Book Review: ‘Harvest Of Secrets’ Is The Next Fun Wine Country Mystery

Mary Higgins Clarke Award-nominated author Ellen Crosby is back with her newest Wine Country Mystery. This time Lucie Montgomery is in the thick of it. There is a hurricane coming and they need to get picking of their grapes in order to get their wine made. Problem is the grapes aren’t quite ready and there’s a shortage of workers. Then there’s a skull found near the entrance of the family cemetery and no one has any idea who she is or why she was buried there. Then there’s Jean-Claude de Marignac, who is working at the estate next to her family land. As a kid Lucie was in love with him but hasn’t seen him in many years since her time in France.

Jean-Claude has been rubbing people the wrong way and soon he’s found dead by Lucie. There are a number of suspects including her own cousin and Miguel Otero, an immigrant worked who is on the run, he had recently had an argument with him. Lucie doesn’t think he did it. She goes on the hunt for the person that is the killer and soon finds herself in danger.

She also investigates the skull and soon learns more than she bargained for. Family secrets come out that shock her and reveal more than she ever thought possible. It’s a lot to process and she has to come clean with her family and has no idea how they will react to what she has found out.

My first time reading one of Ellen Crosby’s Wine Country Mystery books and I really enjoyed it. The characters are well-written and defined and the the story flows along nicely. And it’s an interesting look at the wine industry and how wine is made, bottled and sold. There’s also historical information as part of the story, so a little bit for everyone in this fun mystery.

You can pick it up in stores on Tuesday, November 6th from Minotaur Books.