Barrel Aged Betrayal
(2025)(The third book in the Blues and Brews Mysteries series)
A novel by Emily Brewster
When renovating her brewery's basement uncovers a century-old murder, former lawyer Mackenzie O'Brien discovers that some family secrets are buried deep enough to kill for.
Mac thought her biggest challenge would be installing barrel-aging equipment in time for Hopefield's Heritage Festival. Instead, construction workers break through a hidden wall to reveal a prohibition-era distillery—complete with the skeletal remains of a federal agent who disappeared in 1924.
Armed with her legal training and a local historian's meticulous research, Mac uncovers the "Hopefield Network," a sophisticated criminal conspiracy that involved prominent families, bribed officials, and systematic murder to protect illegal operations. When the historian who discovered the truth turns up dead in his own basement, Mac realizes that someone is still willing to kill to keep prohibition-era secrets buried.
In small-town Hopefield, North Carolina, historical preservation meets contemporary murder, where family reputations are worth more than human lives.
With the help of her brewing partner Travis Blake and newly-promoted Police Chief Alexa Carlsbad, Mac must expose a conspiracy that spans four generations before more people die. But when the killer has spent decades protecting the truth and controlling the investigation, solving a century-old murder might cost Mac her life.
Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries with historical depth—think Louise Penny meets Rhys Bowen, with craft brewing expertise and family secrets that run deeper than any mountain hollow.
The third book in the Brews & Blues Mystery series featuring Mac O'Brien and the Emerald Isle Brewery.
Genre: Mystery
Mac thought her biggest challenge would be installing barrel-aging equipment in time for Hopefield's Heritage Festival. Instead, construction workers break through a hidden wall to reveal a prohibition-era distillery—complete with the skeletal remains of a federal agent who disappeared in 1924.
Armed with her legal training and a local historian's meticulous research, Mac uncovers the "Hopefield Network," a sophisticated criminal conspiracy that involved prominent families, bribed officials, and systematic murder to protect illegal operations. When the historian who discovered the truth turns up dead in his own basement, Mac realizes that someone is still willing to kill to keep prohibition-era secrets buried.
In small-town Hopefield, North Carolina, historical preservation meets contemporary murder, where family reputations are worth more than human lives.
With the help of her brewing partner Travis Blake and newly-promoted Police Chief Alexa Carlsbad, Mac must expose a conspiracy that spans four generations before more people die. But when the killer has spent decades protecting the truth and controlling the investigation, solving a century-old murder might cost Mac her life.
Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries with historical depth—think Louise Penny meets Rhys Bowen, with craft brewing expertise and family secrets that run deeper than any mountain hollow.
The third book in the Brews & Blues Mystery series featuring Mac O'Brien and the Emerald Isle Brewery.
Genre: Mystery
Used availability for Emily Brewster's Barrel Aged Betrayal