This is a quick read cozy mystery. As a wine lover, it was a fun read for me. I enjoyed the setting and you could tell the author is a Certified Sommelier, she imparts a lot of her knowledge into the book and the main character.

This was definitely a cute cozy mystery. I really liked how each chapter had it's own wine recommendation, and I'll need to try some of them out!

I did not read the first book in the series, and it wasn't necessary. It was alluded to a few times, but Nettmann made it sound more like a backstory rather than making you feel left out.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Midnight Ink for the ARC, for which I have given an honest and unbiased review*

In this second outing, Kate Stillwell - sommelier in training - is attending an exclusive dinner party in which a special vintage is about to be opened. However, all is not what it seems and Katie puts on her sleuthing cap and starts an investigation into the host, Paul Rafferty.

This was a quick light read - a heady mix of wine and murder - as we are drawn into the counterfeit wine scene. The character of Katie still annoys me - she has to be the centre of attention; she has to be "the" expert, which makes her seem like a know-it-all and someone with more experience than she should have.

Having said that, there is a good build up to the plot twists and reveal. A good follow on from Decanting A Murder.

Katie Stillwell is back tasting wine and solving mysteries. Once again, she's hoping to study for the next level in her Sommelier Certification Program, continue her job at Trentino and make enough money to pay her bills. When Paul Rafferty, one of the regular customers at Trentino's invites her to his dinner party where he is going to open a $19,000 bottle of wine he just won at auction, she jumps at the chance. Once there, she feels a bit out of place, until it comes to the wine opening and tasting. What started off as a night of wonderful expectations, ends with a murder and a counterfeit wine. Paul asks her to investigate to find out who duped him. As the investigation continues, Katie needs to clear both hers and Paul's names. She hooks up with once again with Detective Dean who is able to assist her with some of her sleuthing. After a second murder, Katie and Dean are afraid the killer is definitely going after Katie.

This is not a long book and I read it in a few hours. The story was well paced and moved along quickly. One thing I really liked was that the clues and the investigation were all about wine, so it seemed realistic that a sommelier would be able to unearth them. As a protagonist in this story, Katie seemed to be more self assured but still took a lot of chances. Katie is a flawed character who has poor self-esteem caused by her past. I hope as her relationship with Dean flourishes, she might become more positive. My only question, is how does a person who has very little money, spend so much time driving around? Overall, this was a good mystery with some interesting characters and of course wine. I enjoyed it a bit more than the last one and look forward to reading the newest book in this series.

A deception. And a murder?

Katie Stillwell is invited to a wine and dine party in which the high-priced bottle of wine (1975 Chateau Clair Bleu) is to be opened. But just one look and later, the smell and the taste confirms Katie's suspicions - the wine is a counterfeit. She talks wabout it with just one person - and soon enough, Cooper is dead.
As Katie continues to investigate the false wine, new and new dirt emerges. And maybe Cooper's death was not just an accident?

Nice book. The authoress obviously knows a lot about wine! It is always nice to be enlightened in one of my favourite subjects.
In my books, this is a cozy mystery, so I am not here for a brilliant solutions (don't get me wrong, this is not a dull book - but neither it is an Agatha Christie). I am here for new information, relatable heroine, the crisp taste of air in January when on vineyards and a nice drift away from my workday. It works, just as a glass of nice, cold rosé on summer evening.

Started off great slowed in some places. Katie the main character was a contrast throughout the book. Otherwise it was interesting read

I love when I can learn something while reading for fun and I learned about wines and a bit about the wine business and wine stewards, while enjoying a well-done mystery.

Right from the start, I was pulled into the story. Katie, the heroine, is a wine steward at a local and restaurant and studying for an exam on her way to becoming a master sommelier. She gets involved when a bottle of wine turns out to be fake and then there's a suspicious death. She's quite good at putting clues together and getting people to talk to her, despite her many insecurities and her constant claims of needing to study. She actually did very little studying but used it as an excuse to avoid life and entanglements. It got frustrating but she did some steps toward less avoidance, and actual studying. It was a little unbelievable at times how easily sleuthing came to her but she was smart and persistent, though she did suffer a few moments of stupidity.

There's some light romance, interesting secondary characters, and lots of information about wine. Nettmann superbly mixed information into the story without dumping it on the reader and wrote a tight story. I didn't guess who the villain was but was genuinely surprised at the reveal. I like when I'm kept guessing and can't figure it out. The ending was a bit over the top but overall the story was engaging and enjoyable. It was a quick read, and I was rooting for Katie to solve the mysteries and help her friend Paul. I look forward to reading more of her adventures

San Francisco sommelier Katie Stillwell gets a dinner invitation to the home of wealthy Sonoma wine collector Paul Rafferty. Rafferty is a regular patron of the restaurant where Katie works and has bought a bottle of 1975 Chateau Clair Bleu, which he intends to serve at the dinner. Katie is horrified when she realises the $19,000 bottle of wine is a fake. After Katie shares her news with Paul's assistant Cooper, he is found badly injured at the foot of Paul's wine cellar steps. When Cooper dies in hospital, Katie thinks his accident is something more sinister and she convinces Rafferty to pay for her snooping. But it is not so easy for Katie to find the identity of the person who donated the fake wine to the auction where Rafferty purchased it. With the help of Napa detective John Dean who worked with Katie on her first murder, she visits several of the dinner party guests who are among the suspects. One has to wonder how plausible it is that Detective Dean would condone and even help Katie's snooping and final plan to publicly confront the wine counterfeiters at a Sonoma wine auction.

I received this book for free from Netgalley and Midnight Ink in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Katie Stillwell has finally passed the first Sommelier test. She is surprised and flattered to receive a dinner invitation from on of her frequent customers, Paul Rafferty. Paul is celebrating his auction win of a 1975 Chateau Clair Bleu, which he plans to open at dinner. Explaining to Paul's assistant and the rest of the dinner guests that because of the wine's age a special type of corkscrew should be used so that the cork doesn't contaminate the wine, Paul has Katie open the wine. Katie knows hat the wine is forgery after just one sip. Not wanting to ruin the festivities by telling Paul, Katie tells Cooper, Paul's assistant who starts asking penetrating questions. Cooper goes to look at another wine from the same auction, but doesn't return and Katie goes looking for him and finds him at the bottom of the steps. Cooper is rushed to the hospital, but he does not survive.

When Katie next sees Paul, she tells him about the fake wine. He hires her to find the seller for him. But the killer doesn't like her nosy questions and she becomes a target as well. Who is behind the forgery and how far does it go?

As someone who loves the trips to the California wine country, I absolutely loved this book with all its references to the wonderful wines of the region!

I had the privilege of meeting author AND Certified Sommelier Nadine Nettmann at Left Coast Crime earlier this year. After hearing her talk about her debut novel, DECANTING A MURDER, I immediately went to the bookstore and bought it. It didn’t take me long to devour the book, all the while wishing I had several of the lovely wines she mentions. I love how she starts each chapter with a “wine pairing” which adds enjoyment to the book… and a run to Total Wine and More to seek out her suggestions. When I found out that she was releasing UNCORKING A LIE in May, I downloaded to my Kindle just as soon as I possibly could and read with total enjoyment.

Back when I was in my twenties, I had the opportunity to live in Napa for a couple of years (bliss!). Nadine Nettman definitely captures both the valley and Sonoma settings, bringing them to life and making the reader feel like they are right there with Katie, the protagonist. It’s obvious the author has a passion for wine and the Napa region and she creatively applies that expertise, allowing Katie to use her wine deducing knowledge to unearth clues and figure out the murderer. There are a variety of suspects to keep the reader guessing while intriguing subplots round out the stories. Another interesting aspect is the way the author describes the characters using the characteristics of different wine varietals.

The protagonist, Katie, is struggling with a bad relationship with her father, after she failed to follow in his footsteps and flunked out of the police academy. She also has suffered a failed relationship and finds herself driven to pass the levels of sommelier testing, leaving no time for friends. The author provides some fascinating insight into the rigorous studying and training involved required to pass the exams. In fact, there is a 60% failure rate! It resonated with me when Katie muses that “maybe damage gives us all a little character,” in regards to people and to grapes when developing wine. And I think that is excellent insight into human nature and the author does a beautiful job weaving it into her delightful books. The Sommelier Mystery series whets your palate with a read that has a lovely bouquet and a full-bodied finish!

Good read with lots of wine references and details of what to look for in wines.

Sommelier and murder-solver Katie Stillwell, first seen in Decanting a Murder, returns in Nadine Nettmann’s second mystery, Uncorking a Lie. The killing this time revolves around the most famous type of wine crime: the creation and sale of counterfeit bottles of expensive vintages. That’s a great choice for a mystery, and the motivations of those who want to own famous wines provide one of the few points of interest of this story.

