Review: Blood on Vines - Madeline Eskedahl

Review: Blood on Vines - Book #1 The Matakana Series - Madeline Eskedahl - March 2021

There's something special about starting the new year with a physical book in hand, and Blood on Vines kicked off my 2026 reading perfectly. As always, I'm on a mission to clear my groaning bookshelves, and this New Zealand-set thriller was the ideal choice to begin that journey.

What made this read particularly meaningful was its Martinborough setting, which transported me straight back to my childhood. When I was seven or eight, my family lived in Martinborough, and I have vivid memories of both my parents working on a vineyard during harvest season, picking grapes under the warm sun. Reading Madeline Eskedahl's descriptions of vineyard life felt like stepping back into those memories, and it added such a personal connection to the story that I hadn't anticipated.

The plot kicks off with the murder of an ex-winemaker in Martinborough, a meticulously planned attack that signals the beginning of something far more sinister. The story then shifts north of Auckland to Matakana wine country, where the summer tourists have departed and autumn's peaceful winds sweep through the valleys. The grapes hang heavy on the vines, ready for harvest but this tranquil setting is about to be shattered by a series of brutal murders.

Madeline Eskedahl taps into one of my absolute favourite thriller tropes: the revenge killer, someone methodically working through a list based on events from years past. There's something deliciously tense about watching four friends realize their shared history might be the very thing that's marked them for death. Will they piece together the connection before it's too late?

I must confess, I had a proper giggle throughout my reading because the detective protagonist is named Bill Granger. In Tauranga, we had an ex-councillor by that exact name and my mum actually went to school with him! Every single time the detective appeared on the page, I pictured our local Bill Granger instead, which added an unintentionally humorous layer to my reading experience.

While Blood on Vines earned a solid 3Ps from me, it's definitely hooked me into the series. There's something deeply satisfying about a New Zealand-set thriller that captures our wine country's beauty while delivering genuine suspense. I'm already looking forward to the next instalment in the Matakana Series.

If you enjoy atmospheric murder mysteries with that revenge thriller edge, and especially if you have a soft spot for New Zealand settings, this one's worth picking up.

Amazon : https://amzn.to/3NphLKo