Award-winning photojournalist Abigail Logan is grieving the death of her uncle Ben, who raised her after the death of her parents in an auto accident. Fifteen years prior to his death from cancer Ben sold up his London holdings and purchased a small whisky distillery in the Scottish Highlands. Abby is now the owner of the distillery but has no plans to continue. She loves her globe-trotting career and has no intention of taking up distilling single malt and settling down in a small village. But Ben made a success of the distillery and she wants to make sure that any buyer will preserve his vision for the business. Abi takes her wheaten terrier, Liam, for a stay at Abbey Glen in order to sort things out. The village and the distillery staff are far from welcoming and a series of petty vandalisms culminate in murder and fire at Abbey Glen Distillery. Someone wants Abi gone, but who is it, the various prospective buyers, someone who works at the distillery or someone in the village itself? Abi must use all her investigative skills to find out the culprit and perhaps save her own life.

I am a fan of all things Scots (except haggis, perhaps) but I have never developed a taste for single malt and knew absolutely nothing about distilling. Single Malt Murder is packed with information about the methods, history, and lore of Scots whisky. It's never boring and woven seamlessly into the story. Many interesting and intriguing characters, especially Grant MacEwen, Ben's right-hand man, appear and I did not figure out who the murderer was until the end.

I highly recommend Single Malt Murder and am looking forward to the next in the series.Thanks to Random House Alibi and NetGalley for an advance copy. The opinions above are my own.

RATING- 4 Stars

Serendipity has come up in several contexts for me of late. I recently finished a novel which discussed the bourbon distilling process and now come to this one which educates us on creating single malt whisky (versus U.S. whiskey!), each within the context of a murder mystery. I love books which educate as well as entertain. Add to that a well-written and edited story, and a lovable dog <sigh>, what more could you want? There are some great twists to the plot and I admit to being surprised by the ending even though I did figure out some of what was going on.

Single Malt Murder is the debut of the A Whisky Business Mystery series featuring famed photojournalist Abigail "Abi" Logan. Abi has inherited Abbey Glen, her Uncle Ben's single malt distillery in the tiny town of Balfour located in the Scottish Highlands. Abi is feeling guilty that the man who raised her after her parent's death succumbed to cancer while she was away on a photo shoot. Having never made the time to go and visit her Uncle at Abbey Glen, she just wants to go attend his funeral service and put the distillery and his home, the Haven, on the market.

Accompanied to Balfour by her best friend Patrick Cooke, Abi soon discovers that the employees at Abbey Glen are not happy with Uncle Ben's decision to leave the distillery to her, as women have no business in the whisky business. Manager Grant MacEwen seems to have the biggest beef with Abi and when she starts receiving threatening messages and someone is purposely sabotaging the distillery she quickly suspects him.

With offers from competing distillers trickling in and the sabotage continuing, Abi starts to wonder if someone is deliberately trying to scare her away and drive the price of Abbey Glen down. Her fears are soon recognized when she and Patrick discover a dead body in the mash vat. With her trusty sidekick, wheaten terrier Liam, by her side Abi sets out to find the killer and save her Uncle's legacy.

A fast paced storyline that draws you in with a colorful cast of characters, beautiful countryside, a devoted dog and a hint of romance. The author provides just enough information on the whisky making process and a handful of suspects will have you guessing whodunit until the very end.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley via Alibi. While not required to write a review I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.

This mystery is set in Scotland, which was one of the major draws for me. The plotting was fine, though I guessed the murderer well in advance of the ending, because that person was the only one always around who never seemed to draw any suspicion. Still, I liked Abi and her dog, Liam, and I wanted to be drawn into this mystery. The problem, for me, was lack of tension. Despite two murders happening, there never seemed to be any true suspense. Things were happening, certainly, but they were related in a kind of matter of fact way that failed to build any tension. Abi's only deadline, the only ticking clock, was that she had only taken a certain amount of time from work to go sort things out at the distillery. So when time's running out, what happens? She calls and gets another week off. Until the very ending, there is never any sense of danger. And, indeed, even when Abi and Liam's lives are at stake, there's not much urgency to the writing. I wanted to like this more than I did.

[Review copy provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.]

A very nice light entertaining cozy- and a good debut for Mullet. Abi, Patrick, and Liam the terrier are a terrific combination to deal with the prejudices and problems Abi faces up to and including the murder. I liked learning a bit about the whiskey business. The setting is good and it's well written. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm looking forward to the next in this planned series.

Good who-dun-it in a Scottish setting which I enjoyed.. The whisky making twist was a good view into a part of Scottish history. I'd heard about but didn't know much about. I liked Abi, Grant and the crusty Scots, but liked her dead uncle best. The romance was a little too predictable, but does make me want to read the next one.

Princess Fuzzypants here:
Abi is an award winning photojournalist most comfortable covering the hot spots of the world. When her late uncle leaves her his beloved boutique whisky distillery, she is completely lost. She knows nothing of whisky let alone how to continue her uncle's tradition of quality. Moreover, when she arrives in Scotland for the funeral and to attend to the will, she is greeted by an industry less than welcoming to a woman, let alone an outsider.
The assumption is she will sell up and return to London as quickly as possible, Things change when a young man is murdered on the property and threats and vandalism shower down on her. Whoever wants her gone has sorely misjudged her and it only makes her more determined to find out who is behind the crimes and find the right purchaser for Abbey Glen.
Abi is a feisty lady- smart, intuitive, determined. She is confused about whom she can trust and whom she cannot but she will not be sent running. Surrounding her are some lovely and quirky Scottish villagers and one very delicious manager whom she cannot decide is friend or foe despite some strong physical attractions.
It is a good mystery with lots of tidbits on whisky. The characters leap off the page so much that I found myself "casting" the roles for the movie version. As the plot thickened towards the end, the suspense increased and the final reveal of the perps was a revelation. It was a page turner from beginning to end. It would be a bonny read with a wee dram by a fireplace.
I give it five purrs and two paws up.

Whiskey making is NOT for the feint of heart! In Scotland, and Ireland, it has a LONG history, that ties into the land, the people and the very culture of the area. Which is why this book was perfect for History Thursday, as it deals with so much of the history of making whiskey! This is a perfect Spring read, full of twists and turns and red herrings aplenty, yet you get so entranced with the descriptions of the village and Abbey Glen, that you'll want to immerse yourself in the book and take your time reading it (although it IS a quick read!). I really look forward to the next book in the series, Distilled Spirits (coming in September) with Abi and her crew!

I have come to really enjoy these types of reads. The cozy mystery types. I am learning that with most (if not all, I don't know - I haven't read them all) they are like an adult version of Nancy Drew books. And I love Nancy Drew books still. I especially liked this one because I am partly Scottish. I was even in a band all through junior high ad high school (not through the school or with friends, but still an actual band) where I played the bagpipes, then my younger sister played the pipes, and my older sister played the drums (the ones where hey look like big cotton balls and they do twirl and tricks with their drum sticks). We went to competitions every summer at the Highland Games...but anyway...I digress...
So I was a little biased about picking up this book in the beginning because of the backdrop of this book and my background.
I absolutely adored this book. Seriously. And when it came to the Whisky, the author has created such a lively character set with Abi and her best friend, that when it comes to creating the perfect shot, you can almost smell the aroma's and taste the whisky - not whiskey!
The mystery comes in when you're wondering why her late uncle would choose her when she knows nothing of the distillery business and, she soon starts receiving threats! And to top things off, an employee is found dead.
I am really excited to read the rest of this series!

A great start to a new mystery series! Abigail Logan inherits a whisky distillery in the Scottish Highlands, but someone is not happy about it. She begins receiving threatening notes trying to get her to go home. There is also a murder at the whisky distillery. This is the story of how she unravels the mystery at the distillery. I had no idea there was so much involved in making a good whisky-I learned some things. Also, I liked the addition of her dog Liam as one of the characters. This story is very well written, and engages the reader right from the beginning. I especially liked the ending-very suspenseful! Highly recommend if you like a good mystery!

Absolutely delicious! I'm speaking of the book, not the booze. I enjoyed every word of this one from beginning to end. And speaking of words, I must point out that you'll find no "e" in whisky here; the Scots, I've learned, spell it "whisky" while the Irish - and as far as I can tell, we Americans - prefer "whiskey."

