Disaster is on tap in this all-new mystery from the author of Tangled Up in Brew.
It's Oktoberfest in Pittsburgh, and brewpub owner Maxine "Max" O'Hara is prepping for a busy month at the Allegheny Brew House. To create the perfect atmosphere for the boozy celebration, Max hires an oompah band. But when one of the members from the band turns up dead, it's up to Max to solve the murder before the festivities are ruined.
Adding to the brewing trouble, Candy, Max's friend, is acting suspicious... Secrets from her past are fermenting under the surface, and Max must uncover the truth to prove her friend's innocence. To make matters worse, Jake's snooty ex-fiancée shows up in town for an art gallery opening, and she'll be nothing but a barrel of trouble for Max.
This series started out promising, but this third one fell flat for me. Way too much exposition, a lot of irrelevant, and a general feeling of friendships that are forced onto each other. The latter is probably more my introverted reaction to people getting into each other's business.
In the course of plans for a weekend Oktoberfest celebration at her brew put, Max and her friends go out to listen to the band she's hired. In the course of the evening one of the band members pulls the "haven't we met before?" on Max's friend Candy. The next day, another band member calls Max claiming he has to talk to her in person to share important information, but he's killed before they meet.
The bones of the mystery are good; really good, as a matter of fact. But the ... flesh of the story was too outlandish. Candy's backstory could have been believable, but it was too heavy handed and it tarnished an interesting and believable plot. Even the purpose of that fateful phone call was plausible, but it got lost in all the cloak and dagger.
I read this for the Amateur Sleuth square in Halloween Bingo.
Reading updates
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Started reading
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1 October, 2018:
Finished reading
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1 October, 2018:
Reviewed