Sloan Krouse is having a bad day. After walking in on her husband Mac in the office with one of the young servers from the brewery/restaurant where they work, she knows that in one stupid move on his part, she has lost not just her marriage but her career. Das Keller ("The Cellar"), where she had worked with Mac through 15 years of marriage is the vision of her father-in-law Otto. Although their town of Leavenworth, Washington is filled with all things beer ("Beervaria," Sloan calls it), it's Otto and Ursula's brewing that originally put the town on the map. Now they have a world-class offering of beers, and while Sloan has become a remarkable brewmaster during her years working at Das Keller, she knows that now she has to move on.
With the strong recommendation of her brother-in-law Hans, Sloan takes a job with the hottest new brewery in town, Nitro. Owner Garrett Strong is a newby in town, but his aunt had run a successful restaurant for decades. After her death, Garrett remodeled the space and set up his new brewery with the updated idea of beer brewing being a science. He keeps his exacting recipes locked in his office, which resembles a science lab as much as it does an office.
Sloan shows up just in time to help Garrett with his soft launch, and it's good that she's there to help since most of the town shows up to try his new brews. Gossip abounds and tempers flare, especially once the alcohol starts flowing, and Sloan has to intervene to make sure that no one gets hurt.
A break-in to the office and a theft of Garrett's recipes shows that not everyone is okay with a little competition. But it's not until another local brewmaster is found floating in one of the beer tanks tat Sloan realizes what's going on may be more than a bruised heart or a broken ego.
For many years now, there have been cozy mysteries on bakeries, wineries, and coffee shops. There are mystery series about apple orchards, pickles, doughnuts, cheese and just about every aspect of artisan foods you can think of. But beer has been late to the party. I have been sitting back, waiting for someone to finally write me a solid mystery about a brewmaster, and Ellie Alexander has come to my rescue! Death on Tap is the mystery novel I have been waiting for, and I can't be happier that it's here!
Death on Tap combines a charming town, likable characters, and a fascinating topic with a solidly plotted murder mystery. And be prepared--there is a lot of beer talk on these pages! Brewing styles, ingredients, history--it's all here, and I think it's all fascinating. I love this book, and I recommend it to all of my beer-drinking, mystery-reading friends!
Galleys for Death on Tap were provided by Minotaur Books (St. Martin's Press) through NetGalley.com, with many thanks.