Deadly Offer (A Darby Farr Mystery) [Kindle Edition]

Vicki Doudera (Author)

Book Description

When Darby Farr’s assistant, E.T., learns that his sister, Selena, has suddenly (and suspiciously) died in her hot tub, Darby and E.T. travel to Selena’s magnificent vineyard estate nestled in the heart of California wine country. There, Darby discovers that Selena was entertaining offers from three different prospective buyers—each one of whom is desperate to be the new owner of the winery. As a saboteur wreaks havoc on the property, Darby risks her life to crack the case and close the sale in a valley ripe with jealousy, greed, and danger.

Book 3 in the Darby Farr Mystery series

Praise:
“Sexy, savvy, and entertaining.”—JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING, author of One Was a Soldier

“Real estate brings real trouble to this smart and savvy heroine.”—HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN, Anthony, Agatha, and Macavity award-winning author

“Doudera masterfully uses the backdrop of high-stakes realty as a great setting for a murder mystery.”—BANGOR DAILY NEWS

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Once again, Camden Realtor Vicki Doudera has proven that real estate can be murder, in the third volume of her mystery series featuring chic Darby Farr, a Maine native who is now selling homes in beautiful San Diego." -- Bangor Daily News

"A complex mystery." --Kirkus Reviews

Reviews of Deadly Offer can be found on my website.  Here's a good one right here:    bangordailynews.com/2012/08/05/living/camden-author-proves-for-third-time-that-real-estate-can-be-murder/

" With many point-of-view characters to watch and suspect, the reader finds means, motives, and opportunities everywhere, but the ending is shocking. " --Eleanor Anders

"Darby's third appearance is just the property for those who want a fast, entertaining read with a diverse cast and appealing setting. A winning teen sleuth adds YA appeal." --Library Journal

"Doudera keeps readers riveted through this fast-paced read, making "Deadly Offer" one enjoyable offering." -- Bangor Daily News

From the Author

Writing DEADLY OFFER was a real pleasure, for many reasons.  First off, I was thrilled to research the setting -- the lovely California wine country area around Napa and Sonoma Counties.  My husband and I did a bike trip with Backroads, and cycling through the vineyards, stopping to sample wines, and talking with the vintners themselves was wonderful.

DEADLY OFFER explores the bonds of families, especially siblings.  We see ET and his brother Carlos grappling with the death of their sister, as well as the mechanics of the Contento family, who own the neighboring vineyard.  Darby's friendship with ET and her increasingly complicated relationship with journalist Miles Porter are also explored.

I loved creating the characters in this book, especially Detective Nancy Nardone and the talented young sleuth Sophie Stewart.  The character of Selena became so real and dear to me that I seriously considered changing who the victim was... I didn't want to kill her off!  In the end though I decided I needed to stick with my original plot, no matter how attached I became to a character. 

In the end -- DEADLY OFFER is at its core a gripping mystery with several twists and turns.  Pour a glass of wine and enjoy!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 644 KB
• Print Length: 312 pages
• Publisher: MIDNIGHT INK (April 1, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007GAYO5O
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #300,623 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Realtor guilty pleasure March 24, 2013

By Susan K. Haswell

Format:Kindle Edition

As a Realtor and mystery lover, this book really entertained me! I look forward to more in the series! Great details!

4.0 out of 5 stars Doudera Nails it Again January 27, 2013

By Edith M. Maxwell

Format:Paperback

Another great installment in Doudera's series with smart real-estate agent Darby Farr. This one takes place in the wine country of my home state and despite Vicki being a Mainer, she does a superb job of evoking the light and landscape of the wine valleys north of San Francisco. Clever plot, believable villains, great twist at the end. She pulls off changing narrator point of view, including a realistic teenage girl voice. Intrigue in the vineyards will keep you glued to the page.

4.0 out of 5 stars surprise ending July 4, 2012

By Paul Sparks

Format:Paperback

I hate it when I can figure out who did it before it's revealed. In this book, I could not--a well-crafted, surprising ending. That said, I could have done without the romance with the Englishman. Who cares? Also, I'm not sure why Darby hung around the property for so long. Kind of weird, actually. A nice read, however.

