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 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.

Hard to put down. The characters are engaging and the plot believable. I am hoping this is the beginning of a series. I would like to hear more from this author.

What an excellent book! I would not have known that this is Mrs. Mullet's first literary effort had I not read her acknowledgements. I will admit I was surprised at first by the book being completely written in British English and feel this should be mentioned as it is not for everyone. It does make sense to me though as Abigail the main character is from London while the bulk of the story takes place in Scotland. For me it was impossible to put down. It was a fabulous thrill to read a new author with such a unique take on her characters interactions with each other and how the main character Abi saw people.

Is this a clean read? Yes, I think so! I only remember one instance of the word "arse" being used.
Is there a romance? No, but the potential is there though it takes a backseat to the mystery and Abigail's personal growth.
Are there any paranormal elements? No, it's a great straight forward mystery. Abigail is a award winning photo journalist who receives word that her cancer stricken uncle has taken a unexpected turn for the worst. By the time she arrives he has already passed away. She then proceeds to Scotland with her best friend in tow for the funeral. Now the mystery begins! We have a shocking murder following the funeral and more suspects than we can shake a stick at it seems! As the story progresses we learn a bit about the history of whisky making in Scotland.
It's a mystery so how explicit is the violence? There is absolutely no gory descriptions or gratuitous violence!
Would you recommend it? Oh good lord yes! This book was fabulous!



I read and reviewed a advance edition of Single Malt Murder by Melinda Mullet free of any obligations or payments.

Abigail has inherited a whiskey distillery in Scotland from her beloved Uncle Ben...something totally foreign from her chosen career of photojournalism. And then when she visits the distillery, looking to settle her uncle's estate, she finds herself in the middle of sabotage and a murder. Can she resolve this mystery before she chooses a buyer for the business. This is the first in a new series and proved to be a delightful read. Explanations of the distillation process were entertaining, and the descriptions of the various whiskey essences were enticing. In the style of Abi, three words to describe her would probably be investigative, intuitive and steadfast. I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery with its twists and turns as Abi considers each suspect, and also liked the interactions with several of the other central characters. And of course, who wouldn't have a soft spot for her dog, Liam. I am looking forward to the next book in this series. Disclosure: I am voluntarily reviewing this book received from Net Galley.

Overall a great book, and one I enjoyed very much. Abi inherits a whiskey producing mill up in Scotland, so she goes to see it and takes her dog Liam and her friend Patrick along with her. One thing after another happens, from finding a dead body floating in the whiskey to being run off the road to being trapped in a cave. I enjoyed it, but wish there would have been more romance between her and Grant. I also could have done with a bit less history of whiskey, while interesting, a lot of it didn't stick in my head. Still, I highly recommend this book, and liked the mystery solving aspects. Hope there are more books to come.

murder, mystery, Scotland, distillery, amateur sleuth, investigation, reporter

No doubt about it, I loved it and found it absorbing. The mystery is complex and convoluted, as are the characters. And the learning opportunities are nearly endless for those of us who knew little about the distillation and monetary values of Scotch whisky. The publisher's blurb gives hints, but can't begin to prepare you for all of the twists and turns taken as the plot unfolds. The subplot which gives opening for subsequent books is the mutual attraction between two major characters. No spoilers in this review, and no need to recap the book either, just go ahead and get a copy for your own enjoyment!
Thanks to the publisher for offering it free as an ARC through NetGalley.

There is no mystery why I loved this book. Engaging from page one. I did not have to wade through page after page before the plot became apparent. The setting itself was a character. Picturesque rural Scotland. And yes, a whisky distillery. A dog with a presence. Twists and turns. A main character with enough complexity to leave me wanting to know more about how her life evolves.

A cozy mystery not dumbed down. Smart!

I am an avid reader of mysteries. Because I have read so many, usually by the third or fourth chapter I have figured out who the culprit is. This book was a refreshing change. I did not know until the very end who was responsible. Also the detailed descriptions of the country side and the goings on made me feel as if I was there. I laughed and was enthralled with this book. I could not put it down. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more from this talented author

This should be an interesting cozy mystery series. The main characters are likable, and the novel is well paced. There are many twists and turns and a surprising ending, as well as romance, maybe.

When Abigail Logan’s Uncle Ben passed from cancer, she was devastated. He’d been her surrogate dad since her parents had been killed in a car accident when she was a child; his death was a dreadful loss. But the shock she received when she inherited Abbey Glen, a single malt whisky distillery in the Scottish Highlands had her wondering what on earth she would do. Abi knew absolutely nothing about whisky and the making of it – she decided to take a couple of weeks off work to sort through the estate and work out what to do.

But when Abi started to receive nasty threats she was a little disturbed – what was it all about? Why was she being targeted? And when she decided to investigate, as well as honour her Uncle Ben’s name and love for Abbey Glen, the threats became much worse. Did someone want her out to the way?

With best friend Patrick and her loveable dog Liam by her side, Abi dug her heels in and tried to make friends with her new employees. Suddenly a young man was found floating in a vat of whisky – was it an accident? Or was it worse? Abi was determined to find answers – but was she in serious danger?

Single Malt Murder by Melinda Mullet is a light and entertaining cosy mystery which I thoroughly enjoyed. The beginning of a new series, I might just have to look for the second book when it’s published! Twists, turns, intrigue and a nefarious plot – Single Malt Murder is highly recommended by me. (And I had no idea who the “bad guy” was until the reveal!)

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy to read and review.

This is a wonderful debut for a new cozy mystery series. Abi, an award winning photographer, is reeling from the death of her sole relative, Uncle Ben. He unexpectedly willed to her his last hobby--a distillery in the wilds of Scotland. Unfortunately for her, the spirits business is still male dominated and even before she visits the business, she receives unpleasant death threats (not that there can be pleasant threats). A new acquaintance is murdered in the distillery, prompting Abi to investigate with her best friend, her dog Liam.

This has a touch of magic. Abi has a unique ability for capturing personality with a glance and describing in three words.

The characters are engaging and the setting is described in great colorful detail. Two thumbs up!

Tantalizing introduction to premier whiskies as well as an intriguing mystery.

4 stars to Melinda Mullet's Single Malt Murder: A Whisky Business Mystery, the first book in the new "Whisky Business" cozy mystery series. I stumbled across this book on NetGalley as a pre-release opportunity to read and review. I'm so glad I did! It was a fantastic new cozy with all the Scottish charm you'd come to expect... and now I may need to take up whisky drinking (even more than the Jack Daniels I already enjoy too frequently)!

Story
Abi Logan's a semi-famous photographer in London, whose parents passed away in a car accident when she was 8 years-old. Her father's brother, Uncle Ben, raised her in his flat until she joined a newspaper and traveled the world for a story. He retired to a small town in Scotland where he purchased a single malt whisky distillery and made a core group of new friends and family. When he passes away from cancer, she inherits the distillery and heads to Scotland to find a buyer and say goodbye to him. But she quickly learns the old-fashioned whisky team don't take too kindly to a woman trying to run things. She finds a few friendly souls and begins to find someone to help her run the place until she can sell it; however, she receives several threats to get out quickly, later finding the dead body of the son of her late uncle's girlfriend drowned in a whisky barrel. More threats and a few additional deaths fall across her path... leading her and best friend Patrick to try to solve the investigation before she ends up a victim herself!

Strengths
1. The description and coverage of the whisky-making process is delectable. I've never been much of a straight-whisky drinker... the occasional glass over ice on a cold night has been known to occur. I have been a long-time imbiber when it comes to a splash of ginger ale and lime wedge. Delicious! But now I've learned so much about the process, I want to try good whisky -- and on its own! Go into this read lightly, you might become an addict quickly.

2. Patrick and Abi have a great relationship. She's smart, no nonsense and independent. He's witty, business-savvy and a good listener. He's also gay, so no worry about any relationship-type issues. I hope he finds a couple of good paramours... it'd be fun to see how the writer handles it in the small Scottish town. Abi's already got one suitor based on her interactions and it's got the potential to steam up the pages. Just think "what's under that kilt?" and you can leave the rest to your imagination.

3. The story is clever and has several different paths. Lots of characters and suspects without over-doing it. A good amount of red herrings. A fair hustle of danger. I read it almost entirely in one sitting, as each new chapter covered a different angle.

Suggestions
1. One concern is the breadth of future stories... how much can really occur in a whisky distillery after the debut is all about who will end up owning it? One option which the author seems to be considering is that Abi won't live in the Scottish town as she ends up back in London at the end of the book, undecided about next steps. Perhaps that's just to carry us to book 2, but I'd like her to stay and see how the story could combine her world travels as a photographer / reporter and as a distillery-owner.

2. Some of the supporting characters were a little too similar. I will remember 1 or 2, but the rest blended together enough that I may forget when I start the next book. I think some time may need to focus on bringing forth a stable of 4 or 5 core supporting characters, each with clear and distinct personalities. It's minor and easily addressed.

Final Thoughts
Give this new series a chance. It's a non-traditional setting (at least for me) in a small Scottish town. It's got a girl with no family left, so it'll be interesting to see how she handles life "on her own" and assembles a new family. Patrick will definitely make the series stand out. And the writing is clean and interesting, especially with hints of Scottish brogue thrown about!

I didn't want this book to end! It was perfect. I was transported to a lovely Scot town where photojournalist Abi Logan had inherited her uncle's distillery. The cast of characters were richly drawn, the mystery was exceptional and the tension kept me anxious. The romantic suspense hit exactly the right note. I can't believe it was a first book for Melinda Mullet. I hope there are many more to come, and soon!

In Single Malt Murder, we meet Abi, an award-winning photojournalist who's just inherited a whiskey distillery from her uncle Ben. The distillery happens to be in Scotland (Abi lives in London), so she packs up her wheaten terrier Liam and her best friend Patrick and heads over to check it out. She quickly finds out that women aren't exactly welcome in the whiskey business - it's an old boys' club if you've ever seen one - and starts getting threatening notes and packages. Then, a body is discovered in one of the malt tanks. It's looking more and more like someone doesn't want Abbey Glen (the distillery) to survive.

I really like Abi. She's a lot more methodical and rational than a lot of cozy protagonists - she doesn't cause trouble, she doesn't really make anyone mad at her, and she has a knack for drawing out information in a way that feels natural. Must be that investigative journalist bit. She takes her time before drawing too many conclusions, and thinks outside the box and questions everything, rather than just pouncing on the first clue she uncovers. It's refreshing to read a cozy and agree with most everything the main character is doing. I've read plenty of others where I'm shaking my head, thinking something along the lines of, "Come on, now, think. That makes no sense, don't chase that red herring."

The rest of the characters were likeable enough, and you've got your relatively standard cast of cozy characters. Liam the dog doesn't have much presence, which made me a little sad, and I also thought Abi was a bit careless with him (she lets him run loose when a building is on fire). That's just me being a crazy dog mom though.

As for the rest of it, Mullet has an impressive vocabulary. I really appreciated the care she took in writing the story - she truly made her words count. I even learned a new word - sybaritic, which means fond of luxury or self-indulgent. Isn't that a great word? And who would have ever expected to learn new words in a cozy mystery? Not me, that's for sure.

I'd have liked a little more description of the setting, and while Mullet did try to explain the distilling process, I had a hard time following it. Part of that might be the complexity of distilling, but I kept thinking back to how Joyce Tremel describes beer brewing in her cozy series, Brewing Trouble. While also complex, Tremel does a great job dumbing it down enough to grasp, and I think Mullet would benefit from a similar approach.

Single Malt Murder is the first book from Melinda Mullet, and will be released tomorrow, March 21st. This is definitely a series I'll continue reading!

An interesting start to a new series. Abi inherits her uncle's scotch whiskey distillery in Scotland and upon her arrival she finds that the small town is against a woman taking over the business. It becomes clear that Abi is someone's target,
Although there is an abundance of information about whisky and the whole process, it doesn't take away from the book. It was actually interesting to read about details involved.

I voluntarily read an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

**This review will post to my blog at www.myinterdimensionalchaos.blogspot.com on March 21st. I will add a link to the blog post when it goes live. The review has already been posted to goodreads.com**

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 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.

*I voluntarily read an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.*

A solid start to a new cozy mystery series. Upon the death of her guardian and uncle, Abi Logan has inherited a Scottish whisky distillery in a small town, and someone (someones?) are not thrilled about a non-local, and a woman at that, taking over the business. Abi is clearly someone's target, and when one of the distillery's employees turns up dead, it's clear that there is more than just business at stake. There's a lot of interesting information about the whisky making process throughout the book, and, per protocol in a cozy mystery, the book introduces us to a great environment and cast of characters. There's lots of potential for upcoming books in this new series!

Single Malt Murder: A Whisky Business Mystery is the first book in the Whisky Business Mystery series by Melinda Mullet. This is the first book of Melinda Mullet's that I have read and I really enjoyed it.



Abi Logan inherits her uncle's scotch whiskey distillery in Scotland. As soon as she arrives in Scotland from her London home she discovers that many interests are competing to buy the distillery from her. And there is sabotage occurring at the distillery. Soon there is a murder and Abi is kept busy trying to discern who is helping her and who is hindering her efforts.


There are lots of twists and turns. Abi is attracted to the head distiller despite her worries that he could be the one behind the troubles at the distillery. This story is very well written. It is a good mystery. I would not limit this book to fans of cozies. It is a good mystery.


Highly recommend Single Malt Murder.

Abigail Logan is a profession photojournalist. She lives out of a backpack and used to sleeping on the ground if the assignment called for it. Upon the death of her deeply loved uncle she discovers she has inherited his whisky distilling business. She knows nothing about whisky but she’s a fast learner and what she learns may get her killed.
This is a well plotted mystery that will introduce all novices to the world of whiskey production. For novices like myself, it is an eye opener to the competition of distilling. Mullet appears to have done her homework into this brotherhood and her placement of a woman into this dominant man’s profession makes for a satisfying read. There is no silliness in her characterizations or story. It is a serious business and dangerous people are hidden behind friendly smiles. I look forward to more from this series.