A Deadly Mystery…
The second Bourbon Tour mystery and Kentucky beckons. When the master distiller is struck down and foul play suspected, Jill becomes embroiled in another deadly mystery. Enjoyable and entertaining with a likeable protagonist who has now found her feet.

4 stars with half a star deducted for several mistakes in the story.
As a life long resident of Pennsylvania it was cringe worthy seeing Kentucky called the Keystone state.
Here are a few sentences I found about my home state of PA.
Official State Nickname of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania's nickname is "The Keystone State" because it was the middle colony of the original thirteen colonies, and because Pennsylvania has held a key position in the economic, social, and political development of the United States.
Kentucky Nickname The Blue Grass State
There were several other mistakes made that others have pointed out so I won't.
Don't author's have editors and proofreaders to check their work?
Overall the story line was strong and flowed smoothly and I enjoyed it.
It had an ending that I was surprised with.

Pub Date 03 Aug 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you

I found it entertaining and enjoyed it even if there were some parts that required a bit of suspension of belief.
Jill and Nick are interesting characters, Dot and Jill's Grandma are funny and quirky.
My only issues are: too much romance/family problems and the instant friendship between Jill and Alex.
The mystery was slow burning and it wasn't hard to guess the culprit but I didn't know why.
I think this can become an excellent series and I want to read the next book.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

100 Proof Murder by Mary Ellis has Jill Curtis, a syndicated travel writer, arriving in Louisville, Kentucky to tour local bourbon distilleries. Jill and her videographer, Michael are enjoying a drink in the bar when they learn that the master distiller of Parker Estate Distillery, William Scott Parker, passed away that afternoon. Jill has an appointment to meet with the decedent’s daughter and the distilleries operation manager, Alexis Scott Parker the next day as well as tour their facility. Jill arrives at her appointment to find a distraught Alexis. She believes her father is the victim of foul play, but Alexis has no idea how to prove it. Jill, thanks to her recent experience, can aid Alexis in this matter. Jill soon finds herself entangled in the Scott Parker family drama as she attempts to learn the truth about the master distiller’s sudden demise. 100 Proof Murder is the 2nd book in A Bourbon Tour Mystery series. 100 Proof Murder can be read as a stand alone for those who have not read One for the Road. I thought Jill Curtis being a travel writer was a unique premise for a cozy mystery. With Jill traveling, there is always a new place for a murder or crime to occur (instead of a large spike in crime in a small town). I enjoyed the descriptions of Louisville, Whiskey Row, and the area distilleries. The whodunit is not the focus of this cozy mystery. The distiller’s death is not even declared suspicious until I was a third of a way through the book. There are a variety of suspects and a red herring. I had no problem identifying the guilty party before the reveal (a big clue gives it away). The majority of the book deals with Jill’s job, Lt. Nick Harris having problem with his mother, Jill’s relatives causing havoc (their antics were hilarious), and Jill and Nick’s relationship. We follow Jill as she goes about her daily life in Louisville. There are some glaring mistakes in this book. Michael’s last name changes late in the book from Erickson to Emerson, Michael’s gumbo because jambalaya, and Kentucky is referred to as the Keystone state (that is Pennsylvania). The pacing is languid in 100 Proof Murder. A book with a little over two hundred pages seemed three times as long. I wanted less romance and more mystery. This could be an entertaining series with some changes. 100 Proof Murder takes readers to the Bluegrass State where there are tasty tipples, a disconcerting death, raucous relatives, a masculine lieutenant, an absentminded mother, and a vexing videographer.

This is a Cozy Mystery with a little romance and small town charm, and this is the second book in A Bourbon Tour mystery series. I really love the mystery in this book. The characters in this book was great. I did not guess who did it before it was reveal. There was a lot going on in this book, and at times I felt there was just to much drama going on. I have to say this book makes you want to keep reading. The romance was not a lot, and I wanted more of the romance in this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Severn House Publishers) or author (Mary Ellis) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

I loved the first in the Mary Ellis' A Bourbon Tour Mystery series, but '100 Proof Murder' was a disappointment for me. I felt as if Jill was impatient and unkind at times. Her instant friendship and loyalty to Alexis to the exclusion of Nick was frankly unbelievable, especially considering the complete flipped switch in their relationship. I am vaguely interested in more, but don't want to be further disillusioned.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Jill, a journalist and her videographer find themselves pulled into a murder mystery when the master distiller at the estate they are scheduled to visit dies of a heart attack. Or did he? His daughter Alexis thinks it was murder and an autopsy proves her correct. There's an issue with an inheritance, jealousy, and greed to sort through. I really didn't like the first book in this series but this was a vast improvement. Fans of the classic cozy will like this for the characters and the setting. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

New author for me and I loved her book. If you haven't read it yet I highly recommend doing so. Can't wait for more books in this series

We are traveling with Travel Writer Jill Curtis and visiting Kentucky Bourbon Distilleries, and Mary Ellis is giving us another case for our Jill to work on.
This story has a few chuckles, especially with family, and some serious subjects, Alzheimer’s or dementia, and there is also a murder, along with some other questionable behavior.
This read quickly became a page turner for me, guess whom was the culprit, and in the end, yes, I was surprised, but the clues were there.
I am now hoping for another book in this series!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Severn House, and was not required to give a positive review.

I just simply love the Bourbon Tour Mystery! Warm, breezy and funny, this latest addition from the great Mary Ellis should definitively seduce the most hardcore teetotallers looking for a well written and higly entertaining cozy mystery today.
Once again we meet travel writer Jill Curtis and her companion Michael Erickson as they travel to Louisville in order to work on a documentary about the Kentucky Bourbon industry. But nothing is ever simple with the very perspicacious and never faint-hearted Jill, so very soon she will accidentally stumble upon the rather suspicious death of a local master distiller and get willingly involved with the numerous dysfunctional shenanigans running deep within the deceased's family.....
Blessed with a clever and twisty plot this delightful whodunit introduces also the reader to a marvellous cast of quirky and colorful characters and to the many charms of the beautiful Bluegrass State!
The only drawback? Well....Just be aware that you might be craving for a good snifter of the famed Kentuckian whiskey by the end....
A delicious fictional treat to be enjoyed without any moderation as long as you are not driving👍👍

Many thanks to Netgalley and Severn/Canongate for this delightful and intoxicating ARC!

Jill was a travel writer and Michael was her videographer doing a tour of distiller’s in Kentucky. In Lexington a special drink of bourbon and champagne,Jill fell in love with. A tour the next day at the Parker Estate’s, now hearing the master distiller died suddenly. With a stretch of truth Jill kept the appoint with the daughter Alexis. Since meeting was not cancelled they sat and chatted, with Alexis asking how does one tell if it was murder of her father. How could she stop the cremation her mother is insisting on.
Once again Jill is caught up in a murder and a dysfunctional family, and making friends with Alexis.
Found the story good, seemed a bit wordy and having to go back to get the actual story details. A clean story and good characters with a touch of families and surprises. Given ARC for Net Galley and Severn Pub for my voluntary review and my honest opinion

I had not read this author or series. Went back to the first and must say I was disappointed with it. The characters seem to have been partaking of to much bourbon and left me wondering about their sanity. Needless to say I didn’t finish it. This new book after reading a few chapters left me feeling that I was wasting my time. I am sure there are plenty of people out there who will love this series unfortunately I am not one of them. Thank you for giving me a taste, or should I say a sip of this author