Ellen Crosby’s third tale of suspense set amid the vines of Virginia wine country involves a two-hundred-year-old bottle of Bordeaux that Thomas Jefferson may have purchased for George Washington and is turning out to be a wine to die for. It has been a year since Lucie Montgomery took over running her family vineyard at the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. The Bordeaux Betrayal now … Bordeaux Betrayal now sweeps her into a mystery that began more than two centuries ago in France and ends in murder not far from Montgomery Estate Vineyard.
When author and historian Valerie Beauvais turns up dead the night after a verbal brawl with a noted wine critic on the grounds of Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home, Lucie is certain Valerie’s death is related to something she knew concerning the authenticity of the priceless Washington Bordeaux.
As Lucie and her eccentric winemaker Quinn Santori bring in the last grapes of the season, Quinn’s controversial past becomes intertwined with the murder and the rare wine, testing the bonds of their increasingly close relationship. New neighbors challenge Lucie for allowing a century-old hunting club to use her land for foxhunting; Mick Dunne, Lucie’s ex-lover, comes back into her life; and her beloved French grandfather makes an unexpected visit that will rekindle painful memories some would prefer to forget.
As Lucie investigates the shadowy history of the Washington wine, she uncovers a web of deceit and betrayal and a long-forgotten scandal that affects not only the international wine world but her own as well
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I love to read, learn about history, and drink wine. In the Wine Country Mysteries series by Ellen Crosby, I get all three at once… even better when I have a glass in one hand and the book in another. I found this series a few years ago, even though the debut book is approaching two decades in age, and read only the first two books. I enjoyed them but was searching to read a variety of cozies which meant I stopped… but now that I’ve picked a few series to finish out, catching up with The Bordeaux Betrayal happened this week. There are ~10 books in the series with a new one published just this year. I was glad to jump back into this lovely rural world in Virginia (not too far from Washington DC) where Lucie Montgomery is attempting to run a winery after her parents have passed away.
Lucie had a car accident years ago leaving her walking with a cane. Without it, she can barely move. With it, she feels at a disadvantage and works on her emotional and mental side to try to overcome the pain and loss. Her two siblings are distant, and a family friend turned out to be someone she shouldn’t trust. Even Quinn, the winemaker her father hired before his death, is trouble, but Lucie has a crush on him and enjoys the banter. Sometimes it’s a little too much reality in my opinion. In this book, Quinn’s ex-wife shows up in town on the arms of a local winery owner. The owner’s partner has donated a bottle of wine from the late 18th century intended for Thomas Jefferson from France. Is is authentic? It must be if someone wants to kill for it. New in town, Valerie, a woman flirting with Lucie’s on-again / off-again love interest from England, tells Lucie the bottle is possibly a problem for someone. What does she mean? Unfortunately, a car accident takes her life before she can meet Lucie to explain. Who killed her to keep quiet?
The book is great. It’s more of a slow-burner with a lot of focus on the winery business and comings and goings of the people around Lucie. The mystery is strong, but it’s never the primary driver in the story (in a good way). And before anyone asks, I didn’t have a Bordeaux, so I drank a Pinot Noir instead (my favorite red). Lucie’s relationship with the Englishman and an attraction to Quinn heat up… who will win and keep her heart? Or who will save her if she needs help (tho she’s usually good at protecting herself)? Just as she puts everything together, she encounters the killer(s) while visiting a nearby house with her elderly grandfather who’s on a visit from France. (He’s a great character, btw!).
Add in some WW2 drama over the German occupation of France, the spoils of war, the truth about how far people can be pushed, and some drama with fox-hunting, this book has lots of wonderful stories. I recommend the series and this book for anyone who likes a slower mystery with some drama and classic American rural history experiences. Lucie’s plain and simple, but direct and smart. I like her a lot. I already ordered the 4th book for later this month.