Uncle Eli

by Kristi Copeland

When Roger Lawrence inherits a vineyard from his Uncle Eli, he has no clue the kind of adventure he's getting himself into. With the help of his wife Benita, they take on the task of reviving the abandoned vines, building Castle Oaks Winery from the ground up. But strange things begin to happen—customers are convinced the winery is haunted, and the Lawrences find themselves at a loss to explain the inexplicable.

Enter a group of determined friends, ready to solve the mystery behind the strange happenings at Castle Oaks. Twists and turns lead them down a path they never imagined, culminating in a revelation of buried family secrets.

Gripping and full of intrigue, "Uncle Eli" takes you on a journey through the tangled vines of one family's history, and the determination it takes to bring forth new growth.

Welcome to Castle Oaks, where the wine flows and the secrets run deep.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Contemporary, Domestic Thriller, Horror

172 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2023

About the author

This author is also published under Brooke Lyn.

Everywhere I look, I see someone begging me to write about them. Even my husband’s dreams inspire ideas about new books! My critters each deserve their own book and will probably one day get one!

Join me as I create scenarios that could happen to anyone… and probably have. Maybe me, maybe you.

Reviews

[Yvonne (the putrid Shelf) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up last year in the “Terrify Your Tablet” event (I know, books get added to my TBR far too frequently and never see the light of day). This was a quick read that unfortunately left me feeling completely underwhelmed.

When Roger and Benita take on his uncle’s vineyard, they do so knowing that the man and the land has a dark past – one sprayed in blood. So when they have the opportunity to have a movie made about the grisly murders committed by his Uncle Eli, they jump at the opportunity. Benita is the only one who seems to falter as the filming gets underway. She doesn’t like the tone of the acting – she didn’t like how he was being painted and the supernatural goings on prove that things aren’t what they seemed.

Benita feels for Uncle Eli. She has a feeling that he never committed the murders. I don’t know how she came to that conclusion, as the only presence from the spirit was a smoky entity and it locking two employees in a walk in freezer. I mean it doesn’t really instil a level of confidence that the spirit is completely harmless, does it?

For me, I was just bored reading this. It was super repetitive and I felt like details were repeated over and over, it just felt unnecessary and over the top. Trust the reader, you know, we can follow key details without being spoon fed. I also wanted a bit more from the storyline- maybe I’ve been reading and writing too much extreme horror but I wanted a massive curveball. It was too tame for my liking.

[Ainsley Myers · Rating 1 out of 5]

okay so i recently moved to athens, tx and joined a book club. the book club was reached out to by the author of this book and she recommended we read this. we met up at the winery that the book is based off of and met the actual owners, who are the book’s main characters. sounds cute and pretty girlie pop right? no, wrong. 🙅‍♀️

i’m going to start off and say that i’m not a paranormal girlie. i don’t mess with them, and they don’t mess with me. i was raised very old school catholic in southern louisiana. this is not my norm. i’m more of a fantasy type of gal.

i feel like the book has a good plot and a lot of potential, but i felt like i was reading someone’s first draft or an essay that was rushed for an english teacher at 3 am. there were numerous typos, the plot was overly predictable, and her writing wasn’t detailed at all - like at all. it’s extremely dry and straight to the point. she also could’ve added depth in so many situations to better the story, but obviously chose not to and rushed through it all. an example is going into actual depth about benita’s daughter’s sickness where she claimed she was helped instead of just commenting on it and then pretending like she’s dory from finding nemo. like 👏🏻give👏🏻more👏🏻sis.👏🏻

i also would’ve liked it if she increased the suspense. the haunting and interactions with eli were very straight forward and tbh copied and pasted from stereotypes.

also, don’t crucify me, but the diaries entries = 👎🏻. i feel like they were such a bad touch. they actually made me hate eli a lot more and it tbh is kinda unbelievable. what farmer/winery person (idk what they’re called) who lives in the 70’s is going to write shit like that in his diary. like cmon now. ik his families both died, but like word the grief better. like he’s supposed to be a farmer for crying out loud. the diary showed me that eli is just a freaking titty baby. 🤧

also if i had to hear about how benita cried every other second again, i think i’d scream externally.

in conclusion: it has lots of potential, but needs major work.

[Brenda Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Castle Oaks Winery is nestled in the East Texas countryside and it’s a must see, even if you’re just passing through. Owners Roger and Benita are always inviting and the atmosphere is just as delightful.

But the winery has some deep dark secrets that are beginning to surface. Roger inherited the winery from his Uncle Eli, who has been the source of rumors, including murder, for decades. Strange occurrences have been happening and when a film crew shows up to share their story, things get even more creepy!

As Benita digs further into the past, the truth of Eli’s tragic life and the history of the winery unfold. This was an absolutely perfect read for this season (or anytime). There are plenty of bumps, eerie whispers and chills, but also a beautiful family drama at the heart of it. This was my first book by Copeland but it definitely won’t be my last.

Thank you Kristi Copeland for the ARC.

[Kristi Copeland]

THREE days left until Uncle Eli releases!!! Pre-order today, and it will download automatically on Tuesday.

So excited for this release...it's my best book, yet. My favorite to write because it includes so much of what I love. Ghosts, winery, Benita & Roger, wine, Patti & Jeff, and...wine ❤️

I know you'll love it as much as I do!

