Single Malt Murder

When I requested this book from NetGalley, for some reason I thought I was getting a traditional cozy mystery. I thought wrong. Single Malt Murder has a few more layers to it than the usual cozy, and it was a very enjoyable read.

First, let me get one thing straight: I am not a drinker. I'm lucky if I drink one margarita per decade. Be that as it may, I found all the information about the whisky (it's not "whiskey" if you're in Scotland) business fascinating-- and it made me wish I'd gone along with my husband on his tours of some of the distilleries in the Highlands.

Abi Logan, the main character, is supposedly good at reading people, but there was really little evidence of it, especially when her heart was involved. She's a bit show more self-involved but extremely likable, and I loved Liam, her wheaten terrier. There's a bit of romance between her and her dour head distiller-- just enough for those who like that sort of thing and not too much for those who don't.

Good setting, good characters, good information about whisky, and that's not all there is to like about Single Malt Murder. Mullet has created an excellent mystery that really kept me guessing. There's some exciting skullduggery at the end; there's some lovely wit and humor throughout the book, and-- like the romance-- this isn't overdone either. I really enjoyed this first in the Whisky Business series, and I'm certainly looking forward to the second installment. show less

Photojournalist Abigail (Abi) Logan inherits a charming whisky distillery in Scotland after the death of her guardian/uncle Ben. Ben sure seemed like he was of a good sort, I kind of wish he'd been around for some of the story. As it was, it took awhile to get into the groove--I have learned a lot about whisky making and why single malt is the way to go. The Scottish Highland town of Balfour sounds like somewhere I'd love to visit and Mullet sprinkles a bit of Scottish history in with the whisky making information. With strange happenings at Abbey Glen, the distillery, and then a body found in a vat of whisky, Abi's two weeks may not be enough to figure out what's going on before she decides whether or not to sell to a conglomerate.

In no shape, form or fashion is it evident that SINGLE MALT MURDER is Melinda Mullet’s first book. A setting that makes you wish you could live there, a solid well-constructed mystery, complex characters, and the chance to learn about a topic that isn’t one you encounter every day.

Abi and Grant both start off on the prickly side but warm up nicely. Their attraction simmers in the background, never dominating. Personally speaking, that’s a good thing.

Balfour, the Haven, and Abby Glen all made me long to hop a plan and relocate.

Abby Glen is a distillery for single malt whisky, and as such there are details about the process and a few historical tidbits. Interesting, but if you’ll have to discover the difference between whiskey show more and whisky on your own.

Whoduunit and why kept me on my mental toes and kudos to those who figure out every detail. I certainly didn’t, but that’s half the fun, isn’t it?

Ms. Mullet has set the bar high for her follow up. If SINGLE MALT MURDER is anything to judge by, she should meet the challenge handily.
Looking forward to my next trip to Balfour.

Reviewed for Miss Ivy’s Book Nook Take II and Novels Alive TV show less

Single Malt Murder is the first book in a brand new series -- The Whisky Business Mystery series. The theme and the cover got my attention, pulling me in to read this book by new author, Melinda Mullet. I'm glad...this was an enjoyable read!

First, the basics: Following the death of her Uncle Ben, Abigail Logan inherits Abbey Glen whisky distillery in rural Scotland. Abi is uneasy about the situation. Not only because as an award-winning photojournalist, she knows nothing about whisky distilling, but also because she immediately begins receiving threats. Anonymous notes, bouquets of thistles and even a dead duck are left to warn her against a woman running Abbey Glen. Acts of sabotage are occurring at the distillery, too. When Abi and show more her friend, Patrick, discover an Abbey Glen employee dead in a vat of whisky, she decides to start investigating the events. Who doesn't want her running the distillery? Is the same person sabotaging the business? When another murder occurs, Abi starts to wonder if it's her fault....did her inheritance of the single malt whisky distillery just lead to the deaths of two people? Who feels strongly enough about it to kill?

This is an engrossing, enjoyable mystery novel! Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. The mystery portion of the plot is well-paced. There are a fair number of suspects and the ending caught me by surprise. Well done! Sprinkled throughout are interesting facts about the process of distilling and fermenting whisky. I had no idea it's such a long and involved process. The subplot didn't overwhelm the mystery, but added depth to the story. I liked Abi as a main character. She is a strong, independent woman who went about her investigations with skill. The supporting characters are interesting with enough small village quirkiness to make them interesting and appealing. There is a touch of romance within the story, but it isn't a main focus, rather like the frosting on the cupcake.

This is Melinda Mullet's first novel. It was well-written and an excellent cozy mystery. I highly recommend it to mystery lovers and whisky connoisseurs alike. Thanks to this book the next time I take a sip of whisky I will definitely be thinking about all that went into producing it.

I can't wait to read the next book in the series! Death Distilled will be published in September 2017. show less

What a great introduction to a cozy mystery series. Abi Logan, who is actually a photographer, inherits from her uncle and foster father a whiskey distillery in Scotland. While she tries to take over the heritage locally, not only is the distillery sabotaged, but a young man is murdered. Abi faces many hurdles, as it is also unusual for a woman to run a whiskey distillery. The distiller is very fond of her, but Abi takes a long time to accept it. Furthermore, she must first work up the history of the company so that she can dissolve the murder. At the same time, she herself is in grave danger.
A great exciting book and I will definitely read the rest of the books in this series.

I generally liked this, although I wish Abi and Ben had been closer. I enjoyed the mystery and I didn't see it coming - whether because it was that good or because there was no evidence leading to it I'm unsure. Either way I was kept entertained. I would've liked to see Abi build more of a connection with Grant and Cam but I'm sure that'll happen in future books. I did like her relationship with Patrick and how he helped to solve the crimes. The whisky angle was interesting and I haven't read a cozy mystery in a similar vein before. I'll definitely continue with the series.

Single Malt Murder by Melinda Mullet
Book #1: Whiskey Business Mystery Series
Source: Purchase
My Rating: 4/5 stars

Abi Logan has spent her adult life in some of the world’s most horrifying places. As an award-winning photojournalist, Abi has seen more than the average person and handled most of it spectacularly. What’s harder to handle is the death of her uncle, the man who raised her.

Ben was everything to Abi, and his death, though not unexpected is still hard to accept. What’s more, Ben has left Abi a beautifully renovated home and a boutique whiskey distillery. While Abi is grateful for the home - being a photojournalist doesn’t leave much room for settling in and making a home – she has no idea what to do with the show more distillery. If the locals are to believed, it’s no surprise Abi has no idea what to do with a distillery since it’s a man’s world and no place for a woman. What those locals (and other distillery owners!) don’t know is anything about Abi and how dear Ben really was to her.

Digging her feet in and accomplishing her goals is what Abi does, and within hours of her arrival she is going to have to do just that. Since Ben’s death, there have been small acts of vandalism around the distillery and when Abi doesn’t immediately put the distillery on the market, the vandalism and threats only increase. Though the local police don’t want her involved, Abi’s natural instincts toward uncovering the truth kick in and she begins asking a lot of questions. Getting the locals to trust her isn’t easy, but when one of their own turns up dead and Abi makes every effort to solve the crime she gets a little further, a little faster.

As she’s poking around, Abi does begin to make a few friends, she learns a great deal about the history of her newly acquired distillery, and taps into a much larger series of crimes than anyone could have originally suspected. Though Abi doesn’t tend toward such rotten luck, the much larger series of crimes she uncovers puts her in tremendous danger and Abi suddenly becomes grateful for the few friends she’s made.

The Bottom Line: It took me several chapters to really get into this book, but I’m glad I gave it a chance to pick up and pull me in. Abi isn’t the typical disgusting journalist so getting behind her and her inquiries wasn’t all that hard. The locals who befriend Abi are all quite delightful and such an asset to the overall read. While this story is certainly about the distillery and the whiskey plot, it is also about Abi finding her place in the world. Without Ben, Abi is decidedly lost, and in his wisdom, Ben brought Abi to the one place in the world he knew she would belong. All she had to do was solve a huge crime, a series of other crimes, and convince the locals she isn’t going to sell off their beloved distillery to the highest bidder. Nothing could possibly go wrong in all of that 😊 show less