The Merlot Murders ((Wine Country Mysteries, Book 1) [Mass Market Paperback]

Ellen Crosby (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 31, 2007

"Finely ladled suspense," says the Sun-Sentinel about the complex flavor of Ellen Crosby's debut mystery set in the wealthy Blue Ridge wine country of northern Virginia, where vineyard heiress Lucie Montgomery must find a killer or lose her cherished family heritage.

Leland Montgomery's death was deemed accidental, but when his daughter Lucie returns home from France, she finds the once-thriving family vineyard run down, collapsing under huge debt. Lucie's godfather warns her that Leland's demise may have been the result of an attempt to force the sale of the vineyard. Her extravagant brother and rebellious sister are determined to sell the estate, and there's something suspicious about the vintner her father hired right before he died. When another oenophile turns up dead, asphyxiated in a tank of Merlot, Lucie -- the lone holdout preventing the vineyard's sale -- realizes she's next in line for an "accident." Can she trust in the proverb in vino veritas -- in wine there is truth -- as she attempts to survive a very bad year for Merlot?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Like a fine wine, Crosby's debut is complex and intricate. Lucie Montgomery, an American ex-pat who's been holed up in France for two years, returns to her family's vineyard in the Virginia countryside after the death of her father in a supposed hunting accident. Once home, Lucie discovers that the vineyard is collapsing under huge debt; her brother, Eli, has turned into a materialistic jerk; her little sister has taken up with Lucie's ex; and her godfather, Fitz, has become a lush. When, on the heels of papa Montgomery's funeral, Fitz is found dead, Lucie's suspicions are stoked. These deaths were no accident, and suspects abound. Crosby, a freelance reporter for the Washington Post, has seamlessly woven in details about wine making and interesting historical tidbits about Thomas Jefferson's (unsuccessful) efforts to establish a wine industry in early Virginia. This is a terrific kickoff to what promises to be a highly satisfying new series. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Lucie Montgomery is recuperating in France from an automobile accident that left her dependent on a cane. When her brother calls to tell her that their father, Leland, has died, she returns to the family estate in Virginia. She finds that both the house and the vineyards have been badly neglected due to her father's gambling and shady business deals. Her brother, Eli, needs money to support his new wife's expensive tastes, and he has persuaded their younger sister, Mia, to sell the estate. Before the funeral, Lucie's godfather tells her that Leland's death was not accidental and that the possible sale of the land played a part in the murder. Lucie must uncover the truth about the murder if she is to ensure the vineyard's survival. An absorbing plot, rich with details on the wine industry, and an evocative sense of the lush Virginia countryside are the main sources of appeal here. Barbara Bibel
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Books (July 31, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416536043
• ISBN-13: 978-1416536048
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #138,938 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful combination of history, winemaking & murder, September 8, 2006

By 

Catherine J. Reid (Geneva, Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Merlot Murders: A Wine Country Mystery (Wine Country Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Crosby has topped her first novel, Moscow Nights, by exchanging the bleak Soviet landscape for the luscious hills of Virginia. Other reviewers have reiterated the plot, so I'll confine my comments to the feel and breadth of the book. When I pick up a contemporary murder mystery (not so often these days) I don't expect to be wowed by the historical and technical detail in it. Somehow the author works Virginia, Civil War and wine making history into the story without interfering in the unfolding events of multiple murder. By the end of the book, I felt I needed to know how wine is processed and aged in order to fully grasp what was happening. I found myself rereading the descriptions of the barrel room and surroundings instead of skimming over them. I agree with the reviewer who thought Lucie was the only likeable character in the book. The first person narrative had us inside her skin and her paranoid, askewed perceptions. The old adage, "just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not after you," certainly applies to Lucie's predicament. Crosby expertly evokes Lucie's combined anger and grief over her injury, heart break and familys deaths. Somehow the character reaches into herself to get the strength to hold onto what was dear to her mother, the person most beloved by her. The oppressive heat and humidity only compound the heavy atmosphere of the book. The many (quirky)characters suggest a real community and also offer a cast for future stories. It will be interesting to see if and how Crosby develops Lucie's personality and allows her wounds to heal.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A PROMISING DEBUT FOR A NEW MYSTERY SERIES, August 25, 2006

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Merlot Murders: A Wine Country Mystery (Wine Country Mysteries) (Hardcover)

"Murders don't happen in Atoka, Virginia. People don't even litter there."

At least that's what Lucie thought when she returned to her family's vineyard after two years in France. She had gone to Europe in order to recuperate from a near fatal auto accident which left her with a badly disfigured leg and dependent upon a cane. Greg had been driving the car. He not only left her physically injured but also heartbroken. So, escaping to Grasse where she worked as a perfume institute guide had seemed like an excellent idea.

She is coming home after a telephone call from her brother, Eli, informing her of their father's death. She is told he died in a hunting accident. Losing her father so suddenly is trauma enough but Lucie is all but devastated when she sees the state of her family's home and winery - utter disrepair. Further, Eli has already made funeral arrangements for their father without consulting her. It's going to be quick, too fast for Lucie.

Eli isn't at all the brother she remembered. He's now the picture of sartorial elegance, married to Brandi who reminds all of a Playboy centerfold, and eager to get his hands on cash by selling their vineyard. Selling is out of the question as far as Lucie is concerned: "My mother had been excited by the renaissance in Virginia wine making that took place in the 1970s, among the first to see the possibilities of converting some of our acreage from growing hay to growing grapes. To give up now on her dreams, when our vines were just coming into their best production years, was unthinkable."

Greg still has the burnished good looks of a Greek god and is dating Lucie's younger sister. Her godfather, Fitz, has taken to the bottle far too often. When he's found dead in a vat of Merlot some would like to say he fell in during a drunken stupor. Two mysterious deaths are two too many, and when Lucie realizes that someone would like her out of the way she determines not to be the third. She finds an ally in a most unlikely man.

Ellen Crosby, a reporter for the Washington Post, enriches her story with information about wine making and descriptions of the verdant Virginia countryside. She builds suspense with a practiced hand, keeping readers turning pages until the mystery is solved. A promising debut!

- Gail Cooke

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Complex Wine Mystery Début, August 17, 2006

By 

L Smith "acozylover" (Macomb, MI) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Merlot Murders: A Wine Country Mystery (Wine Country Mysteries) (Hardcover)

In the 1st book in the Wine Country mystery series, we meet siblings Lucie, Eli, and Mia Montgomery. They are descendants of a once-wealthy family who owns a 500-acre vineyard in Virginia along with their father and godfather. Lucie has been hiding in France for two years, recovering both emotionally and physically from a devastating car accident that crippled her left leg and left her using a cane to walk. She receives a call from Eli early one morning, only to discover that their father has died under mysterious circumstances. Lucie goes home for the funeral, and discovers that their beautiful estate has become run-down and is deep in debt. Now that her father has died, Lucie's brother and sister want to sell the vineyard and split the proceeds. However, the vineyard is still owned in part by Lucie and her godfather, Fitz, who sides with Lucie and refuses to sell. When Fitz is found dead from another "accident", Lucie quickly begins to question whether one of her siblings is desperate enough for money to kill their father and godfather. Lucie must work fast to put a stop to the killings and try to save the vineyard that she dearly loves and wants to keep within the family.

Being unlike many cozies on the market today with its complex and intricate plot, I was intrigued with the style and the writing in this book. The plot was interesting, and offered plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing as to the identity of the killer. I enjoyed the somewhat "tragic" character of Lucie, and how she continued to fight for everything she loves despite her disability. I look forward to reading more books in this fascinating new series.

Enjoy!