First in the Whisky Business series, narrated in first person, past tense, by our titular sleuth, one Abigail Logan, thirty-something single professional woman, celebrated photojournalist and newly minted whisky distillery owner.

Her backstory, given early on, is that she lost her parents as a young child, and her uncle Ben, bachelor and unattached until his very recent death, was her only family. Given her reactions to Ben’s illness, his death, and inheriting most of his worldly goods, as well as how she describes her struggles with socializing, I thought at first that she may have been written as being in the spectrum.

Beware: death of parents as a young child; cancer; phonetic spelling of Irish and Scots accents; quite a bit of drinking; fatphobia.

We meet Abi as she’s going through a personal crisis: her only family just died, rather unexpectedly, and that is forcing her to visit the small village in Scotland where he’s spent the majority of his time for the past fifteen years or so–a place that was very important to him but that Abi has always resented, sight unseen.

It’s tempting to say that this resentment stems from Abi struggling with change; however, her professional life is nothing but change: she’s a photojournalist who specializes in war zones, which means that she spends no more than a few months at a run in the same place.

It’s more accurate to say that Abi never forgave Ben over the fact that, in order to move up to Balfour, he sold his London house–where she grew up under his care after the tragic loss of her parents–, and her way of showing it was to never visit him in Scotland or, essentially, pay any attention to his life there.

From her point of view, her spending months at a time abroad in the middle of armed conflicts is just what she does, but Ben up and moving away from London was, essentially, abandonment. Despite this, they were still very close emotionally, and since he had to travel to the city with increasing frequency after his cancer diagnosis, they would see each other most every time Abi was in London.

So, not the most emotionally mature heroine I’ve ever read, but at least she’s very good at what she does; her best-slash-only friend Patrick promptly let us know that Abi has won many awards and is well-respected in her field.

It is also through Patrick that we learn of Abi’s special talent–or gimmick, if you will. Without fail, upon meeting someone, three words come to her mind; as she gets to know the person, those three words invariably reflect their innermost character. This little talent has served her very well, professionally, guiding a lot of her investigative reporting.

And here is where my issues with the book start.

While the writing voice is above competent, without any of the ticks that drive me crazy in so many cozies (repetition, extraneous detail, cutesy punnery, etc), there are other overarching issues with the book.

First, Patrick is the proverbial gay sidekick to the straight female protagonist. He has been Abi’s friend for a good dozen years and is always available to help her–listening to her, doing a bit of illegal hacking for her, and so on. He’s also well-dressed, witty, single and playing the field, as well as being the only queer person in the novel.

Then there’s Abi’s much vaunted competence, which shows sporadically and is completely absent when it doesn’t serve the plot.

Allow me to explain.

Abi starts receiving death threats even before arriving in Scotland, yet she declines even filing a police report, on the grounds that she “doesn’t want to sully Ben’s funeral”. This is a woman who supposedly has spend long periods of time in literal war zones, who should understand how easy it is to go from threat to deed; yet when someone has gone to the pain of threatening her quite explicitly for days, she’s all, “there’s no urgency”

And okay, we can cut her some slack here–she is grieving for Ben and struggling to get over that old sense of abandonment, her resentment and her guilt.

Then, when she and Patrick find the body of young Duff Morgan, erstwhile protegé of Ben’s, the only son of a woman he was apparently involved with, and employed at Abby Glenn until the moment of his death, Abi goes into professional war correspondent mode, and is not fooled by the staged accident scene.

Between suspecting that the local cop is not up to the task, and Patrick needeling, Abi decides that it’s up to her to find out who killed Duff, as well as who has been threatening her and sabotaging her distillery–and why. The simplest answer is that they want her to sell, and fast, and as a number of distillers make offers even before the funeral, this is quite a sensible conclusion.

However, from there, Abi jumps to the conclusion that the murderer must be local, and that even if any of the local distillers had an alibi for the night of Duff’s murder, they could have hired someone else–also local–to sabotage Abby Glenn. She never considers that any of the outfits further afield could just as easily hire a local saboteur; in fact she thinks, “they weren’t here, but our murderer was”.

This is not sensible.

Neither is riding down to Edinburgh alone with one of her main suspects; if he decided to stage an accident on the road, the cops may have questions, but Abi would still be dead, wouldn’t she?

Which brings me to the “disturbingly attractive” Grant MacEwen, head distiller (or Nose) at Abby Glenn.

It is fairly clear from the start that the author is setting Grant up to be Abi’s love interest for the series, so the fact that it she spent so much of the book thinking that he might be capable of sabotaging the distillery (never mind that his motive for doing so isn’t exactly convincing), while at the same time going about how mesmerizing his eyes are and what not, felt a bit forced. More so because Abi trusts him to help her investigate Duff’s murder, as she has arbitrarily decided that the two aren’t connected, and something about “keeping your enemies closer”, blah blah.

Then there’s Liam, Abi’s dog, who is very protective of her, and does everything but spell out for her who is the person she shouldn’t trust. In fact, Abi makes a point of noting her dog’s reaction to the people around her, except for that one person; it’s so obvious that, barely a third of the way in, I knew at least part of the solution to the mystery, which made reading the rest of the novel less interesting.

Another issue is that this is clearly a USian author writing a story set in a country with universal healthcare, and therefore assuming that someone with a sick spouse must, of course, suddenly be facing insurmountable medical debt; ergo, motive for sabotage and/or murder.

A more insidious problem, however, is the fatphobia. Early on, Abi describes secondary character Keith Maitland as heavyset, then muses that “there was a piggy, grasping look in his eyes” (Chapter 8); later, upon meeting some of the local distillers–and her main field of suspects–at Grant’s house for a dinner, her opinion of each is heavily influenced by whether they’re fit or fat.

Also troubling is the unrelenting whiteness. There is one lone Asian character, and it’s mentioned that a Japanese firm has an interest in purchasing Abby Glen, but otherwise, the assumption is that every Scot or British person around is white.

A final quibble (which may not be present in the published book) is the use of señor rather than signore when referring to an Italian man; I seriously doubt that the character speaking would make that mistake.

Where does this leave me, on balance? Well, since I have the ARC, I will eventually give the next book at least a chance, but I don’t think I would invest in my own copy otherwise.

Single Malt Murder gets a 6.75 out of 10

One of the things I love about cozy mysteries is the ability to learn about all kinds of areas that I'm unfamiliar with whether it is a craft like knitting or a profession like distilling. Single Malt Murder was no exception to this and I found the details about whiskey and distilling fascinating. It also has a fantastic setting, engaging characters, and an intriguing mystery plot.

This one is a typical cozy mystery with all good and bad the genre brings. I like that there is a certain warmth present, the comical moments are good and the setting is populated with colourful character. The perpetrator/s come unexpectedly to me, which is always a plus, mainly because the the explanation of the motive/s is solid and the cause is plausible. Also, all the whisky business setting is pleasant and makes me want to pour me a glass of a quality drink.
Yet...there are also the cliches so typical for the genre. Also the Scottish environment is not very believable (the authoress is American, even if her parents were British). I miss the mentions of how breathtakingly beautiful Scotland is.

But yes, the book is cute and my time of turning the pages was a nice leisure time.

Great book by Melinda Mullet. Highly recommend to fans of cosy mysteries!! Great story, great characters.... could not want anything more.

It was a fantastic new cozy with all the Scottish charm you'd come to expect. A good start to an interesting series! For me, it was in the vein of a cozy but much grittier.

Abigail Logan is a photo journalist in war-torn countries. She is on assignment when Ben Logan, her uncle, dies. Returning to Scotland to settle his estate, she finds herself owner of Abbey Glen, a whisky distillery. She knows nothing about the business but Grant MacEwen is the distillery’s head distiller and Abi finds him attractive.

Patrick Cooke is Abi’s friend and works as associate editor of Wine and Spirits Monthly. Between the two of them, they go to Abbey Glen only to find the distillery having suspicious accidents on top of the threats Abi has received.

