Tangled Vines [Hardcover]

Janet Dailey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 7, 1992

Kelly Douglas rises from an abusive childhood to become a news anchor, but the pain of the past threatens to surface when she covers a murder case linked to her father. 250,000 first printing. $250,000 ad/promo. Lit Guild. Doubleday. Reader's Digest Cond Bks. Tour.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Dailey's latest novel (after Aspen Gold ), which all but begs to be made into a TV miniseries, features elegant nonegarian Katherine Rutledge, who runs her family's Napa Valley winery. Katherine is beset by problems caused by her estranged son, who runs a rival winery, and an alcoholic, n'er-do-well neighbor, Len Dougherty, who lives in squalor on 10 acres given to his family by the Rutledges as compensation for the accidental death of his father, a Rutledge employee. Enter beautiful, ambitious Kelly Douglas, a rising TV newscaster assigned to prepare an in-depth report on the Rutledge winery. Kelly dreads the assignment because it threatens the new life she has built for herself since she escaped her physically abusive father: Dougherty. Soon she is involved in a murder in which her father is the prime suspect, and her loathing for him conflicts with her sense of filial responsibility. Further complications ensue via her attraction to that grows between her and Sam Rutledge, Katherine's grandson and the manager of the Rutledge winery. With a single exception, the plot is predictable; the characters have little substance, and the dialogue is wooden in the extreme. This hackneyed novel will try the loyalty of Dailey's legions of fans.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

This time out, Dailey (Aspen Gold, etc.)--sets her dynasty- feudin' romance in the wine-growing country of California. But after the start--a TV anchorwoman in New York has a terrifying childhood flashback, and threats fly in Napa Valley--it's all on automatic pilot. On the Rutledge estate--a class winery run by a proud, cane- stumping ancient, 90-year-old Katherine Rutledge--some plans to merge with a French winery are fermenting. In the meantime, Katherine has never set much store by taciturn grandson Sam, and Gilbert, Katherine's surviving son, hates his mother so much that, along with his son Clay, he's established his own excellent winery down the road. Also growling around the vines is ne'er-do-well drunkard Len Dougherty, owner of ten acres of Rutledge vineyard that were given to him after the job-related death of his father. Len has one daughter--none other than the East coast anchorwoman now known as Kelly Douglas. Kelly won't give her dad a dime--not after a childhood of abuse--but now Len needs money and so offers his services to Gilbert, who would love to muck up the French deal for Mom. Eventually, Kelly will be forced to return to home territory to cover the merger story--but before the happy close, there'll be a murder, an old scandal uncorked, a confrontation between Kelly and Len, and (of course) romance. It's all here: the still-handsome dynasty head, sharp as a tack at 90; head-butting family rows; and just enough about that wine biz for a fleeting infusion of reality. (And, believe it or not, to fuel a pun: ``Life,'' says Sam, ``is a cabernet.'') Easy going for Dailey fans. (Literary Guild Triple Selection for October) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 363 pages
• Publisher: Little Brown & Co (T); 1st edition (August 7, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316171565
• ISBN-13: 978-0316171564
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,597,836 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't bother!!!, June 10, 2010

By 

Stacy Black "Booklover" (South Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tangled Vines (Paperback)

I have read at least one other of Janet Dailey's books and it was great. So as I was shopping in Walmart the other day, I saw this and thought it might be a good read. I am half way through. I have skimmed @ least 1/3 of the pages, trying to get to a part that might seem interesting. I can't seem to get there. The main characters introduced on the back cover have barely even been in the story yet, and they don't even seem interesting! I would not buy this book! I know I will not finish it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Tangled Vines, October 14, 2011

By 

Darlene Martin (Parkersburg, West Virginia United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tangled Vines (Zebra Contemporary Romance) (Paperback)

Excellent! Thanks. Received book in as agreed condition in a timely manner. Love all of Janet Dailey's books and buy them when I can find them.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Kinda boring! Good story but too many details!, July 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Tangled Vines (Mass Market Paperback)

I found this book contained too many unnecessary details, especially on the vineyards in Nappa Valley. I was reading it for entertainment; NOT to find out how to produce and bottle wine. The book did have a good ending though! Overall = there's better books out there to waste your time on this one!