Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

I always enjoy slipping back into the comfort of a cozy mystery, and this book was no exception. It has all the elements I love to read about, books, animals and tea! Add the small town charm and a chance to solve a murder and you’ve got a recipe for a perfect cozy!

This is the third book in the series, but I didn’t find myself confused or limited by jumping in at this point. The setting sells itself and the characters seamlessly add to both the plot and the charm. I definitely want to read the rest now though, so I’m almost glad I have some to catch up on.

A fantastic book, a must read for fans of this genre!

The Grim Steeper by Rue was a lovely cozy mystery with great characters. I can't wait for the next book in the series to be published.

I thought this was a cute cozy read! I felt it was a little slow at times but overall I did enjoy it.

This is the third book in the Witches' Brew Mystery by Gretchen Rue. Phoebe is still learning about her powers. She is having an issue controlling them when her anxiety spikes. The is problematic to keeping your powers a secret but lends itself to an interesting story.
The author is a bit haughty and his team is a real Witch of a team. It was sad that he died but the crux is was he the intended victim or was someone else. We find that many of the author’s team do not play well with others.

I like the story with plenty of twists and turns. I disliked some of the author’s team but that was by design.

Recipes included at the back of the book.

If you are looking for something a little different in your cozy mysteries, give this series and this book a try. It is a standalone story.
I was given an advanced readers copy and these are my opinions.

Oh no- the very first guest- very first one- for an event at Phoebe's bookshop has been murdered! Phoebe, her "pal" Rick, and the estimable Bob the cat sort through the wide range of people Sebastian had wronged to find the true killer in this latest in a series that's also fine as a standalone. Oh, and Phoebe is a witch just learning how to use her powers. It's a classic paranormal cozy with good characters (and yes, I, like others, am a fan of Bob). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A fun read

Phoebe Winchester moves to small Washington town after inheriting a bookshop from her late Aunt. She finds out that she is a witch and has a knack for solving murders. When a visiting author turns up dead she decides to uncover the murderer. Good cozy with recipes.

I adored this cozy mystery! The group of characters were fantastic, and I loved the beach setting. I enjoyed the plot twists and the mystery. It was well paced and well written!

I enjoyed this book. I do wish it had more depth as far as some of the characters & the world building. It doesn’t feel like much progress is made throughout the story on the investigation despite them investigating. I was surprised by who the killer turned out to be. #TheGrimSteeper #NetGalley

Phoebe has invited a bird-influencer for a talk at her store. Part of the activities is also a birdwatching hike. The hike never takes place because the influencer is killed in the night.

Phoebe is surprised that detective Martin asks her to keep her eyes and ears open for any information on the case. Which Phoebe takes - wrongly - to mean she should investigate herself.

Meanwhile, Phoebe is having some trouble controlling her magic. Things just start floating around her when she feels anxious. She asks her friend Honey for help. Honey does a rune reading and gives Phoebe a clue to the mystery.

It was a nice enough story, though people got drenched by rain rather quickly. The clues were a bit obvious. <spoiler>Who brings an incriminating bank statement with them on a trip?</spoiler> It was a bit much that Phoebe started a cat shelter at her bookshop / tearoom.

And one mystery was not solved: <spoiler>How did Connor know about that hiding place at the bird conservation?</spoiler>

Paranormal Literary Culinary Cozy Mystery which finds a Washington amateur witch who owns a book and tea shop as she turns sleuth after her first guest author, a famous birder, is found dead.

5/5 stars: This is the third book in the Rue's Witches' Brew Mystery series which is Paranormal Literary Culinary Cozy Mystery that takes place in Washington and features an amateur witch book and tea shop owner who's first author event takes a murderous turn when her guest author, a famous birder, is found dead. Worried about her store’s image, she turns sleuth to uncover the killer and figure out who’s up to fowl play. Rue has masterfully crafted a mystery that deftly balances the suspects, clues and red herrings and will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. As for the paranormal elements, Phoebe's a newbie witch still learning her craft and her rare ability to stop time manifests when she's under threat. In this book, her magic's glitching and she consults fellow witches Honey and her mother Karma to figure out why. With plenty of wit and humor, Rue's writing and character work are stellar; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. It's great to be back in Raven Creek and Phoebe's charming shop The Earl’s Study with her eclectic and diverse friends and employees. I also really like seeing Phoebe and Rich the private investigator progressing in their relationship. And of course one mustn't forget the Phoebe's lovable chubby orange tabby Bob, shop cat and viral sensation. I love Bob's Place, the new shop section where Phoebe hosts cats for adoption. Additionally, there's plenty of summery fourth of July fun and you won't want to miss any of the yummy recipes included. While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by reading the series from the beginning; so be sure to pick up book one, Steeped to Death.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

It's the third book in the series, and I still very much enjoy the overall atmosphere, the witchy element and, as far as the investigation goes, it was compelling and interesting til the end. A solid new installment. Looking forward to the next one!

A great addition to an incredible series! Wonderful characters in an incredible setting. This book will keep you guessing until the end.

Oh how I love this series! Phoebe is a witch with burgeoning powers, and owns a tea store/bookshop. She’s about to have a somewhat famous author do a signing—when of course, a murder happens. His team are truly horrible, so is it one of them? Or someone closer to home? Phoebe and her friends are so fun, and I truly love how the story unfolded. I can’t wait for the next one! Highly recommend.

I enjoyed this 3rd installment of the Witch's Brew Mysteries by Gretchen Rue. There were loads of great twist and turns in this one, and Phoebe finally begins to bring her powers into her own control. This series always makes me crave sourdough bread and tea, and the recipes in the back of the book are great! So glad to also see Phoebe and Rich's relationship move forward! Looking forward to the next installment.

This is the third in series of "The Witches Brew" mystery series. This is a fun engaging paranormal series with great characters and a fun setting of a tea and book shop. Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity for review. This is a series I so enjoy and have followed since the first book.

Our protagnist is Phoebe who owns The Earls Study tea and book shop. She has arranged her first author signing event for a famous Birder who arrives with his contentious staff. Amid their demands the event is successful for Phoebe and has brought a large amont of people to meet the author and hear him speak. He has a planned hike with his followers the follwowing day where he hopes to discover a species of bird that will make him more famous. When he is found murdered the suspects abound and Phoebe and friends are on the case. The investigation is proving to have many red herrings and suspects abound. Phoebe is a talented investigator and soon realizes her clues were leading her in the wrong direction.

I enjoy this charming series with a well crafted fun sleuth, great characters and the charming book store. Phoebe is a engaging fun protagnist . I look forward to the next in series.

This was a nice murder mystery with a magical element to it. I enjoyed the mystery plot and the romance subplot. This book was an easy read. I would recommend as a palette cleanser. Three stars!

Another charming installment in this delightful series! Rue excels at including cozy tea and bookshop details while keeping the plot moving. I also love how there is a central mystery but there is also the ongoing issue of the main character discovering how her magic works. Add in adorable cat moments and a charming small town and you have everything you could possibly want in a cozy mystery. I especially enjoyed the summer and iced tea vibes in this book, which is set around July 4th. I really wish this series was offered in paperback because paperback cozy mysteries sell much better at our store.

A wonderful third installment to this series! This book was just as enjoyable as the previous two, and I loved being back with familiar characters, especially Bob! It was a joy to see these characters and their relationships with each other grow. I especially loved seeing Honey far more involved with Phoebe and her magic. I will absolutely continue picking up each new book in this series, or truly anything by Gretchen Rue!

Book and tea shop owner Phoebe Winchester is branching out! She has agreed to host her first author event starring internet sensation and enthusiastic birder Sebastian Marlow. Unfortunately, after a body is found, the planned bird hike Marlow says will put Raven Creek on the ornithological map has to be postponed. With her store’s reputation in danger she is more than happy to join forces with private investigator, Rich, to look into things, especially as their relationship seem to be getting much warmer!

With her magic causing havoc at the most inopportune moments, Phoebe knows she has to try and get that under control before her secret becomes common knowledge. When there is a second killing, which might or might not be related to the first, and the police begin looking at a suspect far too close to home she and Rich suddenly finds time is of the essence if they are to prevent more deaths!

Book three in this series continues in the same lighthearted manner as the first two. The main protagonists are familiar now and I love the setting of the tea and book shop, the Earl’s Study. The magical problems made an excellent second thread and Phoebe's mishaps were brilliant. I hope this series has a long way to go as it is always a pleasure to visit Raven Creek.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Crooked Lane Books, but the opinions expressed are my own. I loved this and happily recommend it to all cosy fans. 4.5 rounded up to 5 stars.

As this is the third book in a series I was a bit worried to jump in without reading the first two, however I never felt overwhelmed or lost!

The setting and side characters were my favorite part. A cute, charming small town where nearly everyone is friendly with each other was exactly what I was looking for, and this delivered! I did find Phoebe to be a little flat, but she wasn’t frustrating or anything. I don’t usually like the boyfriends in cozies, but Rich seems very inoffensive and nice, so that was a pleasant surprise.

There’s lots and lots of sourdough bread baking, and tea brewing, so if that’s your jam you’ll probably have a great time with this. The murder mystery gets kind of convoluted, and the ending resolution is pretty abrupt, but otherwise enjoyable.

(I didn’t know it was set around Fourth of July so the fact that I read it around that time anyway was a fun coincidence. Raven Creek’s celebrations sound much more pleasant than my area!)