When a young employee is found dead in the washback, Abi is determined to find out why. Then the Malt Barn is set on fire. Now more than ever, she wants to know why these things are happening. Who is to blame? Is it one of the competitors who wants to buy Abby Glen? What about Grant and why hasn’t he bid on the distillery? With Patrick’s contacts and Abi’s journalistic instincts, Abi is determined to find out who “done it”.

A good murder mystery with a bit of whiskey knowledge set in Scotland. Of course, there is a bit of romance as well.

Lots of atmospheric description of Scotland and the distillery. British journalist inherits a small distillery from her uncle, but dark forces seem to be conspiring to keep her from taking it over. She has to overcome them, and her own reluctance, in order to see what her uncle intended. A bit of romance in the background as well.

This was an okay book. It was a very different type of cozy than the ones I'm used to and for that I'm grateful. You could tell the author was somewhat familiar with the UK which added some authenticity. The distiller aspect of the story intrigued me however the pacing was so slow it was a chore to read.

Super enjoyable whiskey themed cozy. Well paced, interesting characters, plenty of action, all set against the fabulous Scottish highlands.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read Single Malt Murder. Having spent a lot of time in Scotland, and being an admirer of a good single malt, the series intrigued me. And having toured Many a Scottish distillery, the idea of a mystery built around one, seemed entertaining. The main character, Abi Logan, inherits her uncle's home and distillery. Threats and bodies begin to turn up, and it appears that she's being pushed to sell. A "Be still my heart" Scot by the name of Grant McEwen, along with Abi's friend, Patrick, eventually assists her in discovering all. I had the murderer figured out fairly quickly, but was pleased with how enjoyable the storyline was. This book and a wee glass of a smoky malt is perfect for a winter's evening.

Abigail Logan is no wee lass, she is a photo journalist who has seen the grit and grime as well as the bold and beautiful but she has not seen the inside of the whiskey barrel. That is not until her uncle dies and leaves his distillery to her. Set in a small town, Abigail is an outsider and she knows nothing about the fine art of making whiskey. To complicate matters it turns out that her uncle has made quite a name for his distillery so it is much sought after by numerous buyers and someone will stop at nothing to sabotage the distillery, including murder. The only person Abi can trust without a doubt is her best friend and adult beverage connesuire, Patrick. This was a great read and I couldn't wait for the follow up!

This was delightful. I found the mystery engaging, was actually sad when Duff died, and the relationships made sense.

Abi Logan, award-winning photojournalist, isn't at her uncle's deathbed, so she feels she needs to go to see her inheritance, Abbey Glen distillery in Scotland. She soon discovers that a woman owner is not going to receive a warm welcome - quite the contrary - death threats and sabotage greet her. When one of the workers is found dead in a whiskey vat, Abi decides that she isn't giving up ownership until she figures out wheat is really going on.

I thought that this was a great first series offering with complex characters, great setting, and interesting background information all woven together to grab the readers interest immediately. Sure wish I could truly visit this venue.

If you have a fascination with Scotland and whisky, then the Whisky Business Mystery series deserves a spot on your TBR list. Melinda Mullet takes readers inside the world of whisky distilling to solve a murder mystery in the first novel, Single Malt Murder.

Abi Logan just lost the last remaining member of her family. Her Uncle Ben raised her when her parents died in an accident. Now that he's gone everything he owned belongs to her, including a Scottish whisky distillery. Someone, however, is trying to scare her off. A series of threats follow her from London to Balfour, followed by sabotage to Abbey Glen. Abi, along with her fierce dog companion and best friend, is on the case. She'll complete the terms of her uncle's will, and on top of that, figure out who's trying ruin the distillery.

Single Malt Murder is a typical cozy mystery that falls just short of truly intriguing. I liked the in-depth access to the whisky distilling business, but that's only a small part of what keeps me ensconced in a mystery. There isn't a strong suspense factor involved. Maybe it's the writing style or my inability to see if the story was leading me somewhere I absolutely wanted to follow, but I had a hard time keeping my mind in the story. Abi uses the skills she's learned from her photojournalism career to try to solve a murder, but those skills don't help her. The answers fall into her lap and she puts it all together after the culprit practically shouts it from the rooftop. She's a passive amateur sleuth who only follows where her instincts lead her and she doesn't see the big picture.

