Autumn has come to Cedar County. It’s harvest time. The trees and vines in the orchards and vineyards are heavy with ripening fruit. For the tourists flocking to the tasting rooms of the region’s vineyards, the land- scapes and seascapes provide an elaborate tapestry of rich colors and textures.
However, there is one discordant note in this pastoral splendor, the crumpled body of an international … international wine maven has been discovered in a steeply terraced vine- yard of merlot grapes. As Sheriff Ray Elkins quickly discovers, the roots of this crime run from the legendary chateaus of Burgundy to the exclusive watering holes of Chinese billionaires.
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I find the main character interesting, and also like the natural background.
Great book
Loved this book! Am reading the whole Ray Elkins series.
I happen to like Sherrif Ray Elkins, he’s a good solid person and I find his small town character very appealing. It’s like meeting an old friend when you like a personality from former books.
Great Read!!!!! I am reading the entire 9 book series. The Sheriff Ray Elkins is just a small town no nonsense law man. An each story is an Adventure.
Couldn’t put it down.
A good addition to the series. Interesting details about wine making, good descriptions of unusual setting in western Michigan
Great setting
The end was not guessable until nearly there. It did fold up rather suddenly at the end but the plot was complex and perplexing.
Love this whole series of Aaron Stander (Ray Elkins) books!
Great read, twisty plot!
Accurate portrayal of northern lower Michigan by a great author.
This is an entertaining book which develops a god story to a logical conclusion. There is a problem in that too many things are revealed and explained at the very end. For some of them there should have been a little build up. Some sections seemed to just arise under their own power. This tends to leave the reader with a feeling of having missed something.
Despite my concerns, I enjoyed the book and will read another by this author.
Great characters and Northern Michigan nuances were perfect.
Enjoyable read
The ending was a little abrupt.
I did not find it that great of read. Was too wordy. Not bad story, but rather boring.
Well written, good depiction of characters I sometimes think i’d like to spend time with. I’ve always appreciated good writing w/characters in a series. The author seems to have absorbed well his experiences in the various environments he places his character in.
OTOH, his characterizations of his “bad guys” are one-dimensional stereotypes. He seems to have a left-leaning professor’s disdain for anyone who could possibly have a different opinion than he does (e.g., about God, guns, and climate change). Having said that, these characters aren’t usually recurrent, so maybe it’s not that big a deal.
Still, I’d have to classify him as one of those authors who, as Peter Wimsey said to Harriet Vane, hasn’t “yet written the book he could”.
I’d have liked to given the book 4 stars, but this isn’t a book I’d come back and reread.
A good read!
Love his style of writing and his characters. You feel you know them.