An interesting start to a new series. Abi is definitely a quirky character. She has this unique way of looking at people and getting three words that sum up who they are. It gets interesting seeing how a complicated person can be summed up so simply. The mystery itself was really good. There was no shortage of suspects, even leading up to the reveal. And what a reveal it was!

Whiskey and murder mix together in this first Whisky Business Mystery series. Abi Logan, award winning photojournalist, inherits her beloved uncle’s distillery, Abbey Glen, in the Scottish Highlands. Reluctant to take on this endeavor, Abi travels to rural Scotland, where someone expresses dislike in the Abbey Glen’s new owner. Abi is a strong and determined woman who has faced down many a foe, so her character is certainly up to any challenge, including investigating a murder. One of the best cozy mysteries I have read in quite some time…the language, the characters, the description all come to life for the reader. The information on whiskey and distilling of spirits was very interesting and added much to the story. Though I had some suspicions about the villain’s identity, the ending served some surprises. A treat to read, and I hope for more in this series.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

This series is off to a spectacular start!

Photojournalist Abi Logan lost her parents early in her life in an auto accident. She was then raised by her Uncle Ben. She has been traveling around the world to some pretty dangerous places while Uncle Ben retired to Scotland and opened a single malt distillery. Sadly Ben passes away and leaves his business to Abi. She and her friend Patrick, a wine and whiskey aficionado, travel to Scotland along with Liam, Ami’s Wheaten Terrier to look the place over and decide its future. No one seems happy to have Abi around. They expect her to sell the place and move on because the whiskey business is no place for a woman.

Before bids for purchase start to flow in Abi starts to receive threats and there are several mishaps at the plant, clearly sabotage. The threats become more blatant and then one of the employees is found floating in a vat of whiskey. That isn’t the last malicious act either. Abi knows it is up to her to find the killer and stop the madness. She hopes her keen sense of observation will help her solve the case quickly but she has too many suspects and they have too many secrets. Tightening the lid of this keg may be more than she can handle.

Whiskey is my alcoholic beverage of choice but I am not savvy in the way it is made and my sense for taste is far from refined. This story taught me quite a bit but the mystery is what kept me positively glued to these pages.

Abi is a fantastic protagonist. Strong and feisty and when she finds people’s biggest problem with her is her gender it really gets her dander up. She has something to prove. Patrick is a great friend. He has her back and is great sounding board. He notices things she misses and gives valuable advice. They make a great team. The author has created a great supporting cast too. They are all very real and believable. Liam is a great canine companion and is smart as a whip.

I would categorize the plot as very complex. More twists and turns that your average mystery. It seemed that each chapter introduced something new that sent things is a totally different direction. The author really keeps the reader on their toes. She immerses us right into the story giving us the feeling we are on the shoulders of these great characters. Stories like this are so much fun to read.

The setting is unique. Scotland is beautiful and Uncle Ben has built a distillery doing things the old fashion way. There are several buildingS and a unique operation. The “cabin” has also been beautifully updated. It is a place I would love to visit.

I absolutely loved this story, beginning, middle and end. The suspense ratcheted up in all the right places but never crossed the line from cozy to thriller. The characters continued to evolve and romance just started to bloom. I was unable to put the book down. I read the whole thing in one day.

Melinda Mullett has set the bar extremely high for herself. This is going to be a story that is tough to top. Another Best Read for 2017. I cannot wait to our next trip to the Scottish Highlands and Abbey Glen.

Over the past few years, there have been cozy mysteries written that cover every subject imaginable. The main character frequently inherits a family business from a relative or family friend, often a bookstore or restaurant. Melinda Mullet has managed to find a unique take in her new “Whisky Business” series. In “Single Malt Murder”, photo-journalist Abigail Logan inherits a Scottish whisky distillery from her uncle. The reader gets the chance to learn about distilling single malt whisky right along with Abi. The distillery makes a unique setting and the information about whisky-making is detailed, but explained clearly, and flows well within the story.

