found this one a bit bumpier than the first. lots of repetition and stalled-out character development. still taken by the setting (though author repeats a lot of the historical info over and over). still interested in a few of the characters and hoping they evolve. but book two just felt like a repeat of book one in many ways. also, within this instalment, it felt a bit christian-y lit with bible quotes and prayers going on. (i sense religion and virginia's history are very important to the author, anyway.) ( )

Lively, suspenseful, lots going on, and I enjoy all the activity happening at the winery, from winemaking to election parties. Although you have to wonder if all these murders at Lucie's winery aren't going to be good for business, lol. ( )

Lucy Montgomery. local Virginia vineyard owner, investigates the death of local socialite to help clear the name of her life-saving doctor and socialite's husband.
I really like this series even though this is only the 2nd book in. There are plenty of recurrent characters and the main characters have sufficient enough development in each novel so far to keep my coming back. The plots have some twists and turns and is interesting enough. And, the author leaves enough clues that you can figure it out before the reveal at the end. Also as a Virginian, but non-native, I love the cultural and historical information. ( )

I read this, the second in the series, immediately after reading the first in the series: The Merlot Murders.

It was enjoyable, predictable and easy to read. I had become only slightly annoyed by the gimmicky formula of a constant sudden occurence of a vital event at the end of each chapter in the first book. Unfortunately this continued in this book and got on my nerves after a while. It's sometimes like reading a cheap old radio script. I can even imagine the organ chiming in as we learn "he's dead" or "she's left" or "he's arrested" or something similar at the end of each chapter.

I am going to have to read a totally different book, by a different author, before coming back to this series as the formula is too annoying.

I have to admit I also do not find our main character, Lucie Montgomery, that likable. ( )

Being a wine lover is the main reason while I started reading this series, but the stories and wine education have brought me back for more.
Lucie Montgomery is the owner of a vineyard in northern Virginia where after a political fundraiser Georgia Greenwood is found murdered in one of the fields. Georga's husband (a doctor) is Lucie's trusted friend and so she sets to work trying to prevent his arrest for his wife's murder. While Lucie endeavors to solve Georgia's murder, she has family problems and personal issues that she has to deal with.
The twists and turns that Lucie traverses in this mystery are cleverly interwoven with details of the wine making processes along with historical references. The solution was a surprise but when you reflect on the clues, you could see that it was in plain sight. The story was filled with solid writing, interesting characters, and entertaining plot twists. Interesting points of reference were maps of the vineyard and surrounding areas that were in the front of the book. ( )