Its harvest time and trouble is fermenting for Virgina winemaker Lucie Montgomery in this warm-hearted, twisty mystery featuring small-town rivalries, buried secrets and full-bodied murder. When a vineyard accident during harvest season leaves Lucie Montgomery without a valuable employee, its her worst nightmare. But before she can search for a replacement, theres more bad news: Paul Merchant, her winery managers husband, is found dead at the bottom of his swimming pool. Police rule Pauls death an accident, but his wife insists he was murdered because of his leadership of Dont Pave Paradise, a conservationist group lobbying to keep the regions beautiful country roads unpaved. And six weeks ago, Pauls predecessor also died under mysterious circumstances. As Lucie is drawn into investigating Pauls death, she discovers more than one motive for the crimeand more than one person in their close-knit community who wanted Paul dead. And when she finds an old photo of a beautiful local heiress who died tragically in a fire eighty years ago among Pauls papers, she starts to wonder if the modern-day crime might have roots in the past. Either way, someone is determined to make sure Lucie, whos agreed to continue the work of Dont Pave Paradise, hits a dead end before she even gets started. Even if it means committing murder. Again. Ellen Crosbys Wine Country novels are a compulsively readable ( Publishers Weekly ) and a treat for oenophile mystery fans if you havent met Lucie before, curl up with a glass of wine and jump right in!
