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 weaves a twisty tale of greed, murder and whisky into a captivating cozy mystery. Set in the idyllic Scottish Highlands, Abi inherits a whisky distillery from her uncle and suddenly finds herself the target of threats and sabotage. When a young man from the village is found dead in a vat of whisky, Abi is determined to find out who is sabotaging her uncle’s distillery and just what’s important enough to kill for.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one, the history and methods of the whisky making process are neatly woven into the story, although I’m not a drinker, I do like to know how things work and it really enhanced the story for me and set the book apart. The twisty, suspenseful plot kept a steady pace and I liked that the author left a few plot lines open to be developed in future books. How will Abi juggle her photojournalist career with a distillery? Will her romance with the hunky Grant lure her to live in Scotland, or will she hang on to her photojournalism career in London? Lots of places to grow, and I definitely want to come come back for more. Add in likable, engaging and quirky characters (I really liked Abi and her three adjectives!) and an exciting ending and you've got an excellent debut cozy and a promising start to a new series.