I found this book a hard slog. I have previously read many of Lucy's adventures, this one was hard to persist in reading. I contained much info history wise, it was just not engaging mystery wise.

When Lucie Montgomery attends the annual after-Thanksgiving party at Hawthorne Castle, she is invited by Prescott Avery, the 95-year old family patriarch, to his fabulous wine cellar where he offers to pay any price for the 200-year-old Madeira that her family has refused to sell. But Lucie knows nothing about the priceless Madeira and is convinced her late father Leland, a notorious gambler and spendthrift, probably sold or drank it. Prescott also shows Lucie his secret room, his affiliation with the Freemasons and hints about a valuable artifact linked to the Founding Fathers. Soon afterward, Lucie and her fiancé, winemaker Quinn Santori, find Prescott’s body lying in his wine cellar.

As Lucie searches for the lost Madeira, she finds rumours about a mysterious vault with documents hidden by the Founding Fathers and a possible tie to William Shakespeare and Sir Francis Bacon.

This was an intriguing mystery but had less to do with the wine making side of Lucie's business than usual.

I received an eARC from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

The search for 300-year-old Madeira leads Lucie Montgomery on a research journey to Washington, DC’s Folger Shakespeare Library, colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown. When Billionaire Prescott Avery offers to purchase her great uncle’s Madeira, Lucie has no idea what he is talking about. After he swears her to secrecy he shows her a newly discovered handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence and sends her on her way with a hint about a safe deposit box. Unfortunately Avery is found dead a few hours later. Lucie works hard to find the clue Avery mentioned. A terrific story with more intrigue by the minute.

The Angel's Share will be reviewed on www.MapYourMystery.com on October 21.

This is the first Ellen Crosby book I’ve read and I was not disappointed. She writes well and creates likable characters who are also believable. The plot here was an odd combination of well-used tropes - “who *really* wrote the plays attributed to William Shakespeare?” Freemasons, and “secrets of the Founding Fathers.” But Crosby blends them seamlessly with a cracking good murder mystery led by a smart, accomplished woman and her smart, accomplished partner. I’ll be reaching for more Ellen Crosby when I’m in the mood for a well-written, clever mystery.

4 1/2 stars rounding up

Set in the wine country of Virginia,, this series combines a current mystery with historical ones. This one delves into missing documents, a Jeffersonian hand written Declaration of Independence and the authorship of Shakespearean plays. Fascinating and enthralling, I had to ding it a 1/2 star as the current mystery is not as well developed as in previous volumes. This is the 10th in the series and it functions gone as a standalone, but for true enjoyment, I would recommend adding the rest to your TBR.

By the time I get to book #10 in a series, I’m invested and I’m going to read the book no matter what! I was a little disappointed in this installment, though. The historical info was still very interesting and sent me into a few internet searches of my own, but the mystery seemed to be put on the back burner this time. Even I had it solved early!

Fun book with history, although rather lacking as a standard cozy mystery.

I picked this book because of the title: Angels' Share, the elegant way to describe the loss of alcohol during the aging process due to evaporation, only to immediately fall in love with the characters, the wine, the setting. As a standard whodunit book, it was lacking - it's entirely secondary to the other mysteries - tracking down a possibly long lost mystery dealing with the early days of the United States and a lost cache of Maderia hidden by an ancestor years ago that may or may not exist any more.

This was the 10th book in the series; the previous 9 have been added to my TBR pile. Highly recommended.

The Angels' Share by Ellen Crosby is a rich and enticing mystery on a number of levels. The characters, although there are many, are clearly drawn and well-developed and their interaction is convincing and realistic. The reader is taken in by the setting, a true castle and of course a vineyard. What I found most intriguing and delightfully educational was all the cultural and historical references. The reader learns a lot about the Masons, Jamestown, our Founding Fathers, Williamsburg, famous art, the Declaration of Independence, and an investigation into the age-old question: did Shakespeare really write the plays that are attributed to him, in particular, The Tempest. Using characters and experts assigned to various settings in the book, Crosby deftly weaves together plot and characters. The reader appreciates the realism and depth of the mystery and its eventual conclusion.

Lucie Montgomery and her fiancé Quinn Santori attend the annual Avery after Thanksgiving weekend party where Lucie is invited down to the wine cellar by the Prescott Avery, the family patriarch. Prescott wants to persuade Lucie to sell him some very old Madeira but Lucie doesn't know anything about. She believes that her father, a gambler, probably already sold it. Prescott is disappointed so Lucie returns to the party only to realize that she must have dropped her phone in the wine cellar. She and Quinn return only to find Prescott dead. Police believe that Prescott fell and hit his head but Lucie thinks otherwise considering that Prescott's cane was not with him.

What Prescott told her about the wine that he was searching for, if it still existed, the bottles would be extremely valuable. Prescott also told her that her father had 2 safety deposit boxes and wondered if the details of the Madeira would be there.

Lucie starts her search for the Madeira and comes across many historical references to Prohibition as well as the War of 1812 which take her to Williamsburg, and other areas of Virginia linked to the Founding Fathers.

Loved this story and the historical ties that were incorporated throughout. Great mystery as well.

History, mystery and wine. What's not to love here? I love this character, Lucie Montgomery...so very well written and likable. This particular story deals with old secrets and lots of US History including Jamestown. This is the perfect read for the cozy reader but don't be fooled...this isn't your average cozy! Cannot wait for the next Lucie! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

I love this series. Ellen Crosby weaves in the most interesting facts in her wine country mysteries. Mixed in with the murder and mayhem are pieces of our country's history. Add in engaging characters and you can't miss! A wealthy collector with a fractious family has approached Lucie with an offer to buy a fabulous Madeira her family owns. Only Lucie knows nothing about it. When he ends up dead minutes later Lucie decides she needs to find out what is going on. Motives and suspects abound.

I'll certainly admit that Ellen Crosby's Lucie Montgomery series is one of my favorites. I look forward to each and every new installment in this Series. Ms. Crosby mixes U.S. History, wine making, and a very satisfying mystery into each novel. This one is one of the best! Lucie again stumbles into a murder and with the help of her family and friends manages to solve a murder that weaves in lore of the Masons, Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison... and yes, even her father and some very old, historic wine. Ms Crosby admits she takes some liberties with the Declaration (and don't worry, you wont' mind)... It's a fabulous read - one to be thoroughly savored!!

This is my first time reading this series and I enjoyed it so much that I am going back to read all the others. I like the plot and characters and also like that it is not too cozy. It's got a bit of edge to it!

This is the 10th book in the Wine Country Mystery series and it works well as a stand alone. Ellen Crosby creates a bright vibrant community and characters that make you feel right at home. This mystery takes us through American history from the settlement of Jamestown through the Prohibition, weaving together secret societies, Shakespeare, the Founding Fathers, and Madeira. This was a solid mystery that kept me guessing until the end. The writing reminded me of Rita Mae Brown.

This was an interesting book. It’s been a while since I’ve read any books in this series so it took me a bit of time to catch up.
The story is well written and captivating.
This series will appeal to most cozy mystery fans, especially those who enjoy a solid story with a bit of history thrown in as well.

This is the first of Ellen Crosby's mysteries that I have read, but I enjoyed it so much that I am now going to go back and start this series from the beginning. It's a perfect mixture of compelling mystery, interesting and intelligent characters, early American history, a lovely setting in the Virginia wine country and an exciting treasure hunt. This book has it all!

I am a long time fan of Ellen Crosy's Lucie Montgomery series, but this time she has outdone herself. This book has everything you could possibly imagine - a murder mystery, early American history, a lost treasure and plenty of family drama. When 95 year old Prescott Avery invites Lucie to have a drink of his special Madeira with him during a party in his mansion, she never could have imagined what would follow. Prescott tells her a tale of a special handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence he recently acquired, and hints that it will lead to a lost treasure, but only with the addition of some 200 year old Madeira that Lucy's family was supposed to have.When Prescott is murdered that evening, the police believe it may have something to do with the fact that he was getting ready to sell his family newspapers against the wishes of his children, but Lucie thinks it could be more and , with the help of her fiance Quinn, is on the trail of the case. Once I started this book I could not put it down, and I think anyone who reads it will feel the same way. It's amazing!