The Bordeaux Betrayal

My favorite kind of mystery is one where you don't know "Whodunit" until the very end. This one definitely qualifies. With lots of little surprises and twists and turns the reader is constantly turning pages to see what's next. And if the reader is also a wine lover, all the better. There are lots of little intimate facts about wine-making that makes one appreciate the process all the more. There is also a facinating mini trip through history involving wine that Thomas jefferson was to give to George Washington. All in all a great read and a really good mystery with tantalizing characters. I'm definitely going to check out the Ms. Crosby's other wine mysteries.

This story is simply terrific!! It is well-written and thoroughly engrossing. The author demonstrates superb character development and paints beautiful scenery with words. The mystery is a lot of fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This book represents the third in the line of the Wine Country Mystery series. It tells the ongoing saga of Lucie Montgomery, the heir of the family vineyard in Virginia. The Bordeaux Betrayal begins at the time of the harvest of the grapes. It is autumn and the author describes the seasonal changes in Virginia beautifully. A critical event is a charity auction of a very rare bottle of wine that Thomas Jefferson bought for George Washington. The mystery surrounds an unexpected, unexplained murder and the fun then really begins!

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery novel. The author has a writing style that is very direct, and has a tendency to describe a situation, then summarize the meaning of what you just read. I thought this might bother me, and I noticed the device, but it worked out fine. It makes the book read faster. However some readers might find it a bit obtrusive, if they prefer to figure out things for themselves. The details about wine production in Virginia (and in general) were very interesting, and the mystery held until the final few pages. I thought the heroine was a bit stupid in some of her actions, but maybe that is just the way the character was meant to be. To me, it was in contrast to her otherwise very sensible behavior and manner. Some people will see this as making the character more complex, but I found it to detract a bit from the story, in that I was wondering "why the heck would she do THAT?", instead of being further drawn into the story. These incidences were like speed bumps on a neighborhood road. I was going to give the review 4 stars, but then I remembered that I could not put the book down, which means it deserves the highest rating. Parents should be aware that there are some adult situations in the novel, and a scattering of graphic language.

This is the third installment in the Wine Country Mystery series that began with THE MERLOT MURDERS. The series features Lucie Montgomery who has taken over the family vineyard that her mother had begun on the Montgomery Virginia family home. THE BORDEAUX BETRAYAL begins a few months after the events of THE CHARDONNAY CHARADE, just as the grapes are being harvested. Lucie and the vineyard staff are preparing for the autumn events, particularly a charity auction that will feature a bottle of wine that Thomas Jefferson had purchased for his friend George Washington. In the weeks leading up to the auction though, many ghosts from the past arrive in the quiet Virginia town, including an old girlfriend and an ex-wife. Sadly these arrivals lead to murder and the revealing of old scandals. This series features both clever, well written mysteries and interesting characters set in the beautiful Virginia (yes, Virginia) wine country. The overall story arc of this series is quite pronounced, so much so that it would be better to read the books strictly in order.

I have read every one of the books in this series so far, and each one has been fantastic. The setting is incredible and I am so glad the author thought to add a map of the vineyard in the front of the books, such a nice detail. Lucie clearly has some personal issues she is working on but I really like how she has grown and developed throughout the books. She was almost irritating in her bitterness and cynicism in the first book but it did not ruin the story, and she gets stronger and stronger in every book. The mystery is made much more complex and interesting by all of the historical aspects- I found it fascinating to read how wine played a part in everything from the Founding Fathers to the Holocaust. A lot is happening in Lucie's personal life, with her beloved grandfather visiting, her cousin's engagement to Joe on the rocks, and Lucie's own confusion about two of the men in her life. I thought these personal storylines really added to the story and the series as a whole. I cannot say enough about how much I enjoy this series. Be forewarned, readers looking for a light and fluffy cozy will not find it here. This series does not seem to fit neatly into any category, it is just darn good reading.