Overall, the wine information is the best part of the series, as Katie is the type of “detective” who solves crimes by bumbling around asking questions until someone finally gets fed up and tries to kill her — which happens twice in this volume. Maybe if you think you’ve learned something important, you not go running off by yourself into the deserted garage or dark building at night, particularly when your almost-boyfriend is a police detective?

As the book begins, Katie has been invited to the home of a rich wine collector who has just acquired a beloved 1975 bottle, paying almost $20,000 for it at auction. Unlike many collectors, he’s determined to open and drink it. At the dinner party held for the uncorking, Katie realizes the bottle is a fake, which leads to the death of the collector’s assistant.

The other characters are flat, puzzle pieces to make the story go, and almost interchangeable. Several of them hit on Katie in ways that make her, and the reader, uncomfortable, as the interactions are blatant and not particularly believable as human behavior. Her motivations, as with the other characters, are either repeated, so as to hit the reader over the head with them, or unclear, when the story needs her to do something that doesn’t make a lot of sense. She acquires a key clue halfway through the book that is never followed up on, simply to allow her to put herself in danger later for a more adventurous ending.

My favorite parts of the book are the chapter openings, which feature short wine descriptions, and the knowledge of different wines Katie demonstrates. Perhaps Nettmann should instead write a wine guide? That said, I’d still read another in the series. The volumes are breezy reads, without too much attention needed. That makes them ideal for a quick escape, particularly accompanied by a glass of something nice.

A delightful series that will please everyone. This is the Sommelier Mystery series book two and it is as riveting and well crafted as the first in series.
The author has experience in the field so she has written a fascinating series about the world of a Sommelier and how a Sommelier as a profession is integral to the world of wine makers. The descriptions are rich and pleasing of the vineyards and wine owners. The characters all add depth and a hint of danger to the story. The premises of a dinner party on a mysterious night at a vineyard with a unusual set of players is very reminiscent Agatha Christie with an abundance of clues and twist and turns .
I enjoyed this addition to the series as I did the first, with a great thirst for the next in series. Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to review this wonderful series. This is a must read for every mystery lover.

A well written fast paced cozy mystery. The reader will enter the world and learn about high dollar wine.
This was a fun and interesting read for me giving me a chance to know a little more about wine and it's intrigue. I was fascinated with the world of the Sommelier and wine tasters. I couldn't imagine being a part of that world.
As Katie begins investigation the source of a very expensive bottle of counterfeit wine she soon becomes one of the suspects when it is realized that there has been a murder.
It seems to be a race against time to find the truth and who is telling truth as each participant at the dinner party is questioned.
There is a budding romance that was introduced in book 1 that
begins to warm up a little at the end.

Uncorking A Lie was a nice cozy fast paced easy read.
There weren't too many characters to cause confusion for the reader.

I look forward to reading the series.

I received a complimentary copy.

In this second book Katie has passed the first level of her Master of Wine exams, but is now focused on the Advanced level. Her general demeanour has eased a little, though, and I found her a much more comfortable character - still driven, but not quite so full-on! I love the inclusion of the wine detail in these books. I suspect if you don't like wine... what am I saying? I'm sure you wouldn't have read this far if you found the topic abhorrent. It's all about wine, and there's always more to learn about the subject, so finding that Katie's wonderful palate has detected a counterfeit one - a recent win in a bottle sold as an old master - we embark on a lesson in fakery.

There are a limited number of people involved in the murder, but Katie takes up the investigation when she thinks the police are still treating it as an accidental death. That's all fair, in my view, and this time she does a lot of unearthing clues and motives because of her wine expertise, rather than general nosiness. Altogether I found the plot to be very well-balanced and the treatment of the police fair.

Even Dean (her love interest from last time, whom she has been stringing along a bit), is treated fairly in this book. The tendency of the author to throw Katie into dangerous situations at the drop of a hat seems to be as a result of Katie's impetuous nature, rather than wilful disregard for life and limb.

Uncorking a Lie is an easy, clueful crime mystery, and I finished it in one sitting. That is, I could have put it down, but since I had the time to indulge myself for a change, I really didn't want to.

A thoroughly enjoyable read, perfect with a glass of Merlot, or something else to your taste!

Having read the first book in this series, I enjoyed getting reacquainted with Katie.  She is a dedicated wine lover, who seeks to advance to the highest level of sommelier accreditation.  And she is smart and determined in her pursuit of the truth about the wine and the suspicious death of a friend.  At the same time, she is impulsive and somewhat reckless.  The underlying plot is engaging, with multiple suspects and a plot that comes together nicely in the end.  A pleasant read, easily enjoyed by lovers of wine and mystery.

The best part of this cozy mystery with a twist is learning about the wine business. Katie is a fine character (and it's nice to see a woman as the sommelier). Her knowledge can only serve to get her into trouble but she forges ahead. This is a very quick read and frankly it's a bit predictable but it still kept my attention. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Uncorking a Lie takes place some months after the events of Decanting a Murder. Katie Stillwell has passed her sommelier exam and is studying for the Advanced exam. She gets invited to a famed wine collector's house for a dinner party only to determine that the expensive bottle of wine he is sharing with his guest is a counterfeit. The Palate then investigates with her friend Detective Dean in an effort to determine which of the wine collector's friends sold the counterfeit and murdered his friend.
It's a nice follow up to Decanting a Murder and the suspects all seem to have something to hide. There's a red herring that seems a bit contrived in the second half of the book and it doesn't really work to throw a careful reader off the tracks. The escape sequence late in the book and the subsequent bad guy cover up didn't work for me - it just smacks of too many conveniences. Beyond those two issues, it's a good read.

Uncorking a Lie by Nadine Nettmann is the second book in A Sommelier Mystery series. It is January in San Francisco, California. Katie Stillwell is a sommelier at Trentino. Katie is surprised when she receives a dinner invitation from frequent customer, Paul Rafferty. Paul has recently purchased a 1975 Chateau Clair Bleu, and he will be opening it at the dinner. Katie arrives and is greeted by Paul’s assistant, Cooper Maxwell. Cooper has been flirting with Katie, but she does not have time for a relationship. Other attendees are Leanor Langley, Simon Watkins, Roberto Marini, and Alicia Trager along with her husband, Martin. The group sits down to eat and Paul has Katie open the wine (which has special meaning to Paul). One sip and Katie knows that the wine is a forgery. She does not want to ruin Paul’s night by telling him, but Cooper can tell something is wrong. Katie tells Cooper who then starts asking the other guests rather pointed questions. Cooper disappears after dinner into the wine cellar. When he does not return, Katie goes looking for him and finds him at the bottom of the steps. Cooper is rushed to the hospital, but he does not survive. The next day Paul arrives at Trentino and Katie tells him about the fake wine. Paul purchased the wine at an auction from a private seller. He hires her to find the seller for him. But Cooper’s killer is less than thrilled with Katie’s nosy questions. Will Katie be able to unmask the killer before he strikes out at her?

Uncorking a Lie follows the traditional formula for a cozy mystery. There is a dinner, a victim, investigation, and reveal. The mystery was simple, and the identity of the culprit is easy to decipher. Katie Stillwell is an awkward character (and hard to like). Katie lacks discretion when sleuthing. She is unable to pull off her own cover story. Katie continually mentions she has no time in her life for dating. She is too busy working and studying for the next level of the sommelier exam (she always has wine on the brain). But she can spend countless hour running around San Francisco and Sonoma Valley asking her pointless questions? Katie is a character who lacks self-esteem and is not willing to let anyone get close to her (she also has daddy issues). I found several bits of information repeated frequently throughout the book (Katie and her exam for instance). I give Uncorking a Lie 3 out of 5 stars (it was predictable). Uncorking a Lie is easy to read and can be finished in a couple of hours. Each chapter has wine pairing suggestions for those who like to imbibe. A Sommelier Mystery series is just not my type of cozy mystery series. I prefer more engaging characters and a complex mystery.

Though I have not a clue about wine I find this series very interesting as it always talking about it. Maybe I will learn something about wine but I doubt it...lol.

Katie is a sommelier at Trentino's and when an acquaintance of hers buys a bottle of wine for 19,000 he invites her and some of his other friends to enjoy his bottle. Katie can tell that something is not right with the wine and that it could be a fake but doesn't want to hurt her host feelings so tries to keep it quiet but Cooper (Paul's assistant) gets the information out of her and decides to investigate in the wine cellar and never comes back. Katie goes and finds him at the bottom of the stairs. He dies from the fall but it seems suspicious to Katie.

When Katie tells Paul about her suspicion about the wine he wants to hire her to look into the matter. He wants to know who might have sold him a counterfeit. There were a lot of good suspects and it had a good mystery.

Katie is a good character and she has anxiety problems. She wants to be a master sommelier but she some times freezes when doing blind tasting, she works with a group of sommelier trying to get better but some times she second guesses herself. She seems to have relationship fears as well because she has a nice guy who wants to get to know her but she put him off and he quit calling but then with this case he is back in her life, so I am hoping she can find a happy medium somewhere.

Overall, it was another good installment in the Sommelier mysteries.