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Fiction from Ellen
Moscow Nights, 2001 The Merlot Murders, 2006 The Chardonnay Charade, 2007 The Bordeaux Betrayal, 2008 Need help finding the books? THE BORDEAUX BETRAYAL 
Publisher: Scribner August 5, 2008 ISBN-10: 1416551662 ISBN-13: 978-1416551669 When Valerie Beauvais, author of a book on Thomas Jefferson’s travels through the wine regions of France and Italy, turns up dead near Lucie Montgomery’s Virginia vineyard, Lucie is certain Valerie’s murder has something to do with a 200-year-old bottle of Bordeaux Jefferson may once have purchased for his good friend George Washington. Though Lucie plans to auction off the valuable bottle at a charity auction, others have different plans for what’s becoming a wine to die for. As Lucie and her eccentric winemaker Quinn Santori bring in the last grapes of the season, Quinn’s controversial past becomes intertwined with Valerie’s death and the rare Bordeaux. As Lucie unravels the secrets of a long-forgotten wine scandal involving fraud and betrayal, she discovers a web of deceit affecting not only the international wine world, but her own world as well. For those interested in the riveting, real-life account of the now-famous “Jefferson bottles” -- a cache of wine discovered behind a bricked-up wall in Paris in the 1980s -— I recommend The Billionaire's Vinegar: The Mystery of the World’s Most Expensive Bottle of Wine by Benjamin Wallace. The true story behind the priceless, controversial bottles was the basis for The Bordeaux Betrayal and has been reported on in the press for a number of years. Wallace’s meticulously researched book, which pulls the (still unfinished) story together, will keep you up reading past your bedtime. See a related article from USA Today here. Prefer to listen to The Bordeaux Betrayal? The unabridged audio version of The Bordeaux Betrayal will be available from BBC Audiobooks America in August, narrated once again by Christine Marshall. Pre-order here. Want a large print version? Center Point Large Print will publish the large print version of The Bordeaux Betrayal. Check back for details. PRAISE FOR THE BORDEAUX BETRAYAL: "The third of Crosby's excellent series features a beguiling combination of wine lore, history and mystery." -- Kirkus
"Red wine and murder pair up nicely." Chicago Tribune "Hot Summer Reads" THE CHARDONNAY CHARADE 
Publisher: Scribner August 2007 ISBN-10: 0743289927 ISBN-13: 978-0743289924 Read Chapter One Listen to an excerpt Facing a freak late-May frost that threatens to kill the grapes in her vineyard, Lucie Montgomery hires a helicopter to fly over the vines – in total darkness – stirring up the Arctic air on the ground so the fruit will not freeze. But her luck in salvaging the harvest runs out when she discovers the body of Georgia Greenwood, a controversial political candidate, lying near the fields. Georgia’s husband Ross – Lucie’s friend and doctor -– immediately falls under suspicion. To make matters worse, Ross, a renowned collector of Civil War documents, has just discovered a letter that seems to prove Confederate President Jefferson Davis had prior knowledge of the plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. In the small town of Atoka, Virginia – proud home to Mosby’s Rangers, a legendary Confederate guerrilla company led by Colonel John Singleton Mosby, the “Gray Ghost” -– the news is a bombshell. Three years ago Ross saved Lucie’s life after she was involved in a near-fatal car crash. Now she intends to return the favor and prove Ross’s innocence. As the search for Georgia’s killer escalates, Lucie crosses swords with her attractive but cantankerous winemaker, Quinn Santori, and confronts her own unwelcome feelings of jealousy over his new romance and job prospects. Her worries about her kid sister’s out-of-control drinking and a second vineyard-related death further ratchet up the tension. Even though Lucie believes in vino veritas -– in wine there is truth -– the path to uncovering a murderer involves making a heartbreaking decision that will alter the lives of those she loves. PRAISE FOR THE CHARDONNAY CHARADE “Complex, likable Lucie’s suspenseful second is another hit.” Kirkus
“Highly enjoyable . . . some plot twists and romantic tension add body, developing into a smooth finish.” Publishers Weekly
“Stands out because of its Civil War-based local history and winemaking detail. A particular treat for oenophiles." Booklist
 Prefer to listen to The Chardonnay Charade? The unabridged audio version of The Chardonnay Charade is available from BBC Audiobooks America. MP3 excerpt available. Order the eBook version here. Want the large print version? Center Point Large Print December 2007. ISBN-10: 1602850895 ISBN-13: 978-1602850897 Order it here. THE MERLOT MURDERS 
July 2007 paperback Publisher: Pocket Books ISBN-10: 1416536043 ISBN-13: 978-1416536048 August 2006 hardback Publisher: Scribner ISBN: 0743289900 Read Chapter One Listen to an excerpt Someone wants to buy the 500 acre farm and vineyard located at the foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains which has belonged to Lucie Montgomery's family since colonial days.  And they are apparently willing to commit murder to get it. When Lucie's father Leland dies under questionable circumstances, the vineyard passes to his three children. But Lucie, who has been living in France for several years, quickly discovers that her brother and sister can't wait to nail up the "For Sale" sign while she is the lone holdout for reviving the ailing winery. All too soon it's clear she's the new target of whoever wants her family's land. With a growing list of suspects - including the new cut-rate vintner her father hired shortly before he died - Lucie must act quickly to uncover the identity of a killer who seems disturbingly close to home. PRAISE FOR THE MERLOT MURDERS: Named A Best Mystery Debut of 2006 by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel A fast-paced, intriguing debut that holds interest from cover to cover. Kirkus -- starred review
“Crosby has constructed a neat whodunit, supported by enough wine-making lore to give it some extra body.” The New York Times
“Superb . . . Crosby delivers a fine mystery full of twists, realistic characters, and finely ladled suspense.” The Sun-Sentinel
"I popped my cork over this dazzling debut . . . has hints of Daphne DuMaurier and Margaret Maron, making it grand cru all the way!” Jane Dentinger, Editor-in-Chief, Mystery Guild
Editor's Choice, Mystery Guild Magazine, Sept. 2006 
Prefer to listen to The Merlot Murders?The unabridged audio version of The Merlot Murders is available from BBC Audiobooks America. MP3 excerpt available. Order the eBook version here. Want the large print version? It was released November 2006. Order it here. Need help finding the books? Want an autographed copy? Please support independent bookstores when possible. See the Events listing for upcoming appearances and contact one of those stores for help. Also, these booksellers and vineyards may have signed copies of The Chardonnay Charade and The Merlot Murders:
and at these vineyards: MOSCOW NIGHTS  UK Publisher: Piatkus Books March 2001 ISBN: 0749932104 Read the first chapter here (PDF) American journalist Claire Brennan travels to Moscow in the waning days of Communist rule to discover that her colleague and ex-lover Ian Kendall has died in a local hospital. As she pieces together the final weeks of his life in Russia, Claire uncovers business dealings as multi-layered as a set of matrushka dolls -- and cannot escape a growing feeling she is searching for a murderer who may now be stalking her. Praise for Moscow Nights: A major new talent...Crosby's picture of Moscow is as bewildering and gripping as the post-war Vienna of The Third Man. Gerald Kaufman, The Scotsman Page updated 7/2/08
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