The Vineyard Victims - (Wine Country Mysteries) by Ellen Crosby (Paperback)

About the Book

"When Jamison Vaughn --Virginia real estate mogul, vineyard owner, and failed US presidential candidate --drives his gold SUV into a stone pillar at the entrance to Montgomery Estate Vineyard, Lucie Montgomery is certain the crash was deliberate. But everyone else in town is equally sure that Jamie must have lost control of the SUV on a rain-slicked country road. In spite of being saddled with massive campaign debts from the election, Jamie is seemingly the man with the perfect life. What possible reason could he have for committing suicide? Lucie soon uncovers a connection between Vaughn, his old friends (an elite group of academics), and a twenty-five year old murder of a brilliant PhD student. It turns out that this group all had motives for wanting the scientist dead, but that they were freed from suspicion when a handyman was arrested and convicted of the crime. But the more Lucie digs, the more convinced she becomes that this could be a case of wrongful conviction --possibly even a set-up. Lucie realizes she has now put herself in danger from someone who doesn't want her investigating Webb's death. She must work to solve two murders--one decades-old, one that proves intensely personal to Lucie --before someone silences her... for good"--

Book Synopsis

The death of a former presidential candidate in a fiery car crash at her Virginia vineyard has ties to a thirty year-old murder, as well as to Lucie Montgomery's own near fatal accident ten years ago, as she searches for a killer who now may be stalking her.

When Jamison Vaughn--billionaire real estate mogul, Virginia vineyard owner, and unsuccessful U.S. presidential candidate--drives his gold SUV into a stone pillar at the entrance to Montgomery Estate Vineyard, Lucie Montgomery is certain the crash was deliberate. But everyone else in Atoka, Virginia is equally sure that Jamie must have lost control of his car on a rain-slicked country road. In spite of being saddled with massive campaign debts from the recent election, Jamie is seemingly the man with the perfect life. What possible reason could he have for committing suicide . . . or was it murder?

Before long Lucie uncovers a connection between Jamie and some of his old friends--an elite group of academics--and the brutal murder thirty years ago of a brilliant PhD student. Although a handyman is on death row for the crime, Lucie soon suspects someone else is guilty. But the investigation into the two deaths throws Lucie a curve ball when someone from her own past becomes involved, forcing her to confront old demons. Now the race to solve the mystery behind the two deaths becomes intensely personal as Lucie realizes someone wants her silenced . . . for good.

The Vineyard Victims is a nominee for the 2018 Mary Higgins Clark Award.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Vineyard Victims:

"Crosby's full-bodied eighth Wine Country mystery... keeps the reader guessing until the exciting climax." --Publishers Weekly

"A fine mystery, solid characterization, and a shocking finale." --Kirkus Reviews

Praise for The Champagne Conspiracy:

"Charming, funny... a superior cozy." --USA Today

"The wine industry and the ins and outs of running a winery provide the background for this mystery with its well-drawn characters and satisfying puzzles. Recommend to... anyone who enjoys mysteries in which historical research plays a key role." --Booklist

"A series of cliff-hangers help propel the intriguing, well-paced plot. Like Lucie's best wines, this story combines freshness, body, and considerable complexity." --Publishers Weekly

"A sparkling and heady whodunit." --Richmond Times-Dispatch

"Another cozy charmer!" --Library Journal

More praise for the Wine Country Mysteries:

"Crosby has constructed a neat whodunit, supported by enough wine-making lore to give it some extra body." --The New York Times on The Merlot Murders

"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 on The Merlot Murders

"Crosby imbues her work with a killer plot (and surprising conclusion), agreeable characters, polished prose and colorful detail. . . . Blended, they provide a superior yield." --The Richmond Times-Dispatch on The Sauvignon Secret

"The meticulously researched historical background--always a hallmark in Crosby's novels--is nicely balanced by an intriguing mystery." --Booklist on The Vintage Vendetta

"If wine be the nectar of the gods, Ellen Crosby's series of wine-flavored mysteries is a heady quaff for us mere mortals... The Bordeaux Betrayal is a long swallow of pure delight." --Easton (MD) Star-Democrat

About the Author

ELLEN CROSBY is the author of the Virginia wine country mystery series, which began with The Merlot Murders. She has also written a mystery series featuring international photojournalist Sophie Medina, and Moscow Nights, a standalone. Previously she was a freelance reporter for The Washington Post, Moscow correspondent for ABC News Radio, and an economist at the U.S. Senate.