I'm trying not to be too hard on Abi. This is her first mystery, after all. However, I did want more than a linear plot from Single Malt Murder. Fireworks would have been nice, but maybe I'll find it in the next Whisky Business Mystery.
*ARC provided in consideration for review*

Great read. Very easy to recommend this title to all mystery lovers.

What I liked about the book: I loved the setting - rustic Scottish distillery. I liked that the main character was an outsider. I'm not sure what makes this book different from others but I recently just won another book - Death on Tap and I'd be curious how they compare. I like the theme and cover and would purchase as a kindle, but 4.99 would be my top price. The second book in the series looks good as well.

Abigail Logan is mourning the loss of her Uncle Ben and is at odds with her feelings about inheriting his beloved whiskey distillery in the Scottish Highlands. She's an accomplished photo journalist and knows nothing about whiskey. So she's off to Scotland with her friend Patrick to attend Uncle Ben's memorial and learn the details of her inheritance..... but then she starts receiving disturbing, anonymous threats,

This is a great cozy mystery. The characters are well developed and the story moves along nicely. I'm looking forward to the next book in this new series.

Single Malt Murder is an very interesting criminal mystery, where you can learn much about making whisky and about life in small Scottish town, besides solving a murder.

The built up of this story is very clever, readers get to know the main characters, they learn a lot about whiskey, about the little village, about the workers in the distillery and about potential buyers of the distillery and almost everybody of them has reason to send the threats or even to commit the murder. True, at one point I was thinking that the culprit could very well be somebody who is not mentioned at all, but no, the culprit is there all the time, the person is just very well duscuised.

And it's wonderful that Abi is not another Miss Marple wannabe, who collects all the data, figures out the murder mystery and then presents the end result to the police and also its good that the story is not criminal romance mystery, its a criminal mystery, with just a little dash of romance.

A good read, a good read about whisky, about Scotland and a good criminal mystery, what else can you ask ... next book please :)!

Single Malt Murder is the first book in Melinda Mullet's new Whisky Business Mystery series. Distraught by her uncle Ben's death, award winning photojournalist Abi Logan travels to his home in Scotland with her best friend and fellow journalist Patrick Cooke. After meeting with her uncle's solicitors she has learned that she has inherited most of her uncle's estate, including his retirement hobby, a premium distillery in Balfour. Scotland. Patrick is concerned for her safety after threats she has received in London, but also wants to be there for her emotionally.

When they arrive at her uncle's home, the Haven, there is yet another threat hanging on the door. Not wanting to do anything to take away from her uncle's funeral, Abi refuses to report the threats that have been made. But not only has Abi been receiving threats, but also there has been sabotage occurring at the distillery and on the night of Ben's funeral a young man that Ben had mentored is found dead at the distillery. Was it an unfortunate accident, had he caught the saboteur in the act and been murdered as a result, or was he the saboteur and had gotten snared in his own trap?

In a fast paced tale, Abi is thrown into a world she knows nothing of surrounded by people she does not know or trust. With all the distillers of the area vying to buy her out and continued sabotage, her inquisitive journalistic tendencies lead her to try to figure out if the threats to her, the sabotage, and the murder are connected. Inadvertently putting herself in harms way, Abi uncovers the plot but how will she escape for help?

This is an astoundingly good first book for an author. Her characters come to life, as does the setting. And the mystery takes the reader on a twisty turny adventure not revealing its solution until the very end. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and wholeheartedly recommend it.

Want to escape to the Scottish highlands? Learn more about whisky and how it is made? Solve a murder and ascertain who is vandalizing a distillery and its new owner, a young female world renowned photo journalist who has inherited the property from her guardian and uncle? Then the book Single Malt Murder by Melinda Mullet is just the ticket! This is a debut novel and the first in a series by an author who was born in the US to two British parents, and practiced law before pursing a career as a writer. It is fast paced and well edited, and the author's skill with words is evident. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for allowing me to review this book.