I like Abi as a main character and enjoy her friendship with fellow journalist Patrick. Their reporting and researching skills come in handy when Abi realizes someone is trying to sabotage the distillery. They work together to find out who is causing problems and making threats against Abi and things get more intense when a body is found in one of the vats of whisky. Abi has great chemistry with the head distiller, Grant MacEwen and this provides some romantic interest although both are moving cautiously.

There are some sluggish parts in the book as Abi talks to potential buyers of the distillery and tries to decide how she wants to handle her inheritance. One strange thing I noticed when reading the book is the Scottish characters really come alive, but except for a few expressions they used, Abi and Patrick didn’t see English at all, but this may have just been me. I was interested to see who was behind the sabotage and the murder, but after the big build-up, the ending was a bit disappointing. However, things end in a way that looks promising for future books in this unique, enjoyable new series.

I received this book from NetGalley, through the courtesy of Alibi. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

Very well written and entertaining story. I enjoyed learning about whiskey and Scotland. Not one of the genres I normally read, but it's a definite fun cozy mystery sort of book. Good character development and great ending. Good amount of suspense and humor

In my time blogging about books, it has been a rare occurrence indeed that I get a cozy series from the beginning. It is quite an enjoyable experience. Abi Logan, photographer from London, is having a rough time of it lately. Her uncle Ben, the only family she has had since childhood, has recently died after a long illness and left her his farmhouse and distillery in Scotland. She has her booze journalist pal Patrick and her loyal dog Liam, to help her through her grief, but someone is not at all happy about her inheritance. Macabre and menacing gifts try to persuade her to stay away.

Her investigation in the small highland village doesn’t give her much insight into who is threatening her. On the surface it would seem that a woman owning the distillery, and brewing the iconic liquor, doesn’t sit well with the traditionalists. On the other hand Balfour is a small close knit community with long traditions and as an outsider Abi doesn’t get much sympathy from the locals, especially when a young employee ends up dead in one of her vats. Abi searches for the killer and searches her soul as she faces a tough choice.

I am not much of a drinker, but I still enjoyed learning about the process of making and selling whisky. It is far more involved than I had imagined and made a terrific backdrop for the unfolding story. I was able to figure out some of the more obvious components of the mystery, yet reading it play out in the end was still worth it. Abi, Patrick and few of the townsfolk were memorable well written characters, and the prospective buyers with their individual stories and quirks made for great reading. However, most of the rest of the residents in the village could have used a bit more fleshing out. That does leave a lot of room for growth during the series. There is obviously also a colorful town history that can be tapped into for inspiration. All in all this was a great afternoon’s read and this seems to be a series that will be enjoyable for a long time to come.

I loved this mystery, it was so cool to read about the distillary process and the mystery. Here is an up and coming author for the mystery world that will make you an instant fan. Liam and Abi were wonderful characters.

As a Scottish mystery, the writing is spot on. Small details – meticulously incorporated – enhance the overall reading experience and immerse the reader in the setting. I’m not a whisky connoisseur (or any alcohol for that matter) but from what little knowledge I do have, the description of the process as well as the whisky itself are both delectable and intriguing.

As a mystery in general, this story is very well-plotted. Enough potential suspects to keep you guessing until the very end, a few nicely placed misdirections, and moments of great tension. The light romantic subplot is icing on the cake, as far as I’m concerned!

Bottom Line: A great start to a new series, Single Malt Murder excels in mood and setting and plot. There may be a few too many characters to keep up with, but such is the nature of a typical “first book in a series” – necessary to lay the foundation for future books. I love the Scottish flavor, and I’m looking forward to seeing what adventures are up next for Abi and of course Liam too!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

A thoroughly enjoyable mystery! Abigail is a well known journalist. She inherited a whisky distillery in Scotland from her Uncle Ben, who raised her after the death of her parents at an early age. Abi is unsure of what she would do with the distillery, Abbey Glen. It seems that many people want her to sell and are even prepared to resort to murder to hurry the process. Grant enters the picture, causing her more confusion as she is attracted to him, but is he a killer? Great story and great characters!

