Product Description
Lucie Montgomery thinks she has troubles enough with a freak spring frost that is threatening to kill her tender young Chardonnay grapes, but when the body of Georgia Greenwood, a controversial political candidate, is found lying in her vineyard, the situation becomes complex indeed. Suspicion immediately falls on Georgia's husband, Ross Greenwood, who is not just Lucie's doctor but also a close friend. Determined to prove Ross's innocence, Lucie crosses swords with her attractive but cantankerous winemaker, Quinn Santori. Then a second vineyard-related death drives the tension even higher. Lucie still believes that in vino veritas -- in wine there is truth -- but she's starting to wonder if her own risk level is moving into the danger zone along with this year's Chardonnay.
Tags: Montgomery, chardonnay grapes, Virginia, Ross
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
The Wine Country Mystery series by Ellen Crosby is tops – and shows its worth with this second tale. Beginning with “The Merlot Murders,” the author introduced a plot that suits a small-town setting, plus an insider’s view of wine growing, served up with a witty dash of history. Yet, these are not cozies. Crosby’s characters have flesh-and-blood qualities that whisper to our own foibles. In this second book, “The Chardonnay Charade,” Lucie is struggling against a spring frost to keep her vineyard from freezing, when she discovers the lifeless body of a politician, well-laced with pesticide (there’s a certain underlying symmetry here). On-the-job jealousies, a younger sister at flame-out age, and unraveling relationships contribute to Lucie’s challenges in identifying the murderer. Crosby’s writing is smooth and sure-handed as she develops characters and reveals each suspenseful step. All of which leads to a real-life mystery: When will we see the next book in this series? It’s good stuff.
Once in a while I get an urge to read a mystery and this time Ellen Crosby’s title caught my eye. I read it in one day, easily, and found it refreshing. Just enough detail to keep the story grounded without the boredom of too many technical details on vineyards, political campaigns, pesticides and other topics that would have bogged down any number of writers. Crosby deftly presented the story with a lovely set of characters and the action begins by the end of chapter one and keeps right on moving through the last chapter. I’ll be searching out her other book and hope that she writes more.
The late seasonal frost endangers the vines in Lucie Montgomery’s Virginia based winery. Lucie spends the night freezing as she and her crew tries to keep the vines from freezing. However, upon daylight, to her chagrin, Lucie finds the corpse of politician Georgia Greenwood.
The police investigate the murder with the victim’s husband Ross as the prime (and only) suspect. Meanwhile since Georgia’s body was contaminated by pesticide, EPA officials consider fining Lucie for misuse. She plans to stay out of the inquiry as she has enough to do with her winery, her alcoholic sister, and her jealous ire at her winemaker. An outraged Lucie decides to investigate the homicide as she does not trust the nouveau officialdom to seek the truth when she and Ross are convenient.
The latest A Wine Country Mystery (see THE MERLOT MURDERS) goes down smooth from start to finish due to Lucie’s actions as she adapts from saving her vines to saving her friend and her reputation. The contrast between old money and the invading newcomers add regional depth to this fine tale. However, it is the cast from the bristly heroine to her winemaker to her sister to her friend and finally the cops who turn THE CHARDONNAY CHARADE into a palate pleasing tasty tale.
Harriet Klausner
This is the third Wine Country Mystery I have read and I hope there are more in the works. As a Virginia wine lover, I enjoy reading about the growing of the grapes and the creation of the wines. I just wish Lucie Montgomery was a real person I could visit her vineyard!
In my opinion, this second in the Wine Country Mystery series by Ellen Crosby is much better than the first. There doesn’t seem to be as much of a rush to the end and the characters are better drawn with a more relaxed feel to the whole book.
Lucie Montgomery is the heiress of the Montgomery Estate Vineyard in Middleburg, Virginia, but being an heiress isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be, especially when she has to keep her family in order, that includes a younger sister who is battling he own demons, keeping a vineyard profitable, employees that seem to have their own agenda, and oh yeah, a dead body to deal with.
Virginia Greenwood, the wife of the local doctor, and quite a personality herself, is found murdered and though there aren’t many suspects the murder is too easily pinned on the one person who can’t defend himself, the man that she has been having secret rendezvous with. When he disappears that only leaves one person; the one person that Lucie entrusted her life too.
Like a good vintage, this series gets better with age. Sorry, I couldn’t avoid throwing in a cliché.
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