Review: Blood on the Vine by J.T. Falcon @joey_t_falco
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Pub Date Apr 22 2025
Thank you, @netgalley ,for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I’m speechless—this book left me completely shaken in the best way possible! Blood on the Vine is a nerve-wracking, suspense-filled masterpiece that pulled me in from the very first page. The eerie atmosphere of the dark Napa Valley vineyards set the perfect stage for mysterious deaths, a secret cult, and a killer hiding in plain sight. The slow reveal, backed up by solid evidence, kept me guessing, and just when I thought I had it figured out—BOOM—another twist. I was on the edge of my seat, breath held, through half the chapters!

One of the things I adored most was Detective Lana Burrell. Her character journey—from a teenager grappling with her past to becoming a strong, determined detective—was so well done. I was rooting for her the entire time! The romance between her and Caleb added an extra layer to the story, and while I usually skip over spicy content, it didn’t overshadow the gripping suspense. Caleb’s character was equally intriguing, and their dynamic brought so much depth to the narrative.
And Essie Leroux—what a star! Her detective skills blew me away, and I found myself loving her just as much as Lana. The whole cast was well-developed, but Lana, Essie, and Caleb easily became my favorites.

Now, while I loved nearly everything about this book, the parts that delved into the vineyard law were a bit tedious for me. That being said, I understand why they were there, and the author’s attention to detail in depicting vineyard life and law is commendable. But it’s the suspense, the mystery, the investigations, and those tense interrogation scenes that truly stole the show for me.

The ending—oh my gosh, what an ending! Jessica’s video gave me chills. I was crying, and my blood was boiling all at once. The way everything wrapped up, including the final fight scene, was deeply satisfying, and I honestly wanted to jump into the pages and take down the murderer myself!

This book is perfect for Crime thriller, mystery lovers, and I would love to see it turned into a movie or a series.
#bloodonthevine #Netgally

The plot: FBI Agent Lana Burrell grew up on an idyllic Napa Valley vineyard with her best friend Jess–until Jess was murdered at the same vineyard they called home. Lana’s father is serving a life sentence for Jess’s murder, but Lana has always believed in his innocence–and has always wanted to know the truth about what really happened to her childhood friend.

Lana gave up the chance to exonerate her father for a career with the FBI, but when a killer strikes the Valley again, those old wounds reopen and she grasps at the chance to solve the case that has haunted her entire life. Two women are slain near where Jess’s body was once found, and Lana is forced to revisit the site of the fraught childhood she tried to leave behind.

Forced to partner with the local sheriff’s office that put her father in prison, and to reconnect with the wealthy family that runs a powerful wine dynasty, Lana fights the distraction of old flames and grudges reignited. With clues of a shadowy cult embedded at the center of wine country, and a mysterious stranger stalking her every move, Lana’s hope to solve the murders begins to have a darker the fear that she might be the next to die.


I loved this book, and couldn't stop reading it. It has the right amount of everything needed for a thriller/mystery novel.
J. T Falco is a new author to me and I would love to read more from her.

Lana was a great character and the plot was very engaging. However, the killer's motive didn't make that much sense to me and was kind of dumb so that took away from the story.

I found this book to be much like a glass of good wine; it left me wanting more. Lana is an engaging main character. I enjoyed the setting of this novel, the cult and their motives, and the killer and their motives. I thought it was a well thought out plot line. It is reminiscent of a Criminal Minds episode in my opinion. I would enjoy reading more books about special agent Lana if the author decides to continue her story. Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, Netgalley, and J. T. Falco for allowing me to read this ARC.

This is been the first book. I’ve read by this author, and it will not be the last.!

It took a little bit for me to get into it and once I did, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough!

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged and it only took a few days to read. I think this is going to be a good book club option for several clubs. I plan recommending to my book friends and I look forward to reading more by this author.

FBI Agent Lana Burrell is working on the site of a notorious a double murder in Napa Valley, and the case quickly spirals out of control. Her childhood best friend Jessica Bancroft was murdered twenty plus years ago, ostensibly by her father and she spends the intervening decades mired in a cloud of doubt and confusion.

It seems where wine flows, mystery follows. Were these just normal wine industry machinations or is it possible that a cult is involved?

After a lot of meandering setup and backstory, the action finally began to pick up about 40% of the way through. Unfortunately, the characterization of the killer’s motives comes off as rote and uninspired. Ultimately this story investigating the inter-workings of the wine business just missed the mark for me.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for or an honest review and feedback.

I really enjoyed this book. The mystery and the murderer had me surprised. I liked all the characters especially the Deputy Essie Leroux and of course Caleb. My only complaint was that there was more about wine and vineyards than I ever needed to know. It got a bit wordy at times. But it still kept me reading till the end.

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! Good book! This book had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, a great who done it and a few twists and turns. The story was interesting! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

I really enjoyed the last 20% of this book. I was definitely surprised by the ending. The first part of the book, however, was a bit too slow, and bit too technical for me.