A Vintage Murder

by Janet L. Smith

Overview

Seattle attorney Annie Macpherson is stunned to receive a desperate phone message from her old high school friend, Taylor North. They haven't spoken in seventeen years, ever since the bitter fight involving Taylor's violent boyfriend--and eventual husband--Steven Vick. So, with trepidation and a touch of dread, Annie rushes to Yakima Valley, where Taylor owns a winery, and discovers a curious truth.

In the last six months--after Taylor threw Steven off the land and out of her life--threatening events have begun to plague the North Faire Winery. Bottles and corks vanish, spray paint spoils the ripe grapes, salt is sifted into the wine. But the worst is yet to come when a bludgeoned body is found--and Taylor is the prime suspect.

The third book in the Annie MacPherson Mystery Series, which began with Sea of Troubles.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940155212287
Publisher:	Epicenter Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	07/15/2018
Sold by:	Smashwords
Format:	eBook
File size:	793 KB

About the Author

Janet L. Smith, founder of NORTHWEST ELDER LAW GROUP PLLC, is an attorney and mediator providing services in elder law, estate planning, estate administration, guardianship, and elder mediation. She is a graduate of Pomona College and the University of Washington School of Law. She has been practicing law in the State of Washington for more than 30 years. Although she found writing mystery novels to be extremely satisfying, she took the advice of many wise mentors who told her not to quit her day job. Her favorite part of writing Sea of Troubles, Practice to Deceive, and A Vintage Murder was taking road trips to research all the wonderful Northwest locations. Janet lives in Edmonds, Washington, and in her spare time enjoys hiking, sea kayaking, gardening and traveling.

Editorial Reviews

Seattle attorney Annie MacPherson comes to the aid of a high school friend harassed by her abusive spouse in Smith's third mystery (following Practice to Deceive). After Taylor North, a vineyard owner in Washington State's Yakima Valley, throws her estranged husband, Steve Vick, out of the house, her business is beset by a series of petty thefts. Everyone suspects Steve, who, with his well-known temper, hasn't taken his ejection calmly. Annie arrives to help Taylor with her divorce proceedings in time to attend a Wine Gala at which Steve makes a melodramatic entrance and becomes verbally abusive. Persuaded to leave, he is found dead later that evening, with Taylor at his side, cradling a wine bottle that appears to be the murder weapon. When Taylor takes an overdose of pills and is rushed to the hospital in critical condition, Annie resolves to find out if Taylor killed Steve as the evidence suggests. While Smith's descriptions of wine tasting and the Washington State wine industry are titillating, Annie solves the puzzle too easily, imparting a flat aftertaste to this uneven tale. Author tour. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

The attorney author of Practice To Deceive (LJ 6/1/92) offers readers another highly entertaining mystery featuring Seattle lawyer Annie MacPherson. Attending a wine gala in eastern Washington at the request of a vineyard owner, Annie discovers her former best friend standing, dazed and bloody, over her estranged husband's body. Annie attempts to find the true murderer by investigating recent winery sabotage and reports of wife abuse. Rural surroundings, details related to the wine business, and a somewhat routine plot all lend this work credibility, but swift-moving action, an efficient protagonist, and polished prose infuse the work with its infectious bouquet.

Library Journal

Annie MacPherson has let her old friendship with Taylor North lapse because she couldn't stand Taylor's loud-mouthed, aggressive husband, Steven Vick. But now that Taylor's been accused of Steven's murder, Annie makes the trip to Washington's scenic wine country to try to save her friend from a first-degree murder conviction. Annie simply can't believe Taylor would have killed the man she loved, but as Annie investigates, she finds Taylor is guarding some nasty secrets. She also discovers that the wine business has its cutthroat side and that Taylor may have been as much a victim as the man she's accused of killing. Smith's plot reads like a script straight from the old TV show "Dynasty", her characters seem to be suffering from an advanced case of yuppie-itis, and the dialogue often sounds trite. Still, MacPherson is a likable, smart-cookie heroine, the baddies are mildly intriguing, and there are just enough red herrings and unexpected twists to keep readers' interest. For large collections or those where the two earlier books in the series were popular.

Emily Melton

"Blessed by Smith’s scene-setting alchemy, her insight into character, and the immediacy and authority of her writing." --Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher