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OF MERLOT AND MURDER by Joni Folger

OF MERLOT AND MURDER

by Joni Folger

Pub Date: Sept. 8th, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7387-4076-8
Publisher: Midnight Ink/Llewellyn

A family of Texas vintners has murder on their minds.

The Becketts of River Bend Winery are getting ready for the Lost Pines Food and Wine Festival. Unfortunately, their booth is directly across from that of Divia Larson of Third Coast Winery. Divia’s husband was the high school sweetheart of Grandma Abigail Beckett, but Divia’s a back-stabber who has nothing nice to say about anyone. Elise Beckett should have learned her lesson about sleuthing when she was almost killed investigating her uncle’s murder (Grapes of Death, 2013). But when Divia’s found poisoned in her motel room, Elise and her family spring into action to protect their grandmother, the last person known to have seen her alive. On some level, Elise knows that her boyfriend, Deputy Jackson Landry, would never seriously suspect her grandmother of murder. Even so, her curiosity just won’t allow her to let Jax do his job on his own. After all, there are plenty of good suspects, starting with Divia’s husband, Garrett, and Toby, her son from a former marriage, who may have been cooking the Third Coast books. And Monique Toussaint, whose relationship with her brother-in-law Philippe certainly looks suspicious, accused Divia of having an affair with her husband, Alain. Ignoring her near-death experience and Jackson’s stern warnings, Elise ropes in her brother and sister, along with her best friend, to help her search for clues to the real killer.

A light, pleasant case of murder with a little romance, a bit of wine lore and a mystery that won’t tax either your brain or your blood pressure.