Reviews

Deadly Brew by Karen MacInerney

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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review

4.0

Deadly Brew by Karen MacInerney is the third chapter in A Dewberry Farm Mystery series. Lucy Resnick owns Dewberry Farm in Buttercup, Texas. It has been a dry summer with no rain for the last five months, and now Lucy’s well has run dry. She needs to find a way to get water for her animals, plants and herself. Tonight, though, Lucy is off to Buttercup’s first Witches’ Ball at Honeyed Moon Mead Winery owned by Serafine Alexandre. They are enjoying the festivities including tarot reading when a scream rings out. They run over to find Bug Wharton, owner of the controversial Safari Exotic Game Ranch, struggling to breathe in his truck. They administer the requested Epi-Pen, but Bug fails to survive. Sheriff Rooster Kocurek quickly zeros in on Serafine as the guilty party (because she is Wiccan). Lucy knows Serafine did not harm Bug and starts hunting for the killer. Reports are coming in about a supposed Chupacabra on the loose. Animals are being harmed and the descriptions of the beast are varied. To add to Lucy’s already full plate, the old Ulrich farmhouse that Lucy rescued appears to be haunted and Quinn’s abusive ex has returned to town. And Lucy thought life in Buttercup would be relaxing! Join Lucy for a Halloween adventure in Deadly Brew!

Deadly Brew is nicely written, has a good pace, and a lovely setting. It contains quirky, fun characters that readers will enjoy getting to know and spend time with in each A Dewberry Farm Mystery. I do not recommend starting with Deadly Brew (you might be a little lost in the beginning). It is best to read the series in order. There are some details missing from Deadly Brew (why Rooster is sheriff for example—isn’t it time for an election). My rating for Deadly Brew is 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). The mystery is clever and many people will be surprised with the outcome. I appreciated the paranormal elements in the story. I hope we see more of it in the future books in the series. There is some repetition of information regarding the main mystery, the goats (one is named Hot Lips), lack of rain and the exotic game ranch. There are recipes for the dishes and drink mentioned in the story at the end of the book. Deadly Brew is an entertaining and action packed cozy mystery that will put you in the Halloween spirit. I look forward to the next installment in A Dewberry Farm Mystery series.

rants_n_reads's review

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funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

lmkent1's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

thisandthatwithkaren's review against another edition

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5.0

Thoroughly enjoyed

Read in 3 sittings, was a fast read . Can't wait to read the rest in the series. Loved the characters, and buttercup Texas

caitkom's review against another edition

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5.0

Lucy Resnick, Houston reporter turned small town farmer is looking forward to harvesting her fall crops when she learns her well has dried up and there's no ETA on when she can get water again. Lucy is getting worried about her crops and her growing population of farm animals. She is looking for a little bit of relaxation when she attends a Halloween bash at the local mead winery, but it is all but relaxing when Bug Wharton is stung by a bee and dies and the police are looking at the winery owner as the killer. Bug had just opened a game ranch in Buttercup so when Lucy's boyfriend, the local vet is called out to check the animals she tags along to do some snooping. This is a great series. The sheriff, Rooster makes me mad and I find myself wondering how such an incompetent jerk could remain the sheriff. I hope at some point she boots him out.

teriboop's review against another edition

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4.0

Fall has arrived in the little town of Buttercup, Texas and once again a killer is loose. Buttercup is the home of novice farm girl Lucy Resnick who is struggling to maintain her grandmother's farm, now facing a water shortage. While attending the local Witches Ball at the home of Serafine Alexandre, one of the local residents turns up dead after having an argument with the evening's host. It seems as though Bug Wharton, co-owner of a new exotic game ranch had an enemy or two and Lucy is determined to figure out the mystery and keep her friend Serafine out of jail.

I generally don't read many mysteries but I thoroughly enjoy all of Karen MacInerney's cozy mystery series. I especially enjoy her Dewberry Farm Mysteries for the Texas references and setting. I am looking forward to further adventures in Buttercup, Texas.

jen_baroness_mom's review against another edition

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4.0

Deadly Brew by Karen MacInerney is a wonderful Halloween read with the right amount of mystery, romance, and suspense.

Will Lucy find the killer before Selena goes to jail for the deed?

Lucy Resnick

Lucy is our sleuth. She is a former investigative reporter turned farmer. Lucy bought Dewberry Farm which used to belong to her grandmother. Now Lucy has chickens, goats, cows, numerous crops, and a ghost or two. The one thing that she is missing is water, her well has run dry. This isn't bonding well for fall in Texas during a drought. Yet, the well, the animals, and the crops all take a backseat to finding a murderer since her friend Selena has been arrested for killing Bug.

Things that I like:

Selena's brewery and how charming she is.

Quinn's cafe sounds so wonderfully homey.

Quinn and Peter are cute together.

Lucy and Tobias have an adorable blooming relationship.

The way Lucy gets out there and tracks down leads.

The town's name of Buttercup is fabulous. I love it.

That everyone was seeing and hearing ghosts.

The German club is so sweet. And they want to help keep their heritage alive by helping Lucy.

The whole way that Bug Wharton dies was ingenious.

Four Stars

I loved visiting Buttercup, Texas, and meeting Lucy and her friends. The positive feeling that the town puts out even at Halloween and amongst all the murder talk is wonderful. These townsfolk stick together. My rating for Deadly Brew by Karen MacInerney is four stars. I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

Oh, and don't forget these yummy fall recipes at the end of the book. There is Mulled Honey Wine, Halloween Pumpkin Bars, Lucy's Apple Dumplings, and Spiced Pumpkin Butter.

Other Books in the Series

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Deadly Brew by Karen MacInerney.

Until the next time,

This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove