Risky Whiskey: A Bartenders Mystery

Pepper is a bartender, joining a group called Bohemia Bartenders (whom she has admired) for an expo called Cocktailia, which is held in New Orleans. The leader of the group, Neil, has just gotten her into the group and their main job is to promote Bohemia Diatillery, a new crafts distillery making whiskey and bourbon. But when a case of the whiskey ends up poisoned, Pepper, Neil, the owner of the distillery Neil, his cousin Travis and the rest of the Bartenders are thrown into a deadly game of cat and mouse. What a fun ride this was! There’s a mystery, a whodunnit case where everyone is a suspect and twists and turns will leave you breathless, a little budding romance and so many different cocktails and bars that the reader might end up feeling drunk afterwards. And I loved every single second of it! Pepper is a wonderful FMC, she has snark and I seriously want to own her wardrobe. She’s also resourceful and fearless, but vulnerable at the same time. She’s no pro when it comes to solving crime and I love how that shows. Neil, the MMC, is an enigma; a lot of him is shrouded in mystery and while we get moments where he reveals things, he keeps most of his private moments just that. Private. But it’s not annoying, it actually adds to his allure. I also really loved the secondary characters and I love we get to see the distillery and the bartenders in the future books. And while yes, I did figure out the culprit before the reveal, I love how it was done! So good! I want to highlight that New Orleans feels like a character of her own and I think most of the bars mentioned in the book are real and if I ever get the chance to visit, I’ll take this book with me as a guide. Tropes: Whodunnit Budding romance Mystery novel Lots of cocktails

I like the author's writing. I like the characters, Pepper and Neil. I especially liked that Pepper has "attitude". She is a nice, smart, fun loving gal who doesn't try to solve the mystery and then start crying when something goes wrong. She runs like a bunny to get away from the bad guys, like any gal would do if they're smart. She gets scared, but she doesn't let it get the best of her. The only drawback, for me, was the sex (or attempts at). I don't care about the lovely underwear she has on, etc. I don't care about the sexual tension. I care about the story...the mystery. But, like I said, I do like the characters. If the sexual stuff is toned down a few notches, I'll even read the next book.

This was a quick read with many things to like but also many things to wonder “what the heck?” First, the likes: 1. quirky, fun heroine with a unique view of life and a sad nuclear family history but an aunt who is supportive. 2. Hero who is strong and a rock for the heroine. 3. Unique premise with the cocktail convention location and bartenders as the main characters as well as the side characters. 4. Witty dialogue. 5. Wide cast of interesting characters. 6. Balance of danger and humor. 7. Good sense of place in descriptions of New Orleans. Having been there many times, the author was able to evoke the atmosphere well. The dislikes: 1. This reader figured out the culprit almost as soon as the person was introduced. 2. The red herrings didn’t fool this reader. 3. This reader was thrown out of the story by thoughts of how these people were functioning with the amount of liquor they ingested. I mean, they were at a cocktail convention in New Orleans and so drinking would be expected but they were also working and it seemed they were always buzzing. 4. Too much description of what everyone was wearing. Some is good but everyone’s outfit a number of times was too much for this reader. 5. The way the culprit tried to accomplish his crime was ludicrous. It would have been physically impossible. As someone who has experience with the weapon of choice (not that I’ve tried it on a person!), there is absolutely no way for someone to run and use that weapon. Can’t be done. I was laughing so hard at how insane it was. Definitely took me straight out of the story. In summary, good story with some issues but fun to read for the most part. Just be prepared to suspend your beliefs in that penultimate scene. 3.5 stars

This is the first book in the Bohemian Bartenders Mysteries series by Lucy Lakestone. Pepper Revelle is a spirited mixologist who joins the Bohemia Bartenders for a cocktail convention in New Orleans. Things take a wrong turn when the team's whiskey is poisoned during a key tasting event. Pepper and her crew including her nerdy leader Neil must uncover who is sabotaging the event. Pepper finds herself inconveniently attracted to Neil, adding flirty tension to the chaos. This cozy culinary mystery is filled with eccentric characters, witty banter, a dash of danger and whiskey-filled antics. I really enjoyed this amazing cozy mystery romance novel There is a delicious cocktail recipe included in this book.

Really enjoyed this book! I thought it had a pretty nicely paced plot. The wishy-washy maybe romance with Neil did start to get a little old at the end but otherwise I really liked it and can't wait to read the next!