The Illuminated Vineyard

The Illuminated Vineyard
Jean Moynahan
Five Star Publishing
Gale, Cengage Learning
February 9, 2011
Hard Cover
ISBN-13: 978-1-59414-934-4
$25.95
304 pages
Fiction

Life isn’t always fair. Rachel Jarvis had worked as a high school English teacher and decided to retire.
With both herself and her husband retiring, now is the time for them to relax and enjoy life.
Unfortunately, her husband passed away leaving her the complete responsibility of taking care of the
house and the garden.

Rachel doesn’t have the best relationship with her nearby neighbor. When a young man is walking
around his property, she does wonder what he is doing there. Her neighbor is not a friendly person and
does not welcome new people. Later, she befriends this young man and offers him a job to help
around the outside of her property and a place to stay. Why? This is not like her at all.

Strangely coincidental, since the arrival of this handyman and his girlfriend, the town has experienced
criminal activity such as arson, murder, and an attempted poisoning. Is there a connection or just bad
timing?

The Illuminated Vineyard is unpredictable but still logical. As you read the book, more is
Illuminated than just the vineyard, much more.

Although unusual in its approach, this novel is both intriguing and engrossing. The characters are
believable and realistic. The characters, although often troubled, make logical choices.

Jean Moynahan is an Oregon native who was raised in Arizona and now has returned to her home state.
She has written two romance novels, Captain of Hearts and Painted Hearts. The Illuminated Vineyard is
her first mystery.

The Illuminated Vineyard is an excellent mystery that definitely has a unique writing style. Ms.
Moynahan truly captures the thoughts and misgivings of her main character, Rachel. I look forward to
more mysteries by this gifted author.