Amateur sleuth Sloan Krause delves into the murderous political world in another delightful mystery from popular cozy writer Ellie Alexander. It’s the dead season in Leavenworth, Washington. The throngs of Oktoberfest crowds have headed home, and the charming Bavarian streets are quiet and calm–momentarily. Villagers use the reprieve to drink in the crisp fall mountain air and prepare for the … prepare for the upcoming winter light festival. Soon the German-inspired shops and restaurants will be aglow with thousands of twinkling lights. Visitors will return to the northern Cascades to drink warm mulled cider and peruse the holiday markets. Brewer, Sloan Krause and her partner in crime Garrett Strong are using the slowdown to stock up on a new line of their signature craft beers at Nitro. They’re experimenting with a hoppy holiday pine and a chocolate hazelnut stout. The small brewery is alive with delicious scents and bubbling batches of brew.
Sloan is in her element. She loves the creativity and lowkey atmosphere at Nitro. Only that is soon threatened by the incumbent city councilmember Kristopher Cooper. Kristopher is running for re-election on a platform of making Leavenworth dry. Everyone in beertopia is fuming. Leavenworth’s economy relies on keeping the kegs flowing. Kristopher wants to banish beer, a policy that might just bankrupt the entire village. However, Kristopher turns up dead days before election night. Sloan quickly realizes that his murder isn’t the work of a stranger. Friends, family, and every other business owner had a motive to kill him, including none other than April Ablin, Leavenworth’s self-described ambassador of all things German. Sloan finds herself defending April and trying to sleuth out a killer amongst a group of familiar faces.
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Beyond a Reasonable Stout by Ellie Alexander welcomes us to Leavenworth, Washington. Sloan Krause is enjoying the quiet of the town now that Oktoberfest has ended, but it is to be short lived. City Councilman, Kristopher Cooper is running for re-election with a platform of turning Leavenworth into a dry town which would lead to a town without tourists. The next day, Sloan enters April Ablin’s office to find Kristopher dead on the floor and April being arrested by Chief Meyers. While Sloan is a not a fan of the town’s self-appointed ambassador, she knows that April needs her help. Beyond a Reasonable Stout can be read alone for those new to A Sloan Krause Mystery series. The story has Ellie Alexander’s casual writing style which makes the story easy to read. Sloan is preparing for the next stage of her life now that she is divorcing Mac. She has her job at Nitro with Garrett Strong where she gets a voice in creating new brews and now, she needs to decide where to live. Sloan and Garrett are experimenting with new holiday brews and training Kat on their stock so she can handle barkeep duties. The town is in an uproar over Kristopher Cooper and his plan to turn Leavenworth into a dry town. Without the beer, the town will lose its tourists which doesn’t seem to faze Kristopher. It is no surprise when Kristopher ends up murdered. However, Sloan is shocked when April Ablin is arrested for the crime. She knows that April did commit the crime and, reluctantly, Sloan sets out to prove it. Readers will have no problem solving this whodunit long before the reveal. I kept hoping for a twist because I thought the solution too simple. There are multiple suspects since Kristopher managed to antagonize the majority of the town’s residents. The mystery is nicely wrapped up at the end of the book. The secondary mystery of Sloan’s birth parents began in Death on Tap and is still playing out. Sloan is determined to find answers and she may have gotten her best clue yet. I enjoy the descriptions of Leavenworth with its Bavarian style architecture, shops and food. It reminds me of where I grew up (German Village in Columbus, Ohio). A Sloan Krause Mystery series is a character focused series. The characters and their lives are the main focus of the story. They chat, eat and drink plenty of beer. If you enjoy Ellie Alexander’s A Bakeshop Mystery series, you will like reading A Sloane Krause Mystery series (switch out pastry for beer). Beyond a Reasonable Stout is a lighthearted cozy mystery with petty politics, brewing beer, wrestling with wallpaper, barkeep basics, nutty nutcrackers, and an aggrieved April.
The residents of the quaint little village of Leavenworth, Washington are enjoying some much-needed peace and quiet after a busy tourist season. Sloan Krause is still adjusting to life as a single mom and is looking forward to some quiet time to work on Nitro’s holiday beers. Unfortunately, the town is in an uproar over city council member, Kristopher Cooper’s decision to ban alcohol from the village if he wins the upcoming election. When he is found dead after a heated argument with villagers, Sloan finds herself being persuaded by the police’s main suspect, April Ablin to investigate the murder and clear her name. This is a very enjoyable cozy mystery. From the charming Bavarian-themed village setting to the wonderful cast of characters, and the mouthwatering food and beer descriptions, I was immediately engrossed in the story and had a hard time putting it down. I really liked Sloan, she’s a hard worker, loyal, and very dedicated to her friends and family. There is a potentially dangerous mystery surrounding her past, and I really looking forward to learning more about it in the upcoming books. The plot was a page-turner and it kept me guessing until the end! Ellie Alexander is one of my absolute favorite cozy mystery authors and I highly recommend any of her books. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I am a fan of this series and enjoyed the third installment as much as the first two. Ellie Alexander has a wonderful ability to develop characters that just engage a reader and keep them coming back. I like how Sloane is progressing and growing both personally and professionally. She is coming into her own as a brewer with Nitro and making a new life for her and her son Alex. The secondary characters are also well written and add to the story in their own right. Mac and his family are at the heart of these secondary characters and their relationship with Sloan may be changing. The main mystery was decent, although what this author is pretty well known for is her character-driven stories. There were a few plausible suspects and the author provided them with sufficient motives to keep the reader guessing as to the culprit. It wasn’t a hard mystery to figure out. The one that is posing more of a challenge is the secondary mystery that runs in the background of each book – who is Sloan and who are her parents. That mystery ramps up a bit more in this book and will leave the reader wanting to know more. This book was an easy read that kept me entertained. I enjoy the series and will be back for more.
I voluntarily read a digital ARC provided to me by the publisher, Minotaur Books, through Netgalley.
Eliza Thomson and her best friend, Connie Appleton are known to the local police department and Scotland Yard. An invitation for a garden party is extended to Archie and Eliza Thomson as well as Eliza’s father and the widow, Connie Appleton. Eliza is ecstatic since it is being held at the Oak House in Moreton-on-Thames, her childhood home. The party is to celebrate the birthday of Edward Hartley by his wife. The day of the party is one of extreme heat but since the party is a surprise party it is held in the garden behind the home. Eliza has an itch to attempt to get inside the home to see if it is still the same as when she lived there as a child. Using a staircase meant for the servant’s she and Connie quietly climb them to the 1st floor. While investigating the floor, they must find a place to hide due to the approach of someone. While hiding they hear an argument and also a gun shot. Eliza’s investigative response takes over and she abandons her hiding place. The author, VL McBeath has once again developed the characters well and the plot even more so. At a time when women are supposed to be demur and back down to things that only a man is supposed to do, Eliza pushes forward to show a woman is just as reliable as a man. This is the 4th book in this series.
Read 10.2.2019
I really like this series – it is just so interesting to learn about beer and the process it takes to make it. I had no idea and with each book, I am learning more and more [I unfortunately do not like beer and cannot drink it due to having Celiac Disease, but the process is still fascinating to learn about] and when you add that with some great characters and a very quirky town, it makes for an excellent read.
This one took longer than normal to read and I am unsure why. I was invested from the beginning, but for some reason, I just couldn’t get through it as fast as I normally do a cozy mystery – perhaps it is Sloan’s side story of finding her family and the drama of her impending divorce; that does make for slower reading to be sure. And even though I had the murderer pegged pretty early, the red herrings did keep me guessing. The only negative thing I have to say about this one is the ending. I despise cliffhangers [almost as much as I do love triangles, which this thankfully does not have] and to be left with one now is very annoying and smacks of lazy writing in my opinion. These are really good books and we don’t need a gimmick to keep us reading. I hope this is not a trend.
Still a great read and a really fun series.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin Press/Minotaur Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The third book of the Sloan Krause cozy mystery series takes place after Oktoberfest and before the Christmas holidays, a short break in the busy tourist season, during a political race in our dear town of Leavenworth, aka Beervaria, and (dun dun dunn) one of the candidates ends up dead!
Something that I love about this series is how much story there is outside of the actual murder and mystery. Throughout the first three books, the mystery around Sloan’s parents continues to develop. Her soon-to-be-ex-husband Mac is still trying to earn her trust back and Sloan is balancing work, sleuthing, and parenting a teenage son. This series is so much fun!
As in every book in the series so far, Sloan and Garrett come up with a new beer to test and Sloan creates a great snack to go with it. This time she creates a shortbread cookie with pine needles. I’m so intrigued and would love to know what that really tastes like. Sloan also makes a tasty popcorn from a recipe passed down from her mother-in-law and everyone loves it. Reading this book made me crave some buttery popcorn.
Garrett ran his fingers through his already disheveled hair. “I never imagined that starting a nano-brewery here would lead to such excitement and danger.”
This was my first Ellie Alexander (don’t judge me for reading out of order–this is what the library had!) and WOW! I was blown away. So many cozy mysteries struggle with the plot being to slow or predictable or just being a little to homely and this one had none of those flaws. Alexander is the QUEEN of cozy mysteries and knows exactly how to put together a stellar series. Despite not liking beer, I loved learning more about the brewing process and enjoyed how it was a little bit different from the standard cozy mystery baked goods recipes. While I thoroughly enjoyed the main mystery in this book–who killed the candidate for town council who was trying to make the town dry–what really hooked me in was the subplot surrounding the search for Sloan’s birth parents (she grew up in foster care). That thread will keep me reading the series for a while!
5 stars – 9/10
An enjoyable book set in the quaint town of Leavenworth! Oktoberfest has passed and it’s election time in town. The current city councilman, Kristopher Cooper, has suddenly decided that he wants to make the town dry, thus hurting many of the breweries, restaurants, and tourist shops. After a town-wide meeting held at Der Keller, Kristopher causes a large argument between him and several others. The next morning, Kristopher is found murdered in the office of self-appointed town ambassador, April Ablin. April is the prime suspect as she had been arguing with Kristopher, he was found in her office, and the murder weapon belonged to her. April begs Sloan to help figure out the real killer. Sloan has her own issues as she deals with helping to get Nitro’s brews ready for the holidays as well as preparing the bed and breakfast rooms at Nitro and dealing with her soon-to-be-ex-husband. As much as she doesn’t always get along with April, Sloan knows she’s not a killer so she does what she can to help her out. I love the way Sloan, Garrett, and Kat all get along and work well together and I love Sloan’s relationship with her son, Alex. I hope to eventually see a romantic relationship develop between Sloan and Garrett as well. I really can’t wait to see what the truth is behind Sloan’s past and what it has to do with her in-laws. The town of Leavenworth sounds like a delight to visit and I look forward to more books in this series!
Although this is the third and newest book in the Sloan Krause mystery series, it was the first book I’ve read by this author. It won’t be the last. I already have the previous two books in the series on hold. The setting for this series is a quaint town in the mountains of Washington and focuses on beer brewing. My favorite mysteries are those with lots of viable suspects, believable characters, and plot twists. This book has all three. I hope the fourth installment of the series is near.
Beyond a Reasonable Stout is book three in the Sloan Krause Mystery series, and the first book I’ve read by Ellie Alexander. I was blown away by her details of the German inspired village that this series takes place in. Alexander seamlessly combines architectural details with historical information. I found it fascinating and would continue the series just to read more details.
Alexander also incorporates brewing beer perfectly into the book. I never got pulled out of the story when she described the process or history of beer making. And since we make wine (from kits) I found it interesting how the two processes are similar, and I read a few tips that we may incorporate into our wines.
Besides her great details and history for the village and beer brewing, Alexander writes characters that are very developed. April had me cringing and laughing and Kristopher had me wanting to stab him myself! I enjoyed how the chief wasn’t hostile towards Sloan, knowing that she would be throwing herself into the investigation, even though Sloan kept trying to stay out of it. In fact, the police even gave Sloan a wink or three of encouragement.
I had the killer figured out early on, just because of a strange incident that stood out to me. But I did not know their motive. But Alexander does a great job giving you various suspects to keep you guessing. And the way Beyond a Reasonable Stout has another (I’m thinking huge) mystery to figure out in the next book or two will really draw the reader back for more!
A fantastic series in the cozy mystery genre. If you want to start the Sloan Krause Mysteries from the beginning, you’ll want to get Death on Tap.
Beyond a Reasonable Stout is the third Book in the Sloan Krouse Mystery series by Elle Alexander. I have not read the previous 3 but was able to follow along. I’m not a big Kraft beer drinker but I did enjoy this story.
It’s the dead season in Leavenworth, Washington. The throngs of Oktoberfest crowds have headed home, and the charming Bavarian streets are quiet and calm—momentarily. Villagers use the reprieve to drink in the crisp fall mountain air and prepare for the upcoming winter light festival. Soon the German-inspired shops and restaurants will be aglow with thousands of twinkling lights. Visitors will return to the northern Cascades to drink warm mulled cider and peruse the holiday markets. Brewer, Sloan Krause and her partner in crime Garrett Strong are using the slowdown to stock up on a new line of their signature craft beers at Nitro. They’re experimenting with a hoppy holiday pine and a chocolate hazelnut stout. The small brewery is alive with delicious scents and bubbling batches of brew.
Sloan is in her element. She loves the creativity and lowkey atmosphere at Nitro. Only that is soon threatened by the incumbent city council member Kristopher Cooper. Kristopher is running for re-election on a platform of making Leavenworth dry. Everyone in beertopia is fuming. Leavenworth’s economy relies on keeping the kegs flowing. Kristopher wants to banish beer, a policy that might just bankrupt the entire village. However, Kristopher turns up dead days before election night. Sloan quickly realizes that his murder isn’t the work of a stranger. Friends, family, and every other business owner had a motive to kill him, including none other than April Ablin, Leavenworth’s self-described ambassador of all things German. Sloan finds herself defending April and trying to sleuth out a killer amongst a group of familiar faces.
