Author: Ellen Crosby
Published: April 5th 2022 by Severn House Publishers
Format: Kindle, Hardcover, 297 pages
Genre: Amature Sleuth
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Wine Country Mysteries #12
First Sentence: Julia Child once said that every woman should have a blowtorch in the kitchen. To that I would add: and a chain saw in the garden.
Blurb: In just over a week vineyard owner Lucie Montgomery and winemaker Quinn Santori will be married in a ceremony overlooking what should be acres of lush flowering grapevines. Instead they are confronted by an ugly swathe of slowly dying vines and a nursery owner who denies responsibility for selling the diseased plants. With neighboring vineyards facing the same problem, accusations fly and the ugly stand-off between supplier and growers looks set to escalate into open warfare.
When Eve Kerr, a stunning blonde who works at the nursery, is found dead a few days later, everyone wonders if someone in the winemaking community went too far. What especially troubles Lucie is why Eve secretly arranged to meet Quinn on the day she was murdered - and whether Lucie's soon-to-be husband knows something he's not telling her.
Then a catastrophic storm blows through, destroying everything in its path. With no power, no phones, and no wedding venue, Lucie needs to find out who killed Eve and what her death had to do with Quinn. (GoodReads)
My Opinion: If it wasn’t for the fact I have made it thus far in the series -- I may have given up. The first twenty percent of the book is a history lesson on the area, a wine-making dissertation, and a deep dive on root goo. Except for the root disease, this has been covered in practically all previous books and feels like filler. I had started scanning until something piqued my interest.
Forty percent into the book, Lucie Montgomery, amateur sleuth, finally has something to investigate. With her soon-to-be husband considered a suspect, Lucy has no other choice than to dive headfirst into questioning her likely suspects, but then again, I wonder if she would have bothered with a wedding to plan and failing vines.
Three-quarters through the book, Ellen Crosby decides to slot the pieces together and gets back to the mystery part of the book; instead of the repetition of climate change, root goo, and a great deal of background noise.
At least Thelma and her word usage were entertaining. In the future, Ellen Crosby needs to decide what story she wants to tell since this mash-up seemed to have been chaotic and off-putting.
Blurb: In just over a week vineyard owner Lucie Montgomery and winemaker Quinn Santori will be married in a ceremony overlooking what should be acres of lush flowering grapevines. Instead they are confronted by an ugly swathe of slowly dying vines and a nursery owner who denies responsibility for selling the diseased plants. With neighboring vineyards facing the same problem, accusations fly and the ugly stand-off between supplier and growers looks set to escalate into open warfare.
When Eve Kerr, a stunning blonde who works at the nursery, is found dead a few days later, everyone wonders if someone in the winemaking community went too far. What especially troubles Lucie is why Eve secretly arranged to meet Quinn on the day she was murdered - and whether Lucie's soon-to-be husband knows something he's not telling her.
Then a catastrophic storm blows through, destroying everything in its path. With no power, no phones, and no wedding venue, Lucie needs to find out who killed Eve and what her death had to do with Quinn. (GoodReads)
My Opinion: If it wasn’t for the fact I have made it thus far in the series -- I may have given up. The first twenty percent of the book is a history lesson on the area, a wine-making dissertation, and a deep dive on root goo. Except for the root disease, this has been covered in practically all previous books and feels like filler. I had started scanning until something piqued my interest.
Forty percent into the book, Lucie Montgomery, amateur sleuth, finally has something to investigate. With her soon-to-be husband considered a suspect, Lucy has no other choice than to dive headfirst into questioning her likely suspects, but then again, I wonder if she would have bothered with a wedding to plan and failing vines.
Three-quarters through the book, Ellen Crosby decides to slot the pieces together and gets back to the mystery part of the book; instead of the repetition of climate change, root goo, and a great deal of background noise.
At least Thelma and her word usage were entertaining. In the future, Ellen Crosby needs to decide what story she wants to tell since this mash-up seemed to have been chaotic and off-putting.
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