Synopses & Reviews
A phone call at two thirty in the morning is never good news. Lucie Montgomery's semiestranged brother, Eli, calls her in France to tell her their father, Leland, has been killed in a hunting accident on the family's five-hundred-acre Virginia vineyard just as the fall harvest is about to begin. By the time he calls, Eli has already made funeral arrangements with what Lucie argues is indecent haste.
It is an emotional trip home -- the first since an automobile accident two years ago, which left Lucie disabled and dependent on a cane. Her family's once elegant home and winery are now shabby and run-down, thanks to her father's penchant for fringy business deals. Eli, also cash-strapped and desperate to support his new wife's extravagant lifestyle, has already convinced their rebellious younger sister, Mia, to sell the debt-ridden estate and reap the profits from the valuable land it sits on, overruling Lucie's protests.
On the eve of the funeral Lucie's godfather, Fitz, a partner in the family business, tells her Leland's death was no accident. Whoever killed him was motivated by the potential sale of the vineyard. It is the last conversation she will have with Fitz. Now the lone holdout preventing the vineyard sale, Lucie realizes she's next in line for another "accident." With her greedy brother, hell-raising sister, and a seemingly cut-rate vintner hired by Leland just before he died, all the suspects are disturbingly close to home. Unsure whom she can trust, Lucie must uncover the truth about the deaths of her father and godfather -- and oversee a successful harvest to save the vineyard she loves.
Set in the historic heart of Virginia's horse and hunt country, The Merlot Murders is filled with fascinating detail about the science and alchemy of wine making.
Review
"A perfect choice for readers who love mystery with a touch of history."
-- Nancy Pickard, author of The Virgin of Small Plains
Review
"In this suspenseful, mesmerizing novel, Ellen Crosby reveals both the fascinating world of a small Virginia vineyard and the complex and troubled lives of the family who owns it. Highly recommended!"
-- Donna Andrews, author of Owls Well That Ends Well
Review
"Merlot, Malice, Murder, and Mayhem: Ellen Crosby's U.S. debut novel is rich in history and evokes the mysterious world of Virginia viticulture that Thomas Jefferson could only dream of."
-- Katherine Neville, author of The Eight
Review
"A great Merlot like a Château Pétrus is a feast for your senses. A great mystery is a feast for your mind. Ellen Crosby skillfully combines both feasts in
The Merlot Murders. It's a story well told and shows an impressive knowledge of the wine world."
-- George Taber, author of Judgment of Paris
Review
"An absorbing plot, rich with details on the wine industry, and an evocative sense of the lush Virginian countryside."
-- Barbara Bibel, Booklist
Review
"An intricately plotted novel about tangled relationships and intrigue in Virginia's wine country. The beautifully written descriptions of the area make it come alive to those of us who have never visited there, and its appealing heroine is someone with whom you'd like to share a bottle of wine."
-- Marcia Muller, author of Vanishing Point
Review
"Like a fine wine, full-bodied, complex and satisfying." -- Sun-Sentinel (South Florida)
Review
"A neat whodunit." -- The New York Times
Review
"A terrific kickoff to what promises to be a highly satisfying new series." -- Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
The fascinating science and alchemy of winemaking take center stage in this unique mystery debut set at a family-run vineyard in Virginia's historic horse and hunt country.
About the Author
Ellen Crosby is a former freelance reporter for The Washington Post and was the Moscow correspondent for ABC Radio News. She is the author of The Viognier Vendetta, The Riesling Retribution, The Bordeaux Betrayal, The Chardonnay Charade, and The Merlot Murders, as well as Moscow Nights, a stand-alone novel published in London. Crosby lives in Virginia with her family.