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When Alexandra Clarkson starts having terrifying visions, she thinks that her mind is playing tricks on her. But when Alex’s mother, Patsy, commits suicide without leaving behind any information, Alex is left to wonder whether she might be haunted by something from a childhood she can’t remember.
Detective Daniel Reed was the last person to speak to Patsy. What he reveals to Alex is shocking: Twenty-five years earlier, Patsy was married to Harlan Sommer, one of Sonoma County’s most prominent vintners, when their infant son disappeared without a trace. The loss destroyed the Sommers’ marriage, causing Patsy to leave and take Alex with her.
Called on to investigate the identity of a baby’s remains unearthed in a Sonoma vineyard, Reed had picked up a trail that led him to Patsy in San Francisco. Could these cold bones be Alex’s long lost baby brother? Alex joins Reed in Sonoma for the investigation—and is soon drawn deep into the search for a twisted killer…
New York Times bestselling author Erica Spindler has written many novels, including Breakneck, Watch Me Die, Bone Cold, In Silence and Last Known Victim. Her books are published in 25 countries. Raised in Rockford, Illinois, Spindler planned on becoming an artist, and earned visual arts degrees from Delta State University and the University of New Orleans. But one day in 1982, she picked up a romance novel and was immediately hooked. She soon tried to write her own romance, but it was when she leapt from romance to suspense that she found her true calling. Spindler has won the prestigious Daphne du Maurier Award for excellence, the Kiss of Death Award, and has been a three-time RITA Award Finalist. She lives just outside New Orleans, Louisiana, with her husband and two sons.
Chapter One Sonoma Valley, California Friday, February 12
10:05 A.M.
Violent Crimes Investigations detective Daniel Reed eased to the side of the road, stopping behind the Sheriff’s Department cruiser. He swung out of his four-wheel-drive Tahoe, a small, rust-colored cloud forming as his boots landed on the dirt road. Before him, vineyards stretched across the gently rolling hills, the mustard in bloom, painting the rows yellow. The cheery yellow contrasted sharply with the dormant vines, standing like gnarled headstones in a cemetery that extended as far as the eye could see.
The Native American Miwoks had named this place Valley of the Moon. Their legend held that the moon had risen from the valley. Reed figured that’s why so much crazy shit went down here. You had your bizarro religions, whacked-out criminals and a little dark cloud of weirdness that seemed to hang over the valley.
Blame the moon. It worked for him.
Today, however, his job was to figure out who’d buried what in this torn-up vineyard.
The CSI unit pulled up behind him. The Sheriff’s Department employed its own crime scene investigators, all sworn officers. The CSI guys—and gals—worked in tandem with the VCI, forming a two-lead partnership for each case. Jointly, they were held responsible for the case.
Tanner had drawn this one, Reed saw, as the attractive blonde stepped out of her vehicle. Barbara Tanner looked a decade younger than her fifty years and had a reputation for being driven. A reputation he, unlike a few of his fellow detectives, admired.
Of course, his reputation for being a cowboy wasn’t always appreciated either. They made a good team.
He slammed the SUV door and sauntered her way. “Flying solo today, Tanner?” he called, grinning.
“Hell no, Reed. I’ve got you.”
“Born lucky and beautiful.”
“Tell that to my shrink, plastic surgeon and prick of an ex-husband.”
He laughed. “Know anything about this one?”
“Not much. Somebody found bones.”
“My bet’s on a dog.”
“Coyote, maybe.”
They reached the inner perimeter. He greeted the patrolman standing watch with a clipboard. He signed the log and handed it to Tanner. “What’s the deal?”
“Phylloxera infestation. The whole vineyard had to be ripped out.”
Tanner made a sound of distress. “Breaks my heart to see old vines like these go.”
“Tell me about it,” the deputy agreed. “You feel it in the gut, you know?”
Reed glanced at the piles of thick, gnarled stocks and branches. Century-old vines. The older the vine, the less fruit produced, but the more intense the flavor of that fruit. Nothing tasted quite like the wine produced from them.
“I’m a beer man myself,” he said.
The other two looked at him. Tanner shook her head. “You’re a weird one, Reed. You know that?”
She said it with a smile, but it was true. Here, in this little slice of the world, it was all about the grapes, the wine produced from them. The wine’s color. Its nose. The points awarded it by Wine Enthusiast. Here, invariably, idle conversation turned not to religion or politics, but to viticulture or terroir.
He’d turned his back on all that years ago.
He grinned at her. “Yeah, I know. But I wear the label well.”
“That you do.” She turned her attention back to the deputy. “The remains were found in the clearing process?”
He nodded and motioned to a group of fieldworkers sitting in the bed of a battered pickup truck. “The front loader unearthed a wooden crate, or what was left of one. Guys there figured they’d found buried treasure, got pretty excited. That changed when they got a look inside.”
“You confirmed?”
“Didn’t want to mess with the box. Took a peek, confirmed some sort of remains.”
“Human?” Tanner asked.
“Not my area. It’s damn creepy, though.”
Tanner cocked a perfectly arched eyebrow, clearly amused. “Would that be your professional opinion, Officer?”
He laughed. “As a matter of fact it would.”
Reed and Tanner ducked under the crime scene tape and picked their way to the discovery. The old vines had gone deep; ripping them up had created a mess.
Reed fitted on Latex gloves and squatted beside the find. The box was badly decomposed. In the fieldworkers’ eagerness to pry off the top, it had partially crumbled.
“Wine crate,” he said. “Or what’s left of one. Rules out a coyote.”
“Been buried awhile.”
“Lid was nailed shut.” He indicated the rusty nail that had fallen away from the crumbled wood. “Somebody gave a shit about fido. Got a pen?”
She handed him one; he used it to lift away a corner of the heavy plastic sheeting. Reed prepared himself for a wave of odor that surprisingly didn’t come.
