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.