Good mystery, in America, we would think about Kentucky Bourbon. That's basically what Abi has inherited. I recommend! Thanks! Enjoy!

I could read this writer all day. Fun cozy, great story. I look forward to more!!

I came across this book a little while back and two things grabbed my attention- single malt whisky and Scotland, two things in my top 5 favorite things list. Yes, I love the smoky-peaty single malts the best, but most people like the smooth, sweeter varieties. With this said, I wanted to read a mystery too, so this seemed like a match made in malt.

Melinda Mullet is new to the novel writing business and according to her bio had been an practicing attorney prior to her new career. With this said, the mystery of who done 'it' is a bit more intricately woven than some other mysteries in what I call the lower to mid-range mysteries (meaning this is not on a high school or college level reading level.)

If you're not a whisky drinker, it's okay, neither was Abigail Logan, our lead character. Mullet uses this lack on knowledge to educate her readers on the whisky process, type of whiskey and some history too; not so much so that you're bored, but enough to make you think that that bottle of booze in your cabinet took a lot more than the bottle of beer you may have laying about.

As for the mystery itself, Mullet does a superb job of misdirection, using Abigail's thought process to bring you to a possible murderer only to have her and you, the reader, think about your suspects again. While, if you're a savvy reader, about half way you'll start coming across clues as to who ultimately was behind the nefarious deed; if you're reading to enjoy the story, no worries, the who, what and why is revealed pretty close to the end of the book so you're not wading out the blah-blah-blah of page fillers once the reveal happens.

Which brings me to pacing of Single Malt Murder which was, in my opinion, dead on. In the beginning I was a little leary as it the pacing seemed a little slow, but I reasoned due to this is the first book, introductions needed to be made and the explanation of the whisky making process needed to be explained, that accounted for, what I call, the slow pacing. and after the first couple of chapters the pacing and background information started to weed itself out and allow the story to truly begin, creating a good, solid page turner.

Overall, this was a good malty murder novel, and at parts, I did think about breaking out my stash and sipping along as I'm sure I have some of the smoother, sweeter variety in my closet somewhere. As a side note, I'm thinking Mullet mentions, incognito, Macllan (or it could be Glenfiddich) and Laphroig while explaining these fine Scottish treasures. If your are a whisky connoisseur I think you'll enjoy this series based on this first installment.

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

As soon as I read the description of this book I was eager to get it, and it did not disappoint. Abi inherits a whiskey distillery from her uncle. Since she has a break from work she heads to Scotland to check things out. First she is threatened and then when she finds a body, she starts to investigate what is going on with her inheritance. I could not put this story down and highly recommend it for someone who likes cozy mysteries. I eagerly await the next book in this series.

I love cozy mysteries and this one was no exception. I really enjoyed the writing and the characters were wonderful. I am looking forward to reading more books in the series.

I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

Thought I would give this new author a try. I really enjoy cozies set in the UK, especially in Scotland. Unfortunately, I did not feel a connection with Abigail Logan. It was well-written and had a lot of interesting information about the whisky business. I can see how it is usually seen as a man's business. However, there seemed to be a lot of hostility from the very beginning which I think is what turned me off. I found myself skipping sections of description to get to the dialogue to move more quickly through the story. Not sure if I'll read the second one. Might try it to see if it gets better.

Single Malt Murder by Melinda Mullet is the first book in A Whiskey Business Mystery series. Abigail “Abi” Logan has returned to England upon hearing about the death of her uncle, Bennett Logan. Abi is a photojournalist and was in Africa on assignment when she received the call that he was dying. Ben suffered from lung cancer and the end came quicker than expected. Abi heads to Scotland with her friend, Patrick (associate editor for Wine and Spirits Monthly) for Ben’s funeral and the reading of his will. Before leaving London, Abi receives a threatening note. Someone is not happy that Abi is inheriting Abbey Glen, Ben’s single malt whiskey distillery. About fifteen years prior, Ben retired and sold Haven, his home. He relocated to Balfour, Scotland where he renovated an old distillery and house for himself. This is Abi’s first visit to Ben’s home (she held a grudge with Ben for selling Haven). They arrive at Ben’s home to find another warning (a very nasty one which I am not describing). Abi discovers that someone has also been sabotaging the distillery. Abi and Patrick decide to check on the distillery before retiring on the day of the funeral (worried that someone would take advantage of the place being empty). They are in the Yeast Room and find a body in a washback. It seems that the saboteur has escalated to murder. Abi is planning on selling Abbey Glen, but she cannot move forward with her plans until she finds the person responsible. She does not believe the local police are up to the task. But the locals do not appreciate Abi’s presence and prefer to keep their secrets hidden. It will take all of Abi’s investigative skills to uncover the offender and remain alive to see the wrongdoer brought to justice.

