This series has been a fun and diverting read. There is a lot of beer and brewing information woven into the narrative and the ensemble cast of returning characters are mostly appealingly quirky and fun (except for April, her I want to smack). The small town politics and interactions provide a lot of color and atmosphere.
The mystery part of the story was a lot more linear and straightforward than the other books in the series. The denouement felt a little rushed to me and almost tacked on. There's also a multi-story plot arc concerning Sloan's biological parents and her background in the foster care system which had a different, more serious vibe and didn't mesh with the story as well for me. Despite those two details, the story as a whole is a fun and informative read.
The language is clean, the murder is off-scene, there's no sexual content, and this is a mostly light cozy in a consistently well written series. There is enough back story interwoven into this one, that it does work fine as a standalone. I have enjoyed the rest of the series, so it is probably worth picking up the earlier books.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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