Kate Hardy delivers another engrossing cozy mystery with The Body at the Vineyard, book six in the Georgina Drake Mystery series. When photographer Georgina Drake accepts a magazine assignment to capture images of rising winemaker Gaby Edwards at Rosa Wines, she expects a peaceful trip filled with vineyards and photo shoots. Instead, her dog Bert uncovers a decades-old skeleton near a pond—and moments later, news breaks that Gaby’s brother Nathan has been found dead in a vat of wine. With Gaby’s other brother missing and family tensions bubbling over, Georgina and her ghostly ally Doris must sift through secrets old and new before tragedy strikes again.

Hardy balances dual mysteries beautifully, weaving together the historical fate of farmhand Percy Ramsey with the contemporary puzzle of Nathan’s suspicious death. The English countryside setting and detailed vineyard lore bring rich atmosphere, while Georgina’s relationships—with skeptical DI Colin Bradshaw, loyal Sybbie, and ever-faithful Bert—add both warmth and humor. Doris, the ghostly confidante, continues to be a delightful twist, offering insights that keep Georgina one step ahead even as Colin struggles to accept her otherworldly source.

With layered family drama, red herrings, and a blend of past and present crimes, The Body at the Vineyard is both clever and compelling. Hardy’s mysteries stand alone, but the charm of returning characters makes the series especially rewarding for longtime readers. Perfect for cozy mystery fans who enjoy a touch of the paranormal with their whodunit.

Georgina Drake, photographer and amateur sleuth is at it again! When up and coming winemaker Gaby Edwards books Georgina for a photoshoot, it all goes wrong when Gaby's brother is found drowned in one of their fermentation tanks. To make matters worse, Georgina's dog sniffs out an old skeleton in a pond on the vineyard.

With the help of her friend Sybbie, and much to the dismay of her DI boyfriend Colin, Georgina digs into the cases and finds a family full of rivalries with quite a list of suspects including Gaby herself. Georgina's investigations into the skeleton also unearths a mystery from long ago and she pursues the truth in order to provide answers for a local family.

A fun, cozy mystery with a supernatural twist. This is book number #6 in the Georgina Drake series but it can be read as a standalone without any problems if you've not read any of the other books in the series. With likeable characters and funny dialogue, despite the seriousness of the story, it makes for an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Catching up with Georgina and the characters is always a pleasure and this a light and entertaining cozy mystery, well developed and complelling.
Solid mystery, good pace.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Definitely a cosy mystery and having read others in the series the use of a ghost to reveal significant clues no longer bothers me- I am used to her presence! The characters are all great and the mysteries are solved at a friendly pace for a summer read!

I absolutely love this series, and the latest instalment certainly doesn’t disappoint! With a new location, characters, murder, and a skeleton, this fantastic story keeps you guessing. Bert makes plenty of appearances too! 🙂 The ending has a wonderful surprise, and I’m hoping there’s a next book!

Thank you Netgalley

This is one of a series of books featuring Georgina, a photographer, who happens to communicate with a ghost via her hearing aids! This does help her solve murders, but doesn't endear her to her policeman boyfriend. These are well written and plotted with a good, rounded set of accompanying characters.

Yet another great add to this series. I particularly enjoy reading about Georgie and her connections with Bertie, Doris, Colin and her friends. Each of these relationships is special.

The mystery part was as always quite exciting with enough intrigue to keep turning the pages.

Overall a nice add to the genre.

#TheBodyattheVineyard #NetGalley

Kate Hardy kept me turning the pages again with book 6 in the Georgina Drake Mystery series, The Body at the Vineyard. The title (as with the previous titles) gives the basics – there’s a body, found at a vineyard. But the author also weaves in a historical murder mystery with each of the contemporary ones and it’s just as interesting solving that case with her as the present day one.

