

Lucy is a great character who you sometimes dislike and sometimes root for. I like the balanced approach because she seems very real. She is well-written with flaws and strengths, but each time, I find myself wanting to keep learning more.

Suggestions
I really don't like Lucie's family, but I'm hoping her relationship with them will change in the next book given what happened to Mia at the end of this one (no spoilers here!). It feels like Lucie is too alone and I want her to have someone on her side for a change.

The plot was a bit predictable. I had 3 potential outcomes (and there were quite a number of suspects) and this was at the top of my list. I didn't want it to come true, but it did... I think it bothers me because I took it as another blow to Lucie that the killer is someone she knows (not really a spoiler as she knows almost all of the suspects). I was hoping it would go differently.

Final Thoughts
I waffled between a 3 and a 4 on this review, having a few good highlights but also a few "blah" parts... in the end, I think it gets pushed down to a 3 because it took me a week to read and I'm usually done in 3 days with a book of this size. It rolls along without any major cliffhangers or major dramatic moments which can be good but sometimes you need a few surprise nudges. If you've read the first one and are on the fence about the second one... if you need suspense and action, this isn't for you; however, if you enjoy the relaxing story-telling type approach, then you should keep reading this series.

About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.

[K. East · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is rare that I give up on an audiobook but I came really close on this one. First of all, the narrator was different than in the first book in the series, a cardinal sin that this production company doesn't seem to understand. I found this female narrator very abrasive in her rendition, making the exchanges between Quinn and Lucy, Mia and Lucy sound like full scale war even for casual conversations. It was like listening to a disfunctional family

However, the primary reason I had such trouble with this volume was the simpering character of Lucy. In the first book, she let her brother, Eli, treat her like an imbecile and in this one, it is Quinn. Both men are overbearing, condescending, chest-thumping men that treated Lucy like she was insignificant and incapable of any rational thought. I found her behavior with them so aggravating that listening became a chore rather than a pleasure. I think I may be done with this character and this series.

[Dennis Fischman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do like reading about winemaking, and Virginia, and our heroine Lucie Montgomery for that matter. She’s obstreperous and reticent by turns, and it fits the complicated life she’s had so far. This plot was unnecessarily complicated, however, and Lucie puts it together in a fit of inspiration in the last twenty-five pages. Then she goes to confront the murderer and nearly gets herself killed. You would think she’d have learned not to do that in the first book!

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. Not the best or most interesting mystery book I've ever read but I really enjoy Lucie as a character and her interactions with Quinn and her family. I didn't suspect Georgia's husband Ross was the killer, although it was clear that Georgia's lover Randy didn't kill her and then commit suicide. I just didn't know Ross would kill Georgia to help cover up his faking Civil War memorabilia! How cool that his collection tied in with Lucie's book of flower designs that she wants for her wine labels. Also - is no mention made that Quinn is 40ish and he's hooking up/shacking up with Hector's daughter Bonita, who is 21? Maybe that's normal because Lucie, 28, hooks up with Mick Dunne, who is apparently late 30's. Who knows if Mick is coming back - he buys the Studebaker ranch to begin his new vineyard but once his buddy Ross is found out to be a murderer, he's said to be "overwhelmed." Maybe he won't be back. I thought VP-wannebe Hugo Lang would play a bigger role, but I'm happy if he doesn't come back.

[Lesley Looper · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love a good cozy mystery, and I love the idea of a plot set in a vineyard in Virginia. I’ve even read a few other books in this series. I had a challenging time finishing the book, though. I didn’t much care for the characters this time. Maybe it’s my moodiness during the Covid pandemic?

[Amy Prosenjak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice and easy, just like A to Z Chardonnay!

[Anne, Unfinished Woman · Rating 3 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT

I enjoy this series for the subject of wine and the mysteries. However, I have trouble with the constant theme of the glories of the Civil War South. Several of the characters, including Lucie Montgomery admire the Civil War generals, as good men, and the culture of this series includes an emphasis of battle reenactments, collecting of war memorabilia, celebrating of significant war events, and a general obsession of the war. Quinn Santori, Lucie's winemaker points out to her she frequently refers to the past and its glories. It is perhaps the flaw in her character that gets her into trouble with Quinn and others, as she blunders through her life. Quinn on the other hand wants to try new things, new grapes, new wines, and it is the issue on which they continually argue which becomes tedious.

