A few years back I read a cozy mystery involving wine, and a vineyard. when I found this book, I was afraid it might be the same book, but after reading it, I realized that it was not. It was very close, but not the same place or time or storyline.I am not a big wine drinker, although the older I get the more I want to know more about wine and to enjoy wine. So this book has information about wine making, wine growing and history. The additional information on types of wine, the varieties, where wine is grown and how it is made is so interesting and enjoyable to read.This story is set in Virginia, and yes, they can grow grapes there as well. We all think of france or California when we think of wine, but I live in Indiana, and we have two excellent wineries in our town, and they grow their grapes right here in the heart of the midwest.Our lead is Luci, and she was involved in a terrible car accident about 4 years earlier, leaving her with some struggles, in fact it took awhile before she could walk again, so she took off and went to France, to a family house that was well run-down, to lick her wound and learn to live again.An early morning phone call from her brother rocks her world and life as she knew it. Her father is dead. Her brother says it was an accident and to come home so they can sell the family vineyard. She is not so sure about the accident part, and she refuses to sell. This sets up the battle between brother and sister that carries through the book.Luci comes home to find alot of things have changed since she left 4 years ago, yet some things are the same, and she works to discover what is going on. There are many suspects into who might want her father one, and who wants her family to sell the vineyard, and so as she works to figure it all out and what exactly is going on, she discovered the truth about people she knew.It is a good, fun and exciting read. It took me until the end to figure out who was behind everything, in fact, when she said she knew, i was still unsure, until she told me. It was a real difference and a change and not exactly who you thought.I so enjoyed the book, and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
I blame my dark eye circles and constant yawning today on this book; I made the mistake of starting The Merlot Murders late last night with the thought that I’d read a few chapters before retiring to bed. That never ended up happening, because it was simply impossible put the book down. I must confess, first of all, that I know virtually nothing about wine and have little interest in it. I don’t even like drinking it. But it speaks to Ellen Crosby’s excellent writing that I enjoyed not only the intricately woven mystery and characters, but the glimpses of the wine production process.First of all, there’s something about The Merlot Murders that feels so… vintage. In fact, the countryside atmosphere is so well-crafted that I was under the impression that it had a historical setting for quite a while. Something about it speaks to lovers of romance; there’s something wonderfully earthy and realistic about it. Perhaps it’s the way the setting is largely distanced from the trappings of modern technology? Whatever it is, I loved it.The mystery is refreshingly not a straightforward one, nor is it so much centered on murders as it is about a web of characters, each with their own secrets and motives to hide. It was fascinating to watch everything unfold as Lucie returns to her home – to face the painful past that she’d left behind, and reconnect with the people she thought she knew, but had changed beyond recognition. There were two murders in total, both of which were very much rooted in secrets buried in the distant past. In a way, it’s a story of how far people can be driven by greed, and it’s the type of mystery that I like best; driven by the human condition.Remarkably, none of the characters are particularly likeable. Even Lucie is too judgmental and bad-tempered, and Quinn is not only ornery but has a rather off-putting physical description. However, they make interesting character studies, and it is proof that you don’t necessarily need likeable characters for the book to be an enjoyable one. Besides, it leaves them considerable room to grow in later books, which is an exciting thought.
What do You think about The Merlot Murders (2006)?
I listened to this book on audio. I came across it by accident. Since I am an author myself, I am usually pretty good at spotting the killer. Not this time. I had a few things right, though. I am surprised that others gave this book anything less than 4 stars. The main character, Lucie Montgomery, is likable and smart. She is determined not to sell the family winery after the death of her father, whose cause of death is questionable. When a close family friend is murdered in the winery, Lucie must look into the past as well the as present for motive. There is a whole town of possibilities for the murder. The author also does a great job in giving background about the wine industry in Virginia. I found this very interesting. I think it is great first book of a series, and I will definitely read more by this author.
—Leslie Stansfield
When I'm in the mood for a new murder mystery, I frequently begin the hunt at the library scanning the shelves for something that grabs my attention. It's quite normal for me to pick out a new book based solely on an eye-catching cover or a title that makes me wonder what's inside. The title is what grabbed me with The Merlot Murders by Ellen Crosby. Murder always draws my attention, morbid as it may be. It's the mystery of solving a puzzle that I thoroughly enjoy. And although I'm not much of a wine drinker myself, I am attracted to the culture of wine drinking and wine making.Crosby offers up an interesting character from the outset with Lucie Montgomery, who clearly has some issues I wanted to learn more about. I like a plot that weaves its path without spiraling into confusion, and this book does that well. The cast of characters held my interest and peaked my curiosity as the story moved along. The mystery held throughout the tale, and it kept me thinkimg and guessing enough to read through the book pretty quickly.I already checked out the second book in this series to see what Montgomery faces in the next phase of her life. I'm happy to say I have found another decent mystery author and a murder series that promises to entertain while it tickles my wine curiosity.
—Lisa
Lucie Montgomery has been in France for several years recovering from a car wreck that left her unable to have children and with a twisted and deformed leg. She requires a cane to get around.She receives a call very late one night from her older brother, telling her their father has died - apparently in an accident. But her godfather, Fitz, believes that her father was murdered. Lucie's mother was French and had begun a vineyard in Virginia, bottling their own wines with a couple of labels exclusively for Fitz's restaurant. Her mother had died years before in a fall from her horse. The vintner has retired for health reasons and her father hired Quinn Santori from California. Quin is brash and has big ideas for the vineyard, including breaking with some of the ideas that Lucie holds sacred. Lucie is also in a dispute with her brother and younger sister Mia over the house and vineyard. They want to sell since their ne'er-do-well father had left the family in debt from his get rich quick schemes that always failed. Her mother had inherited some jewelry which had been sold off piece by piece to cover some of her father's debts.Lucie's former boyfriend, Greg, is now involved with her sister. Greg is responsible for the wreck that crippled Lucie. The day of her father's funeral, Fitz is found dead in a tank at the winery. He was apparently hit on the head before being put in the tank. So Lucie is trying to figure out who killed Fitz and maybe her father, too. Her brother Eli is trying to give her the house in France where she was staying, so he can sell the house and vineyard. But she refuses to agre4 and is determined to find who killed her godfather and possibly her father.
—Susan Ferguson
