BITTER BREW is book 24 in G.A.
McKevett's Savannah Reid
cozy mystery series. Coroner Dr. Jennifer Liu has been a recurring
character in this series for a long time and, in BITTER BREW, readers finally get a better sense of
who she is. P.I. Savannah Reid and her Moonlight Magnolia Detective
Agency crew have solved many cases over the years, but they are
fierce when it comes to defending one of their friends or family
members. Dr. Liu feels a little like both, even though they don't know
much about her personal life. Dr. Liu finds herself in quite a
predicament and it leaves several tantalizing mysteries for the reader
and the fictional investigators to unravel. I always enjoy mysteries that
make the victim center stage and make figuring that person out critical
to solving the mystery of what happened to them. BITTER BREW is full of endearing familiar characters
as well as plenty of unsavory and generally icky ones.
What makes this case so fascinating is that the cause of death is in
serious doubt and a huge part of the mystery is trying to determine if it
was natural causes, suicide, or murder. Having the cause of death be
so up in the air puts a unique spin on the traditional murder mystery.
Although BITTER BREW is a cozy
mystery, several of the main characters tackle some dark themes. G.A.
McKevett does a great job of taking on some sensitive topics, making
them compelling and pertinent to the mystery at hand and balancing
the story with some lighter scenes to break up the tension.
BITTER BREWcontains a plethora
of puzzles to delight any mystery fan. Initially, Savannah starts the case
out trying to go it alone, but it's not long before she gets the much-
needed support from her detection team. The good guys are severely
tested in this mystery but, ultimately, they persevere. Friendship and
love triumph over greed and obsession. I eagerly await the next Savannah Reid mystery.
Although P.I. Savannah Reid always has a lot on her
plate, she would drop just about anything for a friend in
trouble. But when good intentions pull her into a toxic
murder case, Savannah’s days as San Carmelita’s most
full-figured detective might be running out . . .
Savannah is shaken to the core when coroner Dr. Jennifer Liu
appears on her doorstep late one night with a disturbing
confession. In a potentially career-ruining move, a
remorseful Dr. Liu admits to fudging an autopsy report to
keep her friend Brianne’s suicide a secret—fulfilling a
final promise made before the terminally ill woman
administered a lethal drug cocktail. But after Dr. Liu finds
the same unique mixture in a second body, she fears the
deaths share a dark connection . . .
Apprehensive about concealing a felony, Savannah and the
Moonlight Magnolia Detective Agency launch a discreet
investigation into Brianne’s rare condition and the deadly
concoction linking the two bodies. As chilling evidence
points to an undeniable case of double murder, the agency
races to slim down the suspect list and blow the lid off a
shifty criminal’s poisonous agenda. Savannah only hopes
that, like Dr. Liu, her desire to help a friend won’t put
her reputation at risk—or, worse, land her on the next slab
. . .