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The Vicious Vintner
Join Nick and Carter and all the gang in a tale of murder and wine, family and betrayal, and how secrets can destroy the thing they're designed to protect.
Sunday, August 6, 1972
It's a warm summer's day up in Sonoma and Nick and Carter are in the Cougar and on their way to lunch at a local winery.
Merka Wines has been one of the big suppliers for Hopkins Hotels for quite some time.
But Nick has never met old Paul Merka and his family and is looking forward to finally getting a chance to do so.
After a delicious four-course meal, Paul takes Nick and Carter out for a walk through the vineyards.
Before they get very far, though, they stumble across a dead body.
It doesn't take long before the family circles the wagons and attempts to prevent Nick from doing what he should as a licensed private investigator.
And that's only the beginning of what turns out to be quite a tragic tale.
Will Nick and Carter be able to stop the tragedy from spreading before everything is lost?
Read the mystery of The Vicious Vintner and find out!
* * *
Some mysteries can't be solved in just a few days or weeks or months, even.
This epic tale takes us from California to France to Chile and back again. Spanning a lot of history from 1972 through to 1983, we make several stops along the way.
Sunday, August 6, 1972
It's a warm summer's day up in Sonoma and Nick and Carter are in the Cougar and on their way to lunch at a local winery.
Merka Wines has been one of the big suppliers for Hopkins Hotels for quite some time.
But Nick has never met old Paul Merka and his family and is looking forward to finally getting a chance to do so.
After a delicious four-course meal, Paul takes Nick and Carter out for a walk through the vineyards.
Before they get very far, though, they stumble across a dead body.
It doesn't take long before the family circles the wagons and attempts to prevent Nick from doing what he should as a licensed private investigator.
And that's only the beginning of what turns out to be quite a tragic tale.
Will Nick and Carter be able to stop the tragedy from spreading before everything is lost?
Read the mystery of The Vicious Vintner and find out!
* * *
Some mysteries can't be solved in just a few days or weeks or months, even.
This epic tale takes us from California to France to Chile and back again. Spanning a lot of history from 1972 through to 1983, we make several stops along the way.
439 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 29, 2023
3 people are currently reading
3 people want to read
About the author
Frank W. Butterfield
123 books106 followersFrank W. Butterfield, not an assumed name, loves old movies, wise-cracking smart guys with hearts of gold, and writing for fun.
Although he worships San Francisco, he lives at the beach on another coast.
Born on a windy day in November of 1966, he was elected President of his high school Spanish Club in the spring of 1983.
After moving across these United States like a rapid-fire pinball, he currently makes his home in a hurricane-proof apartment with superior water pressure that was built in 1926.
While he hasn't met any dolphins personally, that invitation is always open.
Although he worships San Francisco, he lives at the beach on another coast.
Born on a windy day in November of 1966, he was elected President of his high school Spanish Club in the spring of 1983.
After moving across these United States like a rapid-fire pinball, he currently makes his home in a hurricane-proof apartment with superior water pressure that was built in 1926.
While he hasn't met any dolphins personally, that invitation is always open.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 21, 2023
I like the time structure of this one - and the jumps in locations, and references to other stories that happened in that same time frame. Very satisfying.
June 2, 2023
Wow! Just... wow!
This is probably the most complex story in this series. Deeply layered, covering from 1972 to 1983 and with a case that keeps going on through all these years, this is an intricate tale but so compelling that stopping reading it was like ripping my arm off.
I loved how we get to see some of the boys' backstories, and how some interstitial spaces were filled with new facts; how old and new characters pass through the pages. I loved even the fight between Nick and Carter because it was so them, all of it, Carter's actions, Nick's dreams and reactions... so perfectly them!
And the main case was so intriguing! I really wanted to know how they would be able to solve it.
What can I say? This is, at least for me, the best book in a series filled with wonderful stories. Loved it!
This is probably the most complex story in this series. Deeply layered, covering from 1972 to 1983 and with a case that keeps going on through all these years, this is an intricate tale but so compelling that stopping reading it was like ripping my arm off.
I loved how we get to see some of the boys' backstories, and how some interstitial spaces were filled with new facts; how old and new characters pass through the pages. I loved even the fight between Nick and Carter because it was so them, all of it, Carter's actions, Nick's dreams and reactions... so perfectly them!
And the main case was so intriguing! I really wanted to know how they would be able to solve it.
What can I say? This is, at least for me, the best book in a series filled with wonderful stories. Loved it!
June 3, 2023
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Glorious - longer than usual, both in page length and the period covered (August 1972 - September 1983) as a case under investigation stops and restarts... There are links to previous events in Nick and Carter's lives as well as Uncle Paul - and others...
A triumphal return after too long an absence!
Glorious - longer than usual, both in page length and the period covered (August 1972 - September 1983) as a case under investigation stops and restarts... There are links to previous events in Nick and Carter's lives as well as Uncle Paul - and others...
A triumphal return after too long an absence!
June 3, 2023
An unfocused mishmash
The Nick Williams Mysteries have been some of my all-time favorite stories, but the last couple of books (including this one) feel unfocused as if the author is exhausted and trying to keep the series running. The characters reflect that exhaustion by seeming physically tired and uninspired, as well. I realize that these beloved characters are now all in their 60's and are approaching retirement age, so exhaustion is a reality in their lives. However, the author still has them jet-setting across the world at a moment's notice, and expanding their business empire with such a varied portfolio it makes Berkshire Hathaway look like a penny stock. It all has become too unbelievable. This story spanned over a decade - which is unusual for a NWM. Bits and pieces of other previously unmentioned capers were casually thrown in and about that had no influence or relevance on this story. It created confusion for the reader. I often found myself scratching my head as to what was happening. The entire Uncle Paul connection seemed very convoluted and contributed to my confusion. There were also a few proofreading errors that should have been easily caught. This book was just messy and not of the quality of storytelling that I have expected from Mr. Butterfield. Based on previously released short stories, Nick and Carter live into their 80's. That's 20 more years of escapades to write about. I hope they are more lively and exciting than this book.
The Nick Williams Mysteries have been some of my all-time favorite stories, but the last couple of books (including this one) feel unfocused as if the author is exhausted and trying to keep the series running. The characters reflect that exhaustion by seeming physically tired and uninspired, as well. I realize that these beloved characters are now all in their 60's and are approaching retirement age, so exhaustion is a reality in their lives. However, the author still has them jet-setting across the world at a moment's notice, and expanding their business empire with such a varied portfolio it makes Berkshire Hathaway look like a penny stock. It all has become too unbelievable. This story spanned over a decade - which is unusual for a NWM. Bits and pieces of other previously unmentioned capers were casually thrown in and about that had no influence or relevance on this story. It created confusion for the reader. I often found myself scratching my head as to what was happening. The entire Uncle Paul connection seemed very convoluted and contributed to my confusion. There were also a few proofreading errors that should have been easily caught. This book was just messy and not of the quality of storytelling that I have expected from Mr. Butterfield. Based on previously released short stories, Nick and Carter live into their 80's. That's 20 more years of escapades to write about. I hope they are more lively and exciting than this book.
June 6, 2024
These Secrets Won't Stay Buried
Cruisin’ and groovin', top down on the Cougar, 8-track tape playing, Nick and Carter were off on a warm, Sunday drive. Lunch awaited them at the Merka family winery. That was the plan... until an uncanny death revealed the perplexing family dynamics. Something was amiss here.
This was their first encounter with the sociopath’s saga. Not like Kiki Van Poole, who would become reckless and panic. Rather, over the course of a decade, a recurring pattern of murder for solution emerges... a sociopath with patience. Two families entangled, manipulated, with death and secrets woven throughout. And Nick and Carter on the periphery.
Nick’s great-uncle Paul has a connection to this twisting tale, as well. More secrets uncovered, more facts exposed. And finally, another death hits close to home... and Nick’s eulogy leaves me in tears.
This is one of the finest ‘Nick Williams Mysteries’ that Frank has written.
It covers such an expanse of time, while pulling the threads of this tale tighter and tighter, and comes to an unexpected conclusion. We are so emotionally invested. This is an absolute treat to read. I highly recommend it.
Cruisin’ and groovin', top down on the Cougar, 8-track tape playing, Nick and Carter were off on a warm, Sunday drive. Lunch awaited them at the Merka family winery. That was the plan... until an uncanny death revealed the perplexing family dynamics. Something was amiss here.
This was their first encounter with the sociopath’s saga. Not like Kiki Van Poole, who would become reckless and panic. Rather, over the course of a decade, a recurring pattern of murder for solution emerges... a sociopath with patience. Two families entangled, manipulated, with death and secrets woven throughout. And Nick and Carter on the periphery.
Nick’s great-uncle Paul has a connection to this twisting tale, as well. More secrets uncovered, more facts exposed. And finally, another death hits close to home... and Nick’s eulogy leaves me in tears.
This is one of the finest ‘Nick Williams Mysteries’ that Frank has written.
It covers such an expanse of time, while pulling the threads of this tale tighter and tighter, and comes to an unexpected conclusion. We are so emotionally invested. This is an absolute treat to read. I highly recommend it.
June 5, 2023
The Vicious Vintner (Nick Williams 39)
By Frank W. Butterfield
Published by the author, 2023
Five stars
“It was like getting up on the mountain in order to be struck by lightning.” Quotation from Warren Winiarski, on the 1976 “Judgment of Paris” wine competition, at which a California wine beat the French competition for the first time in history.
Epic. Emotionally one of the richest books in the whole massive series. Yeah, there’s a dead guy in a vineyard, and some pretty unpleasant vintners—but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s also a lot of talk about food, and the presence of Nick’s great-uncle Paul to spice things up.
