Review - THE CHAMPAGNE CONSPIRACY

Review

THE CHAMPAGNE CONSPIRACY by Ellen Crosby

The Seventh Wine Country Mystery

It's a wintry February and the Montgomery Estate Vineyard is working on its upcoming Valentine's celebration as well as creating their first sparkling wine. Lucie and Quinn still haven't moved in together and their relationship may best be described as complicated-and things are about to get even more complicated! A surprise walks in in the guise of Gino Tomassi-a major California wine mogul who is also Quinn's cousin-a fact Quinn kept from Lucie. There's no love lost between the cousins and relations get even worse when Lucie discovers some of their family history that may have serious ramifications. A past which includes a possible murder, a president's indiscretions, and more than one case of "who's the father" serve to create new chaos and a serious threat to Lucie. There's more than one puzzle from the past to be solved here. Will Lucie be able to unravel history's threads to discover the true tapestry of the past? 

Winston Churchill once said, "A single glass of champagne imparts a feeling of exhilaration. The nerves are braced, the imagination is agreeably stirred, the wits become more nimble." The same can be said for THE CHAMPAGNE CONSPIRACY.  This fast paced mystery makes the heart race as threats come from everywhere from several possible suspects. My imagination was definitely stirred as more and more secrets from the past became exposed. My wits certainly became more nimble as I attempted to keep up with Lucie as she discovered more and more; the present threats seemingly hinged in the past.

Ellen Crosby has crafted as fine a mystery as the wines Quinn creates for the Montgomery Estate Vineyard. Well developed flawed characters and intricately layered storylines form this complex multidimensional mystery. I appreciate the way Crosby blends secrets from the past with threats in the present to create a richly nuanced story. I raise my glass of sparkling wine and toast Ellen Crosby as I eagerly await the next installment to this wonderful series.