This series feels like it's settled in with this entry, and I really enjoyed the charming characters, Hattie's moonshine passion, and the mystery of the story. Hattie is both a well done millennial character (not always the case in cozies) while being a classic cozy mystery sleuth who makes terrible decisions at times. Solidly done by an author who has become one of my go-to cozy writers.

Her Moonshine Shack is taking off, and Hattie Hayes is continually looking to find ways to publicize and build her band. So she contracts with a bluegrass band for a jingle and radio spot. That leads to an event with said band at a winery. They play and she and the owners of the winery have a friendly competition with drinks made with their respective products. Unfortunately one of the jugs was used as a murder weapon. So Hattie investigates to keep her 'shine being known as the murder shine. More than your typical cozy sleuth, she edges on being reckless in her questioning. But the mystery is good and the secondary characters are a hoot

Princess Fuzzypants here: What better cross promotion could Hattie find for her moonshine than an up and coming bluegrass trio called the Bootlegging Brothers. Together they do a jingle for the moonshine shack so it is a natural for her to work with the winery that is hosting the band at their tasting room. All three brothers are highly talented but the oldest can be a thorn in the side of the people with whom they work. So it is not a total surprise when he is murdered.

But the murder weapon and the cover up of the crime is unusual. He has been bonked on the head with one of Hattie’s moonshine jugs. While it boosts business for her, she does not want to be labelled as the murder moonshine. So she tries her best to help her cop boyfriend and the detective assigned to the murder to solve the mystery. She is not subtle as she questions people. Nor is she patient.

In fact, she teeters close to the edge of Darwin when she puts the pieces together but they are a few extenuating circumstances that keep her on the good side. Just. But it is refreshing to have a heroine who freely admits what she is doing is dumb but also admits, she has no self control. Somehow it exonerates her from her actions.

It was a good story that did not reveal the killer too early. Both the murder and the chase once Hattie has twigged are unique. With good characters and fast paced story, this deserves five purrs and two paws up.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

It was a delight to visit Hattie and her Moonshine Shack in Chattanooga again! We meet one of the hottest rising bands in town, the Bootlegging Brothers, one of whom wants to give Hattie’s boyfriend, Marlon, some serious competition. This mystery was well written with a healthy dose of humor, and I was just as stumped as Hattie, Ace, and Marlon with regards to who the bad guy was.

Granddaddy taught Hattie everything he knows about making ‘shine. He, his friends at the retirement home, Hattie, and best friends Kiki and Kate are excited about the growth of her store after just a short time in business. Hattie’s portable moonshine bar, a repurposed single horse trailer, makes its debut at the Hamilton County Bluegrass Festival. Afterwards, she initiated a collaboration that could change the course of her business.

Granddaddy went to the festival with Hattie and Kiki, as he loves being involved with the business. Hattie was happy that their booth was close to the stage and would get much exposure. When Garth, one of the Bootlegging Brothers, accidentally dropped and smashed one of his instruments getting on stage, he was sure he wouldn’t be playing the jug that night. Hattie came to the rescue when she emptied one of Grandaddy’s Ole Timey Corn Liquor jugs and gave it to him to play. Granddaddy was not happy to see the good liquor dumped out, but oh, the business it resulted in!

The band and Hattie worked out a deal of sorts. The three brothers, Brody, Josh, and Garth, would sing a jingle for her on the 15-second recording time she purchased at the radio station. Garth wrote the perfect jingle, the brothers met her at the station, and Brody tried to get out of the deal until her cash payment got his fingers strumming again.

Garth was interested in Hattie, but she and Marlon are an item. The mounted police officer was everything she wanted in a boyfriend. Garth told Hattie they would be playing at the River Pearl Vineyard and Winery for the next few Saturday nights, and she was welcome to hear them if she was free. She talked with the owner of the winery, Pearl, and they scheduled a joint event Saturday night called Wine and ‘Shine, giving customers the option of specialty wine or moonshine beverages.

Saturday night was successful for both Pearl and Hattie but resulted in a huge change to the band. Hattie had been in her van to get more stock and overheard Brody arguing with his brothers and his ex-wife’s husband, and it wasn’t pretty. Pearl’s husband broke up the heated discussion, and the band finished the night to rousing applause.

