Death By Bourbon

Josiah Reynolds Mysteries #4

by Abigail Keam

Life takes a dramatic turn for Josiah when she witnesses a death at an engagement party for Matt. Matt? Yes, Matt.

Charming socialite Addison DeWitt falls into a fit after taking a sip of bourbon. That would be upsetting enough, but Josiah is sure it is murder. However, no one will believe her except for Lady Elsmere and Meriah Caldwell, the famous mystery writer. The three of them conspire to bring the murderer to justice. It turns out the suspect is always three steps ahead of them.

To make matters worse, Josiah's daughter, Asa decides to move to London, Franklin leaves town and Jake starts singing a different tune. Josiah doubts her ability to meet the future alone. Maybe it's time to sell the Butterfly and move to Florida with the rest of the old folks.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Ebooks, Fiction, Amazon, Suspense

196 pages, ebook

First published September 9, 2012

About the author

Hello Gentle Reader,

I am Abigail Keam, the award-winning author of the Josiah Reynolds Mystery Series and the 1930s Mona Moon Mystery Series.

I am a professional beekeeper and have won 16 awards for my honey. I live in a metal house overlooking the Kentucky River. I have the great fortune to live near some of the most beautiful horse farms in the Bluegrass.

In addition to the Josiah Reynolds Mysteries, I also write the Princess Maura Tales (Epic Fantasy) and the Last Chance Motel Series (Sweet Romance).

I love animals, Kentucky bourbon, and chocolate. Now if they could combine bourbon and chocolate together, I would be in heaven.

I come from a family of storytellers, so it was only natural I would put my stories to paper. I do so hope my tales give you some pleasure and enjoyment. I would certainly love to hear from you. Signing off now to get back to writing. Yours truly,
Miss Abigail

AWARDS
2010 Gold Medal Award from Readers’ Favorite for Death By A HoneyBee: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery

2011 Gold Medal Award from Readers' Favorite for Death By Drowning: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery

2011 USA BOOK NEWS-Best Books List of 2011 as a Finalist for Death By Drowning: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery

2011 USA BOOK NEWS-Best Books List of 2011 as a Finalist for Death By A HoneyBee: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery

2017 Finalist from Readers’ Favorite for Death By Design: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery

2019 Honorable Mention from Readers’ Favorite for Death By Stalking: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery

2019 Murder Under A Blue Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Mystery voted top ten mystery reads by Kings River Life Magazine

2020 Finalist from Readers' Favorite for Murder Under A Blue Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Mystery

2020 Imadjinn Award for Best Mystery for Death By Stalking

2022 Finalist in Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Finalist for Best Historical Category - Murder Under A Full Moon

2022 Finalist the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award for Best Historical Category - Murder Under A New Moon

2022 Death By Chance: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Finalist for Best Cozy Mystery

Reviews

[Gigi Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read by this author, Abigail Keam. In the beginning as I was reading this book I found it a bit difficult to follow. People just showed up in the story with no background information, and I thought; "Who are you, and where did you come from?" Suddenly! I had a 'light bulb' moment...It dawned on me this is the fourth book in a series, therefore all these characters would have been explained, and introduced somewhere along the line in those other three books, which I hadn't read. So after that enlightened moment the mish-mash of characters begin to fall into place and the story began to make more sense. I continued with my reading, but being in the dark about so many of the characters made the story a bit on the boring side for me to follow.

I tried, I really tried to connect with this jumble of many different characters, but I just couldn't. I'm sure if I had read the three books in this series before reading "Death By Bourbon," the fourth book in the series, I would have liked it much better. However, this is not the authors fault... I don't think this was a good stand alone book, it needed the information from the first three books to complete it. Because of that I awarded it 2**.

This book is a part of my Nook library.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didn't like this book at first, seemed like it hopped around too much to suit me, then got into it and really enjoyed the story. Finished in record time and now on the second book in the series. Enjoying this story line.

[Kat Lebo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death By Bourbon, a Josiah Reynolds mystery (Book 4)
by Abigail Keam

I'd taken a break in this series and I'm glad I did. I came back to it with a cleared mind and found either Keam wrote a better novel than last time around, or I was just more in an accepting frame of mind regarding the main character, the irascible Josiah Reynolds.

We get a bit more backstory in this novel, with a few flashbacks to the time when her husband, Bannon, left her, taking most of their money, much of her jewelry, and a very expensive piece of artwork, and moved in with another woman. Keam did a good job of tying this look into the past into the present day story.

The regular cast of characters is back, although some have decidedly lesser roles in this episode: Josiah, Jake, Asa, Shaneika, Matt, Franklin, Lady Elsmere, Meriah Caldwell, Charles, and Detective Goetz. Josiah's life is changing, yet again, as some return to Kentucky and others are leaving.

One of the husbands of women in Josiah's social circle dies under unusual circumstances during a party at the home of Lady Elsmere. Was his death natural causes, an accident, or was he murdered? While Josiah strives to continue her physical recovery, she is also striving to cope with emotional upset in her life, and attempting to ferret out the truth of what happened to Addison DeWitt. Life is never dull around The Butterfly, and this adventure, as those in the past, sometimes puts Josiah and those around her in harm's way.

One of the things I liked the most about this novel was the return to Josiah's concern for her bee hives. Not so much attention as to overtake the storyline, but enough to both keep consistent with her involvement with beekeeping, and to impart bits and pieces of beekeeping information to those who were first attracted to this series by the first in the series, "Death by a Honeybee."

A quick and satisfying read.

[Flora Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I could stretch this rating up to 3.5 stars because overall I did like this one. It was an interesting read with an ending that I didn't expect.

Josiah was apparently injured by a criminal in an earlier book. We are given bits and pieces of that story along the way. She is also involved with Jake, who thought he was divorced but never really was. But back to the mystery, we are introduced to the killer in the very begining of the book. The reader is privy to the who and the why but the detectives are not. Along the way there are these side issues with other characters that add a bit of drama to the story. And what I got out of it is that men are pigs and that relationships aren't worth it.
The ending completely took me off guard. I did not expect what happened that's for sure. If you like your mysteries with a happy ending and everything tied up in a neat little bow don't pick this one up because it will blow you away.

I think I would have enjoyed this one a lot more if I had read the others in this series first. There was just a lot of side stories going on that I was lost about. I give the author points for original characters and definite drama but this is no stand alone novel. I recommend reading the others first.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for review from First Rule Publicity from the author as part of a virtual book tour. I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[maria hoggard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death by bourbon

this was a fantastic book. it's scenery reminded me of the old country farm. I would have known what happened to Asa and her mother. I liked the way the events played out. Asa had had a very hard life I would liked for her to have founded happiness in the end. it gave me the sense that she very lonely.

[Roberta · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always these are such great characters and wonderful stories!! I love a heroine that I can respect and who doesn't look like a super model and is more inline with today's woman.
You can relate to Josiah's anger towards men, falling in love with someone she cannot have and great friendships with such colorful friends.
The ending is a dozzie, didn't see it coming.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one even though it was not as on the edge of your seat as the others. It was nice to have some more background on Josiah's life and to learn more about Asa.

Looking forward to Death by Lotto!

[Sheila Rodden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty crime novel

Couldn’t put this book down. Easy to read and pleasantly amusing in spots. Not a mystery as much as a crime drama. Need to go back and read the previous installments.

[John Fedele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

Another great read along with a enjoyable ride with Miss Reynolds as well. Continue to look forward to the next adventure.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Death by Bourbon is the 4th book in the Josiah Reynolds Mysteries. Because this was the first book I've read in the series it was hard to follow at first, since not a lot of details were given about characters, they would just arrive on the page as if I were supposed to know them - which if I had read the books in the intended order I'm sure that wouldn't have been a problem. However, I didn't give this book 2 stars for that, since it's my fault I read it out of order not the author's. I actually like when details aren't rehashed a lot when I read books in order, you get a lot of new material that way. The reason for the low rating is for a mystery there wasn't any mystery. The killer was never a surprise, not was the ending of the book, since SO much was given away in the beginning. I personally don't like that, as I read mysteries to try and solve the crime not just watch the main character try and do so. This isn't a book I'd recommend.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this series, though I read this one, number 4, quite awhile after reading number 1 and that was a mistake. They really do depend on each other in order to make total sense of characters as well as story lines, so now I'm reading no. 2. If I were not a resident of Lexington, KY, I am not sure that I would find these quite so appealing, as it's always more fun when reading fiction to be able to think I've eaten there or I've driven down that road. That aside, they are interesting mysteries that keep you guessing to the end.

[Rebecca Boehringer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't remember the last time I read a book in a day. This was a short, sweet story. I keep coming back to this writer because I like her sassy character.

[Laura Broome · Rating 5 out of 5]

More surprises, more Asa, more intrigue. Very enjoyable book.

[Jane Rayburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series! Abigail Keam is a very gifted writer!

[Darci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love these books!

Love the history and stories especially since I live in the heart of Central KY! There is not a better setting for these books!

[Chris Blackton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this series and enjoyed this book. The author always seems to come up with unique ways to murder a person.

[Caz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another brilliant instalment

So in love with this series of books and the characters within absolutely fabulous can’t wait to read next book woo hoo

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read!!! This series has me on the edge of my seat!!! Never know what will happen next!!!

