Jupiter’s Blood

by Steven Laine

American wine expert, Dante Lombardi, is struggling to come to terms with his best friend’s suicide. His world is further upended when his ex, Dr. Claire Durant, introduces him to a synthetic lab-made wine she’s developed. Replivino can pass for the finest wines produced by the world’s best winemakers at a fraction of the cost. When Claire and her company’s ‘Vino Code’ disappear, however, Dante must put his feelings for what he deems frankenwine aside and rush to Europe to find her.

But Dante isn’t the only one looking for Claire as she pursues her own agenda to pop the cork on the traditional world of wine. So too is a ruthless wine counterfeiter. In a race across Europe, Dante must rely on his French and Italian wine industry connections, partner with new allies and old adversaries, and plumb the depths of his memory cellar to find Claire. Can he do so in time to save the global wine industry from ruin in the face of mass commoditization?

388 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2024

About the author

Steve is a French, Italian, Spanish and Canadian Wine Scholar, the only North American invited to join the Champagne Academy in France and is a member of International Thriller Writers. He has visited hundreds of wineries in the world's major wine regions.

During the pandemic, he worked the 2020 harvest to learn the winemaking process firsthand from the winemakers at Mission Hill Family Estate Winery in British Columbia. In 2021, he worked at Trius Winery in Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario where he put his winemaking and forklift-driving skills to use once again as a cellarman.

Kirkus Reviews called Steven Laine's first wine thriller, Root Cause, “An entertaining, wine-soaked mystery.” The Washington Post wrote; “If Michael Pollan and Dan Brown sat down over a bottle of Barolo and brainstormed a novel based on the neuroses of the natural wine movement, they might have come up with something like ‘Root Cause’.”

Reviews

[books_tea_wine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was captivated by this book from the very beginning. I love wine, but I didn’t really know anything about the process and production. This book is so much more than just talking about wine. It has suspense, mystery, traveling, and a lot more that left me with the need to read all the books written by this author.

[Kelly Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of being asked to read and review this amazing book and I was not disappointed. As much as I love drinking wine, I also love a good book about wine. Especially when that book is a Thriller! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reading Dante’s story of rushing to Europe to find his ex Dr. Claire Durant and knowing it’s fictional but also learning facts about wine that are real, it gives you the best of both worlds. I highly reccomend reading this book and adding it to your TBR list if you love wine and a good mystery/thriller this book is deff for you!! Thanks for allowing me to read this book and I’m so happy to add it to my book shelves! #bookreview #winelover #winethriller #thriller #mystery #bookstagram #jupitersblood

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a thriller with wine as a backdrop. If you love wine, you will find it great fun, with mentions of wines, wineries, and regions as the characters run headlong through their adventure.
If you don't like wine, don't worry! Think of it as a Dan Brown novel, where the background is wine instead of art and artifacts.
It is a page-turner! I read it in three days, and it raises interesting thoughts on synthetic wine and its place in the future!

[Yany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was captivated by this book from the very beginning. I love wine, but I didn’t really know anything about the process and production. This book is so much more than just talking about wine. It has suspense, mystery, traveling, and a lot more that left me with the need to read all the books written by this author.

[Rebecca Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect mix of wine facts and fictional story. Loved being transported to some of Europes major wine regions while trying to solve the "who done it" mystery. Overall, a great story from start to finish for both wine enthusiest and beginners alike.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Laine’s wine novels are a lot of fun, especially as a wine lover in a world without that much wine-themed fiction. Like Root Cause, this one is at times ludicrous, and could probably use a better editor, but is nonetheless an enjoyable page turner.

[Alexandra Cope · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast-paced page-turning thriller with twists and turns at every corner. Wine enthusiasts will particularly enjoy this book!