Customer Reviews

The Riesling Retribution: A Wine Country Mystery (Wine Country Mysteries)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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,

This is the 4th in Wine Country series of cozy mysteries. The series features Lucie Montgomery who has settled into the family's Virginia estate and taken over the vineyard that her parents had started when Lucie was a child. Now in her late twenties Lucie has struggled with her own problems during the earlier novels in the series, the loss of her parents, the physical aftermath of a car accident, her love life (or lack thereof) as well as the day to day struggle to keep the family vineyard going despite the occasional dead body or two that appear. As this latest installment opens Lucie is caught out on the estate by a rare Virginia tornado, although she manages to escape relatively unscathed the twister has uncovered a skeleton. The investigation of these bones leads to revealing a few skeletons in the family's past and present. As if this is not enough for Lucie to cope with she is also faced with problems among the Winery's work force, yet more family troubles and, once again Lucie has problems in the romance department.

There is a reasonable strong overall arc to this series so for maximum enjoyment it would be best to read these in order beginning with The Merlot Murders. As is often the case with cozy mysteries the true appeal here is with the subplots concerning Lucie's personal life and those of her family and friend. There will undoubtedly be a fifth in this series, or at least it is strongly hoped that there will be because there are many loose ends left with this one.

Strange occurrences are afoot at the Montgomery Estate Winery, leaving everyone scratching their heads about why equipment keeps breaking, harvest isn't being executed properly, grapes are not fermenting, and credit card numbers of patrons and employees alike are being stolen. Could it be that the winery's new employees - Chance and Tyler are to blame? Then, when a tornado uncovers bones from a 30-year-old grave, signs point toward a member of Lucie Montgomery's family - here deceased father. Lucie won't let sleeping dogs lie and in getting to the bottom of this mystery, she alienates friends and family, pursuing a truth that not only hurts, it places her own life in danger. Old lovers and new lovers surface in a novel that leaves the reader with poor resolution to the story. While their is retribution for the killer(s), the perpetrators of various crimes end up walking free as Lucie is left holding the bag on a lifetime of sorrow.

While I love this series and highly recommend Crosby's previous novels including the Merlot Murders and Chardonnay Charade, this installment leaves a lot to be desired. I'm looking forward to the Voignier Vendetta and hope that Crosby will do a better job of resolving her next Montgomery Estate mystery!

From my study window I can see the Bull Run Mountains which lie east of the Montgomery Estate Vineyards, and on every trip to Middleburg or Leesburg I expect to encounter Lucie and the other colorful characters who surround her. Ellen Crosby has done a superb job of capturing the beauty and quirkiness of the Virginia wine country and its people. I look forward to each new addition to her Wine Country Mystery series and am never disappointed.

There are historical facts and tons of information about wine all woven into terrific mysteries. Start at the beginning and don't miss a single one.

I must be enjoying this series because I've been looking forward to the Riesling Retribution but this one was tougher going than the others. The books are all pretty grim, there's little positive to lighten things up. There's more damage to Lucie than her foot and as far as interpersonal relationships goes she personifies a car wreck. She's not particularly warm, she doesn't have a sense of humor. But the fellas like her a lot, so maybe in person she comes across better. Since each fella seems to last 1 book, the new guy better be watching his back. Ellen Crosby is a very skillful writer and it's obvious she has a vast palette of experience to paint with.

This is another great book in this wine mystery series set in Virginia. Fun reading by the fire with a nice glass of reisling.

We LOVE this series and the author's writing. It is enjoyable to read a mystery that weaves in so much local character. You feel as if you are right there staring out a window as this is being played out.

Some people mention that certain characters add little to the story line..well stay tuned. If you have read all four books then you know that a secondary or third character may eventually play a larger role. That is a signal of good writing vs taking the easy way out and introducing a minor character only in the book where they play a part in the mystery.