Red Like Wine: The North Fork Harbor Vineyard Murders

by Joseph Finora

Red Like Wine, The North Fork Harbor Vineyard Murders , is a sometimes comical, always intriguing mystery fermenting in quaint North Fork Harbor on eastern Long Island, NY - an area transitioning from farming-and-fishing village to wine-based, tourist destination. But as city crime writer Vin Gusto and his former girlfriend, photographer Shanin Blanc discover, more than wine is being made at the vineyard. When a renown but reclusive winemaker turns up dead in a vat of his fermenting grape juice, Vin and Shanin try to solve the crime and repair their relationship and careers amid the murders and mayhem.

Genres: Fiction

362 pages, Paperback

First published September 20, 2013

Reviews

[Jon Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend gave me this book while I was hospitalized. It's fantastic. It made me laugh and cry. The author's beautiful descriptions of the Eastern Long Island scenery and ear for local dialogue made me think what a wonderful movie this would make. The negative reviewers take themselves too darn seriously that they can't see when something is this good, even when it's in their hands. I feel sorry for them.

[Karin waslo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this story; it was quite detailed and lengthy but it gave me completely fleshed -out characters to enjoy. Being a resident of the North Fork made me appreciate the setting perhaps more than your average reader. This book reminded me of a Nelson DeMille novel but even more detailed and with equally charming characters that you become invested in!

I look forward to reading more novels by this author.

[Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't terrible, but it could have used some serious editing.

[Naturegirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grew up on the North Fork and am always interested to read local stories. This one was mainly just ok. The major fallbacks of the book were the fact that it was too long and lacked editing and also that parts of it were just silly. The main character's name is Vin Gusto and he has a cohort named Shanin Blanc, a cheesy play on wine vernacular. Plus there is a cop names Krupcheski...obviously alluding to the local Krupski name and butchering it royally.

The town is called North Fork Harbor and a famous wine maker is murdered. The story that follows takes Vin all over the North Fork trying to figure out who did it, and ends with a disappointingly obvious conclusion. I'm giving it 3 stars because it wasn't so bad that I gave up altogether, but I would have loved for this to have been a book I could recommend...

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This really needed a good editor. It was too long and naming characters after varieties of wine is just cheesey.
Ha! Wine and Cheese! Otherwise, a good story. I enjoyed reading a murder mystery with a familiar setting.

[Richard Koreto · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun twist on the old "tough guy" private eye story of another generation, done with wit, and set in the fascinating world of vineyards. Clever and entertaining, with engaging characters and a fast-placed plot.