When world-class cellar master Simone Parker returns to her hometown of Cedar Ridge after twenty years abroad, she expects her new job at prestigious Evergreen Estate Winery to focus on wine aging and preservation techniques. Instead, her first day brings a shocking discovery—the estate's prized royal crystal decanter has vanished during a charity auction, and renowned authentication expert Reginald Harper lies dead in the wine library, apparently suffocated by the high-tech preservation system Simone now manages. With suspicion falling on Jasper, the estate's passionate young sommelier, Simone finds herself drawn into a mystery that only her specialized expertise can help unravel.
As Simone investigates, she discovers troubling inconsistencies in the vineyard's celebrated collection. The missing Hohenzollern Crystal, valued at over fifty thousand dollars and used as collateral for significant loans, might not be what it seems. When security footage reveals someone tampering with evidence and the eccentric owner Carlton Matthews grows increasingly defensive about authentication questions, Simone realizes the deadly secrets of Evergreen might involve fraud on a grand scale. Complicating matters are Mason Turner, Carlton's bitter rival whose century-old vines were destroyed in their ongoing feud, and Victoria Mills, a wealthy collector with a surprising family connection to the missing decanter.
Working alongside her old friend Henry Wilson, the town's retired librarian and amateur historian, Simone must utilize her knowledge of decanting techniques and preservation methods to uncover the truth before she becomes the next victim. In the rarefied world of fine wine and priceless collectibles, the most valuable commodity is authenticity—and someone at Evergreen will kill to protect their carefully crafted illusions. As Simone navigates vineyard rivalries, authentication mysteries, and the specialized art of wine preservation, she discovers that sometimes the most important clues are hidden in what appears to be empty, much like the secrets revealed in the delicate process of decanting a fine aged wine.
Genre: Mystery
As Simone investigates, she discovers troubling inconsistencies in the vineyard's celebrated collection. The missing Hohenzollern Crystal, valued at over fifty thousand dollars and used as collateral for significant loans, might not be what it seems. When security footage reveals someone tampering with evidence and the eccentric owner Carlton Matthews grows increasingly defensive about authentication questions, Simone realizes the deadly secrets of Evergreen might involve fraud on a grand scale. Complicating matters are Mason Turner, Carlton's bitter rival whose century-old vines were destroyed in their ongoing feud, and Victoria Mills, a wealthy collector with a surprising family connection to the missing decanter.
Working alongside her old friend Henry Wilson, the town's retired librarian and amateur historian, Simone must utilize her knowledge of decanting techniques and preservation methods to uncover the truth before she becomes the next victim. In the rarefied world of fine wine and priceless collectibles, the most valuable commodity is authenticity—and someone at Evergreen will kill to protect their carefully crafted illusions. As Simone navigates vineyard rivalries, authentication mysteries, and the specialized art of wine preservation, she discovers that sometimes the most important clues are hidden in what appears to be empty, much like the secrets revealed in the delicate process of decanting a fine aged wine.
Genre: Mystery
Used availability for Maisy Marple's Decanting Deception