The Alewives

The Alewives of Colmar #1

by Elizabeth R. Andersen

Colmar, 1358 CE

Gritta, 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.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Historical, Historical Mystery, Medieval

247 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 2023

About the author

Elizabeth R. Andersen lives in the Seattle area with her young son and energetic husky named Riva. On the weekends she usually hikes in the stunning Cascade mountains to hide from people and dream up new plotlines and characters.

- Join Elizabeth's monthly newsletter and receive the first two chapters of The Scribe for free. Sign up at https://www.elizabethrandersen.com
- Find photos of hikes and daily author life (as well as Medieval marginalia takeovers every month) at Elizabeth's Instagram/Threads: @elizabethrandersen
- Watch Elizabeth attempt to feel comfortable on camera on her TikTok channel: @elizabethrandersen

Elizabeth is a member of the Historical Novel Society, the Crime Writers Association, and the Alliance of Independent Authors.

Reviews

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

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! Flock to this book! And it's going to be a series!

It's 1353 C.E. in the Alsatian town of Colmar (which is incredibly beautiful in 2023, Google it!) Our three main characters are beleaguered wife Gritta (who has twelve children whose names she barely knows), Appel (whose husband and children died in the Black Death), and Efi, whose beautiful but lacking common sense husband has just died in an accident that could very much have been prevented. (The slightly black humor of all this was very appealing to me.)

The two widows and overburdened Gritta eventually decide to become alewives to make money, and this doesn't go as well as they would hope, both because they're terrible at it at first but also because they are poor women and two are widows (who were looked down on as being unchaste at this time) and not respected by the important men of the town. At one point a priest whines about all the widows in their district refusing to get married and then calls them unchaste harpies.

(Worth noting, the ideal woman in Europe in the middle ages was *not* a wife/mother [let's thank the Victorians for that], but a virgin like the Virgin Mary. Go figure on how they're supposed to keep the species alive with that attitude.)

Anyway during all this, and a side plot about Gritta having lost her hoe (made me laugh every time), people start getting murdered, but they're the only ones who think they're murders, and can be bothered, because the murdered women are also poor.

The more I think about this one the more I like it, and I will be pre-ordering the second book as soon as it's announced!

[Natalie "Curling up with a Coffee and a Kindle" Laird · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really enjoyable audiobook!
I've been interested in events around the Black Death, and this helped further my knowledge of those times.
The narrator was fantastic, and kept me engaged throughout.
I loved the characters too, they were humorous yet emotional.
I hope there is a sequel coming!

[M.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Alewives is a fantastically well-written murder mystery set in the immediate aftermath of the Black Death, with delightful characters and a sinister murderer and thief, at the heart of all the problems. Set in the tannery area of Colmar, something smells bad.

The three main characters of Gritta, Appel, and Efi are all glorious creations - Grita with her useless husband and horde of children (she had 12, you see), Appel with her mysterious nighttime activities, and young Efi, who has the sense of a young kid goat at the beginning of the tale.

This story is immersive and filled with just enough tension and humour to make even a story about those who survived the Black Death an absolute delight to read. The humour is well constructed, the antics of the three women, acting a little outside the 'law' in a deeply patriarchal society that doesn't allow women to brew their own ale for profit, artfully created, and even the Friar, Wikerus, is a sympathetic character, in the end. The three women are put upon. Society is against them, as is the sheriff (all the male characters are dismissive of the women, but they get on with it, doing all they can to circumnavigate the obstacles placed in their path), and the church, and just about everyone else, but they triumph.

The mystery itself is really well constructed, as are the red herrings. I didn't know who the culprit(s) (no spoilers here) were until the big reveal.

A short, sharp, snappy, hugely entertaining, medieval mystery that portrays the realities of life at the time, with just the right amount of humour to make it thoroughly entertaining. A well-deserved 5/5 from me!

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really really enjoyed this mystery novel! I loved the main female characters, the plot was riveting and I laughed a lot! Vivid descriptions of Colmar, of how the inhabitants lived, I could see them...and smell them. Can't wait for the next book in the series! Highly recommended!

[Bookworm86 · Rating 5 out of 5]

BLOG TOUR REVIEW 



Review for 'The Alewives' by Elizabeth R Anderson and Ella Lynch. 



Read and reviewed for Elizabeth R Anderson, Ella Lynch, Haeddre Press and Rachel's Random Resources Tours 



Publication date 16th January 2023. 


This is the first book I have read by this author. It is also the first book in the 'The Alewives of Colmar' series. 


This novel consists of 31 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!



A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO ELIZABETH ON A FANTASTIC PAGE TURNING SUCCESS!! 



A successful unputdownable cosy mystery by the very talented Elizabeth Anderson. I'm always a bit dubious with books based historically as I worry about not being able to 'deal' with the language used but I absolutely love how Elizabeth has written this book. The language used is perfectly suited to the era whilst being easy to read and making it quite humorous on several occasions. The atmosphere and descriptions were perfect. The synopsis and cover also suit the storyline. 



