Nico Doyle, a former NYPD detective, now feels at home in the sunny hometown of his late wife, spending his days assisting at the family winery. However, Gravina is turned upside down by the arrival of Michel Mandeli, an influential wine critic capable of making or breaking local businesses, and it seems he has set his sights on Aldo's vineyards, the owner of which is Nico.

When Mandeli is poisoned, the local police face a high-profile murder, and Nico is called upon to help. But identifying the suspect will require unraveling the roots of local disputes that are deeper than anyone expected.

First published as The Bitter Taste of Murder