The Chardonnay Charade [Paperback]

Ellen Crosby (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Unknown (2007)
• ASIN: B002ADKLJA
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Ellen Crosby is the author of Moscow Nights (Piatkus, UK) and five books in the Virginia wine country series: The Merlot Murders, The Chardonnay Charade, The Bordeaux Betrayal, The Riesling Retribution and The Viognier Vendetta. The Riesling Retribution was a fiction finalist for the 2010 Library of Virginia People's Choice Award and is the 2010 US winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Award for Wine Literature. Before writing fiction, Crosby was a freelance reporter for The Washington Post, Moscow correspondent for ABC Radio News, and an economist at the US Senate. After living overseas for many years, Crosby now resides in Virginia with her family.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Tasty Read, November 2, 2007

By 

Laurel Huggins "artqueen" (ventura CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Chardonnay Charade: A Wine Country Mystery (Wine Country Mysteries) (Hardcover)

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.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One day read, August 14, 2007

By 

Lenoremorr - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Chardonnay Charade: A Wine Country Mystery (Wine Country Mysteries) (Hardcover)

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a palate pleasing tasty tale, August 12, 2007

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Chardonnay Charade: A Wine Country Mystery (Wine Country Mysteries) (Hardcover)

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