The storyline had me hooked immediately and I love the way that the 'Alewives' go about their detective work. There was so much going on that it kept me entertained thoroughly throughout with mystery after mystery and clue after clue. One of the things I absolutely loved the most about this book is the era it is set in. I have actually never read a fiction book before that has gone that far back into the past and I was absolutely fascinated that this was set in the era or the plague!!! I must admit it sounds very morbid but I was intrigued by Elizabeth's fantastic, evocative and (I must admit) gross and smelly descriptions!!! She has done an absolutely amazing job of researching this era and it shines through her book!!! Congratulations Elizabeth!!! One of my pet hates is when authors do not do enough research into their chosen era or topic and it is then littered with unnecessary mistakes but it really does show that you have done a fantastic amount of research and you really did bring the past back to life with this book!!!  It was filled with suspense, mystery, laughter, murder, clues, deceit. tension, suspense, red herrings, history, plagues and so much more!! It is absolutely perfect to read either curled in front of the fire or lying on a beach which not many books can achieve. I devoured it in one sitting as I just could not put it down and gave up on lying to myself saying just one more chapter as that never happened!! I loved that each of the chapters had their own little quirky titles, some of which made me laugh by themselves!! I never did work out who the killer was and was completely shocked when they were discovered. A great achievement as I am a huge crime fan and tend to work out who did what quite early on. The atmosphere was perfectly suited to the mystery and the era . I also love the fact that although this is a cosy mystery it also had me in stitches of laughter on so many occasions which makes it the perfect light hearted read!! Although my partner wasn't too happy when I made him jump half a mile with some of my roars of laughter when I was immersed listening to the book with my earphones in and he was trying to watch a movie lol!! I really did love this immersive, addictive, funny and action packed cosy mystery. A perfect start to what promises to be an epic series!!! I cannot wait to get stuck into the next book!!! 



This is one of the few books that I have listened to 100% on Audiobook. If I listen to a book on audiobook I usually also read the physical book between but this time I listened to the whole book and I was impressed! I must say a HUGE congratulations to the narrator Ella Lynch who did an amazing job bringing this story and the characters to life with both male and female characters. I would listen to it in the car and while walking at any opportunity. I'm not only looking forward to reading more books by Elizabeth but also to listening to more books narrated by Ella!



It is always worrying when starting a new series as you have no idea who the characters are. It is very important for me to bond with not only the lead protagonists but also any characters that may make repeat appearances during the series too.


The characters were all larger than life, realistic and a complete breathe of fresh air. There are 3 main characters who make up 'The Alewives'. These consist of Gritta who has 12 children (rather her than me!!!) and a useless husband, Efi who is the youngest (and senseless) and Appel who gets up to some strange activities at night. These three women were definitely not meant to be born in the era they were. I absolutely LOVE THEM!!! They refuse to conform to society, get up to lots of mischief, have a fabulous sense of humour and brew their own ale!!! Honestly, these 3 women are definitely some of the best characters I have ever met!!! They each bring their own personalities, strengths and weaknesses to their little misfit group and I really cannot wait to meet them all again!!! Elizabeth's fantastic evocative writing skills and Ella's brilliant narration completely bring them all to life along with all of the other characters who each played their own parts perfectly whether you loved them or hated them!!! I absolutely loved the friendships between these women , including their fantastic sense of humour!!! I have also got to give a mention to Friar Wikerus who I was also invested in and whose character I also really liked!! I loved the fact that when all the other men were against these women Friar Wikerus believed in them all along. They really are a fantastic bunch of characters and I am looking forward to meeting them all again in the next book in what is guaranteed to be a fantastic series!!! 


Congratulations Elizabeth on an absolutely fantastic, humourous, unique historical cosy crime that I just could not stop listening to!!! 



Overall a fun and easy to read page turning cozy murder mystery with the perfect amount of crime and humour that will keep you turning the pages. 



266 pages /5 hours 48 minutes 


This book is just £4.08 to purchase on kindle, £13.12 for the audiobook and £12.31 in paperback via Amazon (at time of review) which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!! 


Rated 5/5 (I loved it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook. 


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[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

2025 review:

I enjoyed this so much last year that I just had to give it a go again before I read the sequel, Sleight of Hand. I very much enjoyed the reread, especially since I had forgotten the who in the whodunnit and spent a lot of it trying to guess/remember. The historical details here are just so rich and interesting. I definitely recommend this one!


2024 review:

I read this on a whim since I had a bit of space to fill in my audiobook selection, and I'm glad I did! The Alewives follows three women who share a wonderful friendship and become alewives to help support themselves, while also being a mystery surrounding church thefts and the murders of local women. As a cozy mystery there aren't a ton of surprises, but it's still very interesting and enjoyable. As slice of life historical fiction, it's excellent, providing rich historical details that really bring 14th century Alsace to life. The audiobook was enjoyable--I feel like the narrator brought the characters to life and did a solid job of pronouncing the French and German names for people and places. I'm definitely looking forward to the sequel, and I would definitely recommend checking it out!

[Ruxandra Grrr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fun little mystery, made even more fun, intriguing and quite dark because of its setting and time period. I really liked the three alewives and what an interesting piece of history! (I wanted to say herstory, but that seems like it belongs last decade, lol) It touches upon so many topics, from the plight of women to feed their children vs church ideas of morality, early contraception, domestic violence, how nobody cares about femicide, the traumatic effects of the plague, and so on, but it does so with dark humor. I don't know how I feel about the brief flashback relating to Jewish people being slaughtered by the city inhabitans. Maybe that needed a bit more unpacking?!

Would deffo read more in the series, since it feels like there is a lot of life left in this conceit! Next time someone harps on about traditional values and gender roles, I'll ask them if they want to return to the time when women were brewing the beer!

[Lynda Riggers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great audible!

Set in medieval times just after “the great pestilence” (the Black Plague) The Alewives follows the lives of Gritta, wife of Georges and mother of a dozen, whose names she can sometimes remember, her older neighbor, the widow Appel. When the young newcomer to the town of Colmar, dim-witted, Efi loses her husband, Gritta and Appel do the neighborly thing and take Efi under their wings. As with all in the devastatingly poor community, the three women are looking for ways to fill their coffers with coin and fill their bellies. They begin to brew ale (it is illegal for women to make more than their family can drink and highly illegal for them to sell) and look for a "hood" to help them sell it. Friar Whikeras is up for the challenge. And all seems good until, one by one, the women in Colmar end up murdered. The three women are determined to avenge their friends' deaths and continue brewing and selling their ale.

The Alewives is a very fun, quick book that is steeped in dark humor. Elizabeth Andersen does an excellent job of bringing in modern issues while keeping the story seemingly true to the times (I know nothing about medieval times, but I was totally convinced that Andersen did!).

As for the narration - Ella Lynch should win an Oscar. I kid you not. There were umpteen characters, and she had a believable voice for all of them. She was SO entertaining, and even when I may not have quite understood what was happening (remember, this is set WAY back when with customs and sayings that sometimes were head scratchers), I was still smiling just listening to Lynch speak.

So much fun here. You won't regret this one.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frau Gritta, the wife of an easygoing fellow who spends nearly all his wages on drink, is the mother of twelve children – she can hardly keep track of them all – who “were all destined to be grifters.” The family lives on Trench Lane in Les Tanneurs, the tannery quarter of the free Alsatian city of Colmar, a shabby, crowded neighborhood that announces itself with a distinctively ripe smell.

But in this first of what promises to be an entertaining medieval mystery series, it’s the Year of Our Lord 1353, and none of Gritta’s brood died during the recent plague outbreak, so other folks consider her lucky.

Since life must go on, and her family’s needs must be met, Gritta concocts an ingenious idea. She joins forces with her longtime friend, Frau Appel Schneider, and young widow Efi, an attractive but dimwitted newcomer, to brew ale for profit.

Only… their initial recipe needs work, they risk running afoul of church laws, and they doubt Gritta’s husband can be trusted with their earnings. At the same time, a thief has been absconding with treasures from the Dominican abbey, and the recent death of a meddlesome neighbor, which may not have been natural, meets with a shrug from the sheriff. A visiting Franciscan friar, tasked with finding the thief, becomes the women’s ally (or does he?). Then another body turns up, and the women decide to take up the case before the killer comes after them.

The alewives are an absolute hoot. Their boisterous, saucy humor and determination to master this challenging new business opportunity make this novel an infectiously appealing brew. The women’s friendship is one of laughter, good-natured ribbing, and hilarious advice (you won’t look at cabbage leaves the same way afterward). While they can appreciate male company, they’re wise enough – even Efi – to know the occasional dangers men can pose in their patriarchal world. Full of details on crafting a fine ale and seizing life after a traumatic time, the novel leaves you wanting more from this engaging trio of women. Fortunately, a sequel is on the way in April.

Cross-posted to my historical fiction blog, Reading the Past.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading THE ALEWIVES by Elizabeth R. Andersen and thoroughly enjoyed it. Although set against the backdrop of the devastated post-Black-Death world of mid-14th-century Colmar and featuring a series of grim murders, the book is anything but dark. Instead, I found THE ALEWIVES an absolutely fun and delightful glimpse of medieval Alsatian culture with a memorable cast of quirky, charming townsfolk who frequently had me smiling if not laughing out loud at their antics and vivid personalities. I always felt the author's depth of research fueling the setting and events, but the story remained a lively page-turner from beginning to end, and it was a pleasure getting to spend some time among the people of Les Tanneurs—Colmar's impoverished and pungent tanners' quarters. Looking forward to unravelling another mystery with the clever Alewives in the planned next book in the series!

[Lauren Conrad · Rating 3 out of 5]

- I really enjoyed the beginning and most of the end. The middle dragged on and I had to force myself to get through the middle.
- The main characters were fantastically written. I especially loved how the author made Efi likeable. She might be a challenging character to make loveable, but this author achieved that.
- There were too many minor characters to keep track of. Too many Fraus and Friars and Sheriffs to keep straight.
- I also found it challenging in the middle to keep Gritta and Appel straight. Sometimes, the two would be in conversation and I couldn't remember who had all those kids and who had lost her family.
- The descriptions were great. I could visualize the world.
- I found it too convenient and, frankly, unbelievable the way Gritta found her hoe. I understand when people lose things inside their own homes, but it seems bizarre to forget that you intentionally lent that object to a neighbor. And the remembering seemed to come out of nowhere just because the plot required it.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 4.25 stars, I enjoyed this very much!
"Hochsommer -
In which a hoe has gone missing".

Promising start :)

In a small village, we get a glimpse of their lives. Its upsetting in some ways (how women were treated) but feels historically accurate. How far we have come!

The murder mystery combined with the ale making made the story compelling, as well as the sly humor, friendship and characters.

