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vkaz's review against another edition
5.0
I love this series. The setting is Leavenworth, WA, a quaint (and real life) Bavarian-themed town, where beer, sausage, pretzels—and crime—abound. What I like about this series is, the characters are deeper and more believable than you see in most cozies. Sloan Krause is a talented female beer maker in what has been a man’s profession. After leaving her cheating husband, Sloan goes to work at a startup microbrewery, Nitro, alongside Garrett Strong, who has left tech life in Seattle for beer making. Together, they turn Nitro into a popular craft brewery, while sorta/kinda falling in love. The descriptions of the beer making process are just detailed enough, and fascinating.
In Beer and Loathing, Sloan finally gets to meet Garret’s parents and his sister, who takes a big part in solving the mystery—the sudden, suspicious death of a medical intern involved in testing a seemingly miraculous new drug.
The mystery has some good twists, and I loved the introduction of Garrett’s family. Garrett himself becomes a more three-dimensional character with his family and then when he reveals something painful about his past. Sloan, a former foster child, gets to experience the benefits of another close-knit family—along with her ex-husband’s family, the Krauses. This is my favorite book so far in this series, which I hope is a long one.
There’s a guide to the real-life Leavenworth in the back of the book. Now I want to visit!
In Beer and Loathing, Sloan finally gets to meet Garret’s parents and his sister, who takes a big part in solving the mystery—the sudden, suspicious death of a medical intern involved in testing a seemingly miraculous new drug.
The mystery has some good twists, and I loved the introduction of Garrett’s family. Garrett himself becomes a more three-dimensional character with his family and then when he reveals something painful about his past. Sloan, a former foster child, gets to experience the benefits of another close-knit family—along with her ex-husband’s family, the Krauses. This is my favorite book so far in this series, which I hope is a long one.
There’s a guide to the real-life Leavenworth in the back of the book. Now I want to visit!
unicorn_stampede's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
It's a cozy mystery. You're not expecting a masterpiece or anything deep. That being said, I enjoy this series even if the reveal of the culprit is never shocking. Weirdly for a cozy mystery I actually like the lead as well as the supporting characters even though I do find them a bit bland at times. I read this genre to relax. It's lighthearted fare.
kaiouelios's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-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
4.75
blogginboutbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoy the Sloan Krause series, so I get excited about each new installment. Before I get to why, let me say that I had a hard time finding a copy of BEER AND LOATHING. Neither of my local library systems had it and I couldn't find it at my local indie or at my brick-and-mortar Barnes & Noble. Turns out, Ellie Alexander self-published this book (previous books in the series were published by Macmillan), which explains why I had trouble finding it and why the cover art is different (and a lot less appealing, in my opinion) from that of all the previous entries. If you want to read this book, then, you have to buy it. It's $16 for the paperback on Amazon or Barnes and Noble and $8.99 for the e-book. I opted for the latter. I enjoy the Sloan Krause series and I'm all about supporting authors (although I am also a very frequent user of the library).
Like its predecessors, BEER AND LOATHING is a fast, fun read. Leavenworth provides a magical wintry setting that adds to the coziness of the book. Sloan and her pals are always likable. This installment adds some new characters, as Garrett's parents and sister are in town for a visit. With their warmth and kindness, they fit right in with the Sloan and the Krauses. The murder mystery at the center of the novel is pretty straightforward and predictable. Still, it's interesting enough that I wanted to know what had happened.
This isn't my favorite installment in the series by far, but I enjoyed the quick, entertaining read. I will for sure read the next book, which is a novella that's only $1.99 on Kindle. Woo hoo!
If I could, I would give this book 3 1/2 stars; since I can't, I'm rounding up.
Like its predecessors, BEER AND LOATHING is a fast, fun read. Leavenworth provides a magical wintry setting that adds to the coziness of the book. Sloan and her pals are always likable. This installment adds some new characters, as Garrett's parents and sister are in town for a visit. With their warmth and kindness, they fit right in with the Sloan and the Krauses. The murder mystery at the center of the novel is pretty straightforward and predictable. Still, it's interesting enough that I wanted to know what had happened.
This isn't my favorite installment in the series by far, but I enjoyed the quick, entertaining read. I will for sure read the next book, which is a novella that's only $1.99 on Kindle. Woo hoo!
If I could, I would give this book 3 1/2 stars; since I can't, I'm rounding up.
rants_n_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
ejparvin's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Fun light mystery
bakingbookworm's review
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
As a book nerd who loves craft beer (porters + stouts all the way, baby!), this cozy mystery series is right down my alley. But you don't have to love beer to enjoy this series set in a small town in Washington state.
In this sixth book, there's (yet another) murder in the small Bavarian-inspired town and Sloan and Garrett quickly put themselves and the Nitro brewery front and centre to figure out whodunnit. I'm thankful that the on-going (and a little belabored) story arc about Sloan's past that spanned the previous 5 books is done.
In this book, there's a good balance between the murder mystery and the growing secondary cast, most of whom I love to reconnect with (except April, the over-the-top Bavarian-addict who thankfully plays a very minor role. Can we kill her off?). We get to know Garrett's family and learn a 'big secret from his past' which was a bit lackluster and seemed to come out of nowhere.
There are decent red herrings, tension (mysterious and sexual) and the possibility of a new resident coming to Leavenworth, WA. And I always enjoy the delicious beer and food descriptions (there are a few recipes in the back!).
This book can be read as a standalone and is a light, 'clean' cozy mystery that has a unique setting and a wintery feel, perfect as we head into cold weather. Cheers!
emilymd20's review
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0