Sloan is dealing with a lot in this second installment in a new cozy series- her divorced husband, a new love interest, her need to find out about her birth family- so the last thing she needs to to find Mitchell, an obnoxious tv host dead in an alley. Of course, she has to help investigate and figure out which of the multiple suspects is the bad guy. The mystery, while well done, was in some ways outshone, at least for me, by the interesting details of the beer brewing process, something I was unfamiliar with. That's not to say that this isn't a good read with good twists- because it is. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm looking forward to what Sloan has on her plate next!

The second book in this series proves that the first was no fluke- this is going to be another excellent cozy series. Featuring brewer Sloan Krause and the charming, German inspired town of Leavenworth, this entry centers around Oktoberfest and a documentary crew that has arrived to film all the action. There's lots of information about craft beer woven in (and it's subtle and interesting enough that even this non-beer drinker enjoyed it), and the hint of a possible romance for Sloane. This book also moves forward the story of Sloane's search for her birth parents after growing up in foster care. Not every cozy mystery series is good at moving forward on through storylines, so it's refreshing when an author keeps the side stories trucking. A perfect seasonal story for this time of year, and a great addition to the genre!

The Pint of No Return is the second installment in this series. Sloan Krause is a female beer brewer living in Leavenworth, Washington and this book is set in the town's annual Octoberfest. Sloan's brewery, Nitro, has just perfected a Cherryweizen beer, made from local cherries to introduce for the occasion. A documentary film crew is there to show the "inside world" of the community, hosted by a former child star. He is disliked by almost everyone due to his obnoxious behavior and outrageous demands. When the star is found dead outside near Nitro, Sloan decides to help the local police investigate.

I loved this book! I admit, I don't even like beer but the author did such a wonderful job artfully describing the brewing process. I felt like I could smell and taste the beer as I was reading. Sloane's character is well-developed and relatable. She is struggling to find herself amidst a painful split with her unfaithful spouse and unresolved issues from her childhood, which return in this book. The mystery had interesting plot twists and a hint of romance. I highly recommend this book and look forward to the next one in this series.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance digital copy of this book.

I wish there really was such a place as Leavenworth, Washington. The German-themed village with its local breweries would be so fun to visit. It's Oktoberfest in town and even though Nitro microbrewery doesn't fit the German theme, Sloan and Garrett want to tempt visitors with some of their interesting brews. A documentary crew stumbles into Nitro and decides to feature them in the film, much to the dismay of "town ambassador" April Ablin and director Payton Smith. When the obnoxious hosts turns up dead, no one is really surprised, although there are plenty of suspects.

Pull a a pint of Cherry Weizen and enjoy this lastest mystery by Ellie Alexander.

I've enjoyed Alexander's Bakeshop series, and this one is my first in the Sloan Krause series. I'll have to go back and pick up the first title, too. The characters were a bit two-dimensional, but I enjoyed the plotting, and it was a quick, fun read. I'm not a beer drinker, but I liked the microbrewery setting--there was *just* enough beer info and atmosphere to add to the book, but not enough to drag it down. Sloan is a relatable main character, and I'm looking forward to seeing her again.

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

Ellie Alexander's new Sloane Krouse series is another winner. In The Pint of No Return, it's Oktoberfest in Leavenworth, WA, and Sloane already has her hands full . She's left her cheating husband, while retaining close ties to his parents and brother. So close in fact, his parents restructured their local brewery to make her,her ex, and his brother equal partners. Anxious to find her own way, she is working at a new craft brewey, Nitro, run by a new transplant to the town. As the festivities start heating up, a documentary film crew arrived in town. The host has an inflated ego that grates on everybody. It's no surprise when he turns up dead.

Fascinating background even for a casual beer drinker like me. The town and festival provide an engaging backdrop for the story enhanced with interesting characters and a well-thought out plot. Highly recommended.

I enjoy this series a lot. It’s a quick fun read. Plus, lots of interesting facts about brewing beer.

I received this ARC via Netgalley, in return for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book. Sloan is a female beer brewer in the small town of Leavenworth, Washington. The town goes all out for all things German, like Oktoberfest, as a way to bring revenue to the area. That's the setting for this story and the murder of an obnoxious visitor. Sloan is a product of the foster care system and has developed an interest in finding about her birth parents. That's a sub-plot, along with the failure of her marriage to the son of a local brewing family. The book is very well-written; the characters are good; I'm not a beer drinker and I found the explanations well done without being boring - so now I know a bit about beer! The only recommendation I'd make to Ms. Alexander, and it is incredibly minor, is to put the word, 'Washington', after Leavenworth when she first introduces the location. There are other Leavenworth's in the US, with Kansas being the most well-known. For some reason, that caused my reading to stutter for several pages as I tried to figure out where the story is set. Otherwise, well worth the investment of the time and story; I recommend it. This is the second in a series and you didn't have to read the first book to read this one.

First, I am a huge fan of Ellie Alexander's writing. Her ability to describe a scene, a taste, or a smell is amazing. Every description in her books leave you wanting more or wishing that you were there to try a taste of a delectable food or drink. Initially, I found myself a huge fan of her Bakeshop series. Then when I heard she was coming out with a new series I knew I had to give it a chance! Especially since it is set in Leavenworth, WA. Just a short jaunt from where I live!

Admittedly, I have not read the first book in the series. Although I do plan to rectify that immediately! I am happy to say that I was able to dive right into this second book without feeling lost or confused. The mystery was fun to follow along and the story with its characters were intriguing and fun. Sloan is a great main character and I am definitely rooting for her! The supporting characters all add a great element to the story as well! In regards to the setting, Leavenworth, Ellie really hit the nail on the head. I have been to Leavenworth half a dozen times and it is such a picturesque and amazing town. If only Nitro were a true brewery there! I would be visiting in a heartbeat.

I cannot wait to continue the series!

3.75 stars

Sloan Krause is a female brewmaster in a Northwestern town which takes its Oktoberfest very seriously. She is working for a small brewery after leaving her husband and his family and their much larger brewery.

This is a fun setting for a mystery, and this one takes place in the middle of Oktoberfest which adds interest to the story. A film crew is in town to do a documentary on beer, and the obnoxious narrator for the movie is found murdered. Sloan is a nicely developed character with a complicated background. She is trying to assert her independence and regain her equilibrium after leaving a marriage, a family, and a career that spanned years.

This was a good read although the ending felt a little slapped together. But these are good characters to spend some time with. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in return for my honest review.

Last year I picked up Death On Tap on a whim as a quick lunchtime read and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Certainly there were some aspects of the novel that were more successful than others but it had a charming protagonist, a nice mix of supporting characters and lots of small town charm.

The Pint of No Return picks up a short while after the events of that novel as the town of Leavenworth gets ready to host its annual Oktoberfest celebrations. A film crew is in town, hoping to capture the festivities to use as part of a film about beer and Sloan is initially excited by the opportunity for some publicity for the microbrewery she works at when the crew ask to come by to film her at work.

Her excitement is soon dashed when she meets Mitchell, a former child star who has been hired to host the production but who seems rude, obnoxious and demanding. The bickering between Mitchell and the film’s producer, director and cameraman creates an uncomfortable tension in the bar while his loud complaints about the town and the accommodation that has been provided for him wins him few friends. It will not come as a shock to the reader when he is found dead several hours later with one of his fans accusing the owner of the rental company of killing him.

Being the second title in the series, Alexander does not need to devote quite so much space to establishing the cast of characters or the setting and instead uses it to creating a wide mix of suspects, each with distinctive motives for murder. Some of these are perhaps dismissed as suspects a little too readily with plausible cases still to be made against them but I think this is typically in service of the lively pace the book establishes.

In any case, as with the first novel the reader will not be able to prove their case against the actual murderer based on the evidence given but they may well suspect them. The reader will likely work out the killer based on intuition based on aspects of their characterization rather than any firm evidence. The explanation given at the end seems to hang together pretty well and the case is tied up quite neatly.

Unlike the first novel, here Sloan does not have much in the way of a personal stake in the investigation once she is reassured that Mitchell did not die of alcohol poisoning. Sometimes this can create problems with the cozy format but I think Alexander pitches it well here, having Sloan show interest in part because she wants to know whether she should trust someone. Her investigative style is quite conversational and laid back and the reader is not called on to accept anything too outlandish in the way she handles the case. For the most part it works.

A supporting plot that builds out of a cliffhanger at the end of the previous book feels like something of an afterthought. The tone of this subplot struck me as a little too dramatic and some may feel frustrated that there weren’t clearer answers given yet but I think it probably sets things up nicely for the next installment. I suspect it is probably for the best that it not be rushed in any case.

The supporting cast of characters Alexander creates are, once again, a strength of the novel and I think one of the new additions is fun, even if some of her motivations are left a little unexplored. With the exception of her boss, the other characters are not given much to do and some of the threads are left unresolved, presumably to be picked up in a future volume. This in part reflects that the world of the investigation and the brewing community are kept quite separate in this story and so time spent with the staff at Das Keller or Nitro is time away from the murder mystery.

One of my complaints about the first novel was the way that the author’s research sometimes sat awkwardly with the story itself as Sloan would suddenly break away from the narrative to explain about a particular method of brewing beer. Alexander still has a lot of information to share with the reader but rather than putting it into the narration, she is able to use either the need to explain something for the documentary or a conversation with other brewers as a way of incorporating it in a much more natural way.

Epicureans will likely respond favorably to the descriptions of beers and German cooking and though I am not a beer connoisseur, I did find the description of a sausage, pepper and potato scramble to be quite delightful. Sadly nothing I could whip up in my kitchen could quite live up to that concept. As with the research, I felt that these aspects of the book were better integrated to the story and hung together very well making for a very solid, enjoyable read.

While not perfect, The Pint of No Return is a fun whodunit set against the colorful backdrop of a beer festival. Alexander’s characters are fun and the story unfolds at a good pace making for a frothy but engaging adventure for those who enjoyed the first volume.

Review copy provided through NetGalley. The Pint of No Return will be released in October 2018.

This is a fantastic little mystery. The main character is realistic and likable, the setting and atmosphere are perfect for the story, and the mystery itself was fun to try to figure out. I will definitely be seeking other books in this series. This is a must read if you're a mystery fan.

Wonderful, well crafted mystery! This book hits all the right notes....a well crafted storyline, interesting characters, and fabulous descriptions of Leavenworth, Washington and their Oktoberfest celebration. Sloan Krause is a local brewer at Nitro nano brewery and pub. She also happens to discover the dead body of Mitchell the highly unpopular host of a documentary being filmed in town. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that likes a good mystery.

Book number two in the Solan Krause Mystery series (the first for me) is another hit by Ellie Alexander! No disconnect from not having read the first book either.

Sloan Krause is a rare female brewer in Leavenworth, WA. When a film crew arrives in town to film a documentary on beer microbreweries during the towns annual Oktoberfest, things are not only busy, but they soon turn deadly. Who would want to kill the pompous former child star who is hosting the documentary? Apparently there are quite a few suspects and Ellie finds herself in the middle of another murder.

The German inspired town of Leavenworth sounds like fun spot and enjoyed the time I spent there while reading the book. Ellie has a great writing style that captures you and keeps you engrossed in the story. She has quicl;u become one of my must read authors with this series and my finding her Bakeshop Mystery series. Can’t wait for the next book in the series to come out.

I  received a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

I absolutely loved the first book in this series and I had high hopes for this one. This book exceeded my expectations! Seriously, I loved it.

I still want April to be the next victim because I can't stand her superiority bully complex. I'm excited to see where the story goes with Sloanes real parents. I'm ready for sloan to be done and divorced from Mac and to see if there's something there with Garrett.

The Pint of No Return is the next installment of the Sloan Krause Beervaria Mystery Series. I loved every single aspect of this book. From learning about the brewing process, to understanding more about Sloan's childhood, and falling in love with the different characters within the story.

Ellie has an uncanny ability to teach her readers about what her protagonist is passionate about This brings a hint of realism and probability to what she writes. Having a Cozy Mystery or a Mystery in general be believable is the first step in getting the readers to fall into the world and be open to the murder and the 'whodunit' aspects of the storyline.

In this book Sloan is still trying to figure out her feelings for her soon-to=be ex-husband, her new boss, and what she wants to do with her life after the divorce happens. This however has to be put on hold as Oktoberfest has now come around and this is the biggest and more important time for the town.

An added pressure is the fact that there is a film crew who are there to make a documentary about the brewing process, how the brewers interact with each other, and everything in the World of Beer. Of course with most documentaries you have to have a a host. And a host they have. An old child star here to revamp their stardom. He is a pompous jerk who everyone seems to hate.

After being as to leave Nitro from drinking too much Sloan finds him dead in an alley way. Hoping that it wasn't alcohol poisoning from their bar Sloan calls the police to get to the crime scene. Sloan is asked my the chief of police to keep an eye our since they are shorthanded due to the Oktoberfest going on.

Sloan wants to make sure that Nitro doesn't get a bad name and she makes it her duty to figure out what is going on with the film crew, who doesn't seem too distraught about their star's death, her estranged husband, and keeping everything together when she learns about her past.

This is a wonderful addition to the Sloan Krause Beervaria series and I highly recommend it if you love Cozy Mysteries!

