Hobby-Themed Mysteries: Wine Tastings

The Vintage Caper by Peter Mayle

The story begins high above Los Angeles, at the extravagant home and equally impressive wine cellar of entertainment lawyer Danny Roth. After inviting the "Los Angeles Times" to write an extensive profile extolling the liquid treasures of his collection, Roth finds himself the victim of a world-class wine heist. Enter Sam Levitt, former corporate, cultivated crime expert, and wine connoisseur, who follows his leads as he tracks down the source of a multimillion dollar wine heist--a trail that leads him to Bordeaux and its magnificent vineyards, and to Provence to meet an eccentric billionaire collector who might possibly have an interest in the stolen wines.

The Sauvignon Secret by Ellen Crosby

When Lucie Montgomery finds the body of prominent wine merchant Paul Noble hanging from a beam in his art studio not far from her Virginia vineyard, she is unwittingly dragged into Noble’s murky past. Once a member of the secretive “Mandrake Society,” Noble might have aided in a cover-up of the deaths forty-years ago of a disabled man and a beautiful young biochemist involved in classified government research.

The Merlot Murders by Ellen Crosby

Lucie Montgomery's semi-estranged brother, Eli, calls her in France to tell her their father, Leland, has been killed in a hunting accident on the family's five-hundred-acre Virginia vineyard. But the vineyard is now shabby and run-down and her siblings want to sell it. Then Lucie's godfather tells her Leland's death was no accident. With her greedy brother, hell-raising sister, and a seemingly cut-rate vintner hired by Leland just before he died, all the suspects are disturbingly close to home. Unsure whom she can trust, Lucie must uncover the truth -- and oversee a successful harvest -- to save the vineyard she loves.

Death in the Vines by M. L. Longworth

Winery owner Olivier Bonnard is devastated when he discovers that a priceless cache of rare vintages has been stolen from his private cellar. Soon after, Monsieur Gilles d'Arras arrives at Aix-en-Provence's Palais de Justice to report another mysterious disappearance: his wife, Pauline, has vanished from their lavish apartment. Madame has always been as tough as nails, but in recent weeks she's been wandering around town in her slippers and crying for no reason. As the mistral arrives to temper the region's late-summer heat, Commissioner Paulik receives an urgent call from Bonnard: he's just found Pauline d'Arras dead in his vineyard. Verlaque and Bonnet are once again investigating in what will prove to be their most complicated case yet.

The Dark Vineyard by Martin Walker

Just before dawn one late-summer morning, Bruno is pulled from sleep by the wail of the town siren atop the Mairie, summoning the volunteer firemen of St Denis. A large barn and the fields surrounding it are ablaze. When Bruno arrives at the scene, the smell of petrol leaves no doubt - it was arson.