Ellen Crosby

The Champagne Conspiracy is now one of my top 2020 reads!

I love a good cozy mystery to snuggle under the covers and read some tea with. This book fit the bill and was a wonderful distraction from the bad weather in my town.

This is the seventh book in the Wine Country Mysteries series by Ellen Crosby, but don't be discouraged by that number. I found this book super easy to jump into. It would have been nice having all of the background relationships and mysteries to fall back on, but I had zero issue becoming instantly addicted to this book and feeling for these characters.

Lucie and Quinn make wine and are good buddies! At their Vineyard one day, Gino Tomassi (an older gentleman who also likes and makes wine) strolls in and presents an old mystery about his family. Lucie and Quinn decide to help out after a pinch of blackmail and tragedy are brought up. One of Lucie's friends also has some mystery and intrigue occurring in her life, for which Lucie must help out with. Will both be solved? Will there be any closure for these families? Also, flapper dresses!

This book easily became my guilty pleasure and I truly want to grab the rest of the books in this series. It's a bit more than a cozy mystery, but still fit the bill quite well. There's a pinch of romance, lots of drama, a mystery that you can see coming if you pay attention and lots of humour. Also, alcohol and wine! The descriptions of wine... Ellen Crosby has a way with words, let me tell ya! There was also a splash of history, which I always like hearing about! Ellen made the history far more interesting than any of my history teachers ever did.

I found the ending to be a little bit predictable, but only if you really paid attention. I was thoroughly addicted to this book so I saw the signs, but I don't think every reader will. Books like this deserve all the hype! It's well written and well thought out!

Overall, this fast paced, cozy mystery is a must read! It's delightful, full of character development and likeable characters. Also, I love the representation of a physical disability in a main character. It's shown in such a real and respectable way to - it doesn't slow her down but it's there. Much respect!

Five out of five stars!

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.… (plus d'informations)

I loved the first two Sophie Medina mysteries and was disappointed when there were no more, so it's no surprise that I did a little happy dance when I learned about Blow Up. This third in the series certainly does not disappoint.

Sophie is just the sort of protagonist that I like. She's talented, smart, and caring, and has a lot to deal with in Blow Up. She's still grieving over the death of her husband, and she will continue to ask questions until she knows how he died-- no matter how much the CIA tries to stonewall her. Her beloved grandfather, a famous photographer in his own right, recently died and left a will that profoundly shocked his family. Going through his papers and photographs brings even more surprises.

The mystery involving the death of the Supreme Court justice is strong and compelling, and although it's filled with danger for Sophie, it brings to the fore another reason why I like her so much. As a photojournalist who has covered extremely dangerous and life-threatening situations, she doesn't take unnecessary risks. When she started, her boss enrolled her in a two-week intensive course in hostile environment training, which certainly stands her in good stead. Sophie's life may be threatened in Blow Up, but it's not due to anything stupid that she's done.

After reading both her Sophie Medina series and her Wine Country mysteries, I can only say that Ellen Crosby is one of my favorite writers and deserves to be much better known. Her writing is intelligent and engaging, and not only do I get to enjoy a well-told mystery with a fine cast of characters, I learn things along the way. You can jump right into this series with Blow Up and not be the least bit confused, but don't be surprised if Sophie gets under your skin and you find yourself looking for the other two books in the series, Multiple Exposure and Ghost Image. I'm really looking forward to the next book.

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)… (plus d'informations)

While out for a run with a friend, photojournalist Sophie Medina finds the body of Supreme Court Justice Everett Townshend, barely alive. Townshend dies in the ER; Sophie realizes that she has seen him before. She also hears a shocking allegation about Townshend from Javi, a homeless man she knows; Javi is murdered soon after, and Sophie finds herself in danger as she works to determine the truth.

Sophie is a wonderful heroine, brave, insatiably curious, and deeply caring. Her investigation causes her to worry about one of her best friends. In addition to her current danger, she is grieving for her husband, killed overseas, and for the grandfather who inspired her career. She is told uncomfortable facts about both men in the course of the story, adding to her burdens. And yet she persists.

Crosby weaves several threads into this well-plotted story. For this reader, the most rewarding aspect is her portrayal of Sophie and several other well-drawn characters. Highly recommended.… (plus d'informations)