Beer and Loathing

As a book nerd who loves craft beer (porters + stouts all the way, baby!), this cozy mystery series is right down my alley. But you don't have to love beer to enjoy this series set in a small town in Washington state.

In this sixth book, there's (yet another) murder in the small Bavarian-inspired town and Sloan and Garrett quickly put themselves and the Nitro brewery front and centre to figure out whodunnit. I'm thankful that the on-going (and a little belabored) story arc about Sloan's past that spanned the previous 5 books is done. 

In this book, there's a good balance between the murder mystery and the growing secondary cast, most of whom I love to reconnect with (except April, the over-the-top Bavarian-addict who thankfully plays a very minor role. Can we kill her off?). We get to know Garrett's family and learn a 'big secret from his past' which was a bit lackluster and seemed to come out of nowhere. 

There are decent red herrings, tension (mysterious and sexual) and the possibility of a new resident coming to Leavenworth, WA. And I always enjoy the delicious beer and food descriptions (there are a few recipes in the back!).

This book can be read as a standalone and is a light, 'clean' cozy mystery that has a unique setting and a wintery feel, perfect as we head into cold weather. Cheers!

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: Ellie Alexander

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Type and Source: Paperback from public library

Series: #6 in the Sloan Krause series

Publisher: Sweet Lemon Press

First Published: March 21, 2023

Book Description from GoodReads: Amateur sleuth Sloan Krause is back to brewing in this latest installment of Ellie Alexander's popular cozy mystery series, Beer and Loathing . Includes recipes and a travel guide to Leavenworth! It's ski week in everyone's favorite Bavarian village of Leavenworth, Washington. Sloan Krause and her brewing partner in crime Garrett Strong are pouring pints of their deliciously decadent obsidian IPA and serving up slices of peanut butter chocolate pretzel bars. The mid-winter has everyone buzzing with excitement, especially Garrett. His family is arriving for a long overdue visit to Nitro. He can't wait to show them around the village, spend afternoons skiing the surrounding alpine slopes, and curling up in front of a crackling fire with a hearty evening stout. But the cozy vibe takes a dark turn when a young doctor has a fatal fall from the ski lift. At first, everyone assumes it was a terrible accident, but Sloan isn't convinced. Hazel Anders had insider information on medical research that could be worth killing for. Now barstool sleuth Sloan is on the case and using her nose for hops to sniff out the murder.