I have just finished the two Fredrickson Winery books by Barbara Ellen Brink. They were the perfect reads for settling in with a blanket and hot tea while I fought the cold outside and the one I caught last week.
The first volume, Entangled, does a wonderful job of setting up characters that drew me into the story. The setting particularly appealed to me--the wine country of California. The process of harvesting grapes and producing wine appears authentic.
The main character, Billie Fredrickson goes to her Uncle Jack's funeral at the insistence of her mother. She remembers very little about visiting the winery as a child and is surprised to learn that her Uncle has left her the winery. Billie is a lawyer who specializes in family law. When she arrives she meets a playmate from her previous winery visit, Handel Parker. Although his speciality is criminal law he was her Uncle Jack's long-time attorney. A rocky beginning sets the stage for discovering an old crime and bringing it to resolution as a relationship begins to develop between Billie and Handle.
Entangled won the 2006 Pacific Northwest Writer's Association Award.
The second book, Crushed, takes place a year later. Billie is living on the winery and preparing for the harvest and crushing. Her relationship with Handle has blossomed and she enjoys living next to Handle, his sister Margaret and her young son Davy. When Davy's biological father returns to the United States the trouble begins and Davy's kidnapping is the second crime involving the family since Billie moved to the winery.
Brink has other books, and awards, to her credit. These who-done-it stories will engage you and possibly make you a fan of Barbara Ellen Brink as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment