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Michael Spraggue Mystery #2
Bitter Finish
"A fine job -- expertly written, with an ingenious wine caper set in the Napa Valley." The New York Times Book Review.
A Michael Spraggue Mystery by the author of "Dead Heat."
Michael Spraggue, a wealthy private eye turned movie actor, is in the middle of making a trashy Hollywood movie about -- what else? -- a private eye, when he gets a phone call from his sometime lover and current business partner in a California winery, Kate Holloway.
Kate has troubling news. Not only has Lenny Brent, their volatile winemaker, vanished, but an unidentifiable corpse has appeared -- and Kate's the prime suspect!
Spraggue hurries over in time to discover a second dead body -- that of Lenny. Can Spraggue solve this vintage mystery before he finds himself corked ?
A Michael Spraggue Mystery by the author of "Dead Heat."
Michael Spraggue, a wealthy private eye turned movie actor, is in the middle of making a trashy Hollywood movie about -- what else? -- a private eye, when he gets a phone call from his sometime lover and current business partner in a California winery, Kate Holloway.
Kate has troubling news. Not only has Lenny Brent, their volatile winemaker, vanished, but an unidentifiable corpse has appeared -- and Kate's the prime suspect!
Spraggue hurries over in time to discover a second dead body -- that of Lenny. Can Spraggue solve this vintage mystery before he finds himself corked ?
272 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
About the author
Linda Barnes
67 books227 followersLinda Barnes is an American mystery writer, born and raised in Detroit, and graduated from Boston University"s School of Theater. She is best known for her series featuring Carlotta Carlyle, a 6'1" redheaded detective from Boston. Carlotta Carlyle is often compared to the hard-boiled female detectives created by Sue Grafton and Sara Paretsky. Her new novel, "The Perfect Ghost," which will be published in April, 2013, is her first stand-alone mystery.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 25, 2011
eh... i couldn't really care who the killer was.
August 4, 2026
Not Michael Shayne
The story line moves along but some of the characters have sticky feet and drag it out. Michael in this writing doesn't speak NYC, but he !asks a gimic. No cigar smoking, gum-chewing or toothpick addiction, but he could use one. Another nice thing lacking is a weather report, nice evening for a murder? I liked Michael Sprague enough that I'd like to read another in this series. I'm not sold enough to buy all of them at once.
The story line moves along but some of the characters have sticky feet and drag it out. Michael in this writing doesn't speak NYC, but he !asks a gimic. No cigar smoking, gum-chewing or toothpick addiction, but he could use one. Another nice thing lacking is a weather report, nice evening for a murder? I liked Michael Sprague enough that I'd like to read another in this series. I'm not sold enough to buy all of them at once.
August 17, 2023
What fun
I loved the Carlotta mysteries, so I took a chance on this. Nicely plotted with a touch of wit. Interesting investigator with at least an unhappy relationship history. I hope to round out his character with additional books in the series.
I loved the Carlotta mysteries, so I took a chance on this. Nicely plotted with a touch of wit. Interesting investigator with at least an unhappy relationship history. I hope to round out his character with additional books in the series.
June 23, 2017
I much prefer her Carlotta Carlisle mysteries. This seemed to shallow compared to those.
August 15, 2017
as always, when it's from Linda Barnes, it's great
August 24, 2017
Easy reading, pretty good characters and interesting story line. Not intense or fast paced.
December 16, 2019
A read!
Not plausible in reallife,but this is fiction.it was difficult to track who was talking when . Cops shown as mostly egotists!
Not plausible in reallife,but this is fiction.it was difficult to track who was talking when . Cops shown as mostly egotists!
August 20, 2015
#2 in the Michael Spraggue III series.
Michael Spraggue III series - Michael Spraggue, a wealthy private eye turned movie actor, is in the middle of making a trashy Hollywood movie about -- what else? -- a private eye, when he gets a phone call from his sometime lover and current business partner in a California winery, Kate Holloway. Kate has troubling news. Not only has Lenny Brent, their volatile winemaker, vanished, but an unidentifiable corpse has appeared -- and Kate's the prime suspect! Spraggue hurries over in time to discover a second dead body -- that of Lenny.
Michael Spraggue III series - Michael Spraggue, a wealthy private eye turned movie actor, is in the middle of making a trashy Hollywood movie about -- what else? -- a private eye, when he gets a phone call from his sometime lover and current business partner in a California winery, Kate Holloway. Kate has troubling news. Not only has Lenny Brent, their volatile winemaker, vanished, but an unidentifiable corpse has appeared -- and Kate's the prime suspect! Spraggue hurries over in time to discover a second dead body -- that of Lenny.
December 8, 2008
Michael Spraggue is an independently wealthy man who is a private eye, a movie actor and co-owner of a vinyard. Reminds me of Batman...independently wealthy crime fighter... spry clever aunt, devoted servant...etc. Eh, OK....
August 23, 2009
Very Good; Continuing Character: Michael Sprague; murders are tied to wine growers and a special vintage.
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May 21, 2011just ok, didn't really have alot of in depth character development, alot of technical terms for wine making though
May 14, 2015
Quick read. Fun to learn a little about the wine industry, but Carlotta will always be my favorite of Barnes' protagonists.
July 4, 2015
Finished (for the second time) 02/03/2011. Michael Spraggue helps his vineyard partner and ex-lover with 3 murders in the Napa Valley. +
Read
January 25, 2017ok
Read
July 16, 2015I loved this series, too bad it didn't go....
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews