Harvest of Secrets

This is a fascinating multi-layered mystery featuring intelligent, interesting characters, a complicated plot that will keep you engrossed and a beautiful setting in the wine country of Virginia. Lucie Montgomery and her fiance Quinn Santori are running her family winery, trying to decide when to pick the grapes because of an impending hurricane when she gets a phone call from one of her employees telling her that he has uncovered a buried skull outside of the family cemetery. The skull was buried many years ago but Lucie is sure that the woman it belonged to was a relation and it bothers her. But Antonio, who unearthed the skull, sees it as an omen of a death to come. And when the death does come it is that of Jean-Claude, a winemaker from a neighboring vineyard who was Lucie's first crush when she was thirteen. In the intervening years Jean-Claude has caused discord and trouble wherever he has been and there are no shortage of possible suspects. But when the police land on Miguel, one of Jean-Claude's workers, his friends at Lucie's vineyards ask her to stand up for the immigrant community and clear Miguel. Lucie has a full plate dealing with the murder investigation, getting the harvest in, and, finding out about the possibility of a half-brother she never knew about. This was a wonderful book, full of interesting information, interesting people and an interesting setting. I highly recommend it.

Ellen Crosby does not disappoint... I love how she stays true to her characters, but brings in new elements for each book... Lucy is simply fantastic... Harvest of Secrets grabs the reader from the beginning and keeps the tension going through the end. I loved her acknowledgement of today's culture, but tying it back to Civil War times. This might by my favorite book of the series... and I can't wait to see where she takes Lucy next! Fantastic read!!

This the ninth installment of the Wine Country mysteries, set in "horse country" rural Virginia, about 45 minutes from Washington, D.C. Lucie Montgomery's workers find an old skull on her family's vineyard and she wants to investigate whether the remains belong to one of her ancestors. On the adjacent vineyard owned by a former Secretary of State and his long-time partner, Robyn, a prominent French winemaker, the son of a wealthy French baron from Bordeaux, has come into their employ. But he carries a lot of baggage from his past and it entwines all around him, including Lucie.
I really enjoyed this book. I've read the prior books in the series but slowly over a period of years. It can be read as a standalone but it has been nice to see the progression of the storyline, and the development of Lucie's character and her relationship with Quinn. I also like the detailed historical elements the author includes. Parts of the story reflect current events without getting into any type of political diatribe. There are several layers of mystery in this story, all keeping my attention to the very end. Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book. My review is voluntary,

Ellen Crosby has written a delightful multilayer mystery that I could not put down. Her writing is outstanding and her characters are fabulous. Anyone looking for a great mystery should read this series