Death on Tap: A Mystery: 1 (A Sloan Krause Mystery, 1)

4.5/5 starsSometimes I spot a mid-series book and just read it, usually that’s fine. Sometimes I decide to check out book one before I skip to the most recent release. That never goes well on my pocket as I often end up getting all the books in between! I ended up getting book 2 as well 🙈.The setting of this story caught my attention first. The mysteries occur in the Pacific Northwest town of Leavenworth also known as Beervaria... yup... an entire town dedicated to beer... and creating a little American version of a German alpine village. Stores and businesses embrace the theme in their decor and even costumes for staff. Best of all, the town is home to several micro and nano brewers and the beer brewing culture is fully explored as it’s the livelihood of the main characters.The author goes into detail about craft beer brewing and tasting basics as the characters go about their daily activities. I don’t think the details are over-done. In fact, they add a lot of atmosphere to the story and are well-worked in.The mystery of who killed a local brewer is the one Sloan finds herself in the middle of. She never seeks to put herself in the middle of the investigation but find herself there when the police chief asks her to make some enquiries. Added to that, much as Sloan is pissed off at her cheating husband, she doesn’t want him going down for a murder he didn’t commit. There are several suspects revealed as Sloan finds out more about the victim’s past and we’re never quite sure which villagers we can trust. Several red herrings are thrown in and it’s only towards the end that we really get all the pieces to put together.The mystery was fun but what really sold me on the series is the characters. I really enjoyed reading from Sloan’s perspective. She’s a tough, smart cookie who’s absolutely pissed off with her cheating husband. Yet, she still believes in his innocence and does her best to prove it, as she is determined to protect her son. As a survivor of the foster care system, she’s grateful to her in-laws for providing the family she never had while growing up. Her interactions with Mac’s parents and brother, Hans, are moving and really bring a sweetness to the story.Teenage son, Alex, brings a touch of tech savvy and teenage exuberance to the pages. The police chief is competent and even encourages Sloan to make discreet enquiries given her frequent interaction with townsfolk. I look forward to meeting more members of the Beervaria community and seeing if things heat up between Sloan and Garett.Overall, Death On Tap offers an interesting mystery, entertaining characters and an intriguing glimpse into the world of craft beer brewing!

Just completed this first in series about another special town in the Pacific Northwest, Leavenworth, Washington. A delightful tale of family drama and murder centering around the beer brewing industry in the Bavaria of NW USA. Getting to know Sloan and her family has been a true delight and being introduced to the quirky characters of her world has been fun. I have already started the second book in this series! I love the author's Bakeshop mysteries and I decided to give this one a try even though I don't know anything about beer. I am enchanted!

Well written, if not a bit basic, but entertaining. Easy to follow, decent plot and character development. Good vacation read, I recommend it.

I read one of the later books and wanted to see how it all started. Sloan has a lot on her plate. Looking forward to her next adventure and learning more about the beer industry.

Was disappointed in the way the story was told. The story promo sounded great, but the written story was not that engaging.