Deadly Harvest: A Small Town Amateur Female Sleuth Wine Cozy Mystery (Vineyard Mysteries)

When former investigative journalist Violet Harrington inherits her late aunt's struggling vineyard in picturesque Rosewood Valley, she expects her biggest challenges to be learning the difference between Cabernet and Merlot. Instead, she finds herself hosting a private tasting for the most influential wine critic on the West Coast—who promptly drops dead after sampling the vineyard's offerings. With a sheriff eyeing her as the prime suspect and harvest season in full swing, Violet must quickly adapt to vineyard life while uncovering a tangled web of local rivalries, counterfeit wines, and buried secrets before she becomes the next victim. As Violet delves deeper into her aunt's meticulous records and cryptic notes, she discovers that Sunlit Slopes Vineyard holds more than just ripening grapes—it harbors clues to a sophisticated fraud scheme that threatens the reputation of the entire wine region. With help from her neighbor Jack, a retired homicide detective with a hobby vineyard of his own, Violet learns the complex rhythms of harvest while following a trail of evidence hidden among the vines. Each step brings her closer to understanding her aunt's mysterious death and the cutthroat business lurking beneath the valley's idyllic façade. When threatening messages and sabotage attempts make it clear someone wants Violet to abandon her investigation, she must decide if uncovering the truth is worth risking everything. As fermentation tanks bubble with promising new vintages, Violet races against time to separate facts from misdirection and catch a killer who knows how to make murder look like a tragic accident. "Deadly Harvest" is the first in a delightful new cozy mystery series that blends the rich complexity of wine country with the satisfying puzzle of a cleverly plotted whodunit, perfect for fans of vintages and victims alike.