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You can learn a lot about the wine business from reading Gwen C Watkins' debut novel Nectar of the Gods. For instance, did you know that the venal comments of a restaurant critic could bankrupt a family winery and lead to a multi-million dollar conspiracy that stretched from Atlanta to Australia? Well, it's all here in her rivetting debut novel. She writes with such authority - she worked in the wine industry for twenty years - that the facts she presents are always wholly believable, and the more outlandish elements of the plot subsequently grounded in reality. Sarah Bennett is the tough businesswoman whose discovery of a massive international espionage plot leads her to a gripping journey across the humid valleys of Australia and into the underbelly of a rich society that enjoys the very best food and drink that money affords - but with a price. You'll be drawn into a world that is part James Bond, part Dragon's Den, in which deals are done over lunches that won't leave change from a grand and the reputation of a brand name is worth risking a life for. Preferably someone else's. Punchy, exciting, and skilfully plotted, Nectar of the Gods looks like being the first in an excellent new series.

Nectar of the Gods

Gwen C Watkins

No Exit Press

9781842432815