Bitter Finish

Michael Spraggue Mystery #2

by Linda Barnes

To save his winery, independently wealthy actor and former PI Michael Spraggue investigates a Napa Valley slaying Shooting on location in Boston for a new film, Michael Spraggue has just tumbled down a flight of stairs when a call comes in from California. On the line is Kate Holloway, Michael’s on-again-off-again lover and partner in a fledgling California winery. It’s harvest time and their winemaker has disappeared. Right after Kate reported him missing, the police found a corpse on their property, the victim so savagely murdered that identification is close to impossible. Now Kate is in jail.   Soon after Michael arrives in Napa, a second body turns up and the police become convinced that Kate is the killer. To save his winery and free his girl, Michael will have to find the real killer before the harvest comes in. Bitter Finish is the 2nd book in the Michael Spraggue Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.  

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime

198 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Linda Barnes is an American mystery writer, born and raised in Detroit, and graduated from Boston University"s School of Theater. She is best known for her series featuring Carlotta Carlyle, a 6'1" redheaded detective from Boston. Carlotta Carlyle is often compared to the hard-boiled female detectives created by Sue Grafton and Sara Paretsky. Her new novel, "The Perfect Ghost," which will be published in April, 2013, is her first stand-alone mystery.

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

eh... i couldn't really care who the killer was.

[Marcia Whoolery · Rating 5 out of 5]

What fun

I loved the Carlotta mysteries, so I took a chance on this. Nicely plotted with a touch of wit. Interesting investigator with at least an unhappy relationship history. I hope to round out his character with additional books in the series.

[Greg Ballinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I much prefer her Carlotta Carlisle mysteries. This seemed to shallow compared to those.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

as always, when it's from Linda Barnes, it's great

[Tina Grile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy reading, pretty good characters and interesting story line. Not intense or fast paced.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

A read!

Not plausible in reallife,but this is fiction.it was difficult to track who was talking when . Cops shown as mostly egotists!

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#2 in the Michael Spraggue III series.

Michael Spraggue III series - Michael Spraggue, a wealthy private eye turned movie actor, is in the middle of making a trashy Hollywood movie about -- what else? -- a private eye, when he gets a phone call from his sometime lover and current business partner in a California winery, Kate Holloway. Kate has troubling news. Not only has Lenny Brent, their volatile winemaker, vanished, but an unidentifiable corpse has appeared -- and Kate's the prime suspect! Spraggue hurries over in time to discover a second dead body -- that of Lenny.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Michael Spraggue is an independently wealthy man who is a private eye, a movie actor and co-owner of a vinyard. Reminds me of Batman...independently wealthy crime fighter... spry clever aunt, devoted servant...etc. Eh, OK....

[Joe O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very Good; Continuing Character: Michael Sprague; murders are tied to wine growers and a special vintage.

[Lori]

just ok, didn't really have alot of in depth character development, alot of technical terms for wine making though

[Deb Noack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read. Fun to learn a little about the wine industry, but Carlotta will always be my favorite of Barnes' protagonists.

[Robert Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished (for the second time) 02/03/2011. Michael Spraggue helps his vineyard partner and ex-lover with 3 murders in the Napa Valley. +

[Ed M]

ok

[Deb]

I loved this series, too bad it didn't go....