Review by Booklist Review
It's Oktoberfest time in small-town Leavenworth, Washington, and a film crew is there to produce a documentary on the festival and the local craft-beer industry. When the film's obnoxious narrator, former child star Mitchell Morgan, is found murdered, brewer Sloan Krause investigates. Is the killer one of the production team, a superfan, or a local woman whose business the victim slammed online? Complicating matters, Sloan is dealing with her pending divorce from her cheating husband; her growing feelings for her boss, Garrett; managing her share of her soon-to-be ex-husband's parents' brewery; and the deepening mystery surrounding her birth parents. The lively Oktoberfest frame, the craft-beer community, and the many fascinating details about beer and brewing are seamlessly woven through the story. The sympathetic Sloan, who is trying to create a new life for herself and her teenage son, and the secondary characters are vividly drawn, and the importance of family shines through this agreeable cozy.--Sue O'Brien Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Alexander's satisfying second Sloan Krause mystery (after 2017's Death on Tap) finds beer brewer Sloan settling into her new job at Nitro, a start-up microbrewery located in the German-themed tourist mecca of Leavenworth, Wash. It's Oktoberfest, when the remote mountain village swells with visitors, and business is booming. This year's celebration is especially exciting because a film crew from Los Angeles has come to town to make a documentary about beer. The documentary's host, Mitchell Morgan, is a former child star with a giant ego who manages in short order to offend half the population of Leavenworth. So when Sloan hears screams late one night and discovers Mitchell dead behind a festival tent, there are plenty of suspects, some of them Sloan's friends and family members. Sloan must once again turn amateur sleuth. Alexander has created an appealing cast of characters and a lovely setting for them to live in. Best of all, she treats the reader to a fascinating look at the skill and artistry involved in brewing craft beer. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Oktoberfest returns to Leavenworth, Washington, bringing happy crowds and murder.October is the busiest time of year for a town that's rebranded itself as a beer lover's paradise, complete with German-themed everything. One of the few holdouts is Nitro, the nanobrewery run by Garrett Strong with help from Sloan Krause, who has a nose for the business. When a film crew comes to town to make a documentary on beer, the pair get more grief from real estate agent April Ablin, the self-proclaimed clothing Nazi who wants everyone to dress like a German villager of past times. Sloan, who's divorcing her unfaithful husband, Mac, remains very attached to Mac's family, who've given her a share in their large brewery in the hope that she and Mac's brother, Hans, can hold his wild impulses in check. When the film crew stops in at Nitro for a taste of Cherry Weizen, Sloan and others are deeply disturbed both by the arrogant nonsense the project's spokesperson, former child star Mitchell Morgan, spouts and the way he treats his colleagues. So it's less than shocking when he ends up dead in the street. The president of his fan club, Kat Kelly, accuses vacation-home specialist Lisa Balmes of killing him. And it's true that Mitchell was trashing Lisa's reputation by complaining that the cottage he was renting from her was a dump. But although Sloan feels sorry for Kat, she learns that Kat hasn't always been entirely truthful. Since this isn't Sloan's first go-round with murder (Death on Tap, 2017), the police chief is glad of her extra pair of eyes, but she ignores her advice to be careful.Beer mavens will enjoy the information on myriad brewing styles; mystery fans will enjoy winnowing down the short list of suspects. Prost! Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
