Secrets are stacking up like wine barrels in the heat. And this year’s ferment? It’s definitely going sour.

Winfred and Sylvie are keeping one eye open for the menacing villager who knows too much and another on the dismal bank balance of their bookshop-café, The Novel Eatery. Their side-hustle isn’t exactly legal . . . and now someone knows their secret.

Just as the tension threatens to boil over, news breaks that a wine-themed reality TV show is coming to town. The villagers are in a froth of excitement, giving the two friends a momentary reprieve. But the cameras bring their own complications. Sylvie is convinced the slick presenter is greasier than her freshest vetkoek, and Winnie nearly chokes on her Sauvignon Blanc when she hears that Skokiaan, the mampoer king, is suddenly bottling five-star wine.

Lifting the Lid is filled with sharp wit, layered characters, and a setting that simmers with charm and danger. In a village like Riviersvalleij, nothing stays buried forever.