Back in 2019 I reviewed a book by Steven Laine called Root Cause and enjoyed the crap out of it. So here I am with his newest novel called Dragonvine. This review won't be as long and detailed as the last one, as life is still chaotic while I try and get back to posting here regularly.
Let's cut right to the chase: I FRIGGIN' LOVED IT! My favorite thing about this book is the idea of the main characters. Two of them are here right now in the present and really couldn't be any more different. The other couldn't be any different from them... and he's in ancient China!
So the plot goes like this: Carmine Cooper is a young man in his early 20's who loses his father in a wildfire and he suddenly has to take over his father's California vineyards and winery. But his dad left this world with a lot of debt when he purchased new winemaking machinery a few years back, so Carmine's in some financial trouble right off the bat. Jessica Lung runs the Chinese mob in San Francisco with her twin brother. She's a total badass. A series of events leads her to get into the wine counterfeiting business, and she starts looking for winemakers that have no choice but to cooperate. Wuju is the king's physician and his story starts in 235 BC China. His king is looking for the elixir of life, and while others believe that to be in mercury, Wuju believes it can be found in wine.
By the way, one of Carmine's vineyard plots is planted with a mystery varietal that they assume is Syrah. But what is it really? All of this ties together wonderfully.
By the way, one of Carmine's vineyard plots is planted with a mystery varietal that they assume is Syrah. But what is it really? All of this ties together wonderfully.
Again, I FRIGGIN' LOVED IT! Grab this book, open a bottle of wine, and relax with some Tai Chi music like I did. You will not regret it!
