hatred, amateur-sleuth, thriller, drinks-recipes, suspense, family, family-drama, family-dynamics, friendship, New-York-state, social-injustice, ghost-hunting, shunned, isolationism, eerie, medium, cancer, small-town, small-business, noir, murder-investigation, transgender*****

Think of it as a reality check. Not a bland cozy mystery (but there are mysteries), not a paranormal romance (but there are elements of both), not a white bread sunshine and flowers giggle (but the are moments). This one tackles the tough stuff of the day in relationships between friends and others as well as our less than honorable attitudes in the past century and now. But. It's a very good story from a fine storyteller not just a lesson of man's inhumanity to man.
Besides, there are all those recipes for truly interesting cocktails and mocktails!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Arundel Publishing, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) via NetGalley. Thank you!
Recipes by Jamielyn Bydalski, Award-winning Mixologist

When Avalon Nash enters the haunted lodge in her hometown she unleashes deadly secrets associated with the lodge. These secrets relate to format locals as well as a newcomer that was in town for a High School reunion.

this was an average book. I didn't like the recipes being at the end of chapters and felt that it was a distraction from the story, it would've been best if placed at the end of the book.

I really enjoyed this book. Happy it can be read as a stand alone as it’s the 4th in a series.
The MC is wonderful. I really loved her character.

This is a cozy mystery full of gripping twists. I am looking forward to back tracking and reading the others.

I have been desperate for the next instalment of the Bartender's Guide to Murder mysteries!

As usual, it's a nice, cosy mystery but with twists and turns to keep you interested. I love all the characters throughout this series and Avalon Nash is a fantastic female main character. She always seems to get herself involved in things!

There were words overused when described architecture which I found a bit off-putting but that is purely minor.

It's not my favourite of the books so far but I loved it all the same.

Again, I'm a massive fan of the interim cocktail recipes based on the previous chapter as it continues to make these books unique!

Absolutely love Sharon Linnea!

This is a unique series, set in the fictional town of Tranquility, where a long time ago the winter Olympics were held. It was also a favorite getaway for film stars of that era. Now it is a sleepy town, where bartender Avalon Nash is mostly happy to have landed. Mostly happy, because her boyfriend is once more incommunicado, immersed in his art.

A high school reunion is taking place. One of the attendees had left Tranquility right after graduation, and has come back for the first time since graduation, hoping to reconcile with her parents. Everyone changes over time, but Sandy had changed more than most, in a way that pushed someone over the edge. She was found shot, murdered, soon after the reunion.

This book explores themes of parental rejection, toxic masculinity, police violence, and racism and prejudice, past and present. This book can be read as a standalone, but I recommend the whole series. A bonus in the books is that a mixed drink recipe begins every chapter. Incidentally, the last page has me wanting the next book right away!

I received a review copy from the publisher Arundel Publishing via NetGalley, and voluntarily read and reviewed it.

This is not your mother’s murder mystery. Sharon Linnea brings us back into the Tranquility community to reunite with Rev. Hannah, Inspector Spaulding, Marta, Phil and of course our favorite bartender and amateur detective, Avalon Nash.

“Like many communities, Tranquility had a wide rift between those who wanted to keep things as they’d always been and those who wanted to move things forward.”

This was an intense mystery that delves into different perspectives and experiences. The friendships are deep and keep the characters from dealing with challenges in isolation. Unique personalities respond to crisis in a variety of ways - some healthier than others. Some are super toxic and angry. Some are compassionate and nurturing.

At the heart of all of this is the question, how and why did Sandy Wilcox Evans end up dead the weekend of her high school reunion?

As ghosts of the past weave themselves into the narrative, do they hold the truth that can help this community heal?

It’s hard to write too much without spoilers so I will just say, get a copy, sit in front of a cozy fire, sip on a cider libation (did I mention the fabulous themed cocktails at the end of each chapter?) and settle into a heart stopping, witty, journey into Death from Beyond.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This was not a book that I overly enjoyed. It was shallow.

The characters (except for Hannah who I liked a lot) seemed flat and not interesting.

There were some relevant topics covered which I thought was great but overall, not enough "meat" for me.

"Folks will fight harder to keep what they have than they'll fight to get something new that they want."

Real fun read, but with a dark thread twisting the story line. I haven’t read any of the previous books, but immediately found the setting and pace. This a mix of many things. hiding, finding your place, a murder mystery, the fictional cocktail of small town America, humour, romance, friendship, relationships, population migration, and so much more. Fiction mixed with some excellent research on real events to make a great book to pass away a few hours with. Thank you to Arundal publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

This is a great whodunit about a woman shot after her high school reunion. Not only is the mystery complex, but the characters are as well, especially the victim. The cast of characters is as varied as you could expect in a small town. You have to wade through bigotry, racism, discrimination, bullying and good-old-boy mentality to even consider the possible motives for the crime. The touch of paranormal in Marta as a sensitive/seer added to the mystery in that she connected the past to the present. I enjoyed the history of the area being woven into the story, as I always enjoy learning about how past events shape a community. Avalon is a strong character, and I got a real kick out of the cocktail recipes included - they definitely were tailored to the story as it unfolded. I found the book engrossing and was hooked from the start! Loved it!