[Shayna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uncle Eli is a perfect cozy mystery for spooky season. It involves family drama and supernatural elements circling around an East Texas winery. Dark secrets are gradually revealed as Benita connects with the spirit of Uncle Eli and digs further into the past.

The diary entries are my favorite parts of the story. The entries are raw, sorrowful, and pull at your heartstrings.


Notes: Uncle Eli began as a short story and is now a full length novel.

Tropes: paranormal mystery, paranormal friendships, haunted vineyard, family drama, family secrets, grief, and deaths that look one way but happened another way.

[Danielle Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Uncle Eli,” by Kristi Copeland. I had the honor of reading not only the short story, an excerpt, and the entire book before its full release on October 3, 2023. I knew I would love it on page 1 of the short story adaption. Kristi has a way of capturing the whole heart through her writing and encapsulating the spirit of the characters perfectly. This book took less than a day to read. I could only put it down a handful of times before grabbing for my kindle again. I’ve said repeatedly that Kristi's characters feel like real friends. Benita and Roger are very real and Kristi’s friends and their winery Castle Oaks is a very popular feature in Athens, Texas. A film crew is making a movie about Roger’s Uncle Eli, but there is more to the story than what legend has said, and Uncle Eli is ready to be heard. Benita knows there is more to Uncle Eli and she won’t stop until she knows the truth. With a little help from their friends, they learn that sometimes your first instinct about a person is right. Other times, you need to stop and listen to the voice trying to talk to you. I could easily tell you all day every day to read this book, and all of Kristi’s books. I just might, because all of them are wonderful and are created beautifully from the heart. My highest recommendation goes to Uncle Eli, Preorder it now.

[C.A. Powers · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Uncle Eli" started as a short story and is now a full length book. It is a captivating paranormal mystery that intertwines family drama with supernatural elements that will keep readers consumed from beginning to end.

Strange occurrences such as eerie whispers, objects moving on their own, and ghostly apparitions that appear inside the winery, makes the family soon realizes they are not alone and that the winery is haunted by a restless spirit seeking justice.

Kristi's descriptive story vividly brings the winery to life, allowing readers to taste the rich history and feel the chilling presence that lurks within its walls.

Kristi skillfully builds suspense, gradually revealing the haunting's origins and the dark secrets that connect the family to the troubled spirit.

If you are a lover of mystery and paranormal stories, this one is for you!

[Christina Rybka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roger inherits a vineyard from his Uncle Eli, and Roger and his wife Benita go and continue the business of wine. Through the years weird things happen, but it gets bad when they start to film a movie about Eli’s tragic life. Roger and Benita finds themselves drawn into finding out what happened with the help of their friends. Is Uncle Eli really haunting them? Great characters and storyline Highly recommended Amazing book. I love Benita and Roger and how they look for the truth. Great supporting characters. This book has all the feels and twists and turns. Love a good ghost story.

[SiBBY · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uncle Eli…

A great story with some mystery and don’t forget paranormal activity. It all makes for a good story. I enjoyed the time line and the readings from the journal that take you back to Eli’s time alive. The author painted the picture well for your imagination. I didn’t like that the story of the true killer getting caught, was not continued. We found out who it was and that was that. I need to know he was caught or at least that he knows we know who he is. Add some torture to his life for what he done. Over all, a great read.

[Raven Lonick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the quickest books I’ve ever read. My phone logged that it only took me a total of 4 hours to read. Kristi is such an amazing writer. I easily found myself immersed in this story.

Uncle Eli is the perfect story for spooky season. The paranormal aspect of the book will keep you wanting more. I love the story of Roger & Benita & their search for answers.

I highly recommend this book & I look forward to reading more from Kristi!!

[Nicole Vanover-Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Just wow. I absolutely love how Kristi writes her characters! I'm also a huge fan of books with the spooky factor and this one delivers enough to give you those goosebumps, maybe make you look over your shoulder. This was the kick off book to my spooky season reads and I couldn't have picked a better one! Highly, highly recommend!

[Marianne Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun story, kept me reading

Really enjoyed this story. Love how it all came together and everything was answered with no lingering questions. Great writing too.

[Philip Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice tale

Not my usual type of book this yet I found it endearing, sad and at times heart warming. A great cast list supports a very well written story.

[Maryann Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Crow!

This sure keeps you wanting more! Twists that will keep you up. They did me at least! Totally worth picking up. Her work is always amazing!

[Siobhan Falen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A family owned Winery and B&B has a dark history where the question still haunts the bloodline, did Uncle Eli kill his families or simply have a really steady streak of bad luck? The seeds for a great, traditional haunted horror story are sewn right off the bat.

I was intrigued because the idea of the sins of your family blood tangling your family's history with your present and future is difficult to look away from. The characters were solid and the details were provided very well to the point that I wondered if the writer dealt intimately with a winery.

However, the storyline took us on a train track of a story, hitting the traditional cliches of a ghost story and maybe it's just me, but I saw the twists and endings through the breadcrumbs. I felt like I had read or watched this multiple times before and was waiting for the unique spin.

I would recommend reading it because it is solid writing, it's just got some flaws and predictability that took away from the pleasure of the story for me.

[Tabbi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very dry and slow pace.
The journal entries are unbelievable and over the top
and took away from the plot she was trying for.