By Melinda Mullet
A Whisky Business Mystery #3
Alibi, 2018
Summary
Distillery owner Abigail Logan discovers that high spirits are no match for a cold-blooded killer as the Whisky Business Mystery series puts a fatal twist on stiff competition.
It’s been a year since globe-trotting photojournalist Abi Logan inherited Abbey Glen, a whisky distillery in the heart of the Scottish countryside. To her surprise, the village of Balfour already feels like home, and her new business partner, Grant MacEwan, continues to be too charming to resist. But Abi has a history of relationship disasters, so she struggles to avoid an ill-fated romance with Grant. Steering clear is hard enough on a day-to-day basis, but when the two head off to a whisky industry competition together, Abi panics. Five-star resort, four glorious days of nonstop whisky tasting, and a fatally attractive Scotsman—what could possibly go wrong?
The night before the award presentations, with foreign and domestic whisky makers at one another’s throats, two judges are found dead under mysterious circumstances. What started with three dream-come-true nominations for Abby Glen’s whisky soon turns into a nightmare for Abi. With a killer on the loose, she must call on her investigative skills to stop another murder—before she gets taken out of the running herself.
My thoughts
Deadly Dram is an excellent story - easy to read and intelligently written - and should appeal to any cozy mystery fan. This is the second book I’ve read, and Melinda Mullet’s series is quickly becoming a favorite. There’s good character depth, and I’m getting to know the regulars so well that I eagerly anticipate each new visit. The writing is tight, mystery well crafted, and a gentle humor now and then adds such a nice touch.
While I can’t relate to the drinking of whiskey, I found the Abbey Glen distillery and all that’s involved in the business quite fascinating. But what elevates this story for me is the Scottish setting, characters, and dialect. Mullet’s writing allowed me to visualize the rural Scotland area and upscale resort where the competition took place. There’s also the cutest dog named Liam that just about steals the spotlight.
Abi is a great lead character – smart, caring, and with journalistic experience that comes in handy for mystery investigation. I kept pulling for Abi as she worked hard to gain respect in a business primarily male dominated. With some well-placed twists and turns, as well as several possible motives for the crime, the murders aren’t easy to solve. And to top things off, there’s an undeniable attraction between Abi and her business partner, Grant MacEwan.
I thoroughly enjoyed Deadly Dram, and there’s certainly lots to look forward to in upcoming books.
Highly recommended.
I received a copy of this book through Great Escapes Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
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Author of the Whisky Business Mystery series, Mullet is a passionate supporter of childhood literacy. She works with numerous domestic and international charities striving to promote functional literacy for all children. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her family.
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GIVEAWAY
Sounds good.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your review on "Deadly Dram" by Melinda Mullet and for being part of the book tour.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds very interesting and one that I'd love the opportunity to read.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
I also am not a whiskey drinker and have a hard time figuring out the difference between whiskey, scotch whiskey, whiskey bourbon and just bourbon -- maybe this series will help clarify the differences for me. That said, The Whiskey Business Mysteries sound like a great series, and I can't wait to start reading -- thanks so much for your review and for being on the book tour!
ReplyDeleteI really liked the description of the book and I'm looking forward to reading it. I like the whiskey business storyline, sounds interesting.
ReplyDelete