Review: Tangled Up in Brew (A Brewing Trouble Mystery) by Joyce Tremel

Max, brew pub owner, is thrilled to be participating in the Three Rivers Brews and Burgers Festival with her boyfriend/pub chef, Jake Lambert.  While she doesn't realistically think the Allegheny Brew House will win any awards, the publicity is enough for her fairly new establishment.

Her good spirits are put to the test when she learns food critic Reginald Mobley will be serving as a last-minute fill-in judge. He's known for his scathing reviews, so nasty that they've caused several businesses to go under.  Max is his latest victim, for he literally spits out her beer, issuing a nasty review the following day.  But it gets worse...he drops dead the following day, right after taking a bite of one of Jake's burgers.

A new police detective is hell-bent on naming a suspect. Unfortunately, Max and Jake come out as prime suspects. Max must put her sleuthing skills to the test before her life, career, and reputation are ruined.

I absolutely adore this series. I fell in love with the first book, To Brew or Not to Brew.  The Pittsburgh setting, Max’s hard-headed determination to succeed in field largely prevailed by men, and Tremel’s captivating and engaging writing style.  All of these came to play again in this most recent book.

As if the events that transpired previously (finding her first chef murdered in the kitchen!) wasn’t enough to push Max over the edge,  Max is once again put to the test.  Luckily, she has a strong support system in the community, an amazing boyfriend, and a father who just happens to be the partner of the detective trying to accuse her of the crime.  But it’s Max who puts aside all fears and apprehension to seek the truth, no matter the risk.

What Tremel captures so well is the setting. As a resident of the Steel City herself, she is an expert at capturing the very essence of this beautiful city, from the tradition to the culture and local colloquialism.  I have family in Pittsburgh, spent a great deal of my childhood around that great city, so it’s like I’m “coming home” when I read Tremel’s titles.

All in all, a completely wonderful and engaging series. I can’t wait to see what Max gets into next! Highly, highly recommended!