When marketing expert Fiona Reid reluctantly agrees to help struggling Clearwater Cellars prepare for a prestigious wine competition, she expects challenging deadlines and resistant traditionalists—not murder. But after vineyard investor Richard Bennett is found dead in the bottling facility, crushed beneath a toppled wine rack, Fiona finds herself drawn into a complex mystery where every bottle might contain a clue. With the vineyard's stubborn head winemaker Patrick Miller becoming the prime suspect and the competition deadline looming, Fiona must navigate the intricate world of winemaking to uncover the truth before it's too late.
As Fiona delves deeper into Meadow Creek's close-knit wine community, she discovers that Bennett's death is just the cork popping on decades of rivalries, secrets, and schemes. The neighboring vineyard owner has coveted Clearwater's north ridge for years, developers eye the land for luxury homes, and someone seems determined to sabotage the vineyard's competition entries. Working alongside Patrick, whose gruff exterior hides a passionate dedication to his craft, Fiona races to understand the bottling process well enough to determine how it became a murder weapon—and who had the expertise to use it.
With each day bringing the competition closer and threats mounting against anyone investigating Bennett's death, Fiona must blend her marketing savvy with newfound detective skills to save both Clearwater Cellars and herself. In a place where wine flows freely but trust is carefully measured, she learns that the most valuable vintage may be the truth itself. Like a complex wine that reveals its secrets only to the patient and observant, this mystery has notes of betrayal, hints of romance, and a finish that will leave readers thirsting for more of Fiona's adventures in wine country.
Genre: Mystery
As Fiona delves deeper into Meadow Creek's close-knit wine community, she discovers that Bennett's death is just the cork popping on decades of rivalries, secrets, and schemes. The neighboring vineyard owner has coveted Clearwater's north ridge for years, developers eye the land for luxury homes, and someone seems determined to sabotage the vineyard's competition entries. Working alongside Patrick, whose gruff exterior hides a passionate dedication to his craft, Fiona races to understand the bottling process well enough to determine how it became a murder weapon—and who had the expertise to use it.
With each day bringing the competition closer and threats mounting against anyone investigating Bennett's death, Fiona must blend her marketing savvy with newfound detective skills to save both Clearwater Cellars and herself. In a place where wine flows freely but trust is carefully measured, she learns that the most valuable vintage may be the truth itself. Like a complex wine that reveals its secrets only to the patient and observant, this mystery has notes of betrayal, hints of romance, and a finish that will leave readers thirsting for more of Fiona's adventures in wine country.
Genre: Mystery
Used availability for Maisy Marple's Bottled Secrets