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Blood Vines
In this bare-knuckled adrenaline ride from New York Times bestselling author Erica Spindler, Alex Clarkson’s worst nightmares are about to come true…
A sinister, hooded figure…
When Alexandra Clarkson starts having terrifying visions filled with blood and ceremonial images, she tries to find a rational explanation – maybe her mind is playing tricks on her, resurrecting creepy tableaux from her research on religious ceremonies and sects. But when Alex’s mother, Patsy, commits suicide without leaving behind any information, Alex is left wondering: could she be haunted by something from the childhood she doesn’t remember?
Naked, writhing bodies…
Detective Daniel Reed was the last person to speak to Patsy. What he reveals to Alex is shocking. Twenty-five years earlier, Patsy was married to Harlan Sommer, one of Sonoma County’s most prominent vintners, when their infant son disappeared without a trace. The loss destroyed the Sommers’ marriage, causing Patsy to leave and take Alex with her.
A dead child…
Called on to investigate the identity of a baby’s remains unearthed in a Sonoma vineyard, Reed had picked up a trail that led him to Patsy in San Francisco. Now Reed and Alex both wonder if the cold bones could be her baby brother Dylan, and Alex decides to accompany Reed back to Sonoma for the investigation. No sooner does she arrive, however, than she is drawn deep into the search for a twisted killer…
A sinister, hooded figure…
When Alexandra Clarkson starts having terrifying visions filled with blood and ceremonial images, she tries to find a rational explanation – maybe her mind is playing tricks on her, resurrecting creepy tableaux from her research on religious ceremonies and sects. But when Alex’s mother, Patsy, commits suicide without leaving behind any information, Alex is left wondering: could she be haunted by something from the childhood she doesn’t remember?
Naked, writhing bodies…
Detective Daniel Reed was the last person to speak to Patsy. What he reveals to Alex is shocking. Twenty-five years earlier, Patsy was married to Harlan Sommer, one of Sonoma County’s most prominent vintners, when their infant son disappeared without a trace. The loss destroyed the Sommers’ marriage, causing Patsy to leave and take Alex with her.
A dead child…
Called on to investigate the identity of a baby’s remains unearthed in a Sonoma vineyard, Reed had picked up a trail that led him to Patsy in San Francisco. Now Reed and Alex both wonder if the cold bones could be her baby brother Dylan, and Alex decides to accompany Reed back to Sonoma for the investigation. No sooner does she arrive, however, than she is drawn deep into the search for a twisted killer…
338 pages, Hardcover
First published March 2, 2010
73 people are currently reading
2384 people want to read
About the author
Erica Spindler
95 books2,561 followersA New York Times and International bestselling author, Erica Spindler's skill for crafting engrossing plots and compelling characters has earned both critical praise and legions of fans. Her stories have been lauded as “thrill-packed page turners, white- knuckle rides and edge-of-your-seat whodunits.”
Erica loves meeting and interacting with her fans, both in person and online. She has a wicked sense of humor, an optimistic spirit and loves coffee, chocolate and red wine, not necessarily in that order.
In 2002 her novel Bone Cold won the prestigious Daphne du Maurier Award for excellence. A Romance Writers of America Honor Roll member, she received a Kiss of Death Award for her novels Forbidden Fruit and Dead Run and was a four-time RITA® Award finalist. In 1999 Publishers Weekly awarded the audio version of her novel Shocking Pink a Listen Up Award, naming it one of the best audio mystery books of 1998.
Erica lives just outside New Orleans, Louisiana, with her husband and two sons.
Erica loves meeting and interacting with her fans, both in person and online. She has a wicked sense of humor, an optimistic spirit and loves coffee, chocolate and red wine, not necessarily in that order.
In 2002 her novel Bone Cold won the prestigious Daphne du Maurier Award for excellence. A Romance Writers of America Honor Roll member, she received a Kiss of Death Award for her novels Forbidden Fruit and Dead Run and was a four-time RITA® Award finalist. In 1999 Publishers Weekly awarded the audio version of her novel Shocking Pink a Listen Up Award, naming it one of the best audio mystery books of 1998.
Erica lives just outside New Orleans, Louisiana, with her husband and two sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 362 reviews
November 24, 2018
Alexandra Clarkson was shocked and saddened by her mother’s death. But learning of something strange in her mother’s past from a detective who phoned to speak to Patsy started a chain of events which rocked Alex and the residents of Sonoma County to their very cores.
Alex’s nightmares were vivid and terrifying – she knew she needed to find answers to a past she knew nothing about. Moving from San Francisco to Sonoma was the obvious answer. But learning she had a baby brother who had been abducted when Alex was five years old; that she had a half sister she didn’t know – never mind not knowing who her father was – she was finding it hard to take in.
Detective Daniel Reed and his partner, Detective Tanner were deep into the investigation, but when murders occurred and strange rituals were discovered, Reed and Tanner weren’t sure where Alex fit into the equation. Was she the one causing all the unusual events – or was she in terrible danger?
Blood Vines by Erica Spindler is an intense thriller which I absolutely loved! This author knows how to capture her readers’ attention and I’ve enjoyed all her novels to date. Dark, twisted and wonderfully gritty, Blood Vines is one I highly recommend.
Alex’s nightmares were vivid and terrifying – she knew she needed to find answers to a past she knew nothing about. Moving from San Francisco to Sonoma was the obvious answer. But learning she had a baby brother who had been abducted when Alex was five years old; that she had a half sister she didn’t know – never mind not knowing who her father was – she was finding it hard to take in.
Detective Daniel Reed and his partner, Detective Tanner were deep into the investigation, but when murders occurred and strange rituals were discovered, Reed and Tanner weren’t sure where Alex fit into the equation. Was she the one causing all the unusual events – or was she in terrible danger?
Blood Vines by Erica Spindler is an intense thriller which I absolutely loved! This author knows how to capture her readers’ attention and I’ve enjoyed all her novels to date. Dark, twisted and wonderfully gritty, Blood Vines is one I highly recommend.
January 14, 2024
This is brilliant, I was on the edge the whole time I was reading it.
Four stars.
Four stars.
September 7, 2017
This is the second book by this author that I've read. It was also a 3 star book for me. As with the first one, I enjoyed the story line and the characters. I've had this book for so long. As I started reading this, I was wondering why it took me so long to get to it. It felt creatively thought out. I also enjoyed some of her descriptive strokes.
The two things that kept this from 4 stars were things that bug me a little. One was that it seemed a little melodramatic at times. In places this made some events/conversations come across as unbelievable. It took me out of the story at times. Secondly, the dialogue seemed a little off and a little too wordy for me. Those are just my personal preferences. 3 stars means I liked it....I just didn't really like it.
The two things that kept this from 4 stars were things that bug me a little. One was that it seemed a little melodramatic at times. In places this made some events/conversations come across as unbelievable. It took me out of the story at times. Secondly, the dialogue seemed a little off and a little too wordy for me. Those are just my personal preferences. 3 stars means I liked it....I just didn't really like it.
July 5, 2014
Spine tingling in places, this novel centres on a 25y old mystery of the disappearance of baby Dylan at a Sonoma, California winery. After his disappearance, his parents marriage dissolves and his mother runs away to San Francisco with her 5y old daughter, Alex from a previous relationship. Bringing Alex up on her own, she removes all evidence of their former life. Alex however, suffers from disturbing nightmares of sinister men in robes and naked writhing bodies in a dark candlelit place and wonders if these hark back to something from her childhood. When the body of a baby is found in an old vineyard and Alex's mother commits suicide Alex discovers her connection with Dylan and moves to Sonoma to find out more about her family.
Erica Spindler writes blood chilling scenes very well indeed. The novel is a fast ride through the light that is Sonoma wine country to the darkness hiding in some of the old wine families. Although this is the first book I have read by Erica Spindler, but won't be the last.
Erica Spindler writes blood chilling scenes very well indeed. The novel is a fast ride through the light that is Sonoma wine country to the darkness hiding in some of the old wine families. Although this is the first book I have read by Erica Spindler, but won't be the last.
March 8, 2018
Wow, This was a really really great read :)
July 24, 2011
What started off interestingly quickly dwindled to a story that lacked any suspence or intrigue. It's as though the author didn't know which direction to go with the story or who to pin the murders on. Even the ending was a tad befuddled.
Alex Clarkson never knew who her father was or any thing about her mother's past as her mother kept that all a secret. Her mother then commits suicide and by going through her things, Alex discovers her mother had been married to a wealthy man, lived in Sonoma, California, that she also has a step-sister and a baby brother who was kidnapped when she was five years old. Alex goes to Sonoma to find who her father is, who took her baby brother and why her mother left her husband taking Alex with her. Obviously, as mysteries go, someone is trying to stop her from finding out the truth and now her life is in danger.
The story and characters felt forced. Not to mention there seemed to be a few missing holes throughout. For instance, when Detective Reed is calling to find out more about Alex's mother's suicide, the police officer in San Francisco tells him he found it odd that her pinky finger was broken. No where thoughout the book are we told why the finger was broken. It's as though we're meant to think this is part of some big mystery. As well, when you're a kid and your mother tells you never go up to the attic, a normal kid would actually do the opposite. But not Alex. Wanting answers all her life and knowing it's up there, she doesn't even bother. To me that is just proposterous.
You would think someone like Alex who moves to Sonoma from SF would be a person of strength and courage. Nope. Instead she's constantly crying throughout. Not to mention that at times during her crying fits when she comes face-to-face with Det. Reed, she throws her arms around him in public when she's just met him. I should also mention that there is absolutely no heat or chemistry leaping off the pages between the two.
The actual big mystery falls totally flat. Talk about ridiculous. Boring.
Alex Clarkson never knew who her father was or any thing about her mother's past as her mother kept that all a secret. Her mother then commits suicide and by going through her things, Alex discovers her mother had been married to a wealthy man, lived in Sonoma, California, that she also has a step-sister and a baby brother who was kidnapped when she was five years old. Alex goes to Sonoma to find who her father is, who took her baby brother and why her mother left her husband taking Alex with her. Obviously, as mysteries go, someone is trying to stop her from finding out the truth and now her life is in danger.
The story and characters felt forced. Not to mention there seemed to be a few missing holes throughout. For instance, when Detective Reed is calling to find out more about Alex's mother's suicide, the police officer in San Francisco tells him he found it odd that her pinky finger was broken. No where thoughout the book are we told why the finger was broken. It's as though we're meant to think this is part of some big mystery. As well, when you're a kid and your mother tells you never go up to the attic, a normal kid would actually do the opposite. But not Alex. Wanting answers all her life and knowing it's up there, she doesn't even bother. To me that is just proposterous.
You would think someone like Alex who moves to Sonoma from SF would be a person of strength and courage. Nope. Instead she's constantly crying throughout. Not to mention that at times during her crying fits when she comes face-to-face with Det. Reed, she throws her arms around him in public when she's just met him. I should also mention that there is absolutely no heat or chemistry leaping off the pages between the two.
The actual big mystery falls totally flat. Talk about ridiculous. Boring.
February 8, 2012
Reviewed for http://heartsonfirereviews.com/?p=1305
Another stellar and entertaining Erica Spindler book! I completely loved this story! Spindler never disappoints me at all in her novels.
I've been reading her for years and she just keeps getting better with each new novel that is released. 'Blood Vines' is a very fast-paced suspense novel with Spindler’s signature romantic elements thrown in the mix, the characters are all very complex and most if not all have their share of secrets or demons to overcome during the course of the story!
If you’re new to this author don’t be shy, give her a try this reviewer can bet you that you will not be sorry that you did.
“Spindler’s understanding of human nature is evident in her novel ‘Blood Vines’, a story of gnarled roots and divided loyalties with a twisted killer on the loose.”
Another stellar and entertaining Erica Spindler book! I completely loved this story! Spindler never disappoints me at all in her novels.
I've been reading her for years and she just keeps getting better with each new novel that is released. 'Blood Vines' is a very fast-paced suspense novel with Spindler’s signature romantic elements thrown in the mix, the characters are all very complex and most if not all have their share of secrets or demons to overcome during the course of the story!
If you’re new to this author don’t be shy, give her a try this reviewer can bet you that you will not be sorry that you did.
“Spindler’s understanding of human nature is evident in her novel ‘Blood Vines’, a story of gnarled roots and divided loyalties with a twisted killer on the loose.”
May 31, 2011
An intricately plotted thriller set in Sonoma wine country, BLOOD VINES follows Homicide detective Daniel Reed's investigation into the murder of an infant, found 25 years after his disappearance. An investigation that's complicated by his attraction to his childhood playmate, and the half-sister of baby Dylan, Alexandra Clarkson, who is also determined to learn more about her brother's kidnapping and death. It's been a while since I've read Spindler, but she's in top form here. Though I would have liked more emphasis on the romance in this one, there was enough here to satisfy my inner shipper.
October 31, 2017
2.5 Stars
I struggled with this one. It started off with a bang and completely held my interest for the first third of the novel. Then it became really bizarre. Look at the book blurb:
When Alexandra Clarkson starts having terrifying visions, she thinks that her mind is playing tricks on her. But when Alex's mother, Patsy, commits suicide without leaving behind any information, Alex is left to wonder whether she might be haunted by something from a childhood she can't remember.
Detective Daniel Reed was the last person to speak to Patsy. What he reveals to Alex is shocking: Twenty-five years earlier, Patsy was married to Harlan Sommer, one of Sonoma County's most prominent vintners, when their infant son disappeared without a trace. The loss destroyed the Sommers' marriage, causing Patsy to leave and take Alex with her.
Called on to investigate the identity of a baby's remains unearthed in a Sonoma vineyard, Reed had picked up a trail that led him to Patsy in San Francisco. Could these cold bones be Alex's long lost baby brother? Alex joins Reed in Sonoma for the investigation—and is soon drawn deep into the search for a twisted killer…
Okay I can accept that Alex has amnesia based on the traumatic event from when she's five years old. But as the story progressed and her visions become more detailed, I began to wonder. Also, bodies drop fast - some apparent suicides, others obviously murders. Then the whole let's make Alex crazy (or let's make everyone in Sonoma think Alex is crazy just like her mother) got real old fast. And Reed? He seemed to take a lot of things said as Gospel - a good detective questions everything and everyone.
This time, Erica Spindler drove me batty and cost me 3 days of chapters read here and there.
I struggled with this one. It started off with a bang and completely held my interest for the first third of the novel. Then it became really bizarre. Look at the book blurb:
When Alexandra Clarkson starts having terrifying visions, she thinks that her mind is playing tricks on her. But when Alex's mother, Patsy, commits suicide without leaving behind any information, Alex is left to wonder whether she might be haunted by something from a childhood she can't remember.
Detective Daniel Reed was the last person to speak to Patsy. What he reveals to Alex is shocking: Twenty-five years earlier, Patsy was married to Harlan Sommer, one of Sonoma County's most prominent vintners, when their infant son disappeared without a trace. The loss destroyed the Sommers' marriage, causing Patsy to leave and take Alex with her.
Called on to investigate the identity of a baby's remains unearthed in a Sonoma vineyard, Reed had picked up a trail that led him to Patsy in San Francisco. Could these cold bones be Alex's long lost baby brother? Alex joins Reed in Sonoma for the investigation—and is soon drawn deep into the search for a twisted killer…
Okay I can accept that Alex has amnesia based on the traumatic event from when she's five years old. But as the story progressed and her visions become more detailed, I began to wonder. Also, bodies drop fast - some apparent suicides, others obviously murders. Then the whole let's make Alex crazy (or let's make everyone in Sonoma think Alex is crazy just like her mother) got real old fast. And Reed? He seemed to take a lot of things said as Gospel - a good detective questions everything and everyone.
This time, Erica Spindler drove me batty and cost me 3 days of chapters read here and there.
September 19, 2022
I just love weird shit
April 26, 2022
3.5 Sterne
Der Schreibstil war gut und flüssig zu lesen und die Story spannend bis zum Schluss.
Nur der Hauptcharakter Alex war teilweise eher zum Kopfschütteln.
Würde aber definitiv noch etwas von der Autorin lesen.
Der Schreibstil war gut und flüssig zu lesen und die Story spannend bis zum Schluss.
Nur der Hauptcharakter Alex war teilweise eher zum Kopfschütteln.
Würde aber definitiv noch etwas von der Autorin lesen.
October 12, 2015
Maybe a 2.5. Some of the writing is interesting and the mystery isn't bad but the characters in this are rather unlikable. I feel like I needed a hot shower after some of them and the lead spends far too much time whining. Yes, Alex, has stuff to whine about but she retreads the same ground over and over. There were other issues I'll put last under a spoiler warning.
It opens with Alex having sex with her ex. That sets the tone for Alex as a character, with no more judgment about men than a squashed hedgehog and pretty easy to boot (That's not me slut shaming her. She spends a quarter of the novel slut shaming herself. Be prepared). Alex's mother is a talent artist who is also bipolar and tends to destroy her art in her depressed phases. Alex has no idea who her dad is. In the middle of the sex, Alex starts 'seeing strange rituals' leaving you wondering if this is a light paranormal mystery, is she nuts, high, what. Alex tries to get information out of her mother and just when it seems like Mom is going to tell her, Mom commits suicide.
Alex goes back to wine country to talk to her step father only to find out her mom was keeping even more secrets from her. Alex had a little brother Dylan, whose body had just been found decades later. Alex has no memories of her brother and her ex, a psych professor (Alex is a grad student studying why people have the religious beliefs they do), had an explanation for why. Alex finds herself between Tim (ex) and detective Daniel Reed who she knew as a child. While Alex seems to be getting closer to her step sister, not everyone is happy to have her back at the family winery, including Reed's father.
Someone, in fact, is killing people and doing a good job of making Alex look insane and deadly. It's not helping that everything she finds out about her mother gets worse and worse as she goes. And Alex still has no answers as to who her father is or who Dylan's father was and why killed him. I don't want to get too much into that since it would be a major spoiler.
