Harvest of Secrets by Ellen Crosby is the ninth book in the Wine Country Mystery series. I have enjoyed the previous books in this series but was sad to find that was not the case with this book. During the busy season at the vineyard for Lucie, readers are bombarded with enough plot lines for three books. First a long dead body is discovered as a hurricane threatens the vineyard. Second the winemaker at a neighboring vineyard is murdered. Finally Lucie makes some astonishing discoveries about her own family. Each of these could have easily been the main focus of a book. When they are put all together into one, it is tiring to read. I was also disappointed that the author felt the need to address so many social issues in a single book. I do love the characters and hope this is just a temporary blimp in the series.

I had begun this series quite some time ago and realized that I had missed a few along the way, so I was happy to read Ms. Crosby's newest in the series.

I was a little concerned that I had missed 2 in the series, but the author had put in enough backstory that I was not confused. The story itself was great and held my attention throughout. I recognized most of the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Ellen Crosby has dug up a Harvest of Secrets in her new wine country mystery. It's harvest season at the Montgomery Estate vineyard. Then a very old skeleton turns up near Lucie's family cemetery; could it be a nineteenth century murdered relative? To add to the mix a French aristocratic vintner helping out at a neighboring vineyard is found dead by Lucie; another murdered corpse with many enemies. Lucie pursues whodunit in both cases and places herself in danger.. Family histories past and present complicate her search. Welcome to an intriguing cozy.

Exhausting. That is the best thing I can come up with to say about Harvest of Secrets by Ellen Crosby. I love vineyards and mysteries, but this was an exhausting read.

The descriptions are so heavy handed to seem as though Crosby felt the need to paint the scene as a pre-schooler paints. The dialog is overly dramatic and the characters blow nearly every situation out of all proportion. An example of the over-blown behavior includes the finding of a skull of such age that it the local law enforcement refuses to even consider it could have been a criminal act, yet the “heroine” of the story loses sleep over it, slips down into superstitious silliness, and anxiety over why the person was buried outside the nearby cemetery. The whole thing was more bizarre than intriguing.

Workers come across a skull while clearing the shed near the family graveyard. Bones by a graveyard not so unusual, right? But it's determined that these are from the Civil War era and DNA confirms that it is a member of the Montgomerie clan. Luicie decides that she needs to figure who this ancestor was and why they weren't officially buried in the family graveyard. As she investigates this historical mystery a current day mystery develops on a parallel line. Absolutely fascinating on both sides! Love this series!

I have enjoyed this series from the beginning with its well-written descriptions of Virginia wine country and winemaking, believable family characters, and just the general loveliness of Ellen Crosby herself. This one was one of my favorites in the series, because it stood apart with its timely theme of anti-immigrant sentiment. Crosby doesn't hit the reader over the head with it, rather weaving it seamlessly into the plot. Really well done. I'll keep reading this series as long as she has it in her to write them!

The Wine Country Mysteries series is not your usual who-done-it; it is also a history lesson of Loudoun County, Virginia, with a mystery thrown into keep your attention.

As the vineyard is preparing for an incoming hurricane, the workers at Montgomery Estate Vineyards unearth a skull that has been buried under a shed outside of the family cemetery. Detailed forensics reveals that the skull, and the rest of the bones, have been there for more than a century, but what is interesting is the quilt that the woman was buried in. A quilt with historic value and story that goes back to the Underground Railroad.

Lucie Montgomery has a sudden conviction that this woman is a family member, but proving it also digs up interesting family drama when a DNA test through the genome project reveals that Lucie’s father had a secret that was kept from the family. Add into that, Jean-Claude de Merignac, the wayward son of a well-regarded French family arrives and while working at a neighboring La Vigne vineyard, is killed and there is no shortlist for those that could be responsible.

The multiple stories in this book will keep readers engrossed. There is no straightforward path to the end, yet enough trails to twist your mind around and possible reasons, all wrapped up in an interesting history lesson, with a potential new character that could add even more backstory to the Montgomery family and their enduring presence is the wine country of Atoka, Virginia.

Lucie Montgomery finds the body of a French winemaker, her childhood crush,in this latest excellent entry in the Virginia wine country series. As she becomes involved in trying to prove the innocence of her friends, a skeleton is discovered on her property. One of the strengths of this series is the author's ability to delve into history making the past and present interesting and relevant. Highly recommended.

This book captured my interest immediately and never let go. While it is Book 9 of the series, it functioned well as a standalone. No problem sensing protagonist Lucie Montgomery.

A skull is uncovered near the family cemetery by her immigrant workers and Lucie feels a kindred spirit, discovered to have been a young woman. She can't help but delve deeper into the mystery possibly involving family. Having opened Pandora's box, however, she'll be diverted into the history of her family's Civil War effort as well as the Underground Railroad, which opens further research.

A wealthy aristocrat from France--an old crush from her summer there with family--has become head winemaker at La Vigne Cellars--their neighbor. He loves the ladies--probably WAY too much. Montgomery Estate Vineyards is looking forward to harvest, even with a hurricane approaching. Worse yet, Jean-Claude is murdered and evidence points to one of her own workers. Miguel, worried about his immigration status, splits, and begins to look very suspicious.

Second book in a row I've read that has been multi-layered with detailed histories involved in the well-plotted mystery. This one weaves fascinating information regarding the surrounding area of civil war battlefields and the political climate and turmoil of the period. Always a lot going on, the storyline never slows and keeps the reader flipping pages, each one leaving another lesson or plot point in one of the layers. Support characters are well fleshed and dialogue is easy and natural, with an occasional gentle poke at that famous southern drawl.

New premise location for me, unique historical details, and easy but fast-paced plot never lets the tension slide, slow, or slack. I'm looking forward to visiting again soon and heartily recommend this entry in the well-developed series to anyone who enjoys a high-speed romp into one of our country's most beautiful and history-laden areas. I received this uncorrected digital galley from the publisher (thank you, Minotaur Books!!) and NetGalley and appreciate the opportunity to read and review.

I am a fan of this author's writing as her books are very well crafted mysteries with excellent writing style that is pleasing to read. This is a interesting read and one I was unable to put down.
This the ninth installment of the Wine Country mysteries. I do recommend the entire series very highly.
The setting is rural Virginia. The descriptions of the area are outstanding.
Lucie Montgomery' owns and works her family's vineyard and she wants to investigate when a skull is found on the property.
This author includes exquisite historic details of the area and of the winery.
I really enjoyed this new release and look forward to the next in series. This is a well crafted interesting sleuth with enough clues to keep every reader guessing as they enjoy reading the historic aspects and learning about the wine business.
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC which does not influence my review.

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

This is another great entry in this multi-plot drama that was a delight to read. Finding a skull on her property and the murder of a neighboring wine maker opens up a can of worms that in this complex tale of intrigue that kept me salivating as this quickly became a page turner as I had to what the outcome will be and what a thrilling ride this was. Expertly written, the author delivered an intensifying mystery that spans different time periods, keeping me enthralled in the details as this story was being told. The suspect pool was enticing and the clues gave way to the many twists and turns that had me engaged in all aspects as each step bought me closer to the killer’s identity and Lucie’s personal situation. This was nicely done and I like how all the facets came together at the end.

A stellar entry in the Wine Country Mysteries.

Lucie Montgomery, along with her fiance winemaker Quinn, is running the family winery in Virginia. They are grappling with a coming hurricane AND the wine harvest when some of her vineyard workers discover a skull in a shallow grave.

A little research soon reveals that the skeleton dates from more than a century ago and that the victim, who was murdered, is likely an ancestor of Lucie's. Her delving into the family history leads to some interesting information about genealogy, quilts, and local Virginia history as well as a never revealed family secret. And that's not the only secret -- Lucie sent off a DNA sample to an ancestor web site and is not prepared for the results of her test.

Meanwhile, a French winemaker who Lucie had a crush on in her teens is now working at a local vineyard. He has a reputation for arrogance and womanizing and when his body is found with a fatal stab wound, the list of suspects is long. Unfortunately, that list includes friends and employees of Lucie's and she knows they are innocent.

This is a very nicely written narrative with a couple of compelling side plots. This is a worthwhile series and this is one of the best entries, although it could work as a standalone. Thanks to Net Galley and to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Harvest Of Secrets by Ellen Crosby has us enthralled in a murder mystery that takes us to different time periods. We are at the height of harvest season at winery’s in VA and Lucie Montgomery has found something that should not be where it was. A skull. Not just any skull but the skull of the man whom she first loved. The suspect is Miguel Ortero an immigrant worker at the winery. However the other workers want his innocence proven or they will not work this years harvest. So Lucie must investigate to find the killer. This is a very well written story with lots of twists and I must say that the author does a great job at steering you to believe that it could be multiple people that killed Jean-Claude. The ending is wonderful and ties it all together like a bow on a present.

Thank you netgalley as well as the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.


4 stars ⭐️ out of 5

In the latest installment in Ellen Crosby’s wine country mystery series, Lucie is faced with solving two different crimes. In the present, an old acquaintance from France has been hired by a local winery, only to be killed in a fit of passion. The body is found by Lucie which immediately plunges her into the mystery. Lucie also finds the skeletal remains on her property of a women killed over a hundred years ago and buried on th Montgomery estate. Lucie must face demons of the past to solve both crimes. The storyline was very interesting given the connection between the past and present.

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!!

New novel in the Wine Country mystery series. During harvest season on the Montgomery Estate Vineyard, a skull is found and the new winemaker Jean-Claude is found dead. When Miguel Otero is suspected, Lucie has to investigate and deal with whether certain secrets should be revealed. Well written mystery series.

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.