The Wine Broker

Richard O’Brien, #3

by

Ian Rodney Lazarus

With its diverse cast of characters and clever, complex plot, this book was genuinely unputdownable.

The Wine Broker is the third book in author Ian Rodney Lazarus’s exciting Richard O’Brien series, but readers new to the scene will have no problem jumping in here and experiencing a riveting story. FBI Special Agent Richard O’Brien, assigned to the Los Angeles office, is on a special task force examining the sudden rise in the assassinations of their undercover agents and CIA covert operators. But as he delves deeper into their inquiries, his intuition leads him to suspect the contract killings of the agents may be connected to another case, involving money laundering and a new-to-the-U.S. winery that is fermenting their bottled products under the waters of the Pacific Ocean. He signs up for a wine-tasting course to casually increase his knowledge of wine and is immediately attracted to the instructor, Asha Chandra, a beautiful master sommelier from one of LA’s local restaurants. But as he gets to know her, he also shares details about his latest case as he picks her brain for information, which may have unforeseeable consequences for both his career and his continued safety. 

Richard is such a regular guy, looking to advance in his career on his merits and hoping to find someone new to share his life with after experiencing a heart-wrenching breakup with the woman he thought was “the one.” He’s diligent and dedicated, but he sometimes acts before thinking, which gets him into trouble on the job. He has a fun, free-spirited coworker in Jeff McAuley, who is an unusual mix of FBI agent and surfer dude, and I also liked that Richard’s former love interest arrives on the scene to join the same task force at just the right moment. Sarah Goodman has been through some life experiences that have changed her somewhat, and I rooted for her and Richard to reconcile their past relationship the entire time. 

The story unfolds from multiple, well-defined points of view, so a couple of different storylines are in play at all times. It was delightful watching the unique pieces of the plot gradually come together as the story resolved, and I was completely surprised when a final twist was revealed. As a bonus, the action unfolds globally across very exotic and unusual settings, and the vivid descriptions will have readers feel as if they are there alongside the characters. I also enjoyed the author’s incorporation of the U.S. Coast Guard into the plot; there are just so few stories that feature their service (compared to the other branches of the military). However, while I enjoyed the story, the book had some issues with unnecessary repetition and errors, such as character name changes, that I’m hoping were cleaned up before final publication. And while the narrative does reference bits and pieces from the previous Richard O’Brien books, these mentions will not spoil earlier books for new readers but will most likely tempt them to seek them out. 

I recommend THE WINE BROKER to readers of mysteries, thrillers, and suspense, especially those who enjoy a police procedural style of presentation. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.