Highlights and spoilers ahead:

“Tis also a sin to rid a woman of a child, yet every woman in Colmar knows that you can do it.”
“Not through potions nor incantations, my dear. I ain’t no witch. I help women remain without child through revulsion.”
“Tell me again, Appel, how does this ‘revulsion’ against children work? And what does ‘revulsion’ mean?”
“Ah, yes.” Appel straightened and cleared her throat with the gravity of a philosopher. “You take the womb of a she-goat who has never borne a kid and carry it against you when Jorges starts a’plowing in your field. This will prevent you from getting with child again, mark me.”
They looked at each other and laughed.
“Well, it works because he doesn’t wish to go investigating anything so foul! You see? Revulsion!”
They roared with such laughter that they didn’t hear the knock at the door.”
-----------
“They made a small batch at first – grain, water, a bit of honey, and some bread mash. Their first task was to malt the grain by drying it over a flame, which they did with more enthusiasm than necessary, resulting in a brew that, as Gritta put it, “tasted like someone pissed in the ash pit of hell.”

One question- if Jorges kept taking the money, how did they have the money to continue buying the barley and gruit? Did the Friar give them enough to last a long while?? That part didn't add up for me.

[Katie Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the aftermath of the Black Death, three women come together to start an ale-brewing business and solve a local murder spree along the way.

This is an interesting book. The writing definitely feels idiosyncratic, and the characters are very spiky bordering on unlikeable to me. This may work really well for many readers due to the realistic feel; for me personally, I do like having at least one character who I feel more attached to.

The time period is not a common one for historical mysteries, so that is another plus.

For me, I wasn't blown away by the book and probably wouldn't continue the series. But I think other readers who enjoyed the realistic edges of the characterisations plus the time period would enjoy it a lot.

[Cryssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful and refreshing read about a trio of neighbouring women forming a sisterhood, brewing ale to enrich their lives, while trying to solve a murder mystery. Great characters and vivid writing. I hope there will be more alewives books. Loved it!

[Jassmine]

https://www.vice.com/en/article/xw9eg...

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick charming read for those who want some cozy mystery set in historical settings. Will definitely read the rest of the series about these witty alewives.

[D.K. Marley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The city of Colmar is the third largest in the French region of Alsace close to the German border and is often termed ''the capital of Alsation wine''. It is not wine, however, that first drew the ever-curious and occasionally idiosyncratic attention of the writer Elizabeth R. Andersen to the area and to the town of Colmar. She explains in her author's note at the end of this excellent, quirky, and always entertaining medieval murder mystery that she had been working, at the height of the pandemic, on the third book in her cycle of books, a Crusade-era epic of Palestine - ''The Two Daggers''  and ''the book was getting darker and darker, as was my general outlook on life. I needed something to pull me back into the light. I needed some humor.....I needed the Alewives.''

This, as it turned out, has proved to be both an excellent cure for both general 'ennui' and an entertaining departure for both the writer and the reader and,  in  'The Alewives', we are introduced [perhaps not for the last time] to the extraordinary and engaging figures of Frau Gritta, wife of the worthless and habitual drunk and local wastrel, Jorges Leporteur, a general labourer when he is not drunk and often drunk when he is actually labouring.  Gritta is the mother of twelve children [whose names she can never remember] and eking out a hand-to-mouth existence in 'Trench Lane' in the unlovely section of Colmar called 'Les Tanneurs' - named after the noisome and unpleasant water-based industries that occur there. When we first meet her she is in search of both her hoe and a contraceptive potion from her old friend Frau Appel Scneider.

Appel is the widow of a prosperous local Tanner. In fact both he and Appel's entire family were victims of the last visitation of 'The Great Pestilence'. She is a sole survivor and, like Gritta, lives a precarious hand-to-mouth existence in her once handsome house and with her entire family buried in the garden. She is good friends with Gritta and they have known each other for many years. A stout woman grown scrawny as a result of the deprivations of The Great Pestilence, she enjoys [if this is the correct verb] the local and Colmar wide reputation of being a skilful maker of potions, and with all the dangerous intimations of witchcraft that that implies.

The third of the trio, who will become known as 'the alewives', is the young, vivacious, and attractive Efi, a migrant from Kleve. She has just become a widow after her young Blacksmith husband Harald has drowned after attempting [for reasons best known to himself] to pole vault a canal whilst carrying a sack of hammers. As a consequence the resulting blockage has flooded the fields of the local Dominican Abbot. [''dummkopf'', Gritta mutters to herself under her breath.] Both Gritta and Appen hold it their responsibility to look after the so recently widowed young girl, thus forming the triumvirate of the novel's title. Efi soon proves herself, endearingly, to be as lacking in brains as her late blacksmith husband. 

Throughout the length of this beguiling tale of local people experiencing local issues [there are no momentous events that shape history to be found here - and this is an aspect of the book's charm] this in no way masks the fact that at all times the author applies the precision and incision of the forensic eye of an experienced observer to all that she sees; a trained eye for the period, location and details such as the industrial processes employed for certain purposes and the beliefs and often transitory moods and emotions of individuals. A description of 'The Great Pestilence' is worth quoting at length to convey this understanding of life for ordinary people in the mid-fourteenth century and any professional social historian would be well pleased  to have pictured the scene so vividly and with such accuracy:
 
''...that anyone could feel happiness during the Great Pestilence and the years beyond was an indication that  humankind had either remarkable resilience or an inability to comprehend the desperateness of their lives. For four years, the sickness ravaged every person in the land, from the beggars' settlements to the largest cities, and then it vanished, leaving the survivors shocked and bewildered. And yet, people in Colmar  managed to find small ways to feel as if their lives were still normal......'' 

Having so vividly painted the backdrop of the time and condition in which 'The Alewives' is set, Andersen then expands on the true gravity and impact of the situation.......''throughout the terror, the heartache, the nights of heart-rending screams when the Pestilence was at its zenith, babies were born, couples fell in love, the sun rose and set, and the crops grew. Some lives carried on while others flicked out like candle flames.....''

Here we have the microcosm within the macrocosm! A small city set within a much disputed area and the relatively insignificant lives and existences of its inhabitants set against the larger agony of Europe and beyond! Andersen spares the reader none of the clinical details:

.......''Once the Pestilence grasped ahold of a person, there were a few days of chill as the skin turned progressively darker and painful to the touch. Then the buboes would appear, raising the skin of the groin or the throat to angry, swollen masses of thick liquid.....''

This is what had led to the hasty and unceremonious burying of Appel's entire family in her garden, preceded by a raving and painful death. No person in Europe was left untouched in some way. In Colmar, as in many other places, the Jews had been held responsible and there had been a massacre of the local population. But life goes on and now, Gritta is saddened at her loss of a hoe, and there is a devastated young widow in desperate need of counselling and solace! There is also the perplexing mystery of the night time argument between Hattie Jungerwald [widow of the man responsible for the collection of human faeces and urine for the tanning process] and the unpleasant and obstreperous Frau Widmer - an argument that becomes so heated that Girard of Egwisheim, the night watchman, has to break it up - to ponder over!

The morning after the altercation, shortly before the new widow Efi comes calling, Gritta receives a momentous visit from a stranger, a young Franciscan Friar, short and plump and with unusually large eyes. This is the Friar Wikerus, currently on loan to the Dominican establishment in Colmar in the interests of fraternal cooperation from the Franciscan establishment in Breisach, some twenty kilometres away. The Friar, with some apparent reputation for detection and sleuthing is there to investigate a report or a rumour of theft from the Dominican Abbey. Somewhat irritated, perhaps, the Dominican head of the House, Father Konrad, assigns him pastoral duties amongst the population of 'Les Tanneurs', a section of the population of Colmar long held to be of loose morals and who have drifted away from the true path of Mother Church. Father Konrad is particularly exercised about the number of women widowed by the Great Pestilence and the Devil finding work for idle hands. The duties of Friar Wikerus, 'inter alia', are to include persuading these women to take new husbands and return to the ways of the Church; hence the visit of the nervous and slightly aggrieved young Friar to the house of the 'good wife' Gritta. He also carries momentous news, for their neighbour Hattie Jungerwald has been found dead in her bed! Thus, the life of Friar Wikerus becomes entwined with the lives and fate of Gritta, Appel, and Efi, and there is the matter of three murders and the continued theft of treasure and Holy objects from the Dominican Abbey to resolve. The three women, with the aid of the shy and diffident Friar, join forces and embark on a new life of previously male-dominated commerce.

Enjoying a drink or two and introducing Efi to a novel use of cabbage leaves to ward off the heat of an especially hot summer, the three women bemoan their lot. Appel very much doubts she will be paid to lay out the body of Hattie Jungerwald, as the Church has requested of her, and Gritta is still bemoaning the loss of her hoe. Her worthless husband, meanwhile, has injured himself and cannot work. [There are moments, quite incidentally, when it struck this reviewer that this book would make a fine stage play.] How on earth are they to make ends meet and earn a little much needed coin? Could they take in washing, or sell vegetables? Could they earn money by singing? Efi suggests selling her young body for cash. It is then that Gritta is struck by a brilliant idea! They could brew ale and sell it at a profit that also undercuts the local market. Thus does the tale of the ale wives of Colmar truly begin! Elizabeth R. Andersen, in her notes, provides some useful information on the subject of the importance of brewing in the medieval period. At this time the populace largely drank 'small ale' or beer, low in alcoholic content but safer to drink than the water. It was drunk in large quantity for rehydration and not for intoxication. The addition of hops to achieve a bitter quality was a later innovation. Brewing was largely a cottage industry with any excess permitted to be sold at markets and elsewhere. Stronger and more intoxicating ale was brewed for especial occasions. Alsace, as an agricultural district, was blessed with a particularly fertile soil for both grain and wine grapes and with good waterborne routes for transport and communication.

Their first early attempts at brewing are an unmitigated disaster! Efi, who has proved to be ''as intelligent as a lost hen'' - or her late husband - relies heavily on the two older and vastly more experienced women. Friar Wikerus, who seems to have developed an avuncular interest in the three new alewives, declares their efforts to be undrinkable and gifts them with a sachet of 'gruit', a mixture of herbs to add to the brew for better taste and which he has purloined from the Dominican cellars. When next he tastes the ale it is much improved. Efi has contributed two sacks of grain and Gritta has provided two tubs. One of her sons, who is a cooper's apprentice, has promised to construct and provide more. There is, especially in this very hot weather, most definitely a market. Appel, who has taken on the task of preparing the body of the dead woman, returns with the electrifying news that the woman was in fact murdered, though the authorities, personified by the pompous and inept Sheriff Werner, refuse to accept the death as murder. Gritta, for one, is convinced that the murderer is the odious Frau Widmar. As the ale wives continue to brew and experiment there is a further theft at the Abbey, this time of two relics. Jorges is enlisted for the post of selling their ale locally and proves once again that he cannot be trusted with any money! At one point Friar Wikerus invokes Gritta's wrath when he injudiciously remarks he will leave her to her 'women's work'. Enraged beyond measure, Gritta turns on him with a wrathful ''cri de coeur' that is universal and not at all confined to the mid-fourteenth century:

''All work is womanly work, Friar. We do it all, but our husbands receive the accolades for it....'' Her husband, once young and attractive, had become less so....''And then the children came....[ it must be remembered that Gritta has had twelve children]. ''Jorges was not around us so often, and I had to fetch my own water from the well......Every time a new one [baby] came, Jorges would spend more time away from the house; and I took on more work. I chopped the wood and brought it into the house. I slaughtered the pigs and scalded them myself. When the roof fell in....I climbed aloft myself and shored up the holes with straw that I cut from the field myself. And where was Jorges?.....He was spending half his money on drink before he arrived home......So I ask you, what is ''womens' work?''

The body count and the thefts from the Abbey continue to rise and still the three women labour at their new calling. We are fed details of the brewing process, of how, for example, they pace around the house in a hundred and twelve circles to give the 'gruit' time enough to soak into the brew. There are a number of mysterious gifts of barley grain, Gritte's son the cooper's apprentice provides new barrels, and important trade connections are made in the community. A hot summer turns into an Autumn of frost and then a bitter winter as the three women perfect their art and actually start to make money before being arrested and hauled before the authorities on a number of charges. And all the time they have been discussing the murders and the thefts. They believe that they have solved the riddle and eliminated all the false trails. They seek, now, only the final proof; which is duly provided in a most dramatic fashion.

The reader may rest assured that, in time, matters will resolve themselves and that life will return to a semblance of normality. Gritta will even, in time, be reunited with her beloved hoe that she will need so much in the Spring! At no time in this highly enjoyable and accomplished book, however, does Elizabeth R. Andersen allow the reader to forget the background and the context - the issues, such as the seasons for example, that were paramount to these skilfully portrayed characters:

''.......the residents of Colmar were bundled up against the sharp cold. Above them, the hard round ball of the winter sun rose into an icy-blue sky. Below their feet, the ground sparkled with frost. Slumbering beneath the earth lay their hopes for survival for the next year: clear waters that would flow down from the great Kayserberg as soon as the thaw began and the barley kernels that would rise from the soil to become green fields of grain.''

''The Alewives' is, on one level, a highly enjoyable medieval murder mystery, a tale of three murders and a succession of thefts which the reader, along with the three ale wives, is encouraged and required to solve. Who are the murderers, and who the thieves? There are all the customary leads and clues, false and otherwise. Elizabeth R. Andersen has, however, achieved far more than this! She has created a cast of characters, ordinary people from a distant time, and endowed them with flesh and sinew and very human emotions, weaknesses and frailties. 'The Alewives'  is laid out with great compassion, insight and humour and the reader comes to care for these people! The strong and growing working relationship and friendship of the three ale wives in question and round which the action evolves is moving and profound. we are left hoping that good times - and further adventures - are just around the corner!

''Efi walked along the patch of frosted grasses outside the walls of Colmar and drew a deep, full drag of  sweet scented air.....Only a fool could overlook the scent of the Rhine valley on a crisp winter day. It smelled of green things sleeping under the earth, the sharp snap of wind upon the nearby river, and cold, clear ice that gilded the edges of the few remaining leaves on the elm trees......as she made her way towards 'Les Tanneurs' , the smell of Colmar grew decidedly more pungent. Efi smiled. It might be smelly, but it was home.''

*****

“The Alewives” by Elizabeth R Andersen receives 4.5 stars from The Historical Fiction Company

[F Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

There isn’t much of an arc in development of any of the characters, but narrative is entertaining enough for a beach read.

The details of medieval life are interesting.

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1353, the Alsatian town of Colmar was known for "it's fine wines and rich abundant soil, a pretty city full of fine people...except those who lived in Les Tanneurs-the tanners' quarter. Les Tanneurs contained the city's dyers, tanners, and leatherworks, conveniently located downstream and downwind of the wealthy burgher's homes." The Black Death had decimated the population of Colmar. The hungry poor, got hungrier. Small beer, a favored drink in Medieval Times, kept people hydrated. The beer could be unfiltered and porridgelike, used for everyday consumption by people of all ages and walks of life. The fermentation process was the key to killing dangerous bacteria.

Who were the alewives? Frau Gritta was the mother of twelve children. Her lazy, good-for-nothing husband, Jorges' drunken voice regularly carried through the neighborhood. This entire family had survived the Great Pestilence. Frau Appel's husband and the entire family had succumbed to the disease. "Appel had always been plump and jolly...[now] her clothes hung from her body like dead leaves...she was getting on in her years." Young widow, Efi was a new resident of Colmar. Her husband, Harald decided to vault over the canal using a branch while carrying a sack of hammers. The branch broke...a needless death for sure.

The three goodwives needed a survival plan. Tanner rules dictated that widows may not run the tanneries in their husband's stead. Women, however, could sell their vegetables at market and sell their excess ale, ale not consumed by the family. "Many widows in that neighborhood stubbornly refused to remarry." Gritta, Appel and Efi would use trial-and-error in an attempt to create an ale, "the chance to take hold of their fortunes, for better or for worse."

"Efi had less grain than they were led to believe, so Gritta skimmed a bit from the porridge pot each morning, and Appel ate leeks and onions for days instead of barley, which gave her the very devil's breath. Between the three of them...enough grain to start their work...It smelled suspicious...More days passed. The brew's taste gradually improved so the women could swallow it without gagging, but it spoiled within a day or two, and nothing they tried would preserve it..."

Screams in the night. Another victim of the scourge? An elderly widow, Hattie Jungerwald and her neighbor Frau Widmer loudly argued. Hattie's body was discovered...an accident or murder? According to the sheriff, "we do not have murderers in Colmar." According to Gritta, not only was there a murderer roaming around, but, a thief as well. Items were slowly disappearing from the church. "There was no interest, it seemed, in investigating the untimely demise of an old widow." Church thefts kept mounting as well.

The alewives were three women who laughed together and cried together. They were determined to create a livelihood making small beer and tried to help solve the mysteries of suspicious deaths and church thefts. A lighthearted, fun, historical fiction read.

[loopyloulaura · Rating 3 out of 5]

1353, Colmar in Alsace. Three women have survived the Black Death but need to adjust to the changes in their village. The need for money alongside a spate of thefts and murders leads to the women stepping out of their traditional roles to thrive within their community.
The Alewives is an historical novel with elements of murder mystery as well as humour.
Gritta, Appel and Efi are women trying to survive in a man's world as well as having the danger of the plague. Gritta has 12 children and a useless husband while Appel and Efi are both widows. The community are reeling from shock at the devastation of the plague, murders in their midst and their church is threatened by the theft of precious items.
Loving history, I enjoyed being transported back to medieval times. The church and patriarchy dominate society and the women's lives are governed by their status in relation to men. The plague has decimated the population and now the community is adjusting as well as families on a personal level. There were also accusations of witchcraft which is another topic close to my heart as I wrote my dissertation on it.
This isn't a long book but I felt that I got to know the three women well although they wasn't much emotional exploration or depth. There are lovely turns of phrase and comedic moments which lighten the tone and make the women more relatable. I enjoyed the narration which brought the characters to life and carried the plot developments with humour and wit.
The Alewives is a quick and interesting book about women's lives in medieval Europe with a murder thrown in.

[Carol Seniw · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Medieval times, the ale wives here real and lived in a free city between France and Germany. That would explain the use of French and German names and words in the story. This was a delightful quick read. The characters were introduced early and the character building continued through out the story. Just when you thought you knew the character, you learned something new about them. The 3 ale wives, Gritta, Appel and Efi knew of each other since they live in a small village. Circumstances drew them together and they became alewives, then they became friends. They live in the poor part of the village where the air is heavy. They struggle to feed their families so they learned to make ale. Women were not allowed to make much beyond what their family needed. Any excess could be sold to other good wives. But they could not sell more than that. The women at the time were oppressed under the rule and stupidity of the men as you will see in the book. After surviving the Nlack Death, times were hard. Their story is sometimes sad and sometimes funny. They began to make ale secretly with the guidance of Friar Wikerus. With thievery and murder happening in their village, they look out for each other. Someone is stealing gold from the church and their neighboring good wives are being murdered and our 3 alewives are right in the middle of it.

[Timothy Grubbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sure there may be crimes happening, but the good wives of Colmar still need to make a living…so why not do it making ale?

The Alewives: A Plague-Era Tale of Murder, Friendship, and Fine Ale by Elizabeth R. Andersen is the first book in the Alewives of Colmar, a medieval mystery series of three busybodies trying to get by in a hostile world after the Black Death…

Set in the Alsace region (a mix of French and German influence at the time) and the town of Colmar (with a lot of other towns and places mentions), three women find themselves needing to make a living…and opportunity present itself…

Thus a mother of twelve, a widow who may also be a witch, and a young newly widowed dunce band together to make ale and sell it in town…after a great deal of trial and error in their brewing process…

Meanwhile, some of their neighbors keep turning up dead…in “accidents” the local sheriff doesn’t believe in. Also, someone’s been stealing treasures from the local priory...with a visiting friar taking a keen interest in matters…

I loved the elaborate descriptions of town life in this time and place…as well as the brewing process.

I’d compare this to a historical “cozy mystery”…using a very grim post-Black Death setting to liven up the typical hard working and dreary life of the period.

I will definitely continuing this series…

[T.L. Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fab book! I have to admit I thought the main focus was going to be on the murder mystery, but was pleasantly surprised to discover it's more about the camaraderie between three women.

The book is set in Colmar, Alsace in the year 1353.

I love these women. Grumpy Gritta with her menagerie of offspring is a grounding force not to be reckoned with. Appel who has dubious ways of making money is wise. And pretty Efi who strives to find herself after her loss. The three women are just wonderful together - perfectly imperfect. And so incredibly strong - they must face the ire of jealous men who would deem it unlawful for them to run a business. Well, they survived The Great Pestilence - they're made of stern stuff!

As someone who's written a tale of medieval monks, I was super excited to read Friar Wikerus - an intriguing figure indeed.

This book is incredibly well researched. We get to explore the smelly tanneries district, meet the poor folk who dwell in that area AND investigate a murder (or two) and thievery. The brewing techniques are detailed in all their glory. And I felt like I was there, strolling around, poking my nose into the folk's houses. The tone was kept light with wry humour. Amazing!

If you like historical fiction and cosy mysteries, this book is right up your...Trench Lane!

Trouble is brewing!

[Lee M Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good cozy mystery involving three marginalized women of the 14th Century. Marginalized women looking for justice in the killing of three other marginalized women of their community.
Good characters seeking justice and a means of meager support in post Black Plague Europe.

The story provides some good glimpses into post Black Plague life and the life of women in the middle ages. Housekeeping and bearing children was all they had to look forward to for a lifetime. One of our heroines alludes somewhat to her desperation in feeding 12 children.

Elizabeth R. Andersen has written a good cozy style mystery and created a good cast of characters for her story and hopefully series. I would have also enjoyed the inclusion of more brewing science or ale recipes woven into the story. I did enjoy the inclusion of the post Black Plague lifestyle changes and the hardships of medieval life.

Ella Lynch does a great job of narration and providing a somewhat unique voice character for each of the women in the story. I hope you can keep her for the next audio book in the series.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose to listen to this book after receiving a free audio copy from Rachel’s Random Resources. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

In the year 1353, the Black Death was finally over. Many women lost their husbands during the plague, and they weren’t allowed to work outside the home. What a challenge! How were they to feed themselves and their children? The alewives, Gritta, Appel, and Efi, figured out how to make money by making ale.

The women faced several challenges, including being arrested for selling too much ale. The biggest challenge, however, was figuring out who murdered an old, widowed neighbor.

The narrator did a great job with the characters and the timing. I hope to listen to her again.

I didn’t know if I would like this book or not. Medieval historical fiction is not one of my favorite genres, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The humor, narrator, and unique way of looking at a dark time in our history came together to make this a delightful read.

[R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been in a reading slump lately with 100s of books to read/listen to and no motivation, but what a way to kick off the new year with this delightful read.

This book is set in the medieval times and it is a mystery series (I hope there will be more) about three women that learn to brew and sale ale to help make ends meet. It is set during a time when women were not allowed to earn a wage. The ale brewing and sisterhood formed is heart of the book, but the sweet spot is there is a murder mystery wrapped into the book. Unlike most murder mysteries, this book focuses more on the three main characters than it did on the murders in away that the three ladies were not trying to solve the murders, but were a concerned citizen of society and stumble upon the murder.

I did feel that the book took me back in time and for such a short story it did a very good job of reminding me of a time that was far more difficult on women to support their families if something happened to the acceptable provider, nonetheless these three women prevailed.

This book was an overall win for me.

[Jan Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This tale will transport you back to a time which feels both ancient and like yesterday. Still recovering after years of plague, the story of the Alewives of Colmar resonates with likeable characters who find themselves having to take matters into their own hands to both provide an income and solve the mystery of murder and theft.
A note of caution to the reader - I do not advise reading this book in packed public spaces if you are either drinking warm beverages, or hoping to remain anonymous. I apologise profusely to anyone I may have offended with my snorts of laughter, gasps of horror and to my family who have been woefully neglected on account of my insistence that I had to finish the book.
Great fun, I’m sure this book will appeal to anyone in need of some light entertainment and escape.

[Beth Peakall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book! Gritta, Appel, and Efi, are women in a small village which is recovering from the Black Death. They are all lower class women, suffering from all the barriers of that time. They are brought together by a series of murders and thefts, as well as a desperate need for money. An unlikely ally is Friar Wikerus. This who do it had me laughing out loud and cheering on the trio, who are determined to not just survive, but thrive against all the odds.

The three women band together, laughing, caring and arguing. With help from the Friar, not only do they solve the theft and the murders, but brew the best beer in the area - achieving a level of financial independence.

I did not see the ending coming - quite the plot twister! I did receive a free copy, and I wished to write this. I will buy any further adventures of Gritta, Appel, Efi, and Friar Wikerus.

[Christine Covil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this plague era whoddunit. I love the way historical fiction gives insight to something to often wondered about but didn't really know much about like brewing ale. Everyone knows people survived on ale but who has really thought about how brewed it and whether it was made at home along with the other daily fare? The characters were fun and engaging and have a sense of humour that made me laugh. I listened to this book on audible and the narration was pleasing. There are lovely descriptions of Colmar, bringing back a happy family holiday I had years ago in this beautiful city. I would dearly love to go back. The murder mystery, which I wasn't expecting, was a nice bonus. The book is plot led rather than character driven. The author has another planned and I would read this too.

[Tori Thompson · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF'ed at 60%. I really really really wanted to enjoy this, but 4 hours into the audiobook I just...didn't. I was hoping the historical setting would at least give a fun little twist--I've read a few other medieval histfics, and been really pleased by the scene setting and the relatability of characters in such vastly different circumstances to my own--but nothing about it has felt particularly charming or insightful or compelling, nor have the characters, nor the mystery itself. Even listening to this at 1.7x speed, the plot was dragging, and I'm just too bored to bother finishing the last 2 hours. But, hey, a lot of people have given this a much much higher rating than I have, so they must be getting something out of this that I'm missing. Maybe I'll try to come back to it again someday.