It was the title, in fact, that prompted my initial interest; our son was a devotee of single malt Scotch. He shared a number of varieties with my husband and I, although to be honest, those more strongly permeated with peat - one of the distinguishing characteristics - to me tasted rather like drinking a pile of watered-down dirt. Still, because of his enthusiasm, the topic was intriguing, and now I'm delighted to say the book tasted far better than that earthy Scotch. The story moves along quickly and interestingly, and now that I've finished, I'm looking forward to the next in the series (which I believe is "Death Distilled," set for publication on Sept. 5, 2017).

This story begins when award-winning photojournalist Abigail Logan inherits Abbey Glen, a distillery in the Scottish Highlands, from her late Uncle Ben. It's largely operated by head distiller Grant (yes, he's a single, hunky Scotsman and she's also unattached). When she takes a couple of weeks off from her job to check things out - accompanied by her Wheaten Terrier Liam and good friend Patrick (a whiskey lover if ever there was one), she isn't exactly welcomed with open arms. The locals, it seems, share a fervent belief that a woman has no place in a distillery. Even Grant, close friends with her uncle, seems to resent her presence; just about the only people who are happy to see her are trying to curry favor so she'll sell the distillery - which she has zero knowledge of how to run - to them.

But there's much more to the disdain than that; in short order, she gets anonymous threats - not the least of which is a still-dripping blood dead duck - and then a young male employee turns up quite dead in a large vat of whiskey. The suspect list is long - and, at least for a time, includes Abi herself. Not knowing who to trust, she puts her investigative journalism skills to work to try to identify the killer, all the while trying to decide what to do with the property (and the rest of her life).

It's a wonderful adventure , and short enough that it easily can be finished in a day or two. One of my favorite quotes, though, came after the book ended, to-wit:

"Happiness is having a rare steak, a bottle of whisky and a dog to eat the rare steak."

Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for a review. Highly recommended!

Loved it! The book engaged me from the start and didn't let go. I had to force myself to make meals, take a reading break, etc. Wonderful surprise ending. Had not guessed the culprit(s). I am eager to see where this series goes. Yes, there is a hint of romance, but also so much more. I have visited distilleries, both large and small, but they were in Kentucky, not Scotland. Not a fan of dialects, accents, whatever strange spelling of words is called. Not too much of that included. I was surprised at the use of the word flashlight instead of torch. Appeared to be written by an American, not a Brit. I do enjoy the use of words typical of an area, such as bin, not trash can, or flat instead of apartment. I did enjoy the full breakfast. I have visited England, but not Scotland. I was not expecting much from this book, so I hate to over praise it, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

A Murderous Romp Through Scotland’s Whiskey Business

Abi Logan, an award-winning photo journalist, is devastated when the uncle, who raised her after her parent’s death, dies from cancer. She was on a photo shoot when he died, and she blames herself for not spending more time with him. Her guilt is compounded when she discovers that he’s left her a distillery in Scotland making a sought-after single malt whiskey.

Abi with her friend Patrick, and delightful dog, Liam, journey to Scotland to check out the distillery. Her guilt increases when she finds that the distillery was named for her and the adjacent house is named the Haven, the name of her beloved childhood home. Besides trying to learn about whiskey to decide among the numerous offers she has for the business, things become more complicated when she faces death threats, break-ins, and arson.

I enjoyed this cozy mystery. It was fascinating to learn about Scotland’s whiskey business, I had no idea it was so complex. The setting in the highlands adds charm to the story. Romance is in the air, but it doesn’t overwhelm the plot just adds a nice touch of human interaction. The plot has plenty of twists. I think you’ll be surprised by the ending.

The characters are excellent. Liam is a particular favorite. I also enjoyed the various types of men, women are not welcome in the whiskey business, running the small distilleries in the highlands.

This is the first book in the new series. I recommend it and will be looking forward to the future adventures of Abby and Liam.

I received this book from Alibi for this review.

This is a wonderful debut mystery! The story quickly drew my attention and kept me glued to the pages. The characters are vibrant, likable and believable. The author does such a wonderful job of describing the setting and various locations I could easily picture them in my mind. The mystery is well executed with plenty of suspects, I was kept guessing until the end. I really enjoyed this story and hope to read more books in this series in the future.

I received a copy of this manuscript from the publisher, via NetGalley; my review has been voluntarily submitted.

Murder mystery? Check.  Whisky? Double check. Scotland? Triple check. 

Melinda Mullet's Single Malt Mystery checks a lot of my favorite boxes, so I knew I had to read it. I love cozy mysteries, and I have neglected them in recent years. That stops now. And for very good reason. 

When award-winning photojournalist Abigail Logan hears that her uncle Ben, the man who raised her after the death of her parents, has died and left her his beloved project, his single malt whisky distillery, Abi is devastated. But she has no interest in taking over the business. 

Until she starts getting death threats. 

Then. with her best friend and whisky connoisseur Patrick and her dog Liam by her side, she's determined to go to Scotland and see what it was that Ben was so passionate about. What she finds surprises her. Not only did her uncle recreate the warmth of the home she grew up in, he has also developed his little craft distillery into one of the most renowned whiskys in Scotland, Abbey Glen. And someone wants to make sure that Abi has nothing to do with it. 

There were sabotages to equipment that stopped production before Abi and Peter got to the distillery, but it's not until young Duff, distillery employee and local bartender, is found floating in one of the washbacks (a large tank that creates the alcohol in the whisky) that Abi gets the local police involved. But that's not enough for her. She wants to make sure that her uncle's hard work and reputation are not compromised. She goes to look for the killer herself. 

The first in the new Whisky Business Mystery series, Single Malt Murder has all the charm of bagpipes, kilts, and William Wallace; and if you're a fan of cozies and Scotland, this is a lot of fun. 



Galleys for Single Malt Murder were provided by the publisher through NetGalley.com.

I enjoyed the local and characters. The mystery kept me guessing until the last 2 chapters. Great character relationships.

“There's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip” is both an ancient Scottish proverb and an apropos commentary on Melinda Mullet’s inaugural Whisky Business Mystery, Single Malt Murder.

Award-winning photojournalist Abigail Logan unexpectedly inherits the Abbey Glen Distillery from her uncle Ben. The details spill out in a lachrymose and boozy evening with her oldest friend, the dapper and debonair Patrick Cooke, who tells Abi she looks like something “the cat dragged in on an off night.”

Tonight he looked even more out of place than usual next to the scruffy journalists and media types that call this corner of London’s Fleet Street home, but the Scrivener’s Arms had been our regular post-work watering hole for more than ten years, and I refused to migrate to the trendier West End bars just because Patrick had recently been promoted to associate editor of Wine and Spirits Monthly.

Twenty-five years ago, when she was only eight, Abi’s parents died in a sickening car crash. Her father’s brother Ben stepped up and “embraced being a father with gusto.” Ben’s devotion over the years adds to Abi’s guilt at not being with him when he passed. She thinks to herself:

He saw the best in me, even when others couldn’t. And now that he was gone, a small selfish part of me despaired that no one else ever would.

“What happens next?” Patrick prodded gently.

What’s next is that Abi and Patrick travel to Scotland to explore Ben’s “new toy—a run-down whisky distillery.” Ben acquired the distillery fifteen years ago, and after his retirement moved to Scotland full-time to make a go of it. Abi has not just inherited the business, she’s “been given complete control,” and it seems that not everyone is happy about that.

I handed Patrick an envelope with no return address or postmark. He pulled out the plain card within and read:

“No woman should possess the water of life, Try and you’ll die at the point of a knife.”

“Appalling verse” notwithstanding, Abi takes the threat seriously. She tells Patrick that the phrase “water of life” is a “translation of the ancient word for whisky.” It is to Melinda Mullett’s credit that the details of single-malt whisky production do not segue to an info-dump but rather serve to illuminate a unique operation. Abbey Glen is no ordinary business, even if Abi had never heard of it.

Patrick shook his head in amazement. “Abbey Glen’s only one of the hottest up-and-coming independent single malt producers in Scotland. Small and very pricey, a boutique distillery. The kind of place Ben would love. It’s a real class act.”

“Ben never did anything halfway in his life.” I sighed. “I should’ve known he’d make a decent whiskey.”

“Decent? More than decent. It’s exquisite. Graceful, smooth, complex…”

Abi may be shouting “Uncle” at Patrick to stop his effusive, connoisseur-esque commentary, but readers will very much enjoy the primer on all things single malt.

Once in Scotland, the threats continue: there’s an unfortunate death and a questionable fire, while a group of affable (or not) whisky owners hover around the new owner, hoping to persuade her to sell. Which of them, Abi wonders, sent her a “huge bouquet of thistles tied with a funereal black grosgrain ribbon?” That’s not even subtle.

Abi decides her tribute to her uncle will be a book showcasing his beloved distillery. The moment she arrives, she starts to take photographs. Unsurprisingly, Ben’s home is exquisite—a jewel in the Scottish countryside. Her first morning in Scotland enchants her.

Beyond the cultivated border, the heather-covered slopes were visible in the distance, creating an Impressionists’s canvas of rose and lavender hues against the backdrop of the limestone hills that framed the valley. Lingering wisps of morning mist gave the whole place an otherworldly look. It felt like waking to find I’d been transported to Middle Earth in the night.

Is it her uncle’s legacy, is it the beauty of her surroundings, or is it her first taste of the amber liquid her uncle produced that persuades Abi to stay a while? A young bartender pours her a dram.

Fully prepared to hide a grimace, I was surprised to find that, even at full strength, it tasted more like a vintage brandy than the whiskies I knew. Not just good, but really good. Redolent of figs and caramel and Christmas pudding. A gentle touch of comfort and warmth, which made me think of Ben.

Armed with a glow that felt very much like a “ghostly caress,” Abi embarks on the adventure—and the mystery—of a lifetime. The Scottish countryside, the weathered townsfolk, and possibly her enigmatic and “attractive head distiller,” are a backdrop to Abi’s determination to solve the puzzle of why she is being warned off her uncle’s bequest.

Let’s lift a wee dram to the start of a fascinating new series.

So, I've felt like I've been in a rut with my reading lately - especially with my review requests. Not that I needed to add anything to my TBR shelf, but I do like variety ;) That's how I stumbled upon Single Malt Murder and I am so glad that I did. It didn't take me long to fall in love with Abi, Liam, her best friend Patrick and the close knit group of people in the community her Uncle Ben had called home.

There was so much to love about Single Malt Murder, that I'm not sure where to start. I obviously loved the characters. The writing was great and the dialogue between the characters flowed nicely (clipped, unnatural conversations between characters drive me nuts!) The mystery had me trying to figure out 'who-done-it' almost to the very end. I had my suspicions, but just like Abi, I talked myself out of most of them. There was a hint of romance, which in this story, was just enough. There was an elderly character that was spry, witty and respected by pretty much everyone and her common sense observations were helpful to Abi. Liam was a great addition to the story and a true champion (I love it when a dog is as much of a supporting character as the humans they interact with.) What's not to love about this perfect combination?

Of course, there was a lot more to Single Malt Murder, but I don't want to give anything away. There were parts of the story and the way the author handled them that were refreshing. Needless to say, I can't wait until Death Distilled, the second book in Ms. Mullet's Whisky Business Mystery is released.

On a side note, have you ever had someone bring something to your attention and not be able to get it out of your head? I got so engrossed in Single Malt Murder that I didn't even give the spelling of Whisky a second thought... until I noticed that one reviewer said that it bugged her. That's all it took for me to do a little research. Turns out there's a reason for it and Straight Up Cocktails and Spirits does a wonderful job of explaining it in their 2009 post - Whiskey vs. Whisky: What's the Difference?. I love learning new things, don't you?

Abi has just lost the uncle who raised her and is struggling to come to grips with the misogynistic feelings prevalent in the whiskey industry. She has just inherited the Abbey Glen whisky distillery and instead of teaching her how to run the place, everyone assumes she is going to sell it and return to her life as a photographic journalist. As the first book in a series, it does a great job of introducing a lot of characters and giving the reader a solid background on the setting of the series. However, other than being surprised by the identity of the killer, the story line was fairly predictable, but still enjoyable. I look forward to reading what Ms. Mullett has in store for Abi as she learns how to run a successful distillery.