More About the Author

Deals Gone Deadly! The cutthroat world of luxury real estate is the perfect setting for murder --- and no one knows it better than Vicki Doudera. A top producing real estate broker and former Realtor of the Year, Vicki Doudera writes the acclaimed Darby Farr Mystery series, starring a smart, savvy agent solving crimes and making sales.

Available now for preorder is DEADLY OFFER, third in the series and on bookstands April 8, 2012.

Selena Thompson, owner of a boutique winery listed for sale in California's lush grape-growing Ventano county, is dead in her hot tub, and Realtor Darby Farr doesn't think it's an accident. Three buyers -- including an overly ambitious accountant from back east, the buff owner of a yoga empire, and the scion of the powerful Contento family, whose mega-vineyard conveniently abuts Carson Creek - have offers on the table and motives to murder. Even mild-mannered Dan Stewart, Carson Creek's wine grower, is a suspect, as is the scheming Harrison Wainfield, a Ventano businessman with buried secrets. Industrial espionage, bottled-up resentment, and a clever killer with nothing to lose threaten Darby and journalist Miles Porter as they fight to find the truth twisted in the vines of a tangled and very deadly offer.

KILLER LISTING, released in April of 2011, takes Darby to the Florida coast and the fatal stabbing of the Sunshine State's star broker. Kirkus Reviews said: "A touch of romance, a hint of danger and a mystery that keeps you guessing." And Hank Phillippi Ryan - the award winning mystery writer said: "Multi-million dollar deals, mojitos and murder - real estate brings real trouble to this smart and savvy heroine. Scheming, speculation and a scary bad guy will keep you turning the pages." Julia Spencer-Fleming adds: "KILLER LISTING is a real showcase. This freshly conceived series is poised to sell!"

A HOUSE TO DIE FOR - the first in the series - takes place on the coast of Maine and is a brilliantly twisted story chosen as a "Best of 2010" by Suspense Magazine. New York Times Bestselling author Tess Gerritsen (The Rizzoli and Isles novels) said about A HOUSE TO DIE FOR: "Doudera expertly weaves a tale of suspense on a Maine island, where murder and real estate are an explosive combination." Barbara Corcoran, real estate contributor for NBC's Today Show, said: "A fast-paced and well-told story with a smart, savvy real estate agent as the heroine - bring on the next one!"

"An appealing debut," said Publishers Weekly. "The author does a good job portraying Darby in her efforts to make peace with her childhood past and solve a murder on a picturesque Maine island." And CrimeSpree Magazine said: "A superb prologue, wonderful story, atmospheric with a good plot."

"I never imagined my day job as a top selling real estate agent would lead to my dream job of writing fiction," she says. A graduate of Hamilton College and the author of several non-fiction books on real estate relocation - MOVING TO MAINE (now in its second edition) and WHERE TO RETIRE IN MAINE, she works for a firm specializing in coastal Maine properties and is one of its most successful brokers. Meeting clients, touring luxurious homes, and negotiating deals prompted her to pick up her pen and create Darby Farr, a gutsy agent solving bloody crimes while selling property.

Vicki belongs to Mystery Writers of America and is on the board of Sisters in Crime, New England. Still active as a real estate broker, she belongs to the National Association of Realtors and was a Realtor of the Year in 2009.

"One of my biggest passions is the organization Habitat for Humanity. I have been on several builds around the country and am Board President of my local chapter, Midcoast Habitat for Humanity." Because she is "all about houses"-- building them, selling them, and writing mysteries about them, Vicki gives part of her book proceeds to this organization. When she is not writing, she cycles, knits, hikes, and eats lobster with her family on the coast of Maine.

"Real estate is full of intrigue, greed, and passion. I love weaving this milieu into the suspense of a traditional mystery novel. Think about how emotional selling a house can be... now combine that with murder! I'm having a wonderful time writing suspenseful plots, describing luxurious homes, and creating memorable characters. I hope you enjoy reading Darby's thrilling adventures as much as I enjoy writing them."

Read more about the author at her website www.vickidoudera.com. Become A Darby Farr Mysteries Facebook Fan and follow Vicki's "Mysterious Moments" on Twitter.