Book Reviews

Book Blurb

When Ariel Gonda’s winery, the Lovely Pines, suffers a break-in, the police write the incident off as a prank since nothing was taken. But Ariel knows something is wrong—small clues are beginning to add up—and he turns to private investigator BJ Vinson for help.

 

BJ soon discovers the incident is anything but harmless. When a vineyard worker—who is also more than he seems—is killed, there are plenty of suspects to go around. But are the two crimes even related? As BJ and his significant other, Paul Barton, follow the trail from the central New Mexico wine country south to Las Cruces and Carlsbad, they discover a tangled web involving members of the US military, a mistaken identity, a family fortune in dispute, and even a secret baby. The body count is rising, and a child may be in danger. BJ will need all his skills to survive because, between a deadly sniper and sabotage, someone is determined to make sure this case goes unsolved.

 

Book Review

The fourth B.J. Vinson mystery in this series is just as intriguing as the first three. B.J. Vinson – or BJ for short because… who wants to be called Burleigh? – is an intrepid confidential investigator who gets involved in the weirdest cases. This time the owner of a winery in New Mexico needs BJ’s help to identify an unexplained intruder who doesn’t steal anything other than the odd bottle of expensive wine from the cellar. Things escalate when one of the employees is murdered, the family fortune comes into play, and an unexpected baby turns up. As ever, the quality of the writing is high, there is a variety of quirky and eccentric characters, and the New Mexico setting adds color and variety as BJ traces his various leads.

The Lovely Pines has recently been acquired by Swiss-born Ariel Gonda who has big plans for making it a more profitable venture. The break-in is the first sign of trouble, and Ariel calls in BJ since the police doesn’t take it as seriously as he would like. BJ starts to collect clues, and when one or the employees is murdered, things quickly turn serious. The police are back in force, various jurisdictions collide with BJ’s need to fulfill his original mission of finding the intruder, and soon there are more suspects and questions than answers.

BJ’s boyfriend of three years, graduate journalism student Paul, is still very much in the picture and while his role in the case is less active than before, his importance to BJ’s private life is growing more important. And BJ needs all the rest and relaxation he can get between stakeouts, the collection of evidence, and demands from his employer to solve the entire case – which is really the police’s job rather than his. Not that he lets this stop him when push comes to shove – with him right at the center of sabotage, a deadly sniper, and other threats to his life.

As always in these books, the secondary characters deserve a mention for being as “real” as they come. They are a mix of opinionated, aggravating, and supportive people who added to my enjoyment as much as the many hints and clues, many of which added up to clever misdirection. And, as ever, the landscape of New Mexico comes to life during BJ’s and Paul’s explorations, and I loved the virtual visits to a beautiful area of this world this provided me with.

If you like dramatic mysteries with multiple twists and turns as clues are discovered, if unusual characters with secret agendas are your thing, and if you’re looking for a suspenseful read filled with solid investigative work, then you will probably like this novel. I was happy to find out, at the end of the book, that another one is planned in this series.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by DSP Publications for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 254 pages/86135 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	28-August-2018
Price	$6.99 ebook, $16.99 paperback, $16.99 bundle
Buy Link	https://www.dsppublications.com/books/the-lovely-pines-by-don-travis-467-b