Lies in the Cellar
A Sarah McKee Mystery
An oenophile’s mystery novel, Lies in the Cellar features a part-time sleuth who benefits from the help of her friends.
A Sonoma winery, murder, and the search for a historical treasure combine in Parker French’s fun mystery novel Lies in the Cellar.
Sarah is a Scottish wine consultant and an amateur detective. Her ex-husband lent their money to the Belle Vue Winery, whose fraudulent winemaking director, Liz, is missing. Bobbie, the winery’s new celebrity owner, entreats Sarah to help in the search for a rumored treasure that could cover their mutual business losses. Another treasure hunter, Jared, wants the loot too.
Sarah is an energetic heroine whose speech is peppered with Scottish colloquialisms. She jogs through town, meeting residents and settling in, and deals with her blossoming romantic interest in a friend. The supporting cast is a quirky group, though their characterizations are sometimes light: Bobbie, whose polished looks belie her capable determination, drives a pink Tesla; Sarah’s best friend, Kelley, is a former detective and bookshop employee with a romantic connection to Jared; and suave Jared drinks Evian and exhibits flashes of anger. People don’t always behave in ways that are consistent with the characterizations, though. For instance, Kelley has poor instincts when it comes to Jared, despite her past work with the police and Sarah’s clear warnings.
Better developed is the once-thriving vineyard on which the mystery centers. Its economic future plagued by undrinkable sauvignon blanc, the dwindling venture is kept running by a skeptical staff. It features a wine cave, and taxidermy mounts fill its rooms, resulting in an eerie atmosphere. Information about winemaking wends in, covering both regional history and the production process. Indeed, the book’s treatment of enology is accessible and atmospheric.
The story is advanced by instances of growing danger. A body is discovered; there is an earthquake. Flooded highways strand Sarah and others at the winery and the adjacent mansion. The story becomes a classic whodunit in which it’s up to Sarah to discern whether foul play was involved, and why. The winery’s employees argue with each other, and there are lies to sift through. Still, some of the book’s developments strain credulity, as with easy confessions and convenient clues, like a painting whose features are a deliberate map.
Winding toward a chilling finale, Lies in the Cellar is an entertaining mystery novel in which a part-time sleuth investigates a winery’s buried secrets, which are informed by desire and greed.
Reviewed by
Karen Rigby
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
