This is the third book in this great series. It can be read as a stand alone but you'd miss an equally awesome first and second book. From the title and the cover art, you'd expect this to be a cozy mystery but it's really much more than that. THE BARTENDER'S GUIDE TO MURDER centers on a young woman, Avalon Nash, who has the uncanny knack of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. She is the bartender in the series title and her customers tend to talk to her. She is a very good listener.

When the town decides to host a film festival, celebrities and film fanatics flood Tranquility. One film actually stars a local woman who made good but now keeps a very low profile. When an old crush of Avalon's comes to town too, readers should not be surprised when murder happens and Avalon gets drawn into the investigation. This was an entertaining book set among some unique characters and their town. The story moves quickly and ther are no slow chapters. Another 5 star effort from Sharon Linnea.

Death Among the Stars is the third book in this fun and unique series and I hope it's not the last. Avalon is a strong, hard working, and savvy character. I enjoyed reading about her adventures both behind the bar and also Detective Spaulding solve murders. Even more enjoyable were the cocktail recipes sprinkled throughout the book to go along with each chapter title. If you're a fan of the less "fluffy" cozy mysteries then you will definitely love this series!

Tranquility is hosting a film festival to release the knowledge that a Golden Age Star wasn't dead but in fact hiding in their midst. This will bring current silver screen stars to the town and Avalon Nash will be reunited with childhood friends but is it safe or is will death that has been stalking one be visiting as well?

This mystery was great giving a great deal of backstory for Avalon as well as other secondary characters. It still amazes me how there are even more new cocktail recipes to try!

Would love to see a recipe book for ALL the cocktails in the series!

Avalon’s amateur sleuthing skills were not impressive, even though the storyline was interesting. She seems distracted by too much sexy testosterone, almost rendering herself in a dangerous position.

The third in her series and the best so far. The more I get to know Avalon, the more I like her and the way she connects to others. Can't wait for the next one.

Avalon grew up among the stars, movie stars that is. Lots of her high school friends are stars or tied in with the industry. Avalon thought she escaped and is a bartender at a well-known inn in an Olympic training village in the NE. However, after renting a cottage from an old star who had left her life and is now highlighted in a documentary, Avalon finds herself surrounded by old friends. Unfortunately, stalkers of one of the stars are found dead in various scenarios. I love the characters, I love the story writing, and every book is better than the one before it. Great series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Arundel Publishing for the chance to read a copy of this book!

I love this series, with Avalon's bartending skills, mysterious past, and the upstate New York setting with a diverse cast of characters even in a predominantly white area. This entry in the series didn't click for me as much as the others had--I wanted to see more bartending than celebrity interactions, and the book really builds on the revelations from the previous story but unfortunately I'd read it a year ago and needed a little more exposition. I still enjoy the inventive drink recipes after each chapters, but I felt like the drinks weren't integrated into the story as much as before. Overall, though, I gobbled up this story and I look forward to reading more!

**4.5 Stars**

Brief Synopsis: A “film fest brings excitement, glamour… and murder” to a small town. The local bartender must use her listening skills to piece together the mystery.

Thoughts: This one has a cozy mystery feel. The characters are realistic, and the storyline is believable. This is the first book I have read that has a “they/them” character. That character did not feel overdone or pushed. The suspense builds up slowly but develops linearly in thought. There are multiple murders in the book, but overall I would consider it to be a light (no blood/gore), fast-paced read. I didn’t guess the suspect or the motive. In fact, it felt like it came out of nowhere, but it still worked.

Thank you to Sharon Linnéa, Arundel Publishing, and NetGalley for a copy of this book. Though this is book 3 of the series, it can easily be read as a standalone novel. All of the past information needed is incorporated into the narrative, with just enough intrigue to make you want to go back and read the first two books in the series.

I was so excited to see a new book in the Bartender's Guide to Murder series, the third one in the series. I read the first book on a whim and was instantly hooked. Reading any of the books is almost like taking a vacation to the beautiful and unusual town of Tranquility, New York, home to former big-screen stars and producers, the winter Olympics, and mysterious murders. I recommend reading at least the first book before reading this one. That will not be a hardship since all three books are excellent.

This one is a treat since there is to be a film festival honoring Salty Sally (her nickname) and Pepper Porter. Sally was a famous actress and Pepper Porter was a famous producer from Hollywood's Golden Age. Friends of Avalon's from her junior high and high school days - also well known in the movie business - also show up. Throw in some stalkers, and dead bodies with no visible wounds showing up in unusual places, and this is an exciting story. There are also subplots such as the ones concerning a young family with staggering medical bills. Hannah, who is an Episcopalian minister and one of my favorite characters, also appears prominently in this book. At the center of it all is Avalon, putting the clues together from her knowledge of the town, its denizens, and its secrets. It was so good, I plan to re-read the whole series again.

Each chapter begins with the name of a cocktail and ends with a recipe for it. I had no idea how complicated mixology was before I read this series. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Arundel Publishing for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book. It was a pleasure to read and review.

Not your fluffy cozy, much like the cocktails that Avalon serves, this series has a bit of an adult taste but not too much to be out of the genre. Even the cocktail recipes found at the end of each chapter vary between the hard stuff and the nonalcoholic variety. Great story, a little bit more of Avalon’s Hollywood past converges with her present giving us a little bit more background. There is a nice amount of suspense, suspects, stalkers and screen time, plus the usual Avalon insight from being, the bartender extraordinaire/collector of stories. I had just as hard a time figuring out the who-done- it as I did with my drink selection.

This was my first book in this series and I do have to admit, I needed to get into it. The book didn't grab me from the start, maybe because I haven't read the first two books. Nonetheless, I liked the storyline and the characters. Avalon is a bartender who really connects with people through stories. When an old friend comes to town, she is sucked into the world of Hollywood, stalkers and murder.

The only thing I didn't like is that the old friend of Avalon gave her drugs against her will. With the current stories of girls getting spiked I feel we don't need that in books! It's horrible enough that it happens in real life.

The book was a 3.5 stars for me, but I can't give that so I upped it to a 4. I would not highly recommend it, but if you have some time spared and want a read in between, this book is it.

Avalon Nash connects with others, listening to their stories and pouring their drinks in a pub in Lake Serentity. While listening, she picks up clues leading to a murderer or two in this series. In this third book, Lake Serenity will host a film festival debuting a documentary about a missing actress and her famous rival from back in the glory days of Hollywood. Avalon has a personal connection to the story and to some of the a-list celebrities arriving in town. Fast paced, with engaging characters and enough misdirection to keep you guessing until the end.

Thank you NetGalley and Arundel Publishing for a copy of Death Among the Stars to review. While I have read books such as this, I never knew the sub-genre is called cozy mysteries. This book is the third in a series and each of the books contain recipes for various drinks. If I had my own well-stocked bar, I would have been enjoying some of them while I was reading.

Avalon works as a manager and bartender in her new home of Tranquility and the author, Sharon Linnéa, does a great job of making you feel like you are also there. A film festival is about to start and there is a lot of buzz and excitement amongst the residents as the Hollywood players come to town. Unfortunately, an actress has died just before the start of the festival. Was it murder? Also Rise, one of Avalon's friends from school back in her Los Angeles days who went on to be a famous actor, will also be there as his film premieres at the festival. He comes with stalkers, professional worries and perhaps a bit of a romance for Avalon. However, with his arrival comes danger for Avalon and some attempted murders. How innocent is her childhood friend, someone she hasn't been in contact with for years?

I did enjoy this book even though it isn't what I have normally reached for over the years. It held my interest and came complete with some interesting characters that I wanted to get to know better. While this is a standalone book, I do wish some of Avalon's history was better explained. It felt like brief flashes of her life from both before and during her time in Tranquility were hinted at that either took place or were more fully explained in the previous books. A couple of paragraphs of a more detailed explanation would benefit someone like me who hasn't read the other books in the series. Overall, a quick, enjoyable read and I now appreciate the cozy part of these types of mysteries.

This is the second book in this series that I have read and enjoyed. I like the main character, and the other characters are well written and interesting too. Great setting, great story and great plot and pace of book. I really enjoyed reading this book, I wish the cocktail recipes were a bit simpler though! only because I am not a very accomplished cocktail maker., but you don't have to like cocktails to enjoy this book, the recipes are a bonus., cracking book, I recommend it.

This is the third book in a great series. The town of Tranquility, in the Adirondacks, is having a film festival. One of the movies to be shown is "Salty Sally and Pepper: Truth Be Told" a documentary about a local woman who was a golden era movie star, except most residents of Tranquility didn't know that the famous Sally Allison was now Sally Chander. Avalon, the bartender at MacTavish's hotel, lives in a small house on Sally's land, and knew the whole story.

Another movie being shown stars Rise O'Cannor, originally Crispin O'Connor, and a childhood friend of Avalon. However, Rise has several staulkers, who think they are in love with him. One is found dead in the theater; the autopsy shows she had drugs, and it wasn't clear whether it was an accident or a murder. Avalon runs into another one who is carrying a knife. Although she is arrested after Avalon has alerted Rise's staff, she manages to get away and almost kill Avalon. Shortly thereafter, she is found almost dead. Unfortunately, Avalon and Rise are possible suspects. From the first death, Avalon is in touch with policeman Mike Spaulding, with whom she has solved previous cases.

Avalon ends up letting Rise, and another handsome actor stay in her home to get away from the fans. Because Sally is also on the property, the film folks have hired guards at the entrance to the property, so they all have privacy. Avalon and rise become close again, but as the film festival ends and Sally goes away, the guards leave, and one of the stalkers figures out where Rise is and arrives with a gun. Near the end, things get very exciting, with several folks in grave danger.

As always, a fun read with booze recipes. I love these novels. A little dark, a little gritty but nothing remotely close to the deep dark paths some noir can wander down.

this was another great entry in the Bartender's Guide to Murder series, I think this was my favorite read in the series. The story was great and I enjoyed getting to know the characters.

Bartender Avalon Nash’s youthful crush has become a movie star, but does he even remember her? And why are the women he dates turning up dead? Does Avalan dare let her long-time dream come true, knowing she might be next? Avalon must use her superpower of collecting people’s stories to protect people she loves by discovering and stopping the killer.

It’s no secret that I adore the Bartender’s Guide to Murder series and Death Among the Stars definitely added another triumph. Avalon is seriously my favourite bartender and her relationships with all of the characters is just a beautiful thing to see! We meet a few new characters this time, mainly Rise and Landon. Landon makes a gesture towards our town pastor, Hannah, that would break hearts - it almost broke mine.

With more murders happening in Tranquility, close to the big reveal that Sally is still alive there is plenty of drama to keep the reader interested. And of course, Linnea continues to supply us with a unique cocktail recipe after every chapter! The writing is simple, nothing overpowering, nothing getting lost in translation which is perfect when you want just a comforting read on a rainy day. I cannot rave about this series enough as it is one of my favourites and would highly recommend to anyone and everyone. Just buy it already!

It's premiere time for the long awaited debut of Salty Sally and Pepper" True Be Told and all of Tranquility, New York, is on the end of their seat. When Avalon Nash stumbles across a dead body in the theatre she immediately calls Inspector Spaulding. Hoping this is an accident and doesn't impact the premiere of the much awaited film, Avalon soon discovers there is more to this death than meets the eye. When several celebrities appear in Tranquility, and one of them is an old childhood friend of Avalon's, she worries he might be involved. Stalkers, reappearing-once-thought-dead actresses and many other surprises, plus some fabulous drink concoctions await the reader of Death Among the Stars

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by Arundel Publishing, Independent Book Publishers Association, Members Titles and #NetGalley for my honest opinion.

What a fun cozy. This was a wonderful addition to the series.