This is such a good cozy mystery series set in Leavenworth, Washington, the little Bavaria of the Pacific Northwest. In this story, Sloan and Garrett have opened the guest rooms above Nitro, the craft brewery they run, and some of the guests are turning out to be problems. When one of them is found dead in the river, Sloan feels the need to help Chief Meyers figure out whodunit from the cast of crazy characters staying at Nitro.

The story has a wonderful setting, many interesting characters, an intriguing mystery, so much about beer and brewing, and some tasty-sounding food. I looked online for a recipe for Berlin bars that Sloan bakes and can't wait to try them this Christmas! And boy, that Bavarian pizza served up by a local pizzeria sounds delicious: sourdough crust, stone ground mustard, sauerkraut, brats, and peppers. Yum!

I received an arc of this mystery from the author and publisher via NetGalley. It published in November, 2020, my very-bad year for reading during the pandemic. I apologize for the delay in getting it read and reviewed. I am now up to date on the series, which I thoroughly enjoy, and hope Ellie Alexander will continue writing it.

Review published on Goodreads, 17 December 2020:

I enjoy the Sloan Krause series, so I always get excited when a new installment comes out. This one is just as fun as the rest of them. It's light and funny, entertaining and enjoyable. I also like that it's not only about the mystery of a murdered lodger, but also about the mystery of Sloan's birth parents. The subplot adds another layer of mystery and suspense to the series. In addition, the main characters are likable, the setting is fun, and Alexander's prose is upbeat and humorous. I enjoyed this one just as I have all the books in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, for this free review copy.

I absolutely love Ellie Alexander. I have read a huge amount of her books, and they are the perfect cozy mysteries! This was another favorite, and I highly suggest this series.

Without a Brew is the 4th book, and I still love the setting and Sloan. She is so easy to like, and very relatable. This was a great mystery, and I was actually surprised who the killer was. There is a second mystery weaved in these books also, and Sloan is learning family secrets and maybe who her mom is. I can’t wait to read to the next book, to see how it all plays out.

Ellie Alexander is the queen of cozies! I love the Sloan Krause series because it’s so different from other cozies. I love learning about brewing beer, Leavenworth and now the B&B. Ellie knows how to write a cozy mystery that has multiple plots going on. I enjoy following along in the mystery of her birth parents and her relationship with the Krause family. This was a fun read and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Minotaur books for my copy of Without a Brew by Ellie Alexander in exchange for an honest review. It published November 10, 2020.
I loved this book! I made sure to read the first three books before reading this one for proper context and I am HOOKED on this series! I'm really bummed that I'm caught up with the series and now have to wait until the next one publishes! I love the way Alexander is building the overall story and not only focusing on the murders. I truly care about Sloane and can't wait to find out more about her personal life and history.
I think the world-building here is so fun, and I have a constant craving for German food and a deep desire to go back to Leavenworth.

Absolutely loved going back to the beautiful Leavenworth with the 4th book in the Sloan Krause cozy mystery series. Sloan has grown imsince the first book and I really enjoy the more her personality escapes through the pages. When Nitro accepts guest for the first time in their new Bed & Breakfast, unfortunately one doesn't return and her room is trashed.

I really enjoyed the mystery in this one. The twists between all the guests, really had me guessing with Whodunit.

My favorite part of this series is the slow breakdown of Sloan's mysterious childhood. I think for this reason alone, readers should read consecutively so you can slowly unravel the past as Sloan does. Can't wait to read more!

Ellie Alexander is my favorite cozy mystery author, and she did not disappoint with this installment. I absolutely love the Beervaria setting and I can tell that Ellie's work is well-researched. The mystery was so much fun, and I adore the characters!

All of Ellie Alexander's books are so well written, and so very readable. Another wonderful installment in a well-loved series!

Although it did not grab my attention, fans of cozy mysteries may enjoy it.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Such a fun setting for a cozy mystery! This was my first book read in this series, but the book functions well enough as a standalone. I liked the atmosphere of it enough that I will be checking out more from this author and particularly this series.

This is book 4 in the Sloan Krause series set in Washington state small Bavarian village that court tourist from around the world. Sloan is a brew master for her bar and now opened inn. They get a full house when the weather turns nasty and one of their guests goes missing and found dead. It seems the random guests all have a connection and now Sloan must figure out who's behind the killing before her staff is eliminated too. Can be read as a stand alone but it's nice to catch up with previous characters. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Not my favorite story from the series, but I bumped it to four stars because I love the characters and world of Leavenworth.

Without a Brew is the fourth Sloan Krause cozy mystery by Ellie Alexander. Released 10th Nov 2020 by Macmillan on their St. Martin's Press imprint, it's 304 pages and available in hardcover, mass market paperback, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a small town cozy series which has really found its stride and is always fun to revisit. Microbrewer (and amateur sleuth) Sloan is intelligent, well grounded, vulnerable, and compassionate. She's an easy protagonist to like.

This whole 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 multi-story plot arc concerning Sloan's biological parents and her background in the foster care system has a different, more serious vibe and does't mesh as well with the story for me. The multi-book plot arc took a sharp turn into unbelievability and I found myself drawn out of the story at several places. I'm not going to give up on the series, it really is well written and engaging.

The language is clean, the murder is off-scene, there's no sexual content, and this is a mostly light cozy in a consistently strong cozy series. There is enough back story interwoven into this one, that it does work well enough 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.

Sloan Krause returns in this mystery series set in the Bavarian village of Leavenworth, Wash. Sloan and her boss, Garrett team up to run Nitro, one of the local craft breweries.
Since they have the space, they are branching out by opening up a bed and breakfast. Although they hadn’t planned on opening until the weekend of IceFest, they find themselves renting rooms to a troublesome group of young people after a snowstorm sets in, along with another young woman named Liv.
When Liv disappears and upon inspection, her room has been trashed. Sloan is concerned that they are harboring a killer.
Always a good story from Alexander.

It is no secret that I love Ellie Alexanders writing and have yet to be disappointed by any of her books---Without a Brew was no different. Ellie has a way of capturing the settings of each of her books and this 4th book in her Sloan Krause Mystery series took me right back to the dreamy Bavarian town of Leavenworth, Washington. I loved that we got to see Sloans character develop more outside of her marriage and truly believe she just grows as an overall character. Aside from sloan this was your classic cozy mystery and I loved everything about it.

Title: Without a Brew
Author: Ellie Alexander

Ch: 30

Pg: 304

Series: Sloan Krause mystery book 4

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher: Minotaur books



Without a Brew by Ellie Alexander is the fourth book in the Sloan Krause mystery series. Sloan’s starting to into her own and learning more about her past. And since this is the fourth book in the series it’s hard to say much without giving away the plot of the previous books. But I do have to say that I like the direction and the pace that Sloan’s and Garrett’s relationship is going and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.





I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Princess Fuzzypants here: There are a lot of changes going on in Sloan’s life, some good and some not so good. Pulling her life together after her soon to be ex-husband’s infidelity, she is looking at moving with son closer to Nitro. Nitro is expanding its horizons too. It is opening the boutique B & B above the pub. They have a couple celebrating their anniversary but before the night is over, all the rooms are booked by people stranded in the village without anywhere to sleep. Their generosity in opening early is repaid by murder.

One of their guests, who certainly riled up several other guests, meets her doom. There are a lot of deep dark secrets in the group staying at Nitro. The question is which one was serious enough to lead to homicide. Sloan ends up being the sounding board for several of her guests as she tries to figure out what is going on. But her own life is even more confused.

The In-laws Sloan has trusted and embraced as her parents are involved in some very dark secrets as well. They may not be the people she thinks they are and even worse, they may have been responsible for her being shipped from one foster home to another in her youth . When Sally, her caseworker, presents her with long hidden information, Sloan’s life threatens to spiral out of control. And that may lead to disaster for her and her son.

This has been a solid series but I found this book hard to put down. The mystery of the murder is filled with twists, turns and suspense. Then the personal turmoil of discovering long hidden facts is riveting. Are the people she loves truly the monsters this information seems to indicate and if they are, what does mean for her and her son? The mystery of who she is and why she ended up in foster care has woven through the books. While Sloan is able to find some answers, they only lead to more questions. It will be fascinating to see where her quest will end.

Five purrs and two paws up.

Without a Brew is a well written cozy mystery. Mystery fans will not be disappointed. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

As a long-time fan of Ellie Alexander I was thrilled to have an opportunity to read her latest in the Sloan Krause mystery series. The setting of Leavenworth, WA is a charming and unique village that readers will be reluctant to leave. Sloan herself is a strong, well-drawn female character with a mysterious past that readers learn about right alongside her.

The Sloan Krause novels are great read-alikes for Amanda Flower's "Amish Candy Shop Mysteries" and "Amish Matchmaker Mysteries" for their unique settings, well-drawn characters, and ongoing storylines.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This cozy mystery series, centered around a female brewmaster, continues to be one of my absolute favorites. In this entry, said brewmaster Sloan and her business partner/friend/partner in crime Garrett are getting ready to open the bed part of their bed and beer and breakfast. But some unexpected arrivals means a combative combination of guests, an unfortunate circumstance that leads to murder.

Alexander's excellent descriptive writing style makes me want to visit this small village and try all the beers at Nitro-and also hang out with Sloan and Garrett, who have such a fun, lovely, supportive friendship (that may someday lead to something more). The mystery is an excellent one as well, with lots of twists and turns, secrets from the past, hidden connections, and suspense. My only complaint is the subplot about Sloan's past and the truth about her former in laws is starting to feel a little farfetched and like it doesn't really fit in with the tone of the series.

I've said it before, and I will say it again-if you are a cozy mystery fan, this is a series you should definitely check out. I would recommend starting from the first book in the series so you really get all the character development and backstory,