Without a Brew

Sloan Krause Mystery Series, Book 4

By: Ellie Alexander

Narrated by: Carly Robins

It's winter in the Bavarian village of Leavenworth, Washington, which for local brewmaster Sloan Krause means lots of layers, pine and citrus-flavored craft beers, and getting the new guest rooms at Nitro into pristine condition before visitors flood in for IceFest - a local tradition filled with fireworks, ice carving, and winter games of all varieties. But Sloan and her boss Garrett quickly learn that being brewkeepers turned innkeepers may not be as idyllic as it sounded.

While one couple staying with them seems completely smitten, a flashy group arrives in the evening demanding rooms. Sloan and Garrett are less than impressed, but agree to rent to them anyway. The night takes a turn when brewery patron Liv Paxton finishes her frothy pint and, with no previous plan for an overnight stay in Leavenworth, eagerly takes Sloan up on the offer of sanctuary from the snow - until she has a strange run in with some locals and the other guests. Sloan could be imagining things, but when Liv's room is found trashed the next morning, a hateful message painted on her car, and Liv herself is nowhere to be found, Sloan is convinced another mystery is brewing. With many of the potential suspects hunkering down under Nitro's roof, she knows her co-workers and friends won't be safe until she serves up the killer a hoppy pint of justice.

©2020 Kate Dyer-Seeley (P)2022 Tantor

Another hit!

Just as good as her other books! Can't wait to start the next one!

Great Read

Sloan has a lot going on - warnings about her in-laws, more questions about her origins, opening a B&B at the microbrewery (and ahead of schedule), Mac (enough said), possibly moving from the beloved farm - and then a guest is murdered. Is it all too much? Our intrepid leading lady may have found her limit - or not.

Sloane is one of my favorite leading ladies of fiction. She can usually be counted on for a level head and well reasoned actions. I love the Krausers and Garrett. Kat is great, and Alex is every parent's dream. If it sounds too good, it isn't. It is an almost perfect cozy, and I cannot wait for the next book.

A page turner!

Yet another fantastic book in the series. I’ll probably start the next one immediately! Loved it!!!

Story telling is an art

Yet another example of storytelling at its best. Please keep writing more and I wish the publishing was a faster process.

Get to the point

**SPOILER ALERT**






It’s taking a little too long to get to the point now. This one was also a little predictable. I mean who, as an adult, goes for a walk in the snow and ends up miles away because they weren’t paying attention?

I wasn’t as pleased with this story. There was a lot of jumping to conclusions and not paying attention. The character has always been more adept than this in past installments. I guess it could be because of her finding some things out about her past, but I think that’s an easy excuse.

Let’s see what happens next.

Spoilers ahead

I absolutely love this series. Leavenworth is so cute and I love Sloan as a character. However in this book Sloan accuses her parents in law of being nazis. I can’t believe this element was allowed to continue in a cozy mystery. I feel sick. If someone accused me of being a nazi, I wouldn’t be able to move past it, but this is used as a sort of anticipation/red herring? I loved the rest of the book but this one plot point made me feel sick.

Good summer entertainment

It’s a comfortable story, interesting facts about microbrewery and some recipes, but certainly not great literature.
The suspenseful plot points were trite, predictable, and overblown.
Still, all in all, good storytelling for a long summer evening.

not for me

The mystery is ok but I don't like Sloane's character. I already have the next book but after that I'm done.

Beer and breakfast and red herrings

I really wanted to enjoy this book; however, Sloan's past storyline seems really convoluted and feels too much for a cozy murder mystery. I would have loved more of a comeuppance for Kevin and Jennie to become less than stepping stone. however, I kind of began to figure out whodunit almost midway through. I will probably continue the series, but again: wrong narrator for the story and feel like the timeline and continuity is off.