Death on Tap is the first book in a new series by Ellie Alexander. When Sloane Krause catches her husband cheating on her, she kicks him out and gets a new job. But when she finds a dead body at her new place of employment, and her husband is arrested for the murder, she must prove his innocence to keep her son’s father out of jail.

It seems many of the cozy mysteries I have read revolve around either baking or needlework, but Death on Tap takes a new perspective: craft beer. Sloane, a chef in her own right, married into a long-standing micro-brewery family and became a brewmaster herself. When she leaves the family brewery to help a new-comer with his nano-brewery, she is able to let her brewery skills shine. 

But the nano-brewery could close down before it opens when a fellow brewmaster is found murdered on the premises. Could it be a jealous husband aiming to shut down the brewery, kill the competition, and get his wife back all in one blow? Sloane might be disgusted with her husband’s behavior, but she doubts he would kill someone, especially to get her back. He’s the one who cheated after all.

Set in a quaint town on the edge of the mountains in Washington State, Death on Tap shows the town’s German roots. Alexander does a wonderful, even humorous, job of creating the setting. From one townmember’s over-exuberance in wearing traditional German garb to another shop owner’s refusal to conform to the German-looking building codes. It brings ‘Beervaria’ to life.

So, if you are looking for a new cozy mystery, check out Ellie Alexander’s Death on Tap. You’ll get a taste of micro-brewing and a look at a German-inspired town, not to mention helping Sloane solve a murder. It’s a fun read with a great cast and I’m looking forward to what happens next.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I checked out this book from my local library. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”