Death on Tap by Ellie Alexander is the first book in the NEW “Sloan Krause” mystery series. Publisher: Minotaur Books, coming October 3, 2017

When Sloan Krause walks in on her husband, Mac, screwing the barmaid, she gives him the boot. Sloan has spent her life in Leavenworth, Washington becoming an expert in brewing craft beer, and she doesn’t have time to be held back by her soon-to-be ex-husband. She decides to strike out on her own, breaking away from the Krause family brewery, and goes to work for Nitro, the hip new nano-brewery in the Bavarian-themed town. Nitro’s owner, brewmaster Garrett Strong, has the brew-world abuzz with his newest recipe, “Pucker-Up IPA.” This place is the new cool place in town, and Mac can’t help but be green with envy at their success.

But just as Sloan is settling in to her new gig, she finds one of Nitro’s competitors dead in the fermenting tub, clutching the secret recipe for the IPA. When Mac, is arrested, Sloan knows that her ex might be a cheater, but a murderer? No way. Danger is brewing in Beervaria and suddenly Sloan is on the case.

This was a very intriguing book with a well-brewed mystery that simmered throughout rising to a rapid boil that quickly became a page turner as I could not put it down until it was all said and done. From the introduction of the various characters that take part in this light whodunit, we get to know a little about each and the role they play as each interaction brings us closer to the killer’s identity. The staging matched the pacing and the flow of this multi-plot drama creating an exciting adventure where the suspects were few but coming up with the motives made it interesting as the story progressed towards an ending that left me wanting more. The author did a great job in blending the ins and out of the brewery business and interspersing in the hows and whys in this beguiling mystery. Sloan is a strong and determined heroine and I would like to learn more about her past. Rounding out the cast is an eclectic group of people who bring their own insight into this debut novel. This was a pleasantly appealing tale and I can’t wait to read the next book in this likable series.

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FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.