Ellen Crosby

Returning to her Virginia vineyard home after the unexpected death of her father, Lucie Montgomery is dismayed by her father's gambling debts, which are complicated by the discovery that someone had a lot to gain from her father's death and the sale of his winery. 17,500 first printing.

A Wine Country Mystery

The Merlot Murders

One year after taking over her family vineyard in Virginia's Blue Ridge mountains, Lucie Montgomery attends a historical wine lecture at Mount Vernon and is swept up in a mystery when the lecturer turns up dead, in a case with ties to the suspicious authenticity of a wine formerly owned by Thomas Jefferson. 20,000 first printing.

The Bordeaux Betrayal

Following the success of "The Merlot Murders," Crosby returns with another tale of suspense set amidst the vines of the Virginia wine country.

The Chardonnay Charade

When a tornado destroys some of her newest grapevines and unearths the grave of a murdered man, Lucie Montgomery finds herself having to defend her father's innocence in the face of increasing evidence, a situation that is further complicated by abuse allegations that target winemaker Quinn Santori.

The Riesling Retribution

Washington, D.C.-based photojournalist Sophie Medina is not a murderer - but someone is determined to make sure she goes down for a crime she did not commit . . . When billionaire philanthropist and art collector Robson Blake hires Sophie Medina to take photographs for him, she doesn't expect to show up and find her client dead. It seems he was the victim of a burglary gone wrong. But why was his state-of-the-art security system turned off . . . and why, in a house full of priceless Old Masters, is the only thing missing a beautiful but insignificant Ukrainian religious icon? Before long, Sophie finds herself in the crosshairs of a D.C. homicide detective who suspects she knows more than she is saying about Blake's murder - and he's not wrong. To Sophie's mixed delight and horror, she's recently learned she has a half-brother . . . who might also be an international art thief, with eyes on Blake's collection. As the police get closer to finding Blake's killer, Sophie is certain someone is trying to frame her for his murder. Can she find the real killer in time - even if it means turning in her own brother to prove her innocence? The latest instalment in this gripping series featuring fearless photojournalist Sophie Medina is a great choice for readers who enjoy high-flying female sleuths, deft red-herrings and page-turning plot twists, and glamorous settings.

Dodge and Burn

"Winter has come to the Montgomery Estate Vineyard in Atoka, Virginia. Lucie Montgomery and winemaker Quinn Santori have decided to make champagne, a first for the vineyard. But then Gino Tomassi, Quinn's uncle, turns up on their doorstep one afternoon, demanding help in solving the mystery of what happened to Zara Tomassi, the first wife of his grandfather, who died in a San Francisco hotel in 1923 under suspicious circumstances. And it seems there's no coincidence that her death came the day after President Warren Harding passed away in that same hotel. Gino needs answers before his blackmailer takes him for all he's worth--or exposes an explosive family secret. Lucie searches for what happened almost a hundred years ago as she delves into Prohibition-era Washington, D.C.--a town of bootlegging and duplicity, jazz clubs and speakeasies. But then the investigation turns deadly, threatening Lucie, her relationship with Quinn, and the vineyard, as they realize someone is still out there nearly a century later who will go to any lengths to keep the truth about Zara's death a buried secret"--

The champagne conspiracy

Blow Up

a wine country mystery

The merlot murders

Bitter Roots

Ellen Crosby’s "beguiling" (Kirkus Reviews) fifth mystery takes readers into Washington’s corridors of power, where Lucie Montgomery uncovers a political and financial scandal while trying to locate her missing friend. WHEN LUCIE MONTGOMERY VISITS Washington, D.C., during cherry blossom season she doesn’t expect her reunion with old friend Rebecca Natale is a setup. But Rebecca disappears into thin air after running an errand for her boss, billionaire philanthropist and investment guru Sir Thomas Asher. Also missing: an antique silver wine cooler looted by British soldiers before they burned the White House during the War of 1812. The next morning Lucie identifies Rebecca’s neatly folded clothes found in a rowboat floating in the Potomac River. Is it suicide, murder—or an elaborate scheme to disappear? A clandestine meeting in the U.S. Capitol, a startling revelation on a windy hill, and cryptic messages from Rebecca cloaked in eighteenth-century poetry are all part of the suspenseful tale of whether Rebecca is alive or dead—and the truth about Asher Investments. Featuring an absorbing plot, colorful characters, and fascinating winemaking detail, The Viognier Vendetta combines an entertaining mystery with luminous prose that has become Crosby’s trademark.

