6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
No resolution, October 17, 2009
After finishing this book and thinking about the total story, I was dismayed that nothing was resolved. The villian wasn't caught, the brother (not even sure of why he was introduced) did not grow as a character, Lucie showed more emotion over a situation that couldn't be resolved then the loss of grapes and even the potential loss of her entire years production of Riesling (which I may add you don't know if it was fixed or not). It seemed like this author got tired and ended the book, ever corner she backed herself into she conveniently changed the scene. It was a very unsatisfying read for me.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
There Is Always Another Skeleton In The Closet, March 10, 2010
After a tornado barrels across the Montgomery Vineyards, Lucy soon discovers a skull in the muddy trench left in the wake of the destruction. Unfortunately, it's not just any skull. With so many things currently going on, Quinn and Chance, a new addition to the Vineyard, are at odds, an apparent thief after any credit card they can get their hands on, and Civil War aficionados reenacting the 1861 Battle of Bull's Bluff on her property, this is truly the last thing that she needs. Lucy must once again dive back into the family closet and soon sets out to discover which "skeleton" this is.
Could Lucy's much beloved father really have been responsible for the death or is that just want people to believe about man that the town loved to hate, or does this mystery go deeper?
In this rich blend of southern charm and lovable characters, Crosby once again brings to life the day in and day out conflicts that Lucy Montgomery must deal with in an attempt to bring a well bodied wine to the table.
Though this book could be read as an independent, it's best to start at the beginning to fully understand Lucy, her injury and her deep need to bring back the vineyard to it 's once pristine condition.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE RIESLING RETRIBUTION: A WINE COUNTRY MYSTERY., September 29, 2011
My list of favorite authors is short, but Ellen Crosby has been on it ever since I discovered her. I actually read this book immediately after reading the third because I find her so entertaining.
I am always grateful to see a series list in chronological order. Here are the titles in the Wine Country Mysteries:
1)
The Merlot Murders Wine Country Mysteries, Book 1).
2)
The Chardonnay Charade (Wine Country Mystery).
3)
The Bordeaux Betrayal: A Wine Country Mystery (Wine Country Mysteries).
4)
The Riesling Retribution: A Wine Country Mystery (Wine Country Mysteries).
5)
The Viognier Vendetta: A Wine Country Mystery (Wine Country Mysteries).
6)
The Sauvignon Secret: A Wine Country Mystery (Wine Country Mysteries).
The publisher's blurb sets the scene:
"When a tornado rips through Montgomery Estate Vineyar, it not onlydestroys some of LUCIE MONTGOMERY'S newest grapevines, it also unearths an old grave. When the corpse is identified as a former business associate of Lucie's father LELAND, he quickly becomes the prime suspect. To make matters worse, Lucie's winemaker, QUINN SANTORI, is accused of abusing migrant workers, and a Civil War reenactor is shot with live ammunition on her property."
As alwsays, Crosby's style combines insight with humor:
"They say three people can keep a secret if two of them are dead. The exception to that rule would be if the one person still living was either THELMA JOHNSON, who owned the General Store, or one of the ROMEOS, a cantankerous group of senior citizens whose name stood for 'Retired Old Men Eating Out.' Tomorrow morning, the number-one toic of conversation around the coffepot in the General Store would be the body on my farm. Maybe I should just give up and sell tickets." {Page 55, Large Print Edition}.
Crosby's stories always tell us something we probably didn't know about the South in the Civil War. The 1861 Battle of Ball's Bluff is an amazing tale. We are told, for example, that "The real Ball's Bluff, now preserved as a national battlefield and a park, is a few miles down the Old Carolina Road at the edge of the Potomac River, and is the site of the third-smallest military cemetary in the United States." {Page 11}. The Battle is detailed in three pages at the end of the book.
Crosy's stories always tell us something about winemaking. Two examples:
1)A 'dodine' "was a stirring paddle used to move around the lees, or sediment, and looked like a long metal pole with a small propeller attached at the bottom. Once it was lowered it was lowered inside the barrel it whirred away, stirring everything much like shaking a carton of orange juice after it sat in the refrigerator. Quinn believed in frequent 'battonages,' or barrel stirrings for both reds and whites." {Page87}.
2)"The 'angels' share' was the name vintners give to the natural process of evaporation in the barrels. The story was that it went to the angels who liked drinking wine up in Heaven. Depending on the humidity and temperature, the angels got as much as half a bottle a month per barrel. Not a bad share." {Page201}.
As always,family is at the center of the story. Besides, Leland, we learn more about Lucie's brother, ELI. To me, this is a sweet touch.
One small negative in my mind is the inclusion of quotations by Jimmy Durante and Charlotte Bronte. I do not understand what they bring to the story,
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