Elizabeth R. Andersen – Cannonball Read 17

“God cannot help when natural stupidity is driving the cart.”

The Alewives: A plague-era tale of murder, friendship, and fine ale (The Alewives of Colmar #1) by Elizabeth R. Andersen

October 18, 2025 by bjornsnipe Leave a Comment

Colmar, 1353 CE Gritta, Appel, and Efi managed to survive the massive death toll of the Black Death, only to realize that day-to-day problems don’t end just because of a major epidemic (#relatable). Children still need feeding, husbands will still drink away all the money, and people die from more than the plague. With limited options (I mean, a woman can’t even “entertain” the local menfolk without getting shade from the local monastery) and lots of obstacles, they band together to become alewives – brewing […]

Campsite Reads

The Alewives by Elizabeth R. Andersen

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager

May 13, 2024 by Zirza Leave a Comment

We took a brief holiday over the Ascension Day weekend, and because my kids didn’t really want to leave the campsite I got the chance to catch up on my reading. I finished three books. The third one deserves its own review, but I grouped the other two together. The Alewives (Elizabeth R. Anderson) ** In the Middle Ages, in the tannery district of the Alsation town of Colmar, four women team up to brew ale, bemoan their useless and/or dead husbands, and solve crimes. […]

An entertaining read for Women’s History month

The Alewives: A Plague-Era Tale of Murder, Friendship and Fine Ale by Elizabeth R. Andersen

March 10, 2024 by ElCicco 3 Comments

Another shout out to Narfna for putting this on my radar. I am your literary stalker! This was a very entertaining murder mystery set in an era that has always fascinated me and featuring a set of unusual sleuths. I’d never read any of Elizabeth Andersen’s books before, but I gather that historical fiction is her thing and setting a murder in the immediate aftermath of the Black Death had me from the get go. Even better, the sleuths in this novel, which I hope […]

Murder, mystery, fine ale, friendship, plague, dark humor. A very enjoyable book.

The Alewives: A Plague-Era Tale of Murder, Mystery, and Fine Ale by Elizabeth R. Andersen

November 16, 2023 by narfna 4 Comments

This was pretty much everything I wanted it to be. Honestly, I didn’t even read the synopsis before I ordered this, just because I love reading about alewives, but was even more delighted to learn it’s about female friendship and life post-Black Death in medieval Europe, and also solving murders. Worth pointing out in its own paragraph: this is an indie author and the book doesn’t have many ratings, so people who love slice of life history, the middle ages, cozy mysteries, and female friendship, come! […]

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

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