Photographer Georgina Drake has accepted a job doing a photo shoot of up-and-coming winemaker Gaby Edwards at her family’s vineyards. She brings along her friend Sybbie and Sybbie’s daughter Cesca for the trip. Winemaker Gaby is hoping to have wines from her vineyard, Rosa Wines, designated with an organic label for how the grapes are grown, though this has caused some friction between herself, her brother Nathan, and her father. Her father owns Willow Farm Wines, (well technically he owns Rosa Wines too, though Gaby is the chief winemaker and she’s trying to get sole autonomy for the business) and the two vineyards share office space though they cater to different markets.

Georgina arrives and has an interesting interview with Gaby, learning all about the history of the vineyards, including the family difficulties. A short walk afterwards in the vineyards leads to a pond, where Georgina’s dog Bert discovers a skeleton. Gaby has a ghost friend, Doris, who she can hear through her hearing aid and who has aided her in cases past. Doris tells her that the body is the remains of Percy Ramsey, a farm worker from the 1930s, but what happened and how he ended up dead in the pond at this point remain a mystery. Georgina tells Gaby of the discovery and that the police should be called. It’s fairly clear that it’s an old skeleton, not a recent death, but it still has to be handled properly.

But when Georgina and Gaby arrive back at the vineyard office after the walk, the police are already there, as well as an ambulance. To her horror, Gaby learns that her brother Nathan has been found dead. His body has been found in a vat of red wine, and appears to have drowned. In wanting to tell their younger brother Ash of the discovery, Gaby learns that Ash, an artist, has disappeared and that his studio is all smashed up. Clues start to point to Nathan’s death not being an accident. But it will take Georgina and her friends, including boyfriend Colin Bradshaw, a detective inspector, some investigative sleuthing to determine what really happened – in the present to Nathan, and in the past to Percy.

An intriguing case (or two) is what keeps bringing me back to reading this author. I really enjoy the characters, how the cases unfold, the slightly paranormal aspect with Doris, Georgina’s ghost (whom Colin firmly doesn’t believe in, but hasn’t yet been able to figure out another way that Georgina learns clues that always help her solve the cases), and the setting for each book in the English countryside. The reader learns all about winemaking in this one, and in each of the previous cases the author has researched her settings and locations such that each book, with its combination of familiar and new characters stands alone well and isn’t repetitive. Perfect for the beach in summer or under a cozy blanket in winter, a few hours spent with Georgina and her friends is a great way to spend your time.

This review will be posted at All About Romance and feedback updated with the link.

Another great installment in this series which is a bit of a favourite of mine, It great to catch Georgina and all of the characters who are a part of this series but most especially Bert of course. This has been an enthralling mystery again and I am glad I chose the first book I read in this series as it is outside my normal as I dont tend to like paranormal elements but this is so much more than that so dont be put off if its different to your normal the mysteries are just so well written, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Photographer Georgie has a photoshoot at a local vineyard with an enterprising young vintner. Bert the spaniel soon reveals that the vineyard is hiding dark secrets, and it seems that not all of them are in the past. Two bodies and a missing brother draw the police into the mix. Georgie is in her element unearthing the secrets of the skeleton, with the help of her friends, including Doris the spirit. I love the mix of historical and present-day mysteries, the supernatural element and catching up with the day-to-day lives of Georgina and her friends. Georgina is an intelligent sleuth and a compassionate woman who draws the secrets from people through kindness and understanding. I appreciate the contrast between Georgie and Detective Colin's investigative styles, which usually brings success. It's an entertaining series of friendship, mystery, secrets and romance, the perfect escapist read.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

The Body at the Vineyard by Kate Hardy is a cozy murder mystery. This book is # 6 in a series, but my first introduction into the Georgina Drake Mysteries. The story is about a women named Georgina who is told "where dead bodies are" by Dorris, a ghost. Using Dorris to communicate with the after life, she investiages the murders. She runs into trouble, when her investigations leads her into a current day case that her boyfriend, a detective , is assigned to.

This story was well written, but the ghost character threw me for a loop. I which they, could have been more developed from the begining. The story lines didn't seem to quite mesh until the end. Overall, this was a cute book but not one I would recommend to a friend. Thank to Storm Publishing for the ARC through NetGallery, in exchange for an honest review.

This is a tale of two books, with 2 storylines running throughout - one current and one historical. I found it hard to get into the historical one and found myself skim reading it until it came back to the current storyline, then you fully paid attention. Enjoyable characters you could easily get into but it was the split storyline that gets it a lower rating.

I really like the characters and the setting. The mystery kept me guessing. I like how the MC travels to different areas to find the historical bodies to solve the mystery.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review

Another excellent instalment of this cosy crime series. KH is such a talented writer; she creates such engaging characters and deliciously addictive plots. Her move into cosy crime has been a total success. I still prefer reading romance, but these are such entertaining and enjoyable stories, I think she’s converted me!

Another fabulous story in this series, it is great to see the characters develop. I look. Forward to reading more.
I would highly recommend this series to everyone

I received an ARC of The Body at the Vineyard by Kate Hardy and because it was number 6 in the series, I power read the previous five books and have loved the entire series. You can certainly read them as standalones, but I like knowing the characters’ histories.

We meet up with Georgina (Georgie) Drake again as she does a photoshoot at a vineyard highlighting up-and-coming winemaker Gaby Edwards at her family’s vineyards (Rosa Wines and Willow Farms Wines). Gaby’s family history is a mess caused by her parents’ divorce with the mom (Dina) getting her and her father (Nick) getting her two brothers, Nathan and Ashley. It seemed strange that her grandmother didn’t leave Gabby Rosa Wines because she knew she loved it.

While touring the vineyard, Georgie’s dog finds a skeleton with the help of Doris, the ghost. This ghost has a connection to the land the family vineyards are on. Also, it is discovered that Gaby’s brother Nathan has drowned in a vat of wine and it doesn’t look like an accident. It seems that due to Nathan’s bullying ways Gaby and Ashley make good suspects, but there are others as well.

I liked how the story of Gaby’s family and the ghost was intertwined and seeing the resolution of the ghost. What a tragic life the ghost and his first love had. I felt Georgie could have been more gracious in her first skeleton case after telling Colin about Doris. I can see how her feelings would be hurt because her family and friends were more accepting of her ghost than Colin was, but they don’t deal in facts like he does. I’m sure he needs/needed more time to wrap his head around it.

This series is so much fun with the characters and their relationships with each other and her finding bodies and skeletons with Doris’s help. I hope there are more books in this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sibling rivalry leads to murder plus an old skeleton is discovered at the vineyard too. Georgina is back with the help of her friends plus Doris - the friendly ghost - who communicates with Georgina via her hearing aids. This is what makes this series somewhat different and only adds to the cozy crime tale. And then we have Bert, her dog, who always manages to sniff out old bodies. Good solid tale and very enjoyable. Overall 4.5*

Thanks to Netgalley / Storm for the ARC to review

Georgie, Sybbie, Doris and Bert are back and this time they are heading to a vineyard to photograph up and coming organic wine maker Gaby Edwards. But the day takes a dark turn when Gaby's brother is found drowned in a vat of red wine, her other brother missing - while Bert, guided by Doris, has unearthed the skeleton of an unsettled spirit. Georgie's partner Colin is soon on the scene to investigate the recent murder, while Georgie and Sybbie, with Doris' help, start to piece together what happened nearly a century before. It is soon clear there are disturbing parallels between the two cases with rivalry and jealousy at the heart of both.
Another enjoyable outing from the gang, all set in glorious Norfolk countryside. Highly recommended.

The body at the vineyard
While magazine journalist Georgina is shooting pictures of young up-and-coming vintner Gabrielle at her family’s organic English vineyard, her bullying brother is found drowned in a wine tank. Simultaneously, Georgina‘s Spaniel digs up human remains in a dried out pond and her on-off beau DI Colin is tasked with investigating both deaths. This story is #6 of authoress Kate Hardy’s Georgina Drake series of humorous cozy mysteries-cum-romcoms featuring all the above likeable characters, their friends, ghost Doris and their capers. Enjoyable pure escapism!

Two stories deftly woven together. A skeleton is found in the pond of a property on the same day as the vineyard owner is found drowned in wine. The two events have echoes and intersections that careful research uncovers. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.