The Chardonnay Charade

This is the third Wine Country Mystery I have read and I hope there are more in the works. As a Virginia wine lover, I enjoy reading about the growing of the grapes and the creation of the wines. I just wish Lucie Montgomery was a real person I could visit her vineyard!

This is the second in the Wine Country series of mysteries that began with THE MERLOT MURDERS. The series focuses on Lucie Montgomery who has taken over her family's business, the vineyard that her late mother had started and that her father had nearly bankrupt before his death. As THE CHARDONNAY CHARADE begins it is about nine months after the events of the previous novel. Lucie and her winemaker Quinn have managed, despite their differences, both personal and professional, to keep the vineyard going, even to the extent of expanding their plantings. Unfortunately the Virginia spring has turned unseasonably cold forcing them to drastic measures to keep the vines from freezing. Even more unfortunately after two sleepless nights of battling the weather a guest from a reception held at the vineyard is found dead among vines that had just been sprayed with a particularly toxic pesticide. Now not only did Lucie have to deal with inclement weather but also with the very real threat that the EPA would close the vineyard. This is an interesting new series, one that is definitely in the cozy genre. The cast of recurring characters is large and well written and the location is described in such detail that the vineyard and surrounding areas become almost another character. It is unusual for this genre in that the mysteries have enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing until the end. The overall story arcs (concerning Lucie's rather dysfunctional family and her romances), are particularly strong in this series so that it would be better for the reader to begin at the beginning. The elements all come together so well that most readers will want to immediately start on the next entry in the series, THE BORDEAUX BETRAYAL.

The Wine Country Mystery series by Ellen Crosby is tops - and shows its worth with this second tale. Beginning with "The Merlot Murders," the author introduced a plot that suits a small-town setting, plus an insider's view of wine growing, served up with a witty dash of history. Yet, these are not cozies. Crosby's characters have flesh-and-blood qualities that whisper to our own foibles. In this second book, "The Chardonnay Charade," Lucie is struggling against a spring frost to keep her vineyard from freezing, when she discovers the lifeless body of a politician, well-laced with pesticide (there's a certain underlying symmetry here). On-the-job jealousies, a younger sister at flame-out age, and unraveling relationships contribute to Lucie's challenges in identifying the murderer. Crosby's writing is smooth and sure-handed as she develops characters and reveals each suspenseful step. All of which leads to a real-life mystery: When will we see the next book in this series? It's good stuff.

Once in a while I get an urge to read a mystery and this time Ellen Crosby's title caught my eye. I read it in one day, easily, and found it refreshing. Just enough detail to keep the story grounded without the boredom of too many technical details on vineyards, political campaigns, pesticides and other topics that would have bogged down any number of writers. Crosby deftly presented the story with a lovely set of characters and the action begins by the end of chapter one and keeps right on moving through the last chapter. I'll be searching out her other book and hope that she writes more.

The late seasonal frost endangers the vines in Lucie Montgomery's Virginia based winery. Lucie spends the night freezing as she and her crew tries to keep the vines from freezing. However, upon daylight, to her chagrin, Lucie finds the corpse of politician Georgia Greenwood. The police investigate the murder with the victim's husband Ross as the prime (and only) suspect. Meanwhile since Georgia's body was contaminated by pesticide, EPA officials consider fining Lucie for misuse. She plans to stay out of the inquiry as she has enough to do with her winery, her alcoholic sister, and her jealous ire at her winemaker. An outraged Lucie decides to investigate the homicide as she does not trust the nouveau officialdom to seek the truth when she and Ross are convenient. The latest A Wine Country Mystery (see THE MERLOT MURDERS) goes down smooth from start to finish due to Lucie's actions as she adapts from saving her vines to saving her friend and her reputation. The contrast between old money and the invading newcomers add regional depth to this fine tale. However, it is the cast from the bristly heroine to her winemaker to her sister to her friend and finally the cops who turn THE CHARDONNAY CHARADE into a palate pleasing tasty tale. Harriet Klausner