I really enjoyed this book and the world that Ellie Alexander has created. I love the fact that there’s an underlying mystery of Sloan’s birth family and her past as well as her difficult relationship with her ex and his family. I can tell this is going to be an excellent series for years to come.

I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, atmosphere, and characters. I would recommend the book to friends and family for their reading pleasure.

Sloan Krause is settling into her new job as a brewmaster for Garrett Strong, who owns Nitro, a nanobrewery that's new in town. It's Oktoberfest, and they're excited about the business it will bring in. They also soon discover that there's a film crew in town doing a documentary on breweries, and they want to feature Sloan, as a groundbreaking female brewmaster. She agrees, thinking the exposure will be good for Nitro.

But once she sees the emcee of the documentary - Mitchell Morgan - she tries to distance herself. He's an egomaniac and a jerk who delights in making everyone around him miserable. But it's no fun when she comes across his body one evening with a broken growler from Nitro nearby. While Sloan isn't considered a suspect, she knows that April Ablin, a town realtor and self-proclaimed "town representative" and Mitchell got the growler before they left the bar.

Still, there's a girl who shows up at the scene named Kat who accuses Sloan's friend Lisa of the murder but Sloan can't believe Lisa capable. But what does she really know about Kat? Not much; but she and Garrett hire her anyway on the off chance that she's telling the truth that she's stranded and has nowhere else to go.

With all of this, her soon-to-be ex-husband Mac is striving to get her back and it seems will go to any lengths to do so, including putting himself right where Sloan doesn't want him to be. Now with a murderer on the loose, and Sloan wondering about Lisa and Kat, can she help track a killer before anyone else is in danger? Or has she already gotten too close and the killer has their sights set on her?...

I liked this book better than the first, although there were a couple of things that bothered me. One is how April said how she's going to make it a bylaw that everyone in town has to wear traditional German outfits - with the men in lederhosen and the women wearing dirndl dresses. Um, no. You can't force a private business to do what you want them to. She can't force them to decorate their interior the way she wants, nor can she force a dress code on them. Anyway, I can't see anyone in town being stupid enough to want to walk around in lederhosen all the time. I wouldn't call her a nemesis, as Sloan does, I'd call her a complete moron.

Also, since when do bars (and a brewery is a bar) serve meat and cheese trays? As I've stated before, I eat at breweries (Las Vegas has great food anywhere you go) but their menus consist of food that actually go well with beer: burgers, pizza, sandwiches, wings, etc. Never have I seen any - even in towns I've visited with friends - meat and cheese trays. I would guess people who drink beer don't say, "hey, you know what I'd like right now? A meat and cheese tray!" Just a thought...

Also, it's fine to think of Mac's family as her own, but eventually she'll go onto another relationship, (hopefully with Garrett) and so will Mac as one can hope; since he cheated on her and she forgave him he pretty much got away with it, so he'll do it again if she takes him back. What happens then? Are they going to leave their respective spouses to go 'have a family day?' Or bring them with? That would be an uncomfortable scenario, and I can't even imagine my husband doing something like that if he had a previous spouse. I wouldn't be happy about it. She needs to think about who's been there for her every time she needed someone, and it wasn't Mac. Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying cutting ties because of her son Alex (whom I like very much) and who deserves to be around his relatives, but if she spends too much time with them it's less likely she'll be able to forge a new relationship.

Aside from these things this was definitely a step up from the first in the series, although that one wasn't bad at all. I liked the mystery much better in this one; there were plenty of suspects to sift through, and a few clues here and there. Everything had a nice continuity and made it an easy read.

We're getting to know the characters a little bit more each time and that's always a good thing; there was enough characterization to keep things going. While we didn't get a lot of insight on the town businesses and people this time - it was Oktoberfest, after all, and that took center stage - still there was a little more information on the brewing process as there was in the last book, which was interesting.

There was also a nice subplot on Sloan's origins which I imagine will be expanded on in future books, and also her feelings for Garrett are beginning to grow; he obviously cares about Sloan and I look forward to seeing how their relationship progresses.

In the end, there were enough twists and turns to keep everything moving along nicely, and when the murderer was unmasked, it came as a surprise, which is a good thing. I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to the next in the series. Recommended.

Yes! I was excited to read this one because I needed to see what would happen with Sloan and the brewery. I really enjoyed her in the first book, but this one felt so much better! Perhaps it's the growth in characters? I'm not sure but I can't wait to continue on in the series in the future.