Four Dogs Missing by Rhys Gard

Publisher's Synopsis

Art theft, revenge and murder play out against the vineyards of the Mudgee wine region in this ‘edge of your seat’ thriller.

‘Theo. Come to Oliver’s winery. Search for Four Dogs Missing. You’ll find me there. We need to talk.’

While estranged twins Oliver and Theo Wingfield are identical in appearance, they couldn’t be more different. Theo, an extrovert verging on arrogant, was always a drifter, a nomad, operating on the fringes of the law. Oliver, intense, creative and introspective, was destined to become a winemaker. Each vintage, every bottle from Oliver’s Mudgee-based label, Four Dogs Missing, sells out.

And now, after fifteen years without contact, Theo unexpectedly turns up at his brother’s vineyard, bearing an invitation that his twin knows nothing about. The quiet and fulfilling life that the winemaker has built for himself is about to change overnight: Theo’s arrival is the catalyst for a series of murders involving those closest to Oliver. Finding himself the main suspect, Oliver soon discovers that not everyone in Mudgee supports a reclusive and unorthodox vigneron who’s shied away from the community that helped him succeed.

Oliver is inexorably drawn into a sinister world where poisoned liquor and stolen art leave a deadly trail. Abandoning his grapevines, he sets out to solve the crimes – and confront his damaged past – before someone else he loves is found dead … beside a bottle of his own wine.

My Review of Four Dogs Missing by Rhys Gard

Okay, before we get started I just want to say that I love the fantasy that Mudgee wine could become part of the elite drops commanding premium prices in Australia. It would be a far cry from the proud proclamation of “Mudgee Mud” that has typified the region in the past, that’s for sure. But the wine from the Four Dogs Missing Winery is exactly that and provides a solid base for this murder mystery to settle upon.

Oliver Wingfield is an oenological genius capable of creating liquid gold from the juice of the grapes grown on his Mudgee property. But his quiet life as a semi-reclusive winemaker is interrupted by the sudden arrival at the front gate of his property of his twin brother, Theo. He hadn’t seen his brother for over a decade and, although they’re not exactly estranged, they haven’t been close either. Not for twins, anyway.

Oliver’s life begins to spin out of control when, one by one, people he’s closest to start to die. Whether by accident or on purpose, each death looks suspicious and could quite possibly be traced back to Oliver himself. The mere fact that he’s such a recluse places him immediately under suspicion in the eyes of everyone in the town. 

It turns out he has a troubled past and the details of his turbulent family life become unearthed as the police investigation digs deeper and deeper into his life.

But he has a strong network of people around him prepared to help and support him. But, for us, this provides a solid selection of possible suspects to choose from and it pays to pay close attention to everyone who moves in and out of his orbit. He may trust his vineyard manager Gabe, his girlfriend Penny and his next door neighbour Murray but, equally, it’s possible that one of them may be harbouring some kind of resentment that has resulted in setting him up for murder.

Although Oliver shuns the outside world to a large extent, he still maintains some deep and abiding friendships with the people he trusts. It’s clear that he’s a loyal and sympathetic character who is misunderstood by those outside his inner circle. It’s because of this that it becomes easy for the police to believe he may be responsible for the string of deaths that appear to be connected to him.

I found myself completely drawn into this murder mystery finding that I was sympathetic to Oliver’s plight. The plotting is tight and momentum is maintained throughout, right up to the explosive ending. I must admit, I’ve always been a wine devotee and the deep dive into the industry was another big draw that captured my undivided attention. 

Four Dogs Missing is a complex murder mystery with an amateur investigator (Oliver) who is fighting desperately to clear his name, keep himself out of prison and work out who the real killer is. I thought this was a high quality debut set in one of the most idyllic spots in New South Wales’ Central West and was cleverly crafted to provide a nasty surprise ending.