Single Malt Murder by Melinda Mullet

Abigail Logan never expected to inherit a whisky distillery in the Scottish Highlands. But in the first novel of an engaging new series blending fine spirits with chilling mystery, Abi finds that there are secrets lurking in the misty glens that some will go to any lengths to protect...even murder.

When Abi inherits her uncle's quaint and storied single malt distillery, she finds herself immersed in a competitive high-stakes business that elicits deep passions and prejudices. An award-winning photojournalist, Abi has no trouble capturing the perfect shot - but making the perfect shot is another matter. When she starts to receive disturbing, anonymous threats, it's clear that someone wants her out of the picture. But Abi's never been one to back down from a fight.

Arriving on the scene with her whisky-loving best friend, Patrick, and an oversized wheaten terrier named Liam, Abi seems to put everyone in the bucolic village on edge - especially her dour but disturbingly attractive head distiller. Acts of sabotage and increasingly personal threats against Abi make it clear that she is not welcome. When one of Abi's new employees is found floating face down in a vat of whisky, Abi is determined to use her skills as an investigative journalist to identify the cold-blooded killer and dispense a dram of justice before he strikes again. But distilling truth from lies is tricky, especially when everyone seems to have something to hide.

 

Series: Whisky Business Mystery #1 | Publisher: Audible | Narrator: Gemma Dawson | Length: 9 hrs 57 min |  Genre:  Contemporary Cozy Mystery | Source: Audible | Rating: 3.5 Cups

Challenges Read For:  -  2019 Try Something New New-to-me author

 

I’m always looking for a something a bit different in the cozy mystery genre and Single Malt Murder fit the bill.

 

When Londoner Abigail Logan inherits her uncle’s distillery, she’s not exactly sure what to do with it. Neither whisky nor Scotland intrigue her and the only thing left to do is find the right buyer to look after her uncle’s legacy. When Duff, one of her employees, is found dead in a vat then a series of accidents befalls Abi and the distillery, she soon realizes someone is out to sabotage Abbey Glen. Now Abi has to figure out the future of the distillery while tracking down a killer.

 

This was a wee bit slow at the start. A good third of the book feels like it lags as the setting is established and the characters are introduced but that’s a quite common start for the first book in a new cozy mystery series.

 

I found that I liked Abi. As a photojournalist, she’s used to being out and about so she feels a bit stilted stuck in the Highlands of Scotland running a whisky distillery. And to further irritate her, the whisky business is a man’s world and she’s not easily accepted into that world. She doesn’t really know who she can or can’t trust, especially since Grant, who was her uncle’s right hand man, could be the one behind Duff’s murder and the accidents at the distillery seeing as, if something were to happen to Abi, Grant’s the next in-line to inherit Abbey Glen.

 

The mystery was interesting and had several different ways it could have turned out seeing as Duff had made some interesting choices and there was a lot going on behind the scenes at Abbey Glen. As Abi weeds through the clues, she finds that the whisky world is a bit underhanded and treacherous. She also finds that the locals have a lot of interesting stories regarding the original distilleries origins as well as a bit of bootlegging on the side.

 

While I positive I knew who the killer was from early on, I still had a good time watching my prediction play out.

 

Like all good cozies, what shaped this cozy was the secondary characters. They were a lively bunch of Highlanders who had stories to share and depth to add.

 

There is the start of a romance between Abi and Grant and it’s definitely rocky considering she believes him to be responsible for what’s happening with Abbey Glen. And Grant also has a bit of a dark past, which I tend to like because it gives that character just an extra bit of spice.

 

One thing that bugged me with this one was the fact that Abi—who happens to be a photographer—never once thought about putting security cameras up.

 

This was my first time listening to Gemma Dawson and it took me a bit of time to warm up to her. I tend to struggle with most women narrators, but I changed the speed up a little and it seemed to help. I wouldn’t mind listening to her again, now that I’m used her style of narration.

 

Overall, this was a good start to a different type of cozy and it left me eager to see what happens next.

 

Just a bit of random trivia: All scotch is whisky but not all whiskey is scotch. Scotch is whisky (nope, not a typo, Scottish whisky doesn’t have an ‘e’) made in Scotland from malted barley and hops. While bourbon is whiskey (yep, with an ‘e’ in USA and Ireland) made from distilled corn. 

 

In Scottish Gaelic, the word for whisky is ‘uisge beatha’ meaning, ‘the water of life’, which is derived from the Latin aqua vitae.

 

The first recorded mention of whisky distilling in Scottish history was on 1 June 1494 in the Exchequer Rolls of James IV of Scotland. James IV granted a monk, Friar John Cor, malt in order to make ‘aqua vitae’.

Whisky Business Series

Single Malt Murder

Death Distilled

Deadly Dram

The Murder’s Son by Joy Ellis

Twenty years ago a farmer and his wife are cut to pieces by a ruthless serial killer.

Now a woman is viciously stabbed to death in the upmarket kitchen of her beautiful house on the edge of the marshes.

Then a man called Daniel Kinder walks into Saltern police station and confesses to the murder.

But DI Rowan Jackman and DS Marie Evans of the Fenland Constabulary soon discover that there is a lot more to Daniel than meets the eye. He has no memory of the first five years of his life and is obsessed with who his real mother is.

With no evidence to hold him, Jackman and Evans are forced to let him go, and in a matter of days the lonely Lincolnshire Fens become the stage for more killings and Daniel has disappeared.

Series:Jackman & Evans (Published Order), Book 1, Jackman & Evans (Recommended Listening Order), Book 2  | Publisher: Audible | Narrator: Richard Armitage  | Length: 9hrs 30 min | Genre: Contemporary Mystery/Thriller | Source: Publisher | Rating: 4 Cups 

It was rather interesting to be back with Jackman and Evans as they race against the clock to stop a murderer and figure out the connection to a murder that occurred twenty years ago.

 

When a woman is found stabbed to death in her kitchen, Daniel Kinder walks into the police station, confesses, then pleads to be locked up so he won’t murder again. While he knows an alarming amount of details regarding the murder, Jackman and Evans are convinced he didn’t murder the woman and there’s no actual evidence to hold him so they have no choice but to release him. Although when another woman is found murdered and Daniel has no alibi or memory of what he was doing during the hours of her murder, they start to wonder if they let a killer go.

 

Could Daniel’s theory—and obsession—that’s he’s the son of a woman who brutally murdered her employees twenty years ago be true? If so, could he have the same blood lust that plagued her? Now that a third woman has been murdered, Jackman and Evans find themselves digging through evidence from twenty years ago hoping to shed light on Daniel’s parentage while trying to figure out the who the killer really is.

 

If you like a good British crime drama/mystery/thriller, which I do, then this is your cup of tea.

 

DS Maria Evans and DI Rowan Jackman are, hands down, my favorite detectives. They click so well while investigating—they are just this perfect little crime fighting team. There’s also this personal connection between them that, while it’s obviously there, they sort of ignore it but it always just under the surface. I’m really hoping that they eventually act on this connection because I think they would make a great romantic match.

 

I thought the mystery in this one was brilliant. I enjoyed how parallels between this case and the one from twenty years ago kept popping up. There’s a fragility to Daniel due to past events and I was never really sure what he would do or what he was capable of doing. He was damaged physiologically and it led him on an interesting path.  While I had a feeling who it was and why, I was never completely sure until the end.

 

Along with the murder mystery, there’s a bit of corruption going on in the constabulary, which made for an interesting back story. I found that both tangents mixed together brilliantly and both were solid and fully fleshed out.  There’s also some interesting bits with the mysterious computer specialist called Orac.

 

This one wasn’t as heavy as Their Lost Daughters but it’s still not a light read, not a lot of mysteries/thrillers are. Of course, there’s violence, blood, and death but it didn’t come off as overly graphic. We’re given a glimpse of the crime scenes but they’re not overly described.

 

This is the first book in the series yet it was marked as the second in the listening order (I’m a bit confused by this—maybe this was recorded after the second book?) but what I’ve found so far is that they’re rather flexible when it comes to the order in which they are read. I felt like I got a better sense of the characters and  their backstories in this one but I didn’t feel like it was anything that I needed to know while going through Their Lost Daughters, if that makes sense.

 

Richard Armitage, once again, delivers a flawless narration. I’m not going to lie, I could listen to him narrate anything, but there’s that mysterious quality to his voice that makes him perfect for this genre. Also, as a side note, I’d love to see this series turned into an Acorn/ITV/BBC series with him playing the role of Jackman.

 

Overall, not as strong as or as twisted as Their Lost Daughters but still a brilliant mystery/thriller that I highly recommend. It was interesting watching how events from a person’s past plays with their psyche.

Jackman & Evans Series (recommended listening order)

Their Lost Daughters

The Murderer's Son

The Fourth Friend

The Guilty Ones

The Stolen Boys

The A List by J.A. Jance

More than ten years after the abrupt end of her high-profile broadcasting career, Ali Reynolds has made a good life for herself in her hometown of Sedona, Arizona. She has a new house, a new husband, and a flourishing cybersecurity company called High Noon Enterprises, where her team of veritable technological wizards hunts down criminals one case at a time.

But the death of an old friend brings Ali back to the last story she ever reported: a feel-good human interest piece about a young man in need of a kidney to save his life, which quickly spiraled into a medical mismanagement scandal that landed a prestigious local doctor in prison for murder.

Years may have passed, but Dr. Edward Gilchrist has not forgotten those responsible for his downfall—certainly not Ali Reynolds, who exposed his dirty deeds to the world. Life without parole won’t stop him from getting his revenge. Tattooed on his arm are the initials of those who put him behind bars, and he won’t stop until every person on that Annihilation List is dead.

 

Series: Ali Reynolds #14 | Publisher: Gallery Books |  Release Date: April 2, 2019| Genre: | Source: Publisher | Rating: 3.5 Cups

 

This one was a bit different from what I was expecting. I went in thinking this was going to be a straight up mystery and it ended up being a suspense/thriller and I’m not mad about it.

 

When Ali Reynolds helped expose a fraudulent fertility doctor who impregnated clients with his own sperm, she never expected to end up on his hit list ten years later. With the help of his mother and another inmate, Dr. Edward Gilchrist is on a mission rid the world of those who brought him down. As his list gets shorter, Ali and her team of techies soon realize she’s next on the dirty Doctor’s Annihilation List.

 

I’m not going to delve too deep into this one as I don’t want to give too much away because it’s one of those books you need to start fresh going in.

 

There’s a lot going on in this one and, at times, it felt a little congested as there was so much backstory needed to move forward. Although I didn’t mind seeing as the events of the past was what put the present events into motion. Without the backstory, this one would have fallen flat.

 

This is my first time reading a full-length Ali Reynolds Mystery (I read a novella years ago but can’t recall much of it) and since it’s the fourteenth book in the series, I was a bit worried I would struggle with the characters. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case. While I would like to know more about Ali and her circle, I still feel as though I was able to get a nice sense of who they are.

 

I found the suspense/thriller aspect of this one to be riveting as we see the events playing out on the page as they happen. We get to see the origin, the thoughts of the characters, and the way it’s carried out and I found that to be an interesting take.  

 

Overall, if you’re looking for a different take on a suspense/thriller then you’ll enjoy this one. There’s a lot of characters to keep up with but it’s well worth the read.

Edge of Evil

Web of Evil

Hand of Evil

Cruel Intent

Trial by Fire

Fatal Error

Left for Dead

Deadly Stakes

Moving Target

The Last Goodbye (novella)

Cold Betrayal

No Honor Among Thieves

Clawback

Random Acts

Man Overboard

Duel to the Death

The A List  

Blink by K.L. Slater

What if the person you love most in the world was in terrible danger … because of you?

 

Three years ago, Toni’s five-year-old daughter Evie disappeared after leaving school. The police have never been able to find her. There were no witnesses, no CCTV, no trace.

 

But Toni believes her daughter is alive. And as she begins to silently piece together her memories, the full story of the past begins to reveal itself, and a devastating truth.

 

Toni’s mind is trapped in a world of silence, her only chance to save herself is to manage the impossible. She must find a way to make herself heard. She must find her daughter.

 

Publisher: Grand Central | Genre: Psychological thriller/Suspense | Source: Publisher | Rating: 4 Cups

Challenges Read For:  2019 Try Something New--New-to-me Author

 

K.L Slater has been on my authors-to-read list for a few years so I jumped at the chance to review Blink when it was offered and I was not disappointed.

 

Here’s what’s happening in Blink: After losing her husband in an accident in Afghanistan, Toni decides the best thing for her and her five-year-old daughter would be to move closer to her mother. Her new living conditions aren’t ideal and Toni’s not exactly in the best state but she believes she’s doing the best she can to mother her daughter. While the people around Toni notice her daughter becoming more and more withdrawn, Toni fails to notice it until her daughter vanishes after school one day. Now three years later, Toni is convinced her daughter is still alive, the only thing left to do is convince law enforcement to help her find Evie before it’s too late.

 

This was such a brilliant psychological thriller/suspense novel. I picked this up late at night intending to read a chapter or two then head to bed. I ended up reading half the book before I realized it—it’s that addicting. I had to know what was going on with each of the characters and if Evie was ever found.

There’s a realness to the character’s that drew me in, which was good seeing as I wasn’t really a fan of some of the characters. The more I read, the more I disliked Toni. She paraded around as though she were mother of the year, as though her actions weren’t affecting Evie, when in fact everyone around could see the impact Toni’s decisions had on her. I found it hard to be sympathetic toward Toni when her actions were the catalyst leading to Evie’s disappearance.  

 

The plot bounces back and forth from past to present and is told through several different POVs, each adding their own bits of mystery to the plot. Multiple POVs can jumble up the flow and make it feel clunky, Blink wasn’t like that. Each character had a pivotal story to tell that added to the overall story rather than breaking it apart. If it would have been told from just a dual POV, I feel like it would have made the book feel flat.

 

I know that multiple POVs often put some people off due to getting confused about who’s speaking, but I highly recommend giving this one a go because each chapter is labeled with the POV you’re getting and there’s no swapping in the middle of a chapter.

 

The mystery regarding who took Evie and how she was abducted was an interesting one. While I had a feeling who and why early on, I found myself questioning my decision every so often as wasn’t sure if I was right until the end.

 

My only complaint about this one was how abrupt the ending was. While it tied up everything, I wanted to know a bit more about what happened next. It also would have been nice to see how and if Toni changed.

 

Overall, I enjoyed this one. There were a few things that I would have liked to have changed, but I still feel this was a worthy read.

Are you a fan of Psychological thrillers?

Do you like British Crime Drama?

Most Valuable Playboy by Lauren Blakely (Mini Review)

Hands down, my favorite thing in the world is to score. Touchdowns.

Don't let the fact that I'm the leading pick in the Most Valuable Playboy charity auction fool you. These days, I'm only a player on the field. I've kept my pants zipped all season long — and it has been long — because nothing's more important than leading my team to victory every week. Except maybe escaping from the team owner's recently-widowed and handsy-as-hell sister who's dead set on winning more than a date with me.

Enter Violet and a well-placed Hail Mary.

She's my best friend's sister with a smile as sweet as cherry pie and a mind that runs quicker than the 40-yard-dash. After Violet saves the day with the highest bid, I don't even give her a two-minute warning before I kiss her in front of the whole crowd and then announce that she's my girlfriend. Which would be fine except my agent tells me we've got to keep up the act while...

Series: Ballers and Babes #1 | Publisher: Lauren Blakely Books | Narrator: Zachary Webber | Length: 6 hours, 22 minutes | Genre: Contemporary Romance  | Source: Audible Romance Package | Rating: 3.5 Cups

Challenges Read For:  Literary Pickers  - Sports Pad/Protective Gear

 

A fake mates story with your best friend’s little sister?  Yes, please!

 

Violet bids on Cooper to save him from the boss’s sister, they decide a fake relationship will help their careers, then suddenly they realize their feelings run deeper than just fake mates

 

While the story was cute, the characters fun, and the chemistry hot, this one was just an okay read. It was a little heavy on the football references—I do like my sport romances to include the lingo but, occasionally, it can become overkill.

 

Zachary Webber does a great job with the narration.

 

I picked this one up after a few really intense reads and it was a nice book to relax/refocus with. Does it have staying power? No, I listened to this late January and month later I was constantly consulting my notes just to remember enough about the book to write this review. Is it worth a read? Yes, especially on those days you’d like a light, fun romance that doesn’t require a lot of focus.

Overall, this one was a light listen—not very memorable— but I enjoyed it at the time. The characters were fun and flirty and I do love the fake mates trope.

Ballers and Babes Series

Most Valuable Playboy

Most Likely to Score

Murders and Metaphors by Amanda Flower

January means ice wine season in the Niagara Falls region, but the festivities leave Charming Books owner Violet Waverly cold, still reeling from a past heartbreak. A past heartbreak who will be present at the annual midnight grape-harvest festival, and no magic in the world or incantation powerful enough could get Violet to attend. But Grandma Daisy, an omniscient force all on her own, informs Violet that she’s already arranged for the mystical Charming Books to host celebrity sommelier Belinda Perkins’s book signing at the party. Little do either Waverly women know, the ice wine festival will turn colder still when Violet finds Belinda in the middle of the frozen vineyard—with a grape harvest knife protruding from her chest.

Belinda grew up in Cascade Springs, but she left town years ago after a huge falling-out with her three sisters. One of those sisters, Violet’s high school friend Lacey Dupont, attends the book signing in the hope of making amends with her sister, but Belinda and Lacey end up disrupting the signing with a very public shouting match and Lacey quickly becomes the prime suspect in the sommelier’s murder.  

Violet is sure Lacey is innocent, and to keep her friend out of prison, Violet asks for guidance from her magical bookshop. The shop’s ethereal essence points her to Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, but what have the four March sisters to do with the four Perkins sisters? If she can’t figure it out, Violet, herself, may turn as cold as ice. Violet, Grandma Daisy, Emerson the tuxedo cat, and resident crow Faulkner are back on the case.

 

Series: Magical Bookshop Mysteries #3 | Publisher:  Crooked Lane Books | Release Date: 2/12/2019  | Genre: Cozy Mystery | Source: Publisher  | Rating: 4 Cups

Challenges Read For:  -  Cruisin' Thru The Cozies - Paranormal Cozy - 2019 Try Something New- New-to-Me Author

 

I picked this up for review on a whim and I have to say I was so delighted that I did. How could I resist a cozy mystery with a quirky, magical bookshop that helps solve the mysteries? It was definitely a different take on a paranormal cozy, which I found refreshing.

 

Here’s what’s going on. When hometown girl and sommelier Belinda Perkins is murdered at her book signing, Violet and Grandma Daisy are determined to prove that Belinda’s sister and Violet’s best friend, Lacey, is innocent. Violet has a feeling she knows who the murderer is but when her bookshop’s essence keeps dropping clues in the lap in the form of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Violet starts wondering if there’s something more going on with the Perkins sisters. Will Violet and Grandma Daisy be able to figure out who the murderer is now that Violet seems to be a target?

 

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one and I did struggle a bit at the start with the magical tree bit as I was worried this one would feel a bit childish but I finally found my groove with this book and I’m so glad I did. I really ended up enjoying the magic of the shop and the way the shop’s essence helps solve the crime.

 

Violet and Grandma Daisy were fun characters to get to know. Both and a bit quirky and completely determined to do what they set out to do and that often leads them into trouble. Violet having recently returned, they’re both still sorting out their relationship and Violet’s trying to come to terms with what it means to be the caretaker of the magical tree. She’s struggling a bit as she figured out how to balance that responsibility with her personal life.

 

The mystery was brilliant and I liked how the book paralleled things in Little Women with things going on with Belinda’s mystery. I had an inkling who the murderer was and I was right but I still enjoyed watching how it unfolded.

 

So, there’s a bit of a love triangle that seems to be happening between Violet, Nathan Morton—the mayor and son of a wealthy family, and David Rainwater—the local police chief. As of now, Violet seems to be giving David a chance but there’s still something—not so much a romance but a lingering connection—to Nathan.

 

There’s a major chunk of Violet’s story I missed having not read the first two books and, while I wished I had her entire backstory, I had no trouble following along with this one.

 

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and look forward reading the previous books in the series.

Magical Bookshop Mystery Series
Crime and Poetry

Pros and Cons

Murders and Metaphors

WoW #72: Day of the Dragon by Katie MacAlister

Release Date: March 5, 2019

Publisher: Forever

Series: Dragon Hunter’s #2

Why it’s my WoW: I loved Memoirs of a Dragon Hunter (the first book in the series) and I’ve been itching to get my hands on the next book since finishing the arc of the first. I can’t wait to see what happens next in this fun dragon-filled world that MacAlister has created.

With dragons like him, who needs enemies?

Real scholars know that supernatural beings don't exist. But the moment I meet Archer Andras of the Storm Dragons, all my academic training goes out the window. Thanks to Mr. Tall, Dark, And Infuriating, I'm learning that I really should worry about those things that go bump in the night. . . and that dragons like Archer are 100 percent pure trouble.  

Now I'm caught in the middle of a war. On one side is Archer. On the other is his twin brother. And I am the key to translating an ancient text that could bring balance-or deadly ruin-to our world. But none of that is as dangerous as the seriously sexy sparks between Archer and me. He's too tempting to be real. Too gorgeous to trust. And when it comes to dragons, there's no smoke without deadly fire.

Includes the novel WOLF'S MATE by Celia Kyle: When Abby Carter is threatened by an anti-shifter organization, werewolf shifter Declan Reed will have to convince her that there's no safer place in the world than in the arms of a big bad werewolf.

What are you waiting on?

The House Mate by Kendall Ryan

What's sexier than a bad boy? A bad ass man who's got his shit together.

Max Alexander is nearing 35. He's built a successful company, and he's conquered the professional world, but he's never been lucky in love. Focusing so much time on his business and raising his daughter, adulting has come at the expense of his personal life.  

His social skills are shit, his patience is shot, and at times, his temper runs hot.  

The last thing he has time for is the recently single, too gorgeous for her own good young woman he hires to take care of his little girl. She's a distraction he doesn't need, and besides, there's no way she'd be interested. But you know what they say about assumptions?  

Series: Roommates, Book 3 | Publisher: Kendall Ryan | Narrators: Ava Erickson, Sebastian York | Length: 5 hrs and 6 mins | Genre: Contemporary Romance | Source: Giveaway | Ratings:  3.5 Lit Pickers- French Doors/Sliding Glass Doors

 

I want to say I’ve read something by Kendall Ryan years ago, but I can’t recall what that was or if I liked it. I really need to make a review master list for the blog so I can check because, apparently, my brain just doesn’t have the capacity to store the vast amount of books I’ve read.

 

Here’s what’s going on. When Max’s ex shows up with a one-year-old little girl that’s she’s claiming is his daughter, he knows he has to step up and give her the best life possible—even though she’s turning his world upside down. His first step is hiring a nanny although he never thought he’d end up falling for said nanny. After her life blew up around her, Addison needs a change and acting as nanny to an adorable one-year-old is the perfect opportunity to figure out what she wants. The only problem is, she’s attracted to her charges dad and it’s apparent he feels the same. The only thing left to do is figure out how to balance their relationship with their work.

 

It was really nice to see a guy that finally has his crap together. He’s ready, and willing, to step up and be the father that Dylan needs and he’s willing to put his own happiness second. Addison’s been through the wringer. She’s trying to figure out who she is and what her self-worth is since her relationship with her ex crumbled around her. While they’re both insanely attracted to each other, they know that Dylan comes first and they’re determined to make sure she’s happy and cared for.

 

There was a bit of added drama in the form of Tiffany, Max’s secretary, and it worked and felt believable. Although there were several occasions I wanted Max to open his eyes and see what she was up to.

 

While this one had attraction, chemistry, and fun, I feel like this was just one of those romances that just shows the day-to-day things that happens in life so it wasn’t a grand romance but it was nice and light.   

 

Overall, this one wasn’t bad, it wasn’t one of my favorites and didn’t really stand out to me but it was an okay listen. I feel like this trope has been done so many times before so I feel like this one needed its own special something to make standout from the crowd and, sadly, this one just didn’t have it.

Roomates Series

The Room Mate

The Play Mate

The House Mate