Risky Whiskey

Bohemia Bartenders Mysteries #1

by Lucy Lakestone

Eager to shake up her drinks and her life, mixologist Pepper Revelle jumps at an invitation to join the elite Bohemia Bartenders. Leader Neil thinks she'll be the perfect advance gal for his team at a colorful cocktail convention in her hometown of New Orleans, but the job turns out to be more bananas than a drunk monkey. Setting up the key tasting for their distiller client, she and Neil discover their whiskey has gone dangerously bad. But how? And was this shocking poisoning more than an accident?

As Pepper and Neil try to figure out what happened, keep the drinks flowing and help distiller Dash Reynolds survive the weekend, they find themselves the target of increasingly scary attacks. Maybe it's the danger, or maybe it's the drinks, but Pepper also can't help an inconvenient attraction to cocktail nerd Neil as they stir up trouble and try to figure out who's out to get them — before they're sliced and squeezed like a lemon twist in a Sazerac.

RISKY WHISKEY is the first book in the Bohemia Bartenders Mysteries, funny whodunits with a dash of romance set in a convivial collective of cocktail lovers, eccentrics and mixologists. These cozy culinary comedies contain a hint of heat, a splash of cursing and shots of laughter, served over hand-carved ice.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Romance, Fiction, Ebooks, Contemporary

284 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 21, 2020

About the author

Lucy Lakestone writes books that offer fun escapes, whether they’re humorous mysteries, hot romances or storm-chasing adventures (as Chris Kridler). She loves sipping a classic cocktail and chasing tornadoes, but not at the same time. An award-winning author and photographer, she’s also told stories as a journalist and video producer. She lives with her husband and two crazy dogs on Florida’s Space Coast, which inspires many of the colorful settings in her books.

Lucy’s series include the Bohemia Bartenders Mysteries and Comet Cove Mysteries, as well as the Bohemia Beach Series of hot romances.

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See you at the beach!

Reviews

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cozy mystery, and this is the first book in the series. I loved the mystery part of this book, and this book is fast pace I also loved. I wish the characters where a little more developed. Maybe that will developed in the other books in the series. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

[Sandee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book very much! Pepper (Kayanne) is a wonderful character. She is good at her job, fast thinking, funny and worries about all the same things most women worry about. There is a touch of romance but mostly this is a good mystery. The story takes place at a cocktail (alcohol) conference with competitions, seminars, dinners and parties. Pepper has been asked to join a group of elite bartenders being sponsored by a Whisky distiller. When things start going wrong Pepper and her new friends are in the middle of it trying to keep everyone safe, trouble-shooting the issues and trying to figure out why they are happening. I loved the characters who are a mix of both stereotypical and unique personalities. The writing is smooth, well-edited and builds the action perfectly to the conclusion. I'm looking forward to reading more books from this series. I received a free copy of this book. The honest opinions in this review are my own.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

What more can an avid reader want than mayhem, murder, and booze? This book appealed to me very much and will be enjoyed by those of any age, but I think it will appeal to a younger crowd based on the type of cocktails served.

The action was well-timed, the romance is just hot enough to keep you reading, but without a ---shall we say a final climax? LOL! The mystery part was not that difficult to guess but tough enough to keep you guessing and reading.

I enjoyed this book so much and the little excerpt from the next book that I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

*ARC supplied by the publisher and author.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually gush about how a cozy mystery is fun. This one is fun with constant action, a dash of romantic tension, interesting and lively characters. This is funtionally a stand alone novel in a series about a bartender team that does cocktail conventions. Who knew that was a thing? Eagerly anticipating the next in the series.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Inez Van Broekhoven · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn’t my cup of tea. Easy to read though, but it never really captivated me.

[Heather McQuillen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cozy mystery is the first in a series. It's fast paced, fun, boozy, with a splash of romance. Pepper and Neil were awesome together, and the supporting characters were great, too. This was my first Lucy Lakestone book, but definitely not the last. I can't wait for the next in the series


*I received an ARC for my honest opinion*

[Heather (Bookedwithheather) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Risky Whiskey is the first book in the Bohemia Beach cozy mystery series. When I read the synopsis I knew it was going to be a fun quick read. It was exactly what I needed!

The story line was perfect, never any lagging moments or confusion. The characters (Pepper being my favorite) were fun and likeable and very well described which I felt gave it a great whodunnit vibe.

All the mention of drink names and concoctions made me crave a whiskey or a cocktail! You could easily become drunk while reading this! LOