After losing her job as a photojournalist, Penny Lively is trying to get her life back in focus. Inheriting the family winery from her late aunt may be the fresh start she needs. Thankfully she’s got her niece Hayley and her handsome winery manager Connor to help. But the person in need of more urgent assistance is Antonia Martinelli, the owner of the neighboring winery, who has her own barrel full of problems. Someone’s spoiling her wine, and with the upcoming Autumn Festival, she needs Penny’s nose for clues to sniff out the culprit.
But Penny’s search for answers sours after the body of a staff member is found in a grape crusher. Since Hayley was the last to see him alive, she’s the prime suspect in the case. Now Penny must hurry to find the real killer before Hayley withers on the vine.
Where was I? Right. So after a long career as an
investigative photojournalist, I came home to the winery I’d inherited. I’d
been worried small town life would be too slow. Instead, I’ve been back less
than a year and so far I’ve managed to find more bodies than I did in an entire
career investigating situations where
one might reasonably expect to find bodies. The local police can’t decide what
to do with me, but it’s not like I’m asking
for this. Although, I have to admit, once I’m involved I’m not about to
walk away. Either the police manage to get it wrong, or someone I care about is
a suspect and asks for my help. The first time it happened, my neighbor,
Antonia Martinelli, thought someone was sabotaging her winery. She didn’t want
to go to the police because she thought one of her children might be involved.
Simple, right? Nobody mentioned murder.
They never really do.
Between running the winery and running just ahead of whatever
mess I’m no doubt in, I stay pretty busy. Connor does most of the heavy lifting
when it comes to the winery, so I have free time on my hands. I spend most of
it with my camera, a holdover from my last profession. My focus is on the
landscape now, and this is a part of the country where it’s easy to find
inspiration. The winery is beautiful, vineyards stretched across rolling hills
in tones of bronze and umber, and just a short drive from Monterey Bay, Pebble
Beach and the fabulous town of Cypress Cove.
That’s another thing; murder just shouldn’t happen
somewhere so beautiful. The mean streets of Los Angeles? Sure. The underbelly
of Chicago? Who’s surprised? Nobody. Here, when you find a body set against
such beauty, it seems so much more shocking, vicious, and wrong. There’s a
Latin saying, “It is well to
remember that there are five reasons for drinking: the arrival of a friend;
one's present or future thirst; the excellence of the wine; or any other
reason.” After what I’ve just been through I
would include finding a body in your neighbor’s crusher. Just saying.
It's told in a first person point of view with Penny, our protagonist, at the helm. It's funny, entertaining and of course, full of wine references left and right. It's a smart story with rich descriptive words that leave you feeling as if you've been transformed right in to the middle of this beautiful setting. And the mystery is unique and leaves you scratching your head until the very end.
I absolutely loved this book. Everything about it. Penny, Antonia - the entire cast of characters. The vineyards, the humor and most of all, the wine :) Having read this story, I can honestly tell you that this series is quickly going to become a favorite of mine. I can just feel it.
Rating: 5 stars
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All conclusions reached are my own.
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