Single Malt Murder contained an interesting and complex mystery. A good sleuth will be able to identify the wrongdoer if they pay close attention (one sentence provided me with the identity). The novel is easy to read (for the most part), but I did find the pace a little slow at times. I had trouble liking Abi. She is an acquired taste (just like whiskey). I did like her approach to investigating the crime, though, I quickly tired of her three words for each person. I give Single Malt Murder 4 out of 5 stars. The setting sounded beautiful. I would love to visit the area. The whiskey making process is described in the book. It is complicated and involves many steps (this is one area where the flow is slow). I do not drink so I was unaware of the different types of whiskey. I believe the book could have done with just a little more editing. I found it to be a little too long. I wish the author had not made the romance element so prevalent. I did tire of Abi admiring Grant’s appearance and personality as well as debating the merits of getting involved with him. Single Malt Murder is a good first book and it will be interesting to see where the author takes the series in the future.

Great story, especially if you appreciate malt whisky! One or two editorial glitches jarred though (e.g. referring to autumn in a book about Scotland as "Fall")

Thanks Random House Publishing Group - Alibi and netgalley for this ARC.

Good start to the series, keeps you guessing, learn all about whiskey, and very entertaining.

First a shout-out to NetGalley and Alibi/Random House for giving me the opportunity to review this book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it! The story arc was quite satisfying, the murderer was a surprise, but not a total surprise (I just had a tiny inkling that maybe...), and I loved the protagonist. She has a spirit that is both strong and fragile at the same time, showing credible vulnerability at the appropriate times and a robust backbone that is completely in keeping with her background and career choice. All rounded out with a dash of romance for fun. Truly a well thought out and well crafted book of surprising quality for a first time author. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!

SINGLE MALT MURDER by Melinda Mullet
The First Whisky Business Mystery

Raised by her Uncle Ben after her parents died in a tragic accident, Abigail Logan is a world-renowned photojournalist. After getting word that her uncle has taken a turn for the worse, Abi leaves her assignment in Sierra Leone, but returns home too late. Her uncle has died of cancer. Along with her best friend, Patrick, Abi heads to Scotland for the funeral and to see Abbey Glen, the distillery she's inherited. But before she can even cross the border, she begins to receive threatening misogynistic messages. Someone does not want a woman running a distillery. Upon her arrival at the well respected Scottish boutique distillery Abi is met with ill concealed disdain. The threatening messages continue and Abi also learns that Abbey Glen has been dealing with sabotage. The night after Ben's funeral Abi and Patrick discover the body of a young employee. Was he the victim of sabotage, or was it murder?

SINGLE MALT MURDER is a traditional mystery with more adult themes and a darker ambiance. It's a novel about trust. Are the employees of Abbey Glen faithful to the distillery, or are they working against Abi? Could a potential buyer be behind the sabotage and threats? What about the villagers? Can Abi trust herself? Compelling, complex characters inhabit this world throwing suspicion in all directions.

Melinda Mullet chose a unique and fascinating setting and topic for her mystery series. While I'm not a fan of Scotch, I do like whisky and enjoyed learning more about distilleries, their history, and the hobby of collecting the spirit. This first Whisky Business mystery is an absorbing read that gives a satisfying conclusion yet leaves plenty of avenues to explore in future Whisky Business books.