My Nails and My Book Review - The Champagne Conspiracy by Ellen Crosby

**NetGalley**

Title: The Champagne Conspiracy

Series: Wine Country Mystery #7

Author: Ellen Crosby

Goodreads Summary: Winter has come to the Montgomery Estate Vineyard in Atoka, Virginia. Lucie Montgomery and winemaker Quinn Santori have decided to make champagne, a first for the vineyard.

But then Gino Tomassi, Quinn’s uncle, turns up on their doorstep one afternoon, demanding help in solving the mystery of what happened to Zara Tomassi, the first wife of his grandfather, who died in a San Francisco hotel in 1923 under suspicious circumstances. And it seems there’s no coincidence that her death came the day after President Warren Harding passed away in that same hotel. Gino needs answers before his blackmailer takes him for all he’s worth—or exposes an explosive family secret.

Lucie searches for what happened almost a hundred years ago as she delves into Prohibition-era Washington, D.C.—a town of bootlegging and duplicity, jazz clubs and speakeasies. But then the investigation turns deadly, threatening Lucie, her relationship with Quinn, and the vineyard, as they realize someone is still out there nearly a century later who will go to any lengths to keep the truth about Zara’s death a buried secret.

My Review: **I voluntarily reviewed this ARC**

I really enjoyed this book, but I felt there were too many threads to the story. In the end, they were all tied up in a neat little bow, but during the story it just felt a bit confusing. I haven't read any of the other books in this series, so I felt a little lost when it came to some of the characters and relationships, but I was still able to follow the story.

My Manicure: Oops, accidental wedding nails. I originally wanted a Grim Reaper along with the champagne flutes so it would coordinate with the cover, but I don't have a Grim Reaper stamp. I started out with two coats of Finger Paints Paper Mache. I don't know if the formula is a lot better than other white polishes or if the ridge filling base coat is a miracle product, but for once I had no issues trying to apply white polish. I topped that with one coat of Sinful Colors Kovet to give it a nice, neutral, off-white look since white is just too stark against my skin. Then I stamped the champagne flutes with Bundle Monster plate H22 and Bundle Monster Heart of Gold. The result? Nails that are more suited for a wedding than a murder mystery, but still a lovely look that ties in with the title.

~Kelly