Death on the Vine

L. Lee
Kane
Genre: 
Suspense-Thriller

As a senior in high school, Daisy Murphy helps her mother conceal the murder of her step-father.  That night, her mother skips town and leaves Daisy on her own. More than ten years later, we now catch up with Daisy as she sets off for Cal State Fresno to study viticulture with the hopes of working in a winery.  An unexpected million-dollar deposit in her account puts Daisy on high alert.  Then, when people begin to meet their untimely demise, Daisy is afraid her past has caught up with her.  But who gave her the million dollars and who is behind these murders? Can Daisy help the hunky Detective Jake Frisco find the murderer before the next person dies?

This book opens with the burying of a body which is usually a strong start to a mystery novel.  Unfortunately, this novel quickly loses steam.  A compelling plot is quickly lost to choppy dialogue, typos and even random shifts from first to third person point of view.  The lack of narrative causes confusion with the plot lines and doesn’t allow the reader to see Daisy’s world, or the romance that appears to build between her and Frisco.  However, it is clear that the author has done her research regarding viticulture and enology and with some fine tuning, this book could be a great mystery to enjoy with a favorite glass of wine. 

Elissa Blabac