I will say the mystery wasn't completely terrible but a bunch of unpleasant, self-serving wealthy wine-making families just didn't make for compelling characters. Alex vacillates between being a 'strong' female and being a whiny twit who needs Reed or Tim to take care of her. I didn't really care much about her. Or Reed who thinks it's perfectly fine to start sleeping with someone who was at first a victim then a potential killer in spite of the fact he's the one investigating the case. So real professional there. In fact this story would have been improved ten-fold without the icky romantic subplot. As to why it was so icky, well look below but keep in mind there will be spoilers. If you don't want them, stop reading here with my thoughts that there have been better books by this author.
Spoilers....
Okay so when it comes down to it there are two spoilers. One is that the story used the trope of a person calling up to say they're about to reveal a big secret 'but not over the phone' and end up dead before they do, not once, not twice but three times! How ridiculous is that? In fact there was nearly a fourth but that one lived to tell the tale. Granted we're never sure if Mom killed herself or someone killed her once Dylan's bones had been found and that annoyed me too.
The other big one is it was possible that Alex's mom had been sleeping with Reed's much older brothers. Somehow this does NOT put Alex or Reed off sleeping with each other even though he could have been her and Dylan's uncle. It's not until it's suggested that her mom had also slept with Reed's dad that it occurs to them oh hey this might be incest. So not only do we have Reed being very unprofessional about sleeping with her in the first place (and at least his partner calls him on it) he's not too bothered about what their relationship might be. Yeah like I said if the whole romantic had been round filed before this saw print the story would be been stronger and less gross.
It opens with Alex having sex with her ex. That sets the tone for Alex as a character, with no more judgment about men than a squashed hedgehog and pretty easy to boot (That's not me slut shaming her. She spends a quarter of the novel slut shaming herself. Be prepared). Alex's mother is a talent artist who is also bipolar and tends to destroy her art in her depressed phases. Alex has no idea who her dad is. In the middle of the sex, Alex starts 'seeing strange rituals' leaving you wondering if this is a light paranormal mystery, is she nuts, high, what. Alex tries to get information out of her mother and just when it seems like Mom is going to tell her, Mom commits suicide.
Alex goes back to wine country to talk to her step father only to find out her mom was keeping even more secrets from her. Alex had a little brother Dylan, whose body had just been found decades later. Alex has no memories of her brother and her ex, a psych professor (Alex is a grad student studying why people have the religious beliefs they do), had an explanation for why. Alex finds herself between Tim (ex) and detective Daniel Reed who she knew as a child. While Alex seems to be getting closer to her step sister, not everyone is happy to have her back at the family winery, including Reed's father.
Someone, in fact, is killing people and doing a good job of making Alex look insane and deadly. It's not helping that everything she finds out about her mother gets worse and worse as she goes. And Alex still has no answers as to who her father is or who Dylan's father was and why killed him. I don't want to get too much into that since it would be a major spoiler.
I will say the mystery wasn't completely terrible but a bunch of unpleasant, self-serving wealthy wine-making families just didn't make for compelling characters. Alex vacillates between being a 'strong' female and being a whiny twit who needs Reed or Tim to take care of her. I didn't really care much about her. Or Reed who thinks it's perfectly fine to start sleeping with someone who was at first a victim then a potential killer in spite of the fact he's the one investigating the case. So real professional there. In fact this story would have been improved ten-fold without the icky romantic subplot. As to why it was so icky, well look below but keep in mind there will be spoilers. If you don't want them, stop reading here with my thoughts that there have been better books by this author.
Spoilers....
Okay so when it comes down to it there are two spoilers. One is that the story used the trope of a person calling up to say they're about to reveal a big secret 'but not over the phone' and end up dead before they do, not once, not twice but three times! How ridiculous is that? In fact there was nearly a fourth but that one lived to tell the tale. Granted we're never sure if Mom killed herself or someone killed her once Dylan's bones had been found and that annoyed me too.
The other big one is it was possible that Alex's mom had been sleeping with Reed's much older brothers. Somehow this does NOT put Alex or Reed off sleeping with each other even though he could have been her and Dylan's uncle. It's not until it's suggested that her mom had also slept with Reed's dad that it occurs to them oh hey this might be incest. So not only do we have Reed being very unprofessional about sleeping with her in the first place (and at least his partner calls him on it) he's not too bothered about what their relationship might be. Yeah like I said if the whole romantic had been round filed before this saw print the story would be been stronger and less gross.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2011
Blood Vines is an extremely intoxicating read. Alexandra Clarkson and Detective Danny Reed made this book more inticing with their hormones blazing. IThe characters of this book brought romance, lies, deception, and mystery with them. Set in the wine country of California, the people tried to hide their secrets and run off or murder anyone who got int he way of protecting them. This book kept you in suspense with the turn of every page. The plot was has a somewhat psychological twist wtih a spider web of deception and lies at every paragraph. This one keep me guessing on who really was behind all the murders and eerie attempts at getting rid of Alex. I found this book not only good, but was unable to set it down until I read it all the way through, then re read the book to make sure I didnt miss anything. In my own opinion I think this book is one of the best, but I am a huge fan and find it hard to say with one is the best. Erica is a talented writer that brings excitement with every book she writes. We need more authors like her, that can catch the audience with a dull moment. Her books are exciting from the first to the last page. Thanks Erica, your awesome.
February 12, 2010
Often overwhelmed by the hectic pace of our daily lives and with limitless options, choosing the right form of quiet entertainment can be exhausting. Suspense readers want fast-paced excitement bound into one small three hundred plus page package, where they can temporarily leave their lives at the door. “Blood Vines”, Erica Spindler’s newest creation is the perfect mix of suspense and intrigue and with each turn of the page, the real world fades away exceeding our expectations.
Meet Alexandra Clarkson, a beautiful young woman struggling with an incomplete past. Unwilling to accept the possibility that she is virtually alone in the world after the death of her bi-polar mother; Alex is drawn to an obscure clue leading to a dark and dangerous past. Packed with gripping characters and attention-grabbing conflict deep into the heart of California wine country, Spindler has you questioning whether some secrets are best left buried.
Meet Alexandra Clarkson, a beautiful young woman struggling with an incomplete past. Unwilling to accept the possibility that she is virtually alone in the world after the death of her bi-polar mother; Alex is drawn to an obscure clue leading to a dark and dangerous past. Packed with gripping characters and attention-grabbing conflict deep into the heart of California wine country, Spindler has you questioning whether some secrets are best left buried.
April 12, 2022
2 stars--flat characters, dull writing, and a really dark subject matter. Two stars instead of one because the plot kept me hooked, though it too was ultimately disappointing. (And it felt like the author forgot about a plot point she intended to make. Vaguely, I'm talking about a broken finger that was never important.)
October 30, 2021
Notes:
Yay for libraries! One of the better book recommendations from the library system. =)
The narrator was okay. Downfall was her inability to keep the different character voices consistent. That made it easy to mix up the dialogue. If the narration was better, I'd give this book 4 stars.
I enjoyed the windy unveiling of the plot. Great popcorn mystery.
Yay for libraries! One of the better book recommendations from the library system. =)
The narrator was okay. Downfall was her inability to keep the different character voices consistent. That made it easy to mix up the dialogue. If the narration was better, I'd give this book 4 stars.
I enjoyed the windy unveiling of the plot. Great popcorn mystery.
January 11, 2023
Nie mam żadnych zastrzeżeń.
Autorka jest dla mnie zawsze bezpiecznym wyborem, dobrą zabawą i pobudza do prowadzenia własnego śledztwa.
I takie też poprowadziłam. Dopiero jak zostało mi 70 stron miałam wytypowanego podejrzanego, ale też nie była to 100% pewność. Za co dziękuję. Bawiłam się cudownie.
Lubie pióro E.Spindler, jeszcze sie nie zawiodłam na żadnej z jej książek.
Autorka jest dla mnie zawsze bezpiecznym wyborem, dobrą zabawą i pobudza do prowadzenia własnego śledztwa.
I takie też poprowadziłam. Dopiero jak zostało mi 70 stron miałam wytypowanego podejrzanego, ale też nie była to 100% pewność. Za co dziękuję. Bawiłam się cudownie.
Lubie pióro E.Spindler, jeszcze sie nie zawiodłam na żadnej z jej książek.
January 26, 2018
5 fantastic vino stars! Wow!
June 17, 2010
An edge-of-your-seat, riveting read! Ms. Spindler always manages to outdo herself!
Alexandra Clarkson's mother, Patsy, has mental health issues and is an artisit who never completes her paintings. Alexandra is having nightmares with visions of cult activity and doesn't know where these dreams are coming from.
Alexandra and her Mom have lived alone since Alexandra was 5-years-old but her Mom would never tell her who her father was and it bothered Alexandra a great deal. One evening Alexandra arrives home to find her Mother dead, she had comitted suicide. Devastated
and not knowing what to do with herself, she climbs into the attic and finds an old trunk with some memoribilia in it which leads her to Sonoma County, wine country.