The Viognier Vendetta

Lucie Montgomery’s discovery of her grandfather’s Parisian romance unlocks a series of shocking secrets in the gripping new Wine Country mystery. In 1949, during her junior year abroad in Paris, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis bought several inexpensive paintings of Marie-Antoinette by a little-known 18th century female artist. She also had a romantic relationship with Virginia vineyard owner Lucie Montgomery’s French grandfather – until recently, a well-kept secret. Seventy years later, Cricket Delacroix, Lucie’s neighbor and Jackie’s schoolfriend, is donating the now priceless paintings to a Washington, DC museum. And Lucie’s grandfather is flying to Virginia for Cricket’s 90th birthday party, hosted by her daughter Harriet. A washed-up journalist, Harriet is rewriting a manuscript Jackie left behind about Marie-Antoinette and her portraitist. She’s also adding tell-all details about Jackie, sure to make the book a bestseller. Then on the eve of the party a world-famous landscape designer who also knew Jackie is found dead in Lucie’s vineyard. Did someone make good on the death threats he’d received because of his controversial book on climate change? Or was his murder tied to Jackie, the paintings, and Lucie’s beloved grandfather?

The French Paradox

Ellen Crosby’s "beguiling" (Kirkus Reviews) fifth mystery takes readers into Washington’s corridors of power, where Lucie Montgomery uncovers a political and financial scandal while trying to locate her missing friend. WHEN LUCIE MONTGOMERY VISITS Washington, D.C., during cherry blossom season she doesn’t expect her reunion with old friend Rebecca Natale is a setup. But Rebecca disappears into thin air after running an errand for her boss, billionaire philanthropist and investment guru Sir Thomas Asher. Also missing: an antique silver wine cooler looted by British soldiers before they burned the White House during the War of 1812. The next morning Lucie identifies Rebecca’s neatly folded clothes found in a rowboat floating in the Potomac River. Is it suicide, murder—or an elaborate scheme to disappear? A clandestine meeting in the U.S. Capitol, a startling revelation on a windy hill, and cryptic messages from Rebecca cloaked in eighteenth-century poetry are all part of the suspenseful tale of whether Rebecca is alive or dead—and the truth about Asher Investments. Featuring an absorbing plot, colorful characters, and fascinating winemaking detail, The Vintage Vendetta combines an entertaining mystery with luminous prose that has become Crosby’s trademark.

The Vintage Vendetta

Political intrigue, greed, betrayal and a high-stakes race against a killer: Photojournalist Sophie Medina is back with a bang Freelance photojournalist Sophie Medina has photographed world leaders, popes and international peace talks. Tonight, the focus of her lens are the 120 guests at a glittering society engagement party in Washington: billionaires, politicians, exiled European royalty . . . and Sophie's old friend Brother Kevin Boyle, controversial environmentalist and Franciscan friar. Rumors are flying about a project that Kevin is working on. A project that could be worth millions, if it falls into the wrong hands. So when Kevin's body is discovered the next day in his monastery's magnificent gardens, Sophie's convinced his death is no accident - even though no else seems to agree. What secrets was Kevin keeping, that were enough to kill for? Sophie embarks on an international treasure hunt that takes her from the US Capitol to London. But with time running out, and a suspect list made up of the rich and powerful, can she find the truth before Kevin's killer finds her? The second Sophie Medina mystery, following Multiple Exposure, is a great choice for readers who like fearless female sleuths and international intrigue.

Ghost Image

God So Loved the World tells the story of "The Three Great Persons"—The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. The Trinity leave their home in Orion, and travel through the Milky Way Galaxy to create a new world on Planet Earth. The story continues with each day of Creation, and the beautiful Eden that was created by the Father. As a final act of Creation, the Father creates the first man and woman in His image, and gives them the most beautiful place in the universe in which to live. Unfortunately, Satan tempts Adam and Eve, and they sin, making it necessary for them to leave their beautiful home. The Trinity is heartbroken, and the Son offers to sacrifice His life for theirs, and give them and their descendants another chance. This beautifully illustrated, full color children's book is a great way to explain the Plan of Salvation in a simple and effective way, and show God's forever love to all those who choose to follow Him.

God So Loved the World

After discovering the body of a prominent wine merchant near her Virginia vineyard, Lucie Montgomery helps a family friend by traveling to California, where she teams up with Quinn Santori in a deadly game involving a vengeful killer.

The Sauvignon Secret

The sauvignon secret

Ellen Crosby pours up another corking mystery with The Angels' Share, an intriguing blend of secret societies, Prohibition bootleg wine, and potentially scandalous documents hidden by the Founding Fathers, all of which yield a vintage murder. When Lucie Montgomery attends a Thanksgiving weekend party for friends and neighbors at Hawthorne Castle, an honest-to-goodness castle owned by the Avery family, the last great newspaper dynasty in America and owner of the Washington Tribune, she doesn’t expect the festive occasion to end in death. During the party, Prescott Avery, the 95-year old family patriarch, invites Lucie to his fabulous wine cellar where he offers to pay any price for a cache of 200-year-old Madeira that her great-great-uncle, a Prohibition bootlegger, discovered hidden in the US Capitol in the 1920s. Lucie knows nothing about the valuable wine, believing her late father, a notorious gambler and spendthrift, probably sold or drank it. By the end of the party Lucie and her fiancé, winemaker Quinn Santori, discover Prescott’s body lying in his wine cellar. Is one of the guests a murderer? As Lucie searches for the lost Madeira, which she believes links Prescott’s death to a cryptic letter her father owned, she learns about Prescott’s affiliation with the Freemasons. More investigating hints at a mysterious vault supposedly containing documents hidden by the Founding Fathers and a possible tie to William Shakespeare. If Lucie finds the long-lost documents, the explosive revelations could change history. But will she uncover a three hundred-year-old secret before a determined killer finds her?

The Angels' Share

Love, blackmail, murder, and intrigue are blended like a complex full-bodied wine in the latest installment of Ellen Crosby’s Virginia vineyard mystery series. Welcome back to the Montgomery Estate Vineyard, where Lucie Montgomery and winemaker Quinn Santori have decided to bottle a sparkling champagne-like wine a week before Valentine’s Day. But on the eve of a major snowstorm, Quinn’s cousin Gino, patriarch of one of Napa’s wine family dynasties, turns up demanding help in solving a long-ago family mystery that has its origins in Prohibition-era Washington, D.C., where bootlegging and blackmail, jazz and murder, went hand in hand. Before long Lucie realizes someone will go to any lengths to keep a century-old secret involving a scandalous presidential affair buried in the past. Can she learn the identity of the ruthless modern-day blackmailer determined to stop her before it’s too late?

The Champagne Conspiracy

The death of a former presidential candidate in a fiery car crash at her Virginia vineyard has ties to a thirty year-old murder, as well as to Lucie Montgomery’s own near fatal accident ten years ago, as she searches for a killer who now may be stalking her. When Jamison Vaughn—billionaire real estate mogul, Virginia vineyard owner, and unsuccessful U.S. presidential candidate—drives his gold SUV into a stone pillar at the entrance to Montgomery Estate Vineyard, Lucie Montgomery is certain the crash was deliberate. But everyone else in Atoka, Virginia is equally sure that Jamie must have lost control of his car on a rain-slicked country road. In spite of being saddled with massive campaign debts from the recent election, Jamie is seemingly the man with the perfect life. What possible reason could he have for committing suicide . . . or was it murder? Before long Lucie uncovers a connection between Jamie and some of his old friends—an elite group of academics—and the brutal murder thirty years ago of a brilliant PhD student. Although a handyman is on death row for the crime, Lucie soon suspects someone else is guilty. But the investigation into the two deaths throws Lucie a curve ball when someone from her own past becomes involved, forcing her to confront old demons. Now the race to solve the mystery behind the two deaths becomes intensely personal as Lucie realizes someone wants her silenced . . . for good. The Vineyard Victims is a nominee for the 2018 Mary Higgins Clark Award.

Ellen Crosby

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