A couple days later, Marlon came to see Hattie. Brody had not been seen since Saturday night. When he didn’t go to work or rehearsal, Garth reported him missing. She told Marlon what she saw and heard Saturday, and Ace, an excellent detective, came to see Hattie. She had helped them solve cases in the past, and what she recalled eventually led to the fiddler’s remains. Unfortunately, the weapon tied Brody’s death was also tied to the Moonshine Shack. Once again, her business was in the news, and not in a good way.

I enjoyed seeing Hattie, Granddaddy, Marlon, and best friends Kiki and Kate again! Hattie and Granddaddy are the heart of the series. When he and several other residents from the retirement home attended Wine and ‘Shine, the octogenarian and his friends demonstrate that they still have enough joie de vivre to share. I learn more about the family and friends each time. They and the one-time or minor characters are described so well I can almost see and hear them.

Hattie wants to clear her business of passively contributing to a murder and get justice for Brody’s family. It is challenging to find the real killer of a man who irritated everyone he met, but the girls help Hattie whenever they are available. There were enough twists and turns to rival the mountain road Hattie takes to her cabin, each one holding an element of danger. I was almost positive who didn’t kill Brody, and can still remember the scene in which I guessed who did. I was satisfied with the ending overall with a couple minor exceptions, and no loose ends remained. I highly recommend this mystery and the rest of the series!

Fiddling With Fate is the third in the Southern Homebrew Mysteries by Diane Kelly. While this is the first time reading a book in this series, it was not hard to figure out who the characters were and their relationship to each other.

The Bootlegging Brothers are a popular bluegrass band from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Hattie ends up working with them to create a jingle for her moonshine business. Because of this, she ends up serving her moonshine at a Wine and Shine event where the brothers are performing. The event is a success, however, one of the brothers goes missing that night and is presumed dead. A moonshine jug appears to tie Hattie to the disappearance and she becomes involved in solving the crime.

I enjoyed the characters and found her friend Kiki quirky. I found Marlon and his horse an interesting twist in a cozy mystery and want to read the previous stories to see how Hattie’s relationship with Marlon unfolded. I also liked how Marlon is not all macho and trying to shut down Hattie’s snooping. Hattie’s grandfather and his “girlfriend” are humorous in that he denies he has a girlfriend. I felt there were enough red herrings in the storyline to keep you guessing as to the identity o the killer. I was very surprised by the killer and that is rare as I read a lot of cozy mysteries. I look forward to many more stories in this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's another fun mystery with moonshiner Hattie. Funny, I don't like hot weather nor moonshine, but I always like visiting Chattanooga to see what kind of crime's going on. This time, the Bootlegging Brothers, whom Hattie enlists in a marketing partnership, are at the center of the story. When one of the brothers is killed with one of Hattie's moonshine jugs, Hattie's determined to solve the case.

It's always such a congenial atmosphere in this series--with Marlon and Grandpa and all. This one's a fun read, though I didn't find the resolution all that convincing. I just couldn't buy the chase scene and how it all played out. But it was still overall a great escape read.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hattie Hayes’ is quite successful with her Moonshine Shack. She has many ideas for making her business a success. Her latest idea is to have a moonshine event at a local vineyard. The bluegrass band, Bootlegging Brothers, will be playing at the function, which only adds to the fun. The band has already written a catchy jingle for her shop.

Things are going well until one of the musicians is reported missing. As the police investigate, they discover Hattie’s moonshine may have played a part in the disappearance. It's not the first time her moonshine has been connected to a crime. She is determined to defend her moonshine and investigates on her own. She’s shocked to learn how many enemies the musician has. It definitely won’t be easy to solve this case.

This is such a unique cozy mystery series. I can’t think of any other that is based on moonshine.

The characters in this story are quirky, well-written and lively. Hattie is such a sweetheart, but she’s also very strong and determined. The storyline moves at a steady pace. I had my suspicions about “whodunit”, but I was wrong. This book kept me riveted to the end.

This is the third book in the Southern Homebrew Mystery series. The mystery is contained in this book, but I recommend reading the previous two books to get a better feel for the characters, as well as Hattie’s motivation and character growth. I say this about most cozy mysteries. I feel they are so much better when you start with the first book in any series. The reader develops their own relationship with the amateur sleuth.

I’m looking forward to reading about Hattie’s next adventure. These books always make for a nice escape into Hattie's world.






FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was such a fun cozy! Diane Kelly did not disappoint in this latest installment. This was a fun and funny cozy with great characters. The plot was well paced, and I could not guess who the killer was!

It's always fun to go to Chattanooga to hang out with Hattie and the rest of the Moonshine Shack crew. This book involves a bluegrass festival and Hattie's efforts to gain more name recognition for her business. I really enjoyed seeing the business details and seeing some of the behind the scenes of running a small business. It also introduced the characters of the Bootlegging Brothers to the reader so we could see their dysfunctional dynamics.

The mystery did take awhile to get going as nothing really happened until after the first third of the book and that in turn made the book feel a bit slow in places. Once the mystery got going it pulled me in a bit more but there was some repetition in dialogue that did make it feel a bit slower. Kelly's books are always fun to read and while I enjoyed this one it wasn't my favorite in the series. I am looking forward to seeing what kind of mess Hattie gets into next.

Fiddling with Fate is the third installment in Diane Kelly's Southern Homebrew Mystery series. It is easily read as a stand-alone, but as always I prefer reading a series in order.

Hattie Hayes owns her own moonshine company in Chattanooga, TN. She is always looking for ways to promote this new business. While working in a booth at a moonshine festival she is able to donate one of her moonshine jugs to a local band, The Bootlegging Brothers. She hires the band to write and sing a new commercial jingle and to take some photographs of them with her moonshine. She also convinces a local winery to have a Wine and Shine event one weekend that the Bootlegging Brothers are performing.

Unfortunately, one of the brothers turns up missing after the Wine and Shine event. When one of Hattie's moonshine jugs is used as a weapon, Hattie will stop at nothing to solve the case.

All-in-all this is a fun read with well-developed characters.

Fiddling with Fate, the third book in the Southern Homebrew Mystery series by Diane Kelly, is an interesting look at life in Tennessee and in particular the part that moonshine and bluegrass music play in that state's culture.
While I've read other books by Kelly, this is the first one I'd read in this series. It stands well on its own, and explains what has gone before without leaving you feeling that you are missing key information needed to enjoy the book. The mystery, involving the death of a musician, is intriguing and well-crafted, with plenty of suspects, and Kelly keeps you guessing until the very end.
I did find the character of Hattie's deliberations over who killed the musician to be increasingly repetitive, to the point that I started to just scan those sections. I also found the tendency to sound out various sounds - such as a baby's coos, a horse's footfalls, the horn of a classic car, etc. - to be childish, somewhat irritating, and something that took me out of the story. That type of thing is something you expect to find in a children's board book that you read aloud at bedtime, not an adult's reading material.
I appreciate receiving the ARC of #FiddlingwithFate from #NetGalley.

Someone smacked Brody over the head with one of Hattie's moonshine jugs and killed him! Hattie had been happy to work with Brody and his brothers when their band appeared in the area but she also knows there's been some trouble among the brothers and their wives about their contract. But murder? She's been working to get her moonshine business going and now she's stepping aside a bit to work with her friends, her grandfather, and her LEO romantic interest Marlon to find the real killer. It's fairly standard cozy fair and even though I read this as a standalone, I found it satisfying. Hattie does dither, which got a little annoying, but otherwise she's a good character. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. I'm looking forward to the next one.

“ Fiddling with Fate” the 3rd instalment in A Southern Homebrew Mystery series by Diane Kelly. When a local bluegrass musician disappears and a jug of her shop’s corn liquor is implicated, moonshiner Hattie Hayes must stop further trouble from brewing

I really like Hattie, her granddaddy, Smokey the cat and the setting of Chattanooga, Tennessee. There is a great cast of side characters too, Marlon, Charlotte the horse, Kiki, Nora, Kate and Ace. I also loved hearing about Hattie’s history with moonshine and we learn lots more in this instalment and met Shirley Byrd who I hope we see again.

The mystery is interesting and had lots of twists which kept me guessing. I had no idea who the killer was till Hattie did. I’m looking forward to the next book , and see what’s happening at Hattie Hayes Moonshine Shack.

I highly recommend this cozy series to all my friends.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Berkley Publishing and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I've read the previous two books in the Southern Homebrew series and enjoyed both of them. I kind of slowly read my way through this book as I figured out who did it way early in the book thanks to a hint dropped by the author. Our protagonist had no such luck, unfortunately, as she kept going back and forth, back and forth, between suspects.
I also have to say, I just don't know how this woman stays in business as she is constantly giving away moonshine, jugs, money for social media and publicity, and new employees and on and on. Yet, she is always saying how she may go out of business or doesn't have enough money. Or does it just feel that way?
A solid read for cozy fans who want something a little different.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a digital ARC of this book. This review can also be found on my Goodreads page.

Fiddling with Fate: A Southern Homebrew Mystery
By Diane Kelly
Berkley
April 2023

Review by Cynthia Chow

After watching the increasingly popular Bootlegging Brothers perform at the Hamilton County Bluegrass Festival, Hattie Hayes gets the brilliant idea to have the bluegrass band record a commercial jingle promoting her family’s Moonshine Shack. After minimal haggling over the fee, the three brothers agree to a fee of $1000 that still has Brody Sheridan grumbling over the details. Their catchy 15-second ditty proves to be popular when played over the radio, and Hattie is further delighted to promote the Moonshine Shack in a collaboration with River Pearl Vineyard for a Wine and ‘Shine event promoting a night of bluegrass music, wine, and moonshine. At first everything seems to be a success, especially when Garth Sheridan performs with a Moonshine Shack jug after his jug music instrument breaks. Unfortunately, it’s the same jug that is later used to bash Brody over the head, with his body left behind in the River Pearl Winery vineyard.

Not wanting her Granddaddy’s Ole-Timey Corn Liquor to be known as the “murder moonshine,” Hattie begins investigating who used her moonshine jug as a weapon. It turns out that she wasn’t the only one to experience Brody’s haggling and argument over contract agreements, and the one who may have taken most of his ire being his ex-wife. Camille’s new husband Tate Hutchinson was also on the vineyard grounds when Brody was killed, but he will join a suspect list that includes disgruntled business partners and even his own brothers. Accompanying Hattie on tastings and vineyard visits is her Chattanooga Police Officer Marlon Landers, a handsome horse-riding patrolman whose longtime family rivalry with Hattie’s bootlegging relatives has finally come to an end. Hattie’s childhood besties are willing accomplices in her endeavors, and there’s no keeping her grandfather uninvolved even if the local ladies have him busy with their demands for his attention.

This third in the series continues to delight readers with fascinating details and tantalizing descriptions of legal moonshine, even including recipes for an aptly named “Sucker Punch” beverage included in the end. Hattie’s old-fashioned name has the young woman fitting right into the Tennessee setting that blends southern traditions with Millennial social media trends. The reliably entertaining author of a multitude of very funny, often animal-centric novels delivers another fun mystery full of romance, humor, and charming family interactions. Readers looking for a sweet Southern mystery full of sass, wry humor, and a ton of moonshine lore will find everything they need in this extremely satisfying new read.

Fiddling with Fate is the third installment in the Southern Homebrew Mystery series set in Chattanooga, Tennessee and featuring moonshine maker Hattie Hayes. Hattie is excited to have a booth at the Hamilton County Bluegrass Festival and will be enjoying a day of bluegrass alongside her grandfather and best friend Kiki.

When the headlining band the Bootlegging Brothers suffer an instrumental mishap, Hattie is there to supply the band with an empty moonshine jug and that starts a friendship/business relationship with the brothers, Brody, Josh and Garth. Despite the grumblings of older brother Brody, Hattie enlists the brothers to write and sing a jingle for her Moonshine Shack. When Hattie discovers that the band will be playing at the River Pearl Winery, she decides to team up with the owners Pearl and Darren to host a Wine and Shine night. The event is a huge success but the next morning one of the brothers is reported missing.

Hattie happened to overhear a couple of arguments the night before between the brothers so she's not quite sure if one of them or an ex-wives new husband is to blame. Hattie teams up with Police Officer and boyfriend Marlon Landers to solve the mystery.

A fun afternoon read with a returning cast of characters and animals. The dialogue does get a little repetitive as Hattie goes back and forth trying to name a suspect. The reveal does come as a bit of a surprise, and I really hope that we see more of cantankerous Shirley Byrd in the future.

I received an advanced copy of Fiddling with Fate from NetGalley via Berkley Prime Crime. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

recipes, moonshine, law-enforcement, small-business, small-town, to-read, cozy-mystery, jug-band, siblings, family-dynamics, family-drama***

Familiar author, unfamiliar series.
Cute dialog and interesting premise. Sleuthing is pretty good. Easy read.
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley. Thank you