The book starts on August 6 of 1972, and doesn’t fade to black until September 1983. It moves from California’s Sonoma County to France’s Burgundy region, back and forth, with a side trip to Chile during the nationwide strike that would bring Augusto Pinochet into power—aided by the United States. For all its careering across the ocean again and again, the plot of this book is almost stately, carefully laid out so that its logic seems unassailable.
Of course, it’s still all about Nick Williams and Carter Jones—who move from their early 50s to their early 60s. Their deep, unshakable love for each other, and their insistence that the world take them as they are (helped by their billions, which, even so, cannot prevent the ugliness of the world for smacking them in the face now and then). In the context of today, Nick and Carter become a sort of fairytale idea of what billionaires could be—should be—if they cared about something other than themselves. Of course Nick and Carter love their friends and longtime associates; but these men, among the richest people in the world, never once stop thinking about people (especially, but not exclusively LGBTQ people) about whom they have no reason to care.
As always, I don’t want to give away any plot points, but let me remind you that this entire series has always been read by me with a consciousness of where my life was in the course of things. This book starts in my third year of high school, and ends in the third year of my professional career. Nick and Carter are my imaginary gay dads (even though I loved my parents a lot). Every new book is like stepping into a world so familiar and so well-remembered that it feels like home.
Unlike some of the over three dozen books in this series, the murder story is central to the narrative and drives the plot choices that Frank Butterfield makes. This is a much more complicated murder than usual, reaching far beyond the eleven-year span of its plot arc. In a way, it foreshadows the reports and diaries left by Nick and Carter that Eddie Williams will share with Whit Hall in their spin-off series. It is a satisfyingly detailed and imagined book, and the bits of real history interspersed through its pages offer us poignant and amusing detail that fills in important gaps, and paints the picture of these men’s lives ever more vividly.
By Frank W. Butterfield
Published by the author, 2023
Five stars
“It was like getting up on the mountain in order to be struck by lightning.” Quotation from Warren Winiarski, on the 1976 “Judgment of Paris” wine competition, at which a California wine beat the French competition for the first time in history.
Epic. Emotionally one of the richest books in the whole massive series. Yeah, there’s a dead guy in a vineyard, and some pretty unpleasant vintners—but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s also a lot of talk about food, and the presence of Nick’s great-uncle Paul to spice things up.
The book starts on August 6 of 1972, and doesn’t fade to black until September 1983. It moves from California’s Sonoma County to France’s Burgundy region, back and forth, with a side trip to Chile during the nationwide strike that would bring Augusto Pinochet into power—aided by the United States. For all its careering across the ocean again and again, the plot of this book is almost stately, carefully laid out so that its logic seems unassailable.
Of course, it’s still all about Nick Williams and Carter Jones—who move from their early 50s to their early 60s. Their deep, unshakable love for each other, and their insistence that the world take them as they are (helped by their billions, which, even so, cannot prevent the ugliness of the world for smacking them in the face now and then). In the context of today, Nick and Carter become a sort of fairytale idea of what billionaires could be—should be—if they cared about something other than themselves. Of course Nick and Carter love their friends and longtime associates; but these men, among the richest people in the world, never once stop thinking about people (especially, but not exclusively LGBTQ people) about whom they have no reason to care.
As always, I don’t want to give away any plot points, but let me remind you that this entire series has always been read by me with a consciousness of where my life was in the course of things. This book starts in my third year of high school, and ends in the third year of my professional career. Nick and Carter are my imaginary gay dads (even though I loved my parents a lot). Every new book is like stepping into a world so familiar and so well-remembered that it feels like home.
Unlike some of the over three dozen books in this series, the murder story is central to the narrative and drives the plot choices that Frank Butterfield makes. This is a much more complicated murder than usual, reaching far beyond the eleven-year span of its plot arc. In a way, it foreshadows the reports and diaries left by Nick and Carter that Eddie Williams will share with Whit Hall in their spin-off series. It is a satisfyingly detailed and imagined book, and the bits of real history interspersed through its pages offer us poignant and amusing detail that fills in important gaps, and paints the picture of these men’s lives ever more vividly.
October 12, 2025
Different
This installment differs from the previous books in many small ways, not the least of which is the timeline. Spanning many years is not typical of the previous books, and in this instance, does not necessarily improve the storyline. The plot is convoluted and extends far beyond the current events, including many scenes from earlier years. The resolutions, when they arrive, are OK but I am left less than satisfied at the end on the book.
This installment differs from the previous books in many small ways, not the least of which is the timeline. Spanning many years is not typical of the previous books, and in this instance, does not necessarily improve the storyline. The plot is convoluted and extends far beyond the current events, including many scenes from earlier years. The resolutions, when they arrive, are OK but I am left less than satisfied at the end on the book.
June 1, 2023
Waited awhile for this book but was not disappointed. It did cover 11 years of Nick and Carter's life--though the vineyards were what tied the stories together, there were other stories that wound through those 11 years. I enjoyed those because it filled in some backstories of their lives. Already looking forward to next book. Recommend reading.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews