Set in a small town in Yorkshire, with two artisanal breweries (run by a brother and sister respectively), a long-lost recipe, a full cast of suspects, two detectives, three murders, and human beings with realistic baggage – addictions, tempers, secrets, old resentments. It’s an enjoyable, quick read (one day for me) with a solid moral compass in DCI Oldroyd. (Between the setting and the gentle humanity, I found myself thinking of the James Herriot books.) Oldroyd's underling Andy Carter explains to him, “I used to believe that criminals were evil people. ‘Catch and lock ‘em up’ was my attitude. But you’ve taught us to think differently: that people who do bad things are mostly damaged themselves and maybe they were trapped in circumstances where another person might have behaved in the same way. Something pushed them over the edge. … You’ve taught us to put ourselves in the shoes of the criminal: they’re human, like the rest of us and mostly think the same way.” I also enjoyed the interesting facts about brewing and its history. This is my first mystery by Ellis, and I'll look for others.
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