[Charles Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the engagement party for her best friend, Matt, and the novelist, Meriah Caldwell, Josiah Reynolds sees socialite, Addison Dewitt, take a sip of bourbon, go into fits and then die. The police, and just about everyone else, call it a heart attack, but Josiah feels the whole situation is ‘icky.’ She can only get Lady June Elsmere and Meriah to believe her, so the three of them take it upon themselves to smoke the killer out.
While she’s dealing with this new mystery, Josiah also has to cope with strange behavior from Jake, who seems to be back in her life, partly, and the even stranger behavior of her daughter, Asa, who is up to something but keeping Josiah in the dark.
The fourth book in the Josiah Reynolds series by Abigail Keam, Death by Bourbon, has our Kentucky beekeeper again neck-deep in someone else’s business, business of the fatal kind. While not as tense as the earlier novels, and with a somewhat disappointing ending (I won’t spoil the book for you by revealing it), it is still as entertaining as ever. Josiah is developing as a character, and we learn more about Kentucky’s dark and bloody history in the snippets inserted, which, unlike most data dumps, actually relate to the action being described.
Josiah is not your usual heroine, but one you’ll find it impossible not to like.
I received this book as a gift.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another lovely book about the intrepid Josiah Reynolds, owner of a horse farm with bees in bluegrass Kentucky. She's also good at figuring out things the police miss when confronted with a baffling case even though she's warned to stay out of it. Like that's going to happen. In this one, a man has convulsions and dies at an engagement party. Oddly, cops arrive before the paramedics. Who called them and why? It all comes clear later on.
As in any cozy mystery series, the characters are sufficiently real but not extremely complicated, and the plot is engaging. Was the dead man given something he was highly allergic to on purpose, or was it an accident? There's no proof. The ending in this one really surprised me.

[Terry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure what I think about this book. It ended abruptly. Everything, all along was so obvious I felt that there had to be a twist in the story somewhere. But there wasn't.
I was very confused when I started to read it since it had been a while since I had read any of the Josiah Reynolds mysteries. I even had to go back to one of the earlier ones to figure out who some of the characters were which was annoying. It would have been nice if the author had done a quick recap, maybe an introduction in which she did the recap. Also, the flashbacks to Josiah's husband were strange and I do not understand the point unless, perhaps, there will be some explanation in a later book.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 4th installment of the Josiah Reynolds series. I recommend reading these in order, since I had a little trouble figuring out "who was who" in the beginning. After I had that figured out, I really enjoyed this mystery. Josiah witnesses a death at an engagement party at the home of Lady Elsmere. Josiah, Lady Elsmere, and famous mystery writer Meriah Caldwell, put on their sleuthing hats. Prepare yourself for the ending. It took me off guard! I won an e-book copy from the author on Instagram. Thank you Abigail Keam!

[Maddielucy(Patti) · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a number of reasons, I read this book (#4) first and I liked it so much I'm going to read 1-3. Sometimes in these mysteries, the writing, characters and story are just average. But this one was really good. First of all, the plot and the mystery were great; additionally, I really liked the characters. They were more realistic and not vapid like some characters can be. Im really glad I read this and have already started book #1.

[Barb Nifong · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book by this author I have read, which was probably a mistake. I found it hard to follow the characters and the story. I also found it hard to follow the main character. It wasn't until well into the book that I realized Josiah is a female. I was wondering how everything fit. I would like to read earlier books to get a sense of the whole picture.

[Danna Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you haven’t read the first 3, don’t read this one first. It will make no sense. It’s a good read, but more of a bridge from book 3 to book 4. I do love this series though. I would have given this one 4 stars because it has more backstory of Asa and Josiah’s dead husband. But the sudden ending through me off.

[Janice · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I would have enjoyed this book more if it didn’t feel like I joined the story in progress. The backstory that was provided was only the tip of the ongoing drama already described I assume in previous volumes. I wasn’t impressed or interested enough to read the earlier volumes.

A passable cozy mystery, but beware, it’s not really a stand alone book.

[Pamela · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5. I know I read this installment out of order, but seemed choppy. Multiple characters, no problem, but hard to follow when they are referred to by multiple names back and forth. Beekeeper Josiah Reynolds finds herself in an uncomfortable situation when her husband of many years up and leaves. Plus an acquaintance dies at an engagement party under unusual circumstances.

[Donna Ann Sutcliffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well everything was quick about this book. Jake leaving, Matt marrying, Franklin leaving, the end result to the murder. I guess this is my least favourite book in the series. Josiah did not even get to prove who the killer was. Not put off though next book already to go.

[Lisa Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read.

[Tani Garberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love bourbon...