After a fund raising event held at the Montgomery Estate winery the body of Georgia Greenwood is found in one of the estate fields. nearby fields have just been treated with a deadly compound, methyl bromide, for which they had to get a special permit to use, and the canisters were not properly stored. Hit on the head, she was then exposed to the poison, which caused boils and disfigurement to her face. It will mean the EPA doing an investigation that could mean the vineyard is shut down. Georgia was married to Ross Greenwood, Lucie's doctor who helped her through her recovery from an auto accident that nearly killed her. She now has a deformed foot and has to use a cane. Georgia apparently was sleeping around and having an affair with Randy Hunter, much younger than she and part of a band as well as a field hand for Lucie. He disappears after her body is found. While Randy is suspected of her death, so is her husband, Ross. Lucie believes Ross when he says he was delivering twins all night, and she follows up to find the couple who are illegal and have disappeared, but are his alibi.

A new man appears in Lucie's life. Michael Dunne, who has sold his very successful pharmaceutical businessto Merck and has come to the area to buy a vineyard. He pursues Lucie, and they begin a relationship. At the same time he pays Quinn for some consulting. Hector their vineyard manager has a heart attack, and gets a promise from Lucie to hire his daughter Bonita, and she and Quinn begin a relationship. During the entire story Lucie time and again hears part of a conversation or gets some gossip from another person that she misinterprets getting in the way of the partnership she wants with Quinn. She wants the same type of relationship with him her mother had with Jacques, her winemaker, but Quinn is an entirely different kind of person. Kit Eastman, reported and friend of Lucie's encourages her to directly ask Quinn if he is thinking of taking a position with Mick's new vineyard. To tell him she wants him to stay as winemaker. At the same time she can't figure why she wants this contrary, uncouth man there. He can certainly make for money with Dunne. She continually gets angry and acts like an immature child with both Quinn and Mick.

In keeping with the obsession of the Civil War, Ross Greenwood is a major collector of Civil War documents. He has recently discovered a letter from Judah Benjamin (Davis' Secretary of War) to Jefferson Davis that seems to support the old rumor that Davis was aware of the plot to assassinate Lincoln. The Romeos, and others who love their memories, are irate. Ross thinking he will not be held for Georgia's murder plans on leaving the community; everyone will be happy to see him go because the letter would put a bad light on the Davis they love. He plans to sell the letter using the proceeds for the clinic he runs for the disadvantaged and to help move to Florida.

During this story several of the players are running for office. Georgia had been running for Senator opposite Noah Seeley who owns the local gardening center. She had been pushing for new laws in wine sales, to require all wine sales to go through a dealer rather than directly to restaurants and stores, and had been bad-mouthing Noah. It would have meant small vineyards going out of business. Therefore, many people had a motive for killing her. Hugo Lang, a US Senator, is also angling for the nomination of Vice President. He is endorsing Noah for Senator. Another sticky thread is the behavior of Mia who is drinking heavily and has been picked for public drunkenness, and fined. Other characters were near Georgia when she died, and hid their parts since it would mean looking bad for a father who is candidate or other reasons. Sometime later they find the body of Randy Hunter, who has left a note saying he is sorry and shot himself. Ross thinks he is off the hook for the murder, that it will be deemed a suicide. Det Bobby Noland, from the Sheriff's department is not so sure. Then Mia is found at the scene of an accident that has killed a high school graduate. She says she believes she is being set up, but she really cannot remember what happened. She had been at Amy Lang's, who is old enough to drink, while Mia is only 19. Hugo Lang backs Amy. It looks like Mia could be headed for jail.

Lucie has been enticed to buy a book of illustrations of native flowers, thinking they could be used for labels for the new wines, though Quinn disagrees that it is too traditional. But when Mia is home and going through the book, she cannot believe Lucie paid $600 for book that is damaged. There are pages that have been cut out. Lucie goes back to Mac MacDonald, the antiques dealer who sold it to her to confront him about the damage. He claims that it was perfect when he bought, and confirms that Ross had had the book out on trial. She realizes that Ross has scammed her and that he had forged the Jefferson letter. How many other significant documents he has collected and sold have been fake. She stupidly goes to the clinic to confront him. She has told no one that she is going there. While there she also discovers that the drugs that Siri had claimed were from clients who had died and that they collected them to use for their disadvantaged folks who could not afford them were from Ross writing prescriptions. Lucie had seen Senator Lang leaving the clinic in the middle of the day, and deduces that he was there for some medication that he did not want people to know he was taking. The confrontation results in Ross admitting that he had hated Georgia and killed her and framed Hunter, killing him and forging the suicide note. That he also writes prescriptions for fake persons to sell. He tells Lucie she will not go to the police because he knows that Mia was not driving the car that killed the high schooler, but she will go to prison if Lucie does not go along with his proposal. She refuses, and he pulls a gun. Siri shows up and between the two of them they overcome him. In the process Lucie is shot. In the end fingerprints are found in the car that support that Amy was driving, not Mia. Amy did not have her car, and wanted to find Brad, her boyfriend, and had been drinking.

No question this story brought out the rotten behavior of several of the esteemed wealthy inhabitants of the area. I hope that Lucie will mature in the next installments because her impetuous behavior, and her poor communications and misinterpretations if they persist could rein the series for me.

[Laura W · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Chardonnay Charade begins it is about nine months after the events of the previous novel. Lucie and her winemaker Quinn have managed, despite their differences, to keep the vineyard going. Unfortunately the Virginia spring has turned unseasonably cold forcing them to drastic measures to keep the vines from freezing. Even more unfortunately after two sleepless nights of battling the weather a guest from a reception held at the vineyard is found dead among vines that had just been sprayed with a particularly toxic pesticide. Now not only did Lucie have to deal with inclement weather but also with the very real threat that the EPA would close the vineyard.

This is an interesting new series. The cast of recurring characters is large and well written and the location is described in such detail that the vineyard and surrounding areas become almost another character. This series has enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing until the end. The overall story arcs are particularly strong in this series so that it would be better for the reader to begin at the beginning. The elements all come together so well. I really love this series and how it combines my love of wine and history.

[Charlee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lucie Montgomery owns a winery in Atoka, Virginia. When a frost threatens to kill acres of grapes in the vineyard, Lucie hires someone to fly a helicopter to blow warm air over the vines in order to keep the grapes from freezing. As she’s leaving after a long night of damage control she stumbles across the body of Georgia Greenwood, a local politician, lying near the fields. Suddenly the frost is the last thing Lucie needs to worry about.

I picked this book up at a library book sale and even though I’m not a wine person, I thought it sounded interesting. It’s second in the series and although you don’t get a full backstory, I was still able to read it as a standalone.

When I first dived into it, I found all the information about the history of Virginia and the process of winemaking to be very intriguing. As I neared the middle of the story however, I quickly became disillusioned. There was so much history and information on wine that I almost forgot it was a mystery and I found myself getting bored. I put the book down several times and I really wondered if I was ever going to finish it. I’m not sure I’m glad that I did. The ending was a major disappointment as the killer couldn’t have been more obvious. I really didn’t care for any of the characters either, but what bothered me most was the relationship between Lucie and Quinn….or what was supposed to be one I guess. Several of Lucie’s friends kept giving the wink-wink over her and Quinn but I never really understood why. Nothing about them screamed potential couple. If there was supposed to be any sexual tension between them then I missed it. I wasn’t sure why they were even business partners honestly. Quinn was unlikable and treated Lucie as if she were stupid. He wasn’t shy about making it known that she should just sit back and let him run things even though it’s her vineyard! The worse part was that Lucie never really told him he was wrong. Of course I shouldn’t be surprised considering the relationship she has with her sister, Mia. Honestly I think the only way to get any enjoyment out of this story is if you are a huge wine lover and history buff. Sadly I am neither.

A copy of this review can be found on my blog at Once Upon A Book

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my opinion, this second in the Wine Country Mystery series by Ellen Crosby is much better than the first. There doesn't seem to be as much of a rush to the end and the characters are better drawn with a more relaxed feel to the whole book.
Lucie Montgomery is the heiress of the Montgomery Estate Vineyard in Middleburg, Virginia, but being an heiress isn't all that it's cracked up to be, especially when she has to keep her family in order, that includes a younger sister who is battling he own demons, keeping a vineyard profitable, employees that seem to have their own agenda, and oh yeah, a dead body to deal with.

Virginia Greenwood, the wife of the local doctor, and quite a personality herself, is found murdered and though there aren’t many suspects the murder is too easily pinned on the one person who can't defend himself, the man that she has been having secret rendezvous with. When he disappears that only leaves one person; the one person that Lucie entrusted her life too.

Like a good vintage, this series gets better with age. Sorry, I couldn’t avoid throwing in a cliché.

[Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy flawed main characters...particularly in cozy mysteries.