There was 2 mysteries in this story, the main one was the murder of obnoxious wannabe councilman Kristopher Cooper. There were plenty of suspects as he seemed to of blackmailed almost everyone . Then there was the mystery behind Sloan’s biological parents , ( obviously this was mentioned in prior books) . I recommend that you read from the beginning as I feel Sloanes adoption plays a strong role throughout the series.
I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This series gets better with each book! It’s election time in the Bavarian town of Leavenworth. One of the candidates is campaigning to make Leavenworth alcohol-free. Of course, many of the residents oppose that idea because it would destroy their livelihoods and the economy of their quaint little mountain town. Right before election, one of the candidates is murdered. Amidst identifying the murderer, preparing new ales for the upcoming annual winter light festival, tasting all the fabulous-sounding German fare, and the mysterious warning Sloan receives, this was deliciously entertaining! The charming setting, the lively characters and the ongoing intriguing mystery surrounding Sloan have me looking forward to the next book in the series.
This is such a fun series. I couldn’t wait to return to Leavenworth. The mystery had me guessing right up until the end. I am finding the whole process of beer making interesting and with each book I have learned a little more. I also enjoy finding out more about Sloan’s mysterious past. I cannot wait for the next book to find out more.
Beyond a Reasonable Stout by Ellie Alexander is the latest in the Sloan Krause series I have fallen in love with.
A city councilman is running for re-election with a platform that would make the village of Leavenworth, Washington dry. That would literally close the majority of the breweries. When he is found stabbed following a town hall it appears that Leavenworth’s cheerleader, April Ablin, is guilty, or is she?
Alexander gives plenty of suspects and great all around characters. In addition to the murder, there is a second on going mystery about Sloan’s childhood. You will not want to put this book down. In fact, I want to go the Leavenworth and visit Nitro and I’m not a beer/ale drinker but the descriptions of the drinks will lure you in.
I was given an ARC by NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.
Cascade Mountains Nano-Brewery Based Cozy Mystery
This story is equal parts women’s fiction and cozy mystery. The author did a great job on both aspects. The women’s fiction is an ongoing storyline. The cozy mystery is completed in each book. It makes me want to come back for more while sipping a pint. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
Beyond a Reasonable Stout is the third book in Ellie Alexander’s Sloan Krause mystery series. It is fall and the city council election is fast approaching. City council member Kristopher Cooper is running for re-election but he has a brand new platform. He is pledging to outlaw alcohol and curb the many festivals that the merchants of the small town depend upon. In a town that is home to not only a major west coast German brewery but also many craft breweries, this platform making it a dry county would be a death knell for their businesses.
Sloan Krause, who is a brewer at Nitro craft brewery and relation to the Krauses of the major Der Keller brewery, is actively supporting Kristopher’s opponent Valerie Hedy, as are most of the merchants and townsfolk. Kristopher has rubbed many the wrong way and the night of Valerie’s big rally at Der Keller he is seen arguing with several people at the brew house and on the streets after the rally. In fact, no one seems terribly upset when he is found murdered the following morning except for realtor April Ablin. It is in her realty office where his body is found and the circumstantial evidence points toward her.
Secrets are divulged. Relationships are formed and broken. In the midst of a freak snowstorm a murderer is discovered. In a very interesting series set in the northern Cascade range an eclectic group of people form the cast for the enjoyable stories. I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it.
Beyond a Reasonable Stout by Ellie Alexander is the second in the Sloan Krause mystery series. The story takes place in a small faux Bavarian town in the Pacific Northwest known a Leavenworth. Sloan is the 45ish, almost divorced partner in a microbrewery, Nitro, and small bed and breakfast on the second floor. Oktoberfest has just ended and it is almost time for the city council election, a hotly contested race between Kristopher Cooper and Valery Hedy. Valery appears to have a strong lead since Kristopher’s platform is to make Leavenworth dry, which obviously would do the economy and most of the citizens no good at all. There is a murder. Sloan doesn’t mean to get involved; she just does, between negotiating her divorce, taking care of her teenage son, and doing her job. Sloan is the kind of person people talk to, mostly because she doesn’t repeat the things she hears and people know that.
The setting is fabulous and learning about brewing is even better! Sloan is a terrific character, strongly negotiating all her problems with grace and positivity. There are some characters living in Leavenworth, which make it interesting, and there is also the ongoing mystery of which Sloan’s real parents are, having been raised in foster homes. The relationship with her soon-to-be-ex husband is realistic and wrenching. Alex, her son, is a good kid…she is lucky. Her partner, Garrett, is a good friend and interesting man who started life as an engineer before becoming a brew master. An interesting little series, which I will be excited to explore further as time progresses. I recommend it. It is an excellent example of a prime cozy mystery. I recommend it.
I received a free ARC of Beyond a Reasonable Stout from Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #beyondareasonablestout