The Winemaker's Son

by C.J. West

Book Overview

When his knee shatters on the playing field, Charlie Marston is plunged into turmoil. The fallen college superstar joins the family winemaking business, but working alongside his parents is not the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0976778807
• ISBN13: 9780976778806
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: 22 West Books
• Length: 370 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Sin and Vengeance

Charlie Marston and his buddy, Randy Black are visiting Charlie's parents' vineyard in France when Randy suggests they have a little fun. Randy hooks up for a threesome with Deirdre Deudon, an older woman whom he found on the Internet. They meet at an abandoned farm house not far from the winery and as the seduction begin, the woman's husband shows up. Enraged at his wife's infidelity, he takes out his ire on the young men. While he viscously beats Randy, Charlie bashes him over the head with a wine bottle, knocking him senseless. But things turn worse when Randy pounds him into the wall, knocking a large hole in it while his hysterical wife, strapped to the bed, screams helplessly. Charlie and Randy discover bundles of cash hidden inside the wall and rip it apart exposing millions. To cover up the murder, Charlie causes an explosion and they take the money, leaving with Deirdre after giving her a million dollars. Charlie, astonished by what happened, realizes his need to leave the country, and gets his father into letting him return to their MA winery, thus away from any suspicion. All the while Charlie's parents, concerned about his friendship with Randy, demands he end it. When the Charlie and Randy arrive in the states, Charlie plans to dump his buddy, but knows Randy is crazy and capable of anything. Soon after Randy comes to the winery and coerces Charlie into accompanying him to an expensive home, where Randy trashes it in a manner that destruction shows up over time. Feeling guilty for his part, Charlie wants to inform the owners, but know there is no way to do so and this intensifies his need to distance himself from Randy. Then Deirdre unexpectedly shows up at the MA winery, and Charlie wonders if she's after revenge, but she is after Randy. During this time Charlie's father has been getting cryptic blackmail notes and he and Charlie's mother are forced to go to MA to pay if. It is then that Charlie learns his father deceived many wine producers out of business, and realizes Randy is someone else--the son of winery owners who lost their business due to Charlie's father, and a man who is set on vengeance. With a cunning mind, Randy stops at nothing to seek his revenge and set up Charlie as the perpetrator in a cat and mouse game that knows no end. Mr. West has penned a book that is compelling and filled with bone-chilling suspense. The means to the end that Randy goes to to seek his own form of justice will have the reader biting their nails to the quick and turning the pages to the very end.

The Mark of a Truly Good Book -

This author is adept at weaving a perfect blend of intrigue and suspense. C.J. West's imaginative mind will take you through interesting and complex characters, detailed plot scenarios, twists and turns. He deftly develops his characters and enables the reader to attain the crucial insight into their actions and thought processes that makes a book excellent. Sin & Vengeance is fresh, fast-paced action and addictive! What sets this book apart from other mysteries and novels is the level of detail that C.J. West infuses into his plot. Sin & Vengeance was well worth the price and effort to purchase and bound to become a best seller. I predict with his ability to weave a tale with such finesse and his command of the English language, C.J. West will become a household name.

an exciting twisted thriller!

This book was one of the most exciting I've read in a long time! The characters are complex-especially Randy-and the plot is intricate. I never was able to get one step ahead of Randy and his manipulations. His blinding need for revenge is astounding. The twists and turns in the book keep you on a roller coaster that ends with Charlie coming into his own and finally outwitting Randy. I could not put it down!! I hope the movie makes it to the big screen!

...couldn't put it down period.

In a world where a multitude of writers and artists are lost amongst the mediocrity of public consumption, it is thrilling to discover an outstanding young storyteller like C.J. West. A genius with pacing, West introduces character after character that are delicatly wrapped in a battle of wills with their own moral compass and then slowly become emeshed in a trail of evil and greed it's impossible not to follow. Of course it's only a game until someone gets hurt and when Charlie gets drawn into the deliciously evil machinations of his new friend Randy Black, the people around him are soon at risk. Randy is clever, beguiling, vindictive and seemingly erratic, but he's a mesmorizing character like Patricia Highsmith's Ripley. Hopefully like Ripley, West turns Randy Black into a series as well.

A Wonderful Read

I sent this comment directly to Mr. West, and just wanted to share it with other readers with the addition of:'This is a nust read if you like action, suspense and mystery". CJ, It took a while to get the book from Barnes and Noble, and I had a stack to read, but once I got to Sin and Vengeance I was not disappointed !!! Randy/Oliver is one of the best protagonists I have come across in years, and Charles Marston is a great depiction of the typical parent who has an athlete for a son or daughter. They are never good enough and sports is a waste of time to them !!! When I hit page 100 I was so entranced I stayed up until 2:30 AM to finish what I started. I cannot understand, with all the crap out there why a major publisher has not jumped all over you with a big time deal. The story is believable and haunting, and the writing flows effortlessly with characters that are so well conceived you can almost reach out and touch them. I won't stop here, and I certainly hope you won't either. Keep writing works like this and you will be a household name sometime soon.