The Merlot Murders

A Wine Country Mystery

By: Ellen Crosby

Narrated by: P. J. Davis-Oran

Lucie Montgomery's semi-estranged brother, Eli, calls her in France to tell her that their father, Leland, has been killed in a hunting accident on the family's 500-acre Virginia vineyard. But the vineyard is now shabby and run-down, and her siblings want to sell it. Then Lucie's godfather tells her Leland's death was no accident. With her greedy brother, hell-raising sister, and a seemingly cut-rate vintner hired by Leland just before he died, all the suspects are disturbingly close to home. Unsure whom she can trust, Lucie must uncover the truth - and oversee a successful harvest - to save the vineyard she loves.Uncork another Wine Country Mystery.©2006 Ellen Crosby (P)2006 BBC Audiobooks America

Critic reviews

"Like a fine wine, Crosby's debut is complex and intricate....This is a terrific kickoff to what promises to be a highly satisfying new series." ( Publishers Weekly)

Amazing narrator and the writing is superb!

I was on the edge of my seat!!! Great characters!

Just a heads up tho.. the next book has a different narrator and... she's not as good. Noticeably not as good. I went from book 1 right into book 2. The series is THAT good! but... try to hang in there with the next narrator for book 2.

I read book one years ago and loved it. Really enjoyed listening to it on Audible so many years later!

Fun Story with Historical VA Winemaking

Interesting story with some good twists and turns. Loved learning about the hx of wine making in VA,all the way back to Thomas Jefferson. Looking forward to the next one.

Well won resolution

I had a hard time getting started on this story due to the irritation. I felt about the brother and sister arguing. However, is the story developed became more intriguing.

Murder in a winery

In <strong>The Merlot Murders</strong> by Ellen Crosby, Lucie Montgomery has lived in France on her family's vineyard for the previous two years. She has needed recuperate from a serious car accident that put her in a wheelchair for a long time before physical therapy gave her the ability to walk, but with a limp. Then one evening Lucie gets a phone call from her brother, Eli, with whom she hasn't had contact in months. Their father, Leland, has suddenly died in a shooting accident, and Lucie must drop everything immediately to catch the first plane in order for Lucie to get to the funeral in time.

When Lucie arrives, Eli meets her at the airport and takes her to the vineyard in Virginia on land that their family was awarded for their participation in the American Revolution. Their late mother set up the vineyard from valuable French vines, and it is finally ready to produce its finest quality wine. In the car, Eli lets Lucie know that Fitz, Lucie's godfather, has been claiming that Leland was murdered and wants her to stop Fitz's talk.

But what Lucie finally discovers is that Eli's true purpose in talking to her is that he intends to sell the vineyard, not seeing any value in the land that their family has owned over 200 years. But then at the viewing, Fitz encourages Lucie to find the murderer of her father and also fight to prevent her brother and sister from selling the vineyard. When Eli, in anger over Fitz's communications, chases off Fitz, no one sees Lucie's godfather again. Instead, the next day a winery worker finds him in a ? filled with 100% carbon dioxide, which would have asphyxiated Fitz immediately. This leads to a search for the killer, all while Lucie is dealing with her family's pressure to sell off the vineyard that has been in her family for generations.

I really enjoyed listening to <strong>The Merlot Murders</strong>. The characters seemed very realistic, with their own personal strengths and weaknesses. They made me relate to them and connect to the story. The plot was intriguing and kept my interest throughout the course of the entire book.

P.J. Davis-Oran performs the audio edition of this book. She plays the part of Lucie effectively, giving good expression to her narration. As she performs the other characters, she uses good voices for each one, especially doing a strong job with the French characters and their accents. One problem I did have with the audiobook, however, is that the volume is irregular, louder at times and then softer.

<strong>The Merlot Murders</strong> was a well-written book, with plenty of fascinating information about the wine industry in Virginia and about Thomas Jefferson as well. I appreciated the book and look forward to listening to the next book in the series. I give the book five stars.

Enjoying this new series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and this narrator. I actually came back to write the review to note, that this narrator is so much better.