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| The Chardonnay Charade: A Wine Country Mystery (Unabridged) | 
 enlarge | Author: Ellen Crosby
Publisher: audible.com
Category: Book
List Price: $29.95
Buy New: $15.73
You Save: $14.22 (47%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  6 reviews
Media: Audio Download
ASIN: B0015KC8U4
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Product Description
The Chardonnay Charade begins with a daring helicopter flight in the middle of the night. Facing a freak spring frost that threatens to kill the grapes in her vineyard, Lucie Montgomery hires a chopper to fly over the vines in order to blow warm air on them. But her thoughts soon turn from grapes to murder when she discovers the body of Georgia Greenwood, a controversial political candidate, lying near the fields. Georgia's husband, Ross, Lucie's friend and doctor, immediately falls under suspicion. To make matters worse, Ross, a renowned collector of Civil War documents, has just discovered a letter that seems to prove that Confederate president Jefferson Davis had prior knowledge of the plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. In the small town of Atoka, Virginia -- proud home to the "Gray Ghost," the Confederacy's legendary guerrilla commander -- the letter is a bombshell.Three years ago Ross saved Lucie's life after she was involved in a near-fatal car crash. Now she intends to return the favor and prove Ross's innocence. As the search for Georgia's killer escalates, Lucie crosses swords with her attractive but cantankerous winemaker, Quinn Santori, and confronts her own unwelcome feelings of jealousy over his new romance and job prospects. Her worries about her kid sister's out-of-control drinking and a second vineyard-related death further ratchet up the tension. Even though Lucie believes that in vino veritas -- in wine there is truth -- she finds that the path to uncovering a murderer involves making a heartbreaking decision that will alter the lives of those she loves.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1 more reviews...
 In a word...Dreadful! November 23, 2008
The only reason I gave this story 2 stars instead of 1 is due to the enjoyable southern accents in the CD version I listened to. Also, the descriptions of the locale and the winemaking process were interesting.
As for character development, what a joke. Mostly stereotypes; i.e., helpless (and dim witted) southern belle (female detective my foot!); sexist, macho California bozo who argues with the boss lady (aforementioned southern belle) and beds a college dropout who talks like a breathless valley girl ("like" a major annoyance); an upper class Brit who acts like the lord of the manor; kind doctor who turns psycho; bratty teenage sister; etc., etc.
My biggest complaint and disappointment is with the main character, Lucie Montgomery, who is one of the most wishy-washy females ever written. She can't stand up for herself and everyone ends up makeing decisions for her because she's too busy trying to be a gentle, refined southern lady. Gag me with a spoon!!
 Light, refreshing and with a smooth finish August 27, 2008
This is the second in the Wine Country series of mysteries that began with THE MERLOT MURDERS. The series focuses on Lucie Montgomery who has taken over her family's business, the vineyard that her late mother had started and that her father had nearly bankrupt before his death.
As THE CHARDONNAY CHARADE begins it is about nine months after the events of the previous novel. Lucie and her winemaker Quinn have managed, despite their differences, both personal and professional, to keep the vineyard going, even to the extent of expanding their plantings. Unfortunately the Virginia spring has turned unseasonably cold forcing them to drastic measures to keep the vines from freezing. Even more unfortunately after two sleepless nights of battling the weather a guest from a reception held at the vineyard is found dead among vines that had just been sprayed with a particularly toxic pesticide. Now not only did Lucie have to deal with inclement weather but also with the very real threat that the EPA would close the vineyard.
This is an interesting new series, one that is definitely in the cozy genre. The cast of recurring characters is large and well written and the location is described in such detail that the vineyard and surrounding areas become almost another character. It is unusual for this genre in that the mysteries have enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing until the end. The overall story arcs (concerning Lucie's rather dysfunctional family and her romances), are particularly strong in this series so that it would be better for the reader to begin at the beginning. The elements all come together so well that most readers will want to immediately start on the next entry in the series, THE BORDEAUX BETRAYAL.
 Mystery for Wine-Lovers December 29, 2007
A fun read, especiaslly for those of us who are interested in wine-making and the Virginia wine country.
A Tasty Read November 2, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
The Wine Country Mystery series by Ellen Crosby is tops - and shows its worth with this second tale. Beginning with "The Merlot Murders," the author introduced a plot that suits a small-town setting, plus an insider's view of wine growing, served up with a witty dash of history. Yet, these are not cozies. Crosby's characters have flesh-and-blood qualities that whisper to our own foibles. In this second book, "The Chardonnay Charade," Lucie is struggling against a spring frost to keep her vineyard from freezing, when she discovers the lifeless body of a politician, well-laced with pesticide (there's a certain underlying symmetry here). On-the-job jealousies, a younger sister at flame-out age, and unraveling relationships contribute to Lucie's challenges in identifying the murderer. Crosby's writing is smooth and sure-handed as she develops characters and reveals each suspenseful step. All of which leads to a real-life mystery: When will we see the next book in this series? It's good stuff.
One day read August 15, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Once in a while I get an urge to read a mystery and this time Ellen Crosby's title caught my eye. I read it in one day, easily, and found it refreshing. Just enough detail to keep the story grounded without the boredom of too many technical details on vineyards, political campaigns, pesticides and other topics that would have bogged down any number of writers. Crosby deftly presented the story with a lovely set of characters and the action begins by the end of chapter one and keeps right on moving through the last chapter. I'll be searching out her other book and hope that she writes more.
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