Blood on the Vine

Secrets abound in wine country! FBI Agent Lana Burrell grew up in Napa Valley, California on a vineyard with her father Cliff and nearby best friend, Jess Bancroft. When Jess was murdered and Lana’s father was found guilty, Lana moved to San Francisco as a teen. With a killer in the Valley, Lana is sent to investigate the death of two women.

She’s forced to partner with the sheriff’s department that put her father in prison as well as Jess’s wealthy family. As the past and present reignite grudges and emotions, Lana must keep focused on the murders.

Lana is often seen as detached and unemotional. Despite being a great investigator, she’s lived with guilt most of her life and it seems to drive her. She loves her job and believes in justice. She’s intelligent, competent, and introverted. She’s determined to solve the crimes even though it requires her to work with the local sheriff’s office. Deputy Essie Leroux is not the typical liaison assigned to work with the FBI. She’s only finished the police academy four months ago and is about sixty years old. She’s eager to help on her first assignment that’s not desk duty. I enjoyed the dynamics between the two. Both have flaws that kept them realistic.

A chilling prologue quickly hooks readers. Interspersed throughout the novel are a few letters, interviews, cross-examinations, newspaper articles, and court case summaries. These provide insight into the past and provide links to the present. Full of investigation as well as suspense and action, this crime thriller and police procedural kept me engaged. With many suspects, can Lana and Essie narrow the field and find the killer before another woman dies?

The plot is twisty and flows well. Both past and current plots are woven together seamlessly. There is the right amount of mystery, tension, and secrets to keep readers engrossed and wondering what was going to happen next. The atmospheric writing transported me to wine country. One of the things I loved was the interaction between Lana and Essie. Themes include trust, betrayal, friendship, power, murder, secrets, shadowy organizations, and much more.

Overall, this is a fast-paced, intriguing, and suspenseful tale with great characterization and plenty of action and danger that kept me engaged throughout the story. While this is a standalone novel, I would love for it to become a series. The author is an experienced screenwriter and this novel has been optioned for television development. It didn’t feel like a debut novel. Those who like police procedurals and crime thrillers will likely enjoy this novel.

Crooked Lane Books provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for April 22, 2025.