This is the second book in The Bartender's Guide to Murder series and one I enjoyed. I like the setting of the Olympic snow training center (Lake Placid) and the plot revolving around gold medals and frustrated potential Olympian athletes. We readers are thrust onto zip lines and luge runs in the midst of deadly suspense.

I like Avalon, a reluctant sleuth and accomplished bartender. It was interesting to have some of her walls come down in this novel as we find out a bit more about her family history. Linnea provides a good balance of character development and murder investigation, periodically interrupted with a potentially ghostly appearance.

A decades old unsolved kidnapping is also part of the plot. Avalon works to solve that mystery alongside what appears to be two current murders. While doing that, Avalon also helps those she is getting to know better, maybe actually becoming a friend to others.

I don't drink alcohol but the cocktail recipes included look delicious. While Linnea is an accomplished bartender, the recipes are from someone else and you can see videos of them being made at the book series website.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

3/5 stars:

Avalon Nash is a strong character, whose inner dilemma made the story all the more intriguing. I really enjoyed the set-up and pace of Death by Gravity, but the writing and exchange of dialogue in the story were a bit juvenile. I really couldn’t connect with or feel the connections between characters, including our sleuth Avalon Nash. Aside from that, I loved the pace in which she told the story. This was my favorite part about Death by Gravity, as well as how new characters and possible suspects were introduced, and, most of all, its strong, organized plot. The vivid descriptions of the town and the Murder Mansion positively contributed to my reading experience and Death by Gravity played out in my head like an episode of a crime drama TV show. Its simplicity is perfect for those new to the mystery/thriller genre, for readers looking to delve deeper into solving whodunnits, and perfect for fans of Michael Connelly and James Patterson.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy this series. Although the main character isn’t my cup of tea, it doesn’t really matter. The plot is strong, and the supporting characters are fleshed out and interesting. Relationships grow and unfold. Story lines twist and turn, winding in deliciously curious ways. In short, the whole book just flows and works and make you want to continue turning the pages. Best of all, I never saw the final twist coming. Five stars!

murder-investigation, murder, amateur-sleuth, family, family-dynamics, friendship, triggers, abduction, thriller*****

This one's another real winner! The murder mystery is well crafted with great characters, a busy plot complete with twists, some very interesting red herrings, and a super mixology recipe with each chapter. Backstory is that Avalon left LA to go to NYC (family in Brooklyn) but is at an interesting station in an upper New York state town with a prior Olympic history to change trains when she runs full on into a murder and a temporary bartending job (now it's really permanent). Avalon's real schtick is listening to others and sometimes writing it all down, and this time it nearly gets her killed. Past Olympians is where the story begins and ends but with some truly amazing events in between.
I loved all of it and will need to get a print copy of this one as well to assemble all the drinks recipes for my favorite mixologist.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Arundel Publishing/Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) via NetGalley. Thank you!

This is book 2 in The Bartender's Guide to Murder series, one of the best mystery series I've read in a long time. I recommend reading book 1 (Death in Tranquility) where the town and some recurring characters are introduced. Tranquility is a fictional town in New York where athletes can train for winter sports all year. There are a lot of celebrities or near celebrities living in the town, including visiting Olympic athletes coming to train, some Olympic medalists living in the town, and a sprinkling of former film stars.

Avalon, the main character, is the bartender at the Battened Hatch. One fun thing about the book is that each chapter name is the name of a mixed drink, and a recipe for the drink is at the end of the chapter. I like that Avalon loves her chosen job. She takes it very seriously, to give good service and help create a place that is well run and welcoming to everyone - the locals, the Olympic trainees, and the tourists. She has settled a bit more into the town and knows people by name and what they do.

In this book, there are three mysteries. There is the mysterious death of Brian, a former Olympic winner who was last seen (as far as anyone knows) at the Battened Hatch. Then there is the mystery of a teenaged girl who disappeared many years before. There is also a bit more revealed about Avalon and her past life.

Avalon was questioned since she was one of the last people to see Brian, who was found dead in his bed. Being a good listener, as locals tell her bits and pieces of Brian's past and a local tragedy, Avalon begins to put it all together and does some investigating herself. I highly recommend both books in this series.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and Arundel Publishing for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed it, and these are my honest impressions of the book.

I decided not to review this book right now, as this is the second part of a series and I have not read/been able to read the first book of the series. I'm afraid I would miss out on a lot of information when not reading the first book. I will however say that the synopsis and reviews really sparked my interest and I will be putting these books on my TBR.

Would have been better if I read the first in the series. Some twists that were mildly predictable. A few typos. Not bad,would read the next in the series.