Book summary (Goodreads): Tressa Harlowe's father did not trust banks, but neither did he trust his greedy extended family. He kept his vast fortune hidden somewhere on his estate in the south of England and died suddenly, without telling anyone where he had concealed it. Tressa and her ailing mother are left with a mansion and an immense vineyard and no money to run it. It doesn't take long for a bevy of opportunists to flock to the estate under the guise of offering condolences. Tressa knows what they're really up to. She'll have to work with the rough and rusticated vineyard manager to keep the laborers content without pay and discover the key to finding her father's fortune--before someone else finds it first.
My thoughts....This is my first book by Politano, so I was curious about her writing style. There were a lot of different pieces to this Gothic Christian fiction mystery, which made it interesting. I really liked Tressa's character. Even though she came from wealth, she wasn't afraid of getting her hands dirty in her family's vineyards...I really liked this about her character. The new vineyard manager was another piece of the mystery, as his past is revealed a little bit at a time. That certainly helped build some tension. The treasure search was a key part of the plot. I honestly wasn't sure what would happen with that. I really enjoyed how the author used the treasure hunt as a journey of self-discovery for Tressa. She learned perseverance, how to place her trust in the right things/people, and the true love a Father can have for a daughter. There's a lot going on in this story, but overall I enjoyed it and would read another book by this author.
Personal takeaway...Even if we can't trust those around us, we can always trust our Heavenly Father and His plan for us.
**Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in order to share my honest thoughts, which I did.**