Blood Vines Review

Title: Blood Vines
Author: Erica Spindler
Published: 2010
Publisher: Sphere
Pages:512
ISBN: 9780751541281
Summary: Alex Clarkson knows very little about her childhood or who she really is – her only family an absent, emotionally fragile mother. Alex has always felt something was missing and has spent most of her life searching for what that could be. When an infant’s remains are unearthed, Alex realises she has a connection to the case. Suddenly long-lost memories start flooding in, leading her back to a small town in California and to dark and terrifying nightmares that haunt her every waking moment. Greeted with silence and suspicion, Alex is determined to get to the heart of a secret no one wants to see uncovered. As violent deaths and a series of pagan rituals terrify the tightly-knit community, Alex is forced to confront the terrible truth about a single night that changed her family’s lives for ever…
Review:
Spindler has outdone herself once again! Blood Vines is an exhilarating read. The story is set in California’s wine country and Spindler does a great job of bringing the vibrant vineyards to life. There aren’t pages and pages of descriptions of the atmosphere of Sonoma, but there is enough for the me to visualise it and feel like I was actually there.
The mystery itself in Blood Vines was really intoxicating. Spindler places twists and turns in every chapter, which kept me guessing. I couldn’t have predicted what happened. The plot contains a psychological twist and the whole story is webbed with lies, deception, mystery and romance.
Alex Clarkson’s ‘romance’ with Detective Danny Reed is somewhat lacking romance and trust. Sex merely makes it a romantic relationship, however I will have to say the blazing hormones and steaminess add to the story.
Overall in my opinion Blood Vines is a fast paced mystery, a real page turner. Once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down. So much so, that I was sitting in my University lectures reading Blood Vines rather than listening to what was being said. I would recommend everyone to read it. And if you’re a mystery lover, this book is a must!