The thing about a cozy mystery is that it is a setting, a community, a place and people that feel to the reader like a place to make a home. When the hero/ine has a flaw of some kind, it makes it easier to think, as a reader, that could be me.

In this story, the flaw that does not grab me, a disfigured foot and, thus, a physical handicap is not so much the identifying point for me as the emotional flaw of not having it all together...of not knowing what she (Lucie Montgomery - vineyard owner) wants in a relationship. She and her siblings have misunderstandings and disappointments with each other. Lucie and Quinn (vineyard wine master) are oil and water...and then there is Mick, a British guy who buys the next door property to start his own vineyard. And, murder.

It is set in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia...and it has the requisite Civil War interests and local politics that one would expect for that region.

I love the history of the region, the overall setting and what I learn about wine and vineyards as well as the well-told story of murder and betrayal and corruption.

[jammaster_mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this second installment of what is shaping up to be a good mystery series.

This series revolves around the wineries in Virginia, specifically a family owed winery in Atoka. Lucie is the owner and descended from the very first owner of the land that the winery sits on. She is working hard to not just make the winery profitable but to put out award winning wines with her winemaker Quinn. The discovery of a murdered woman on the property who was running for the Senate seat for the county does not help any of those plans.

This book has more depth to the characters than the first one. I enjoyed getting to know all of the people who populate this small town. There are those who have big money from way back and there are the migrant farm workers on whose shoulders the agriculture rests and everyone in between. The mystery was very twisty and I did not figure out the entirety of the "why" on my own. I did have strong suspicions as to the "who" that were correct. This is a great series that are quick and entertaining reads. Looking forward to the next one.

[Paula Ratcliffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the wine mysteries in this one Lucie is dealing with a dead body at the vineyard along with her sister Mimi is out of control. When Georgia Greenwood is found dead by Lucie who has no idea why Georgia is there add to the fact that Randy their local worker at the vineyard is missing! Who killed Georgia and why? What happened to Randy and will Lucie get anywhere with her younger sister?

This book was everywhere between the death of Georgia and how that impacts everyone who wanted to kill her. As Lucie digs she learns more and more about Georgia and her marriage to Ross the doctor who helped Lucie after her car accident. Then there was the relationship between Lucie and her sister who is going down a very dangerous road. Will Lucie and Eli be able to rally around and help her or is she totally out of control!

[Tiffany E-P · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Since I read #10 first, and know that Quinn and Lucie get together, I guess I’m a little cynical about their love hate relationship. And the fact that they both slept with other people in this book disturbs the romantic in me. And Mia going off the rails makes me wonder if she dies? I don’t think she was mentioned in book 10, or at least not by name. So I’m thinking something may happen to her
The whole Mick Dunne thing seems improbable. But what do I know. And there wasn’t as much history in this book. The whole Jefferson Davis letter thing wasn’t really developed. So it being a clue to the murder felt a little out there. I know I keep referring to book 10, but I felt that the historical references and pieces were much better done in that book. Maybe the author developed with time?

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ugh it’s such a bummer when an audiobook narrator kills the reading experience. I enjoyed the story’s plot and twists, and all the interesting wine facts. The characters were okay; most of the men are pretty garbagey and I hate the way Lucy allows her winemaker to speak to her, but I digress. The audiobook narrator is what really drove me nuts. Her accents were distractingly off, and she made Lucy sound weaker than she perhaps deserved. I might give this series another book to hook me, but I’m hoping there’s a different narrator.

[Kathleen M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Virginia, vineyards, and murder, what wouldn't you like. This is the second book in the series dealing with a vineyard that is on the verge of collapse if they don't get their act together. This time due to chemicals left out with easy access. There are people to trust and people who are not what they seem. Lucie owns the vineyard and wants things run the way her mother ran them. While Quinn, who manages the vineyard wants to introduce new ideas. Now introduce two new love interests one for each and we have the makings of a romance novel. This gives a little bit of fun for all the readers.

[Becky Tatar · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a landfall the previous year, Lucie and Quinn are working to expand the winery. And that means clearing land, and using a dangerous pesticide for killing all the bugs. But danger lurks, and a woman running for state office is found at the newly sprayed ground, killed. And the obvious suspect, her husband, but he was delivering twins that night, to undocumented workers. Plus, Lucie's ex, who was connected to car crash that injured her, wants her back. Plus, her sister is spiraling out of control. Then another body is found.

[L H · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read several of the Wine series. This one not so good - very contrived. And I got tired of hearing about Lucie's foot - if it bothers you take care of it. I don't really need to know everyone's hair color. Two very different writing styles - one when addressing winery issues (evidence of research), another when dealing with the soap opera of Atoka. It's time for Lucie to grow up. The ending was very tidy and rushed. If I had read the series in order I probably wouldn't have continued. Others were much better.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy this second book in the series, but, the main character, Lucie, is becoming one of those characters that for some reason can not actually do the things she seems to want to do. This "I couldn't make my mouth move" personality trait Crosby is using is irritating. I am, however, enjoying getting to know the primary characters a bit better, and hope none of them are not knocked off in the next book.

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This 2nd book in The Wine Country Misteries book moved too slowly to hold my attention. However,
I did struggle through it to the end. The protagonist, Lucie Montgomery's character, was so wishy-washy, listening to hearsay and partial conversations instead of talking frankly to people to get to the bottom of the issues. Frustrating!
Lucie's sister, Mia, was implicated in a crime, but it was never resolved in this book.
Maybe in book 3?

[Xtine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think Crosby is an excellent writer - disappointed that the level of detail didn’t extend to the ending. A beginning of a pattern now where the end of the first two books finish somewhat abruptly. I was hoping for more of a follow up to the first in this one; will there be a follow-up to this in the third? Is the publisher forcing a page limit? There’s a lot unanswered and I’m used to cozy’s having a nicer wrap.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Winery ower Lucie Montgomery has lots of challenges but they all dim in comparison to the discovery of the dead body of a local politician on her land. Things get even more fraught when it is discovered that the woman was killed using a pesticide that had not been properly stored by the winery staff.

Although the mystery was fine I actively disliked most of the characters which of course soured my enjoyment of the book.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy the vineyard setting in this series, and like most mystery series I enjoy an ongoing acquaintance with the characters. I do find the main character a bit irritating in that she is constantly worrying about her "deformed" foot and yet not willing to take any help, and at the same time she allows macho men to try to dominate her. The mystery solution in this one has a nice twist. I'm listening to the third one in audio now.

[Cynthia Slaughter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Virginia murder mystery

Lucie is working hard to get the winery back on a sound footing and her manager Quinn is pushing hard for the changes he wants. After hosting a political event she finds a body in the vineyard. Someone used their chemicals to kill the woman so they now have a hazmat situation and the EPA has been called which means they could lose their license. In addition, her sister is out of control and she has a new neighbor.

[Judy Young · Rating 2 out of 5]

The narrator for this book ruined it entirely. I waited months for book #2 in Ellen Crosby’s Wine Country Mysteries and was surprised by the voice that I heard. It wasn’t P.J. Davis-Oran from Book #1. At first, the storyline wasn’t even familiar because the story was told in an awful, simpering accent and dropped word endings (e.g., "talking" to "talkin'"), which gives the characters brand-new, dumbed down, personalities! Very disappointed in this audiobook.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

These characters are starting to grow on me. This author is so tricky, just when I think the characters are set and settled she rips everything apart.

I like her calm style of writing and how she goes UNDER and shares what makes these characters come alive.

I normally wait until the day after I finish a book to start the next one in the series but I already started the third book and can't wait to read more tonight!!

If you are looking for a good summer read these fit the bill.

[Emily Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vineyard owner, Lucie Montgomery, and her crew spend a night trying to keep frost off their vines and their tender grapes. In the early morning, a body of a woman is found on the service road. The woman had been burned by a toxic chemical used on a new part of the vineyard the previous day. This brings the EPA down on the vineyard to say nothing of the police investigating the murder.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the same setting with the same characters as in book one.

I enjoyed the mystery plot and did not discover who the murderer was before the protagonist.

There is romance added to this book, and some family stress dealing with bad behavior.

Nicely written.

I have selected this series for my reading group this month.

I borrowed a copy from the public library.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m sticking with this series for a bit because I love the setting and I will routinely shout out: “I’ve been there!” as I listen. There are cringeworthy moments but I find them enjoyable task companions.


A change in narrator form book 1 to 2 almost closed the door on this one. But I came back from the brink.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good mystery - fast paced read. Lots of angst especially of the main characters, the brother continues to be a major dickhead, and I never understand confronting a murder we without backup - but I still enjoy the series. Love the books about winemaking, great supporting characters. Bit hard to believe a good man goes crazy over the love of a woman but whatever.