Alexandra has gone there to try and figure out who she is and who her father is and why her Mother never told her. During her stay there, strange and terrible things begin to happen and the family she encounters appears very unhappy that she has sought them
out. But why? The more Alexandra digs for information, things begin to happen; people are murdered, a house burns down, someone is found hung, and the wine caves seem to have some unknown power over Alexandra and she doesn't know why.
Alexandra hooks up with Detective Daniel Reed and they begin a love affair but will Reed end up having to arrest and charge Alexandra for some heinious crimes? The outcome will surprise you. You'll think you have this story figured out but believe me, you don't!!
This is a MUST read and make sure you have a few hours of free time ahead of you because once you begin, you won't be able to put this down, I know, I stayed up all night!!!
Alexandra Clarkson's mother, Patsy, has mental health issues and is an artisit who never completes her paintings. Alexandra is having nightmares with visions of cult activity and doesn't know where these dreams are coming from.
Alexandra and her Mom have lived alone since Alexandra was 5-years-old but her Mom would never tell her who her father was and it bothered Alexandra a great deal. One evening Alexandra arrives home to find her Mother dead, she had comitted suicide. Devastated
and not knowing what to do with herself, she climbs into the attic and finds an old trunk with some memoribilia in it which leads her to Sonoma County, wine country.
Alexandra has gone there to try and figure out who she is and who her father is and why her Mother never told her. During her stay there, strange and terrible things begin to happen and the family she encounters appears very unhappy that she has sought them
out. But why? The more Alexandra digs for information, things begin to happen; people are murdered, a house burns down, someone is found hung, and the wine caves seem to have some unknown power over Alexandra and she doesn't know why.
Alexandra hooks up with Detective Daniel Reed and they begin a love affair but will Reed end up having to arrest and charge Alexandra for some heinious crimes? The outcome will surprise you. You'll think you have this story figured out but believe me, you don't!!
This is a MUST read and make sure you have a few hours of free time ahead of you because once you begin, you won't be able to put this down, I know, I stayed up all night!!!
February 11, 2015
4 STARS
"Alex Clarkson’s worst nightmares are about to come true… A sinister, hooded figure… When Alexandra Clarkson starts having terrifying visions filled with blood and ceremonial images, she tries to find a rational explanation – maybe her mind is playing tricks on her, resurrecting creepy tableaux from her research on religious ceremonies and sects. But when Alex’s mother, Patsy, commits suicide without leaving behind any information, Alex is left wondering: could she be haunted by something from the childhood she doesn’t remember? Naked, writhing bodies… Detective Daniel Reed was the last person to speak to Patsy. What he reveals to Alex is shocking. Twenty-five years earlier, Patsy was married to Harlan Sommer, one of Sonoma County’s most prominent vintners, when their infant son disappeared without a trace. The loss destroyed the Sommers’ marriage, causing Patsy to leave and take Alex with her. A dead child… Called on to investigate the identity of a baby’s remains unearthed in a Sonoma vineyard, Reed had picked up a trail that led him to Patsy in San Francisco. Now Reed and Alex both wonder if the cold bones could be her baby brother Dylan, and Alex decides to accompany Reed back to Sonoma for the investigation. No sooner does she arrive, however, than she is drawn deep into the search for a twisted killer…" (From Amazon)
Another fabulous suspense thriller by Spindler! The characters again are so great.
"Alex Clarkson’s worst nightmares are about to come true… A sinister, hooded figure… When Alexandra Clarkson starts having terrifying visions filled with blood and ceremonial images, she tries to find a rational explanation – maybe her mind is playing tricks on her, resurrecting creepy tableaux from her research on religious ceremonies and sects. But when Alex’s mother, Patsy, commits suicide without leaving behind any information, Alex is left wondering: could she be haunted by something from the childhood she doesn’t remember? Naked, writhing bodies… Detective Daniel Reed was the last person to speak to Patsy. What he reveals to Alex is shocking. Twenty-five years earlier, Patsy was married to Harlan Sommer, one of Sonoma County’s most prominent vintners, when their infant son disappeared without a trace. The loss destroyed the Sommers’ marriage, causing Patsy to leave and take Alex with her. A dead child… Called on to investigate the identity of a baby’s remains unearthed in a Sonoma vineyard, Reed had picked up a trail that led him to Patsy in San Francisco. Now Reed and Alex both wonder if the cold bones could be her baby brother Dylan, and Alex decides to accompany Reed back to Sonoma for the investigation. No sooner does she arrive, however, than she is drawn deep into the search for a twisted killer…" (From Amazon)
Another fabulous suspense thriller by Spindler! The characters again are so great.
January 21, 2012
It's been a while since I read a book and a song came into my head and I couldn't let it go but it was right about in the middle of the book and Heart starting to sing to me and I couldn't let it go. It was her song "Who Will You Run To" and I thought of the character Alex and I was belting out this tune as I was flipping through the remaining chapters of this book screaming "Who Alex? Who? Who are you running to?" Like Heart's famous lyrics "You found a new world and you want to taste it, but that world can turn cold and you better face it." Alex found her new world after her mom's death but they were not accepting of her and she was confronted on what avenues to take to uncover her past. What secrets where they withholding from her? Heart words sang out to me,"Who's goanna pick your world up off the ground?" Alex, who? Everytime that Alex even got close to a clue to her past identity, she had a major set back and disappoint set it. People were being killed, traps were set, Alex was afraid of speaking as she was afraid of being judged crazy like her mother. Then there was Tim. Stable ex-husband Tim. Tim her "you've always had me beside you" who came to her rescue when she called but where did that leave him when it all came down.
This is my first book by Erica and it will not be my last. It took a while for me to get hooked but like I said once I had Heart rocking in my head the pages where flying. This family secret rocked the town.
This is my first book by Erica and it will not be my last. It took a while for me to get hooked but like I said once I had Heart rocking in my head the pages where flying. This family secret rocked the town.
September 24, 2018
Alex Owens knows very little about her childhood or who she really is. But when an infant's remains are unearthed in her hometown in back-country California, Alex realises that she has a connection to the case. As if opening Pandora's box, long-lost memories start flooding in, nightmares that haunt her every waking moment.
Quite a good read. Like the fact it was sent in wine country and learned a little about wine on the way.
I would have liked the book to go in a different direction as there are hints of rituals and sacrifice and it could have been meatier and more could have been made of the fact Alex studied history of paganism and human rituals.
However there were some twists. Overall I enjoyed it.
Quite a good read. Like the fact it was sent in wine country and learned a little about wine on the way.
I would have liked the book to go in a different direction as there are hints of rituals and sacrifice and it could have been meatier and more could have been made of the fact Alex studied history of paganism and human rituals.
However there were some twists. Overall I enjoyed it.
November 26, 2014
This was a recommendation book off of Good Reads so I thought I try a new author that I have never heard about. After reading this well written mystery, I am going to read another book from Ms. Spindler. The characters in this book are well developed and there are so many subtle clues dropped throughout the novel that lead to a shocking climax at the end of the book. The setting is in the beautiful wine country of California and I am ready to take a road trip after the author sparked my interest with her well detailed descriptions. If you are looking for a great mystery book, this one is for you!
January 29, 2012
Fabulous story! Loved all the talk about wine and all the drinking of wine... I got a bit thirsty while I read this book. Can't say enough about the chilling subject of murder, but Erica is a top notch rival to Joy Fielding's writing that is all I know!!! This book rocked and had me going in three different directions. Choosing the path I thought Erica was on, was tough! Sweet Vintage Revenge is best served up chilled.....
April 28, 2011
Erica Spindler outdoes herself once again. You will find yourself captivated by the story. I felt I was standing with Alexandra Clarkson when she entered the wine caves...I felt for her and what she was going through. How could people not believe, but then again why should they? This story is a real page-turner! And I must say...it left my hankering for a good glass of wine!
Lisa Tortorello-Author of My Hero, My Ding
Lisa Tortorello-Author of My Hero, My Ding
March 29, 2016
LOVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVE Erica Spindler!! This book takes place in Sonoma County where I live! Yippee!!! I think that is probably why I love this book so much. As an aspiring novelist, to see the department that i work for and the area I live in used in a book by an author I love so much was just amazing for me!!!!
March 28, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story moved right along and didn't get hung up anywhere on anything boring. The character development was good and the plot was excellent! There is a lot of suspense here and I enjoyed the way Erica Spindler leaves you with enough of a cliffhanger at the end of each chapter to keep you reading! This is a real page turner!!!
July 31, 2016
How on earth did this get a 4* average? It took ages to get anywhere and wasn't particularly thrilling when it finally reached the end. I kept thinking I wouldn't bother finishing it, don't know why I bothered getting to the end, really feel I wasted my time.
August 20, 2016
Great book really enjoyed it. Another great novel by a fantastic author. Kept me going without an idea who the murder was and why. So many answers got in the last chapter brilliant lead up to it. Can't wait to read more of her books. Recommend this 100%. Worth the 5 star rating :)
February 14, 2015
Couldn't put it down! Really good worth reading
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