Tanner got the first look and swore. “Holy Christ. Creepy doesn’t quite cover it.”
Not a dog or coyote, Reed saw. And not just bones. An infant, mummified.
“This is out of my area of expertise,” Tanner said. “I’ll need to call Sonoma State, get an anthropologist out here.”
Reed nodded, a sinking feeling in the pit of his gut. This picture-perfect wine country day had just turned ugly.
Excerpted from Blood Vines by Erica Spindler.
Copyright © 2010 by Erica Spindler.
Published in March 2010 by St. Martin’s Press.
All rights reserved. This work is protected under copyright laws and reproduction is strictly prohibited. Permission to reproduce the material in any manner or medium must be secured from the Publisher.
Excerpted from Blood Vines by Erica Spindler Copyright © 2010 by Erica Spindler. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
I just recently purchased this book from my local CVS, needing a quick read when I didn't have my Nookcolor. True to word of another writer, I found the characters very simple, very 2D. Very little was done to give the reader investment into the faces and names, and while the plot held marvelous potential, it simply fell short.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.jcushman0108
Posted December 9, 2010
I found the main characters shallow, and I felt no real chemistry between Reed and Alexandra. I thought Alex was weak and whiny; I was more impressed with Rachels character. As one reader pointed out Reed seemed to think very little of Alex through most of the story. The plot had a lot of tantalizing threads the were never fully developed and the end of the novel left me with more questions than answers. I felt very frustrated when i was done reading it...maybe she is going to write a sequel that will wrap things up?
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 17, 2010
I Also Recommend:
I was so looking forward to this book and I'm sorry to say I was disappointed. Many times I was tempted to skip forward to just end it but I trudged on through. While the book did pick up somewhat overall it fell flat. I wish I would have checked it out from the library and saved my money. Sorry Erica, better luck with your next one.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This was a wonderful twist of suspense and romance. Once you start this
book you won't be able to put it down until you know who did what.
Anonymous
Posted July 28, 2012
Numb
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 28, 2012
She spread her purple wings and tried to fly for the first time. She couldnt get very high off the ground.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 21, 2012
I read this and realy coulen't get into it.
I ended up putting it down could not connct with ot all
And that is weard becuse her books are top notch.
Very dispointing.
Anonymous
Posted December 26, 2011
Will leave you wanting more and on the edge of your seat! Wonderful book!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This was good but the main character is quite needy. Apparently the sex is so good that the lead detective falls head over heals in just a few days. Other than that the story line is good
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.6206033
Posted May 10, 2011
This book will leave you on the edge of your seat. Erica Spindler sits a top of her field as a first class writer. This book will have you on a fast track that will increase speed until the very end... Erica is by far my favorite Author.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.bkg372
Posted May 9, 2011
This book keeps you on the edge of your seat all though the book. I highly recommend it to anyone. Keep up the good work, Erica Spindler
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.bridget19
Posted May 8, 2011
Awesome book! this is the first book of Erica Spindler's that I purchased on my Nook. Loved every minute of it and kept me on the "edge of my seat" the whole time!
--bridget
VSing
Posted May 7, 2011
Erica Spindler never disappoints! When you want to go on a journey that keeps you at the edge of your seat this is the way to travel! I picked up my first Erica Spindler book almost 10 years ago, now I wait for the next book to hit the shelves....I also put all her books on my I-Phone so I can read anywhere.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.rak805
Posted May 7, 2011
This was my first book of Erica's Spindler, and loved it! Her writing style, character development, keep my interest and couldn't wait to finish it, which I was not a reader. I have now read several of her books and working on trying to read all of them and can't wait for her new one Watch me Die.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Lori-Jacks
Posted May 6, 2011
Blood Vines is a great book! I absolutely loved the setting of this novel. Erica's vivid descriptions of the vineyards made me feel almost as if I was really there. This book is jam-packed with twists and turns, and old family secrets, that the characters in this book worked well to hide. But the thing is about old buried secrets they always come to the surface.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.sfc98
Posted May 5, 2011
I wait anxiously all year for an Erica Spindler book and this one was worth the wait. A different storyline given the winery and it fit nicely together. It was a quick read with lots of thrills, highly recommend.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Erica Spindler outdoes herself once again. You will find yourself captivated by the story. I felt I was standing with Alexandra Clarkson when she entered the wine caves...I felt for her and what she was going through. How could people not believe, but then again why should they? This story is a real page-turner! And I must say...it left my hankering for a good glass of wine! Lisa Tortorello-Author of My Hero, My Ding
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.EricaVanDyk
Posted April 27, 2011
I was guessing and guessing right until the very end of this book. With tons of twists and turns I was on the edge of my seat through out!
The first paragraph had me hooked and wanting to know what was going to happen next.
You like thrills??? This is the book for you!
kdmills220
Posted March 28, 2011
wonderful book! this is the first book i've read written by her and i will continue to read more of her books
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I enjoyed this story. It was suspenseful and kept me guessing. I did not figure out the perpetrator before I got to the end and that is a good thing. The main characters were well developed, the minor ones, not so much. Wine is involved in every aspect of this story, grab a good glass and cozy up to read this novel. You will get captivated. Erica Spindler does a good job of creating flawed characters whom you root for but she also keeps you enthralled in the storyline. Check it out!
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Overview
When Alexandra Clarkson starts having terrifying visions, she thinks that her mind is playing tricks on her. But when Alex’s mother, Patsy, commits suicide without leaving behind any information, Alex is left to wonder whether she might be haunted by something from a childhood she can’t remember.
Detective Daniel Reed was the last person to speak to Patsy. What he reveals to Alex is shocking: Twenty-five years earlier, Patsy was married to Harlan Sommer, one of Sonoma ...