In the spring of 1354, all was well in the town of Colmar - until Efi Kleven discovered a hand in her pot of new ale...a hand that was not attached to a body. Now, Gritta, Appel, and Efi, the three alewives of Colmar, must solve the mystery of the severed hand before suspicion falls on them. While they attempt to keep their fledgling brewery afloat, more bodies turn up outside of town - along with more suspects. With few allies and several powerful men working against them, the alewives find themselves flummoxed: How did the hand of a man from Vogelgrun end up in a cooking pot in Colmar? Why were none of the victims local? And would this most inconvenient ingredient get in the way of Efi's plans to find herself a new husband? Book 2 in The Alewives of Colmar mystery series, Sleight of Hand follows the three women as they confront life after the Black Death with bravery and wicked humor, showing resourcefulness and determination in the face of poverty, misogyny,...

* * * * * A 2023 INDIE BRAG MEDALLION WINNER * * * * *Colmar, 1353 CEGritta, Appel, and Efi managed to survive the Black Death, only to find that they are in desperate need of money. With limited options and lots of obstacles, they band together to become alewives - brewing and selling ale in the free Alsatian town of Colmar. But when an elderly neighbor is discovered dead in her house, the alewives cannot convince the sheriff and the town council that her death wasn't an accident, it was murder. As the body count piles up, the ale flows and mystery is afoot!Set in the tumultuous years after the most devastating pandemic the world has ever experienced, The Alewives is a playful romp through a dark time, when society was reeling from loss and a grieving population attempted to return to normal, proving that with the bonds of love, friendship, and humor, the human spirit will always continue to shine.* * * * * A short, sharp, snappy, hugely...