Wow! Loved it. As an avid thriller/mystery reader I sometimes find that the stories start to sound familiar, follow the same pattern, etc. This one was not that. The murder mystery element, with a strong female lead, and a fun and interesting backdrop was the perfect combo. I was hooked from the start, entertained throughout, and did not predict that ending!

Lana Burrell is an FBI Agent. She is sent to the Napa Valley to look into the murder of two young women. Lana is reluctant. She grew up in the Napa Valley and lived there until her best friend disappeared and her father was accused and convicted of her murder.

Lana soon finds herself deep in the investigation and being reminded of the time she would most like to forget. The murders took place on or near Bancroft land which isn't surprising since they own a lot of the valley. But the Bancrofts had a lot to do with the events she'd like to forget. Her best friend Jess was a Bancroft and the first love she left behind was her best friend's brother Jonah. Jess's mother is now running the vineyard. The current sheriff was a deputy who arrested her father.

The sheriff assigns her a deputy to be her liaison - a 60+ woman who has only been a deputy for four months. But Essie proves to be a lot of help in the investigation despite really wanting the killer to be the Bancroft who sued her and her husband for selling some wine they produced on their land.

This was a twisty thriller as secrets of the past are revealed, bodies are discovered, cults are outed, and a murderer is found -- but not before Lana finds herself in danger of losing her own life.

Blood on the Vine by J. T. Falco is a highly recommended procedural following the investigation into the recent murder of two young women.

A former resident of Napa Valley, FBI agent Lana Burrell, returns over twenty years later to investigate what may be a situation with an active serial killer. The complications in returning involve the case of her father who is in prison for killing her best friend Jess many years ago at a Napa Valley vineyard. Returning to the area after being gone for years mean Lana must face her memories but she will also have insight into the area and the residents. Once there, Lana notices a man who is following her and she has questions if a cult might be involved.

The narrative opens up with one of the victims fleeing the killer, which immediately grabs your attention. Then readers are introduced to Lana, who is a clearly a flawed, wounded individual. She is also, ultimately, a fully realized intelligent, insightful and competent character. The introduction to her liaison with the sheriff's department, Deputy Essie Leroux, adds some comic relief, but the sixty-year-old recent police academy graduate proves her competence and abilities.

In this well-written, fast-paced procedural, there are several suspects, along with many questions and directions the investigation can go. Clearly, there are a whole lot of secrets individuals are hiding and expect some twists. Between chapters are various pieces of evidence related to the case which includes news articles, interviews, filed court cases, etc., which add depth, background information, and insight into the investigation. This is a debut novel, but written by an experienced writer and it shows.

Blood on the Vine is a perfect choice for those who enjoy procedurals. Thanks to Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

This was a twisted sorry. If you like wine, rich people, cults, and serial killers then this book is for you. I think a lot of thriller fans are going to like this one

A good thriller that kept me hooked and guessing. Plenty of action and twists, full of surprises
Enjoyed it
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Finally, a good thriller mystery.
Murder in wine country, decades of powerful wine vintners, disappearances, a cult and an FBI Agent sent back to where she grew up in this wine country to find a chameleon killer.
Lana, the FBI Agent performs well in her job, but is a lonely person as her past keeps her from her future. Essie the deputy assigned to Lana is a delight in her one liners and allegiance to Lana. This debut mystery held my interest and I enjoyed the twisted ending. Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the early copy. I voluntarily have written this review which is my personal opinion.

DNF at 20%

The main character was too unlikable and her inner voice was more that of a 16 years old, than that of a FBI agent which made it all too unlikely for me. Maybe I'm just too old ...

It is a pity as the premise was enticing, I liked the setting of Napa Valley, the wine making, and the mystery around the death of her best friend.

Thank you NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and the author for allowing me to be an early reader. All opinions are my own.

FBI Agent Lana Burrell has to confront her own past in this mystery thriller tale, Blood On The Vine by J. T. Falco (2025). When two women are murdered with similar methodology, the FBI sends Lana to northern California wine country to investigate. It’s almost twenty years since Lana’s teenage best-friend was murdered and Lana’s father was found guilty of the crime. Reluctant to return, Lana still believes in her father’s innocence and has to revisit the vineyard and the wealthy family she holds responsible. She is paired up with local Sherriff Deputy, Essie Danby to assist her investigation, and soon discovers a mysterious cult like group, possible links to her own past, and a double murder back in the 1970s. An intricate murder mystery with interesting characters and a history of past secrets that is a four and a half star rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given. With thanks to Crooked Lane Books and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes.

I am just going to put it out there - I felt as if the writer was speaking from a masculine position. I just couldn’t embrace the voice and words given to the protagonist and it threw everything. off for me. The story is solid, interesting and has a great setting. The backstop question: “What are you hiding” applies to almost all the characters and if you can hold onto that and can determine where the battle lines are drawn you will still probably have a hard time figuring it out. Lots of unsettled emotions and past hurts that are still present and constantly pushing every boundary. He knew her when and his friend is going to know her now and she has history with that one and this one and no one is coming at any issue without a lot of history which they are mostly unable to put aside. There is also an underlying twisted vibe which seems to cling to everything.

So, this thriller didn’t grab me but it did hold my attention and that is always a good thing. Rounding up for the thrill, the kill, and the really off the wall final chapters. Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for a copy.

This was a really good book! The writing style was amazing as well as the plot!! Loved it, would recommend

3/5 stars: This is Falco's Police Procedural Mystery stand-alone set in Napa Valley, California and follows an FBI Agent who must work with the sheriff's office that put her father in prison for her teenage best friend's murder to investigate a new case, two women found dead near a wealthy family's vineyard. Even though her father was convicted of the murder, she's always believed in his innocence and has always wanted to know the truth about what really happened. Forced to reconnect with her best friend's wealthy family in the course of her investigation, she'll have to deal with reopened old wounds, fight the distraction of old flames and reignited grudges. As she unearths clues to a shadowy cult and deals a mysterious stranger stalking her every step, she'll have to work fast to find the killer before she's next to die. With plenty of plot twists, Falco has written a fast-faced police procedural thriller and crafted a mystery that's well balanced and will leave you on the edge of your seat. The investigation is interesting and the reveals are well-done. Falco's writing and character work are excellent; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining likable. Lana's tough and determined and it's great getting to see her confront her past, work the cases and find justice. With tact and sensitivity, Falco touches on some sensitive topics; so take care and CWs.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Napa, wine, cults, missing women, and a murderer on the loose-this book has it all. I was glued to the pages and read this in one sitting without even putting it down once. There are multiple layers to the plot and the characters making it extremely engaging. I enjoyed the mystery and the twists. The setting of Napa valley is a favorite of mine. There was plenty of action to keep this fast paced thriller highly entertaining.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I read this book right after finishing a great mystery/thriller and so while it didn’t live up to this other book I was thoroughly intrigued from the beginning. It kept me engaged right up until the end. I definitely recommend this to all the thriller/mystery fans.

Mixed feelings.
The introduction was tantalizing. Then it got sidetracked by long winded walloping of the main character that made me roll my eyes. I did skip the ramblings.
There is potential in the storyline as I got caught up and wanting to know the end. I like the twist at the end. However, I’m just skeptical that a person who had been through lots of lost of blood, and was in a medically induced coma could just wake up with a clear head and gobbled up 2 muffins!
Three and a half stars for the story line. I felt disappointed that the image of an FBI agent , drunk during her free time, and portrayed as whimsical but hard core at work?
Thank you to the author and Netgalley for letting me read the book.

Secrets abound in wine country! FBI Agent Lana Burrell grew up in Napa Valley, California on a vineyard with her father Cliff and nearby best friend, Jess Bancroft. When Jess was murdered and Lana’s father was found guilty, Lana moved to San Francisco as a teen. With a killer in the Valley, Lana is sent to investigate the death of two women. She’s forced to partner with the sheriff’s department that put her father in prison as well as Jess’s wealthy family. As the past and present reignite grudges and emotions, Lana must keep focused on the murders.

Lana is often seen as detached and unemotional. Despite being a great investigator, she’s lived with guilt most of her life and it seems to drive her. She loves her job and believes in justice. She’s intelligent, competent, and introverted. She’s determined to solve the crimes even though it requires her to work with the local sheriff’s office. Deputy Essie Leroux is not the typical liaison assigned to work with the FBI. She’s only finished the police academy four months ago and is about sixty years old. She’s eager to help on her first assignment that’s not desk duty. I enjoyed the dynamics between the two. Both have flaws that kept them realistic.

A chilling prologue quickly hooks readers. Interspersed throughout the novel are a few letters, interviews, cross-examinations, newspaper articles, and court case summaries. These provide insight into the past and provide links to the present. Full of investigation as well as suspense and action, this crime thriller and police procedural kept me engaged. With many suspects, can Lana and Essie narrow the field and find the killer before another woman dies?

The plot is twisty and flows well. Both past and current plots are woven together seamlessly. There is the right amount of mystery, tension, and secrets to keep readers engrossed and wondering what was going to happen next. The atmospheric writing transported me to wine country. One of the things I loved was the interaction between Lana and Essie. Themes include trust, betrayal, friendship, power, murder, secrets, shadowy organizations, and much more.

Overall, this is a fast-paced, intriguing, and suspenseful tale with great characterization and plenty of action and danger that kept me engaged throughout the story. While this is a standalone novel, I would love for it to become a series. The author is an experienced screenwriter and this novel has been optioned for television development. It didn’t feel like a debut novel. Those who like police procedurals and crime thrillers will likely enjoy this novel.

Crooked Lane Books provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for April 22, 2025. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

Blood On The Vine is a stellar novel filled with suspense, twists and of course wine. Lana Burrell a seasoned FBI agent reluctantly returns to her hometown of Napa wine country, to investigate some disturbing ritualistic murders. She hasn't been back in 20 years since the disappearance of her best friend Jess which resulted in her father being charged with her murder. As well Lana must face her first love Jonah, Jess' older and charismatic brother. Just as Lana must face her past, new threats and dangers have emerged placing her life in peril.

Read this if you like:
-highly atmospheric and at times sinister Napa Valley wine country especially the vineyards
-the world of winemaking
-rich family dynasties and the moral cost it takes to remain powerful
-dysfunctional, toxic families with many secrets some deadly and deprave
-new age cults
-strong female protagonist
-police procedurals
-fast paced read with lots of twists and turns
-satisfying, Wow ending

My rating 4 out of 5

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this eARC that will be published April 22, 2025.

This was a good read. It was fast paced and I really liked the main character. I hope it’s a series. There were a couple of times I felt it was a bit too wordy. But all in all I was hooked and I feel like there could be more.

The blurb:

Lana Burrell grew up on an idyllic Napa Valley vineyard with her best friend Jess--until Jess mysteriously disappeared and Lana's father was falsely accused of her murder. Over twenty years later, he's still serving a life sentence, but Lana knows he's innocent, just like she knows Jess's real killer is still out there. Now, as a seasoned FBI agent in the San Francisco field office, Lana figures she can handle just about anything--until a killer strikes the Valley again and those old wounds come bursting open. Two women are slain in ritualistic fashion near the vineyard she once called home, and Lana has no choice but to revisit the site of the nightmarish past she tried to leave behind. A past that seems to be repeating itself as the blood and wine continue to spill all over Napa Valley. With rumors of a dangerous cult embedded at the center of wine country, the most powerful family in the Valley breathing down her neck, and a mysterious stranger stalking her every move, Lana's quest to solve the murders takes an even darker turn when she soon realizes the awful truth: she might be the next to die.

My thoughts:
This book was fast paced and twisty. I was captivated from the start and was hooked until the finish. I devoured the book in 24 hours!

Lana was fierce and determined in solving the recent murders, and finding links to the past. The story was packed full of secrets, and I did not see the twist at the end. Essie was a great character too, I enjoyed all the witty one liners she came out with.

4.5⭐️

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Crooked Lane books for the advance copy of this book. Opinions expressed here are my own.

FBI agent Lana Burrell has just been assigned a case in a place she never wanted to go back to, a place she used to call home before her father was arrested for murder in Napa Valley, CA. Now, two women are dead and she wants justice. Her prime suspect is the high school boyfriend’s wealthy mother. Will Lana discover who killed these women and get her innocent father freed?

I had a really good time with this crime drama. This book read like movie. Fast paced, with action, wine, cults, some romance, and family drama mixed in. What more could you ask for in today’s reading landscape. Please check your content warnings.

Brilliant book, tense plot line that kept me guessing until the end and well written characters.
Lana is a strong female lead with a complicated life and I loved how everything wrapped up so well in the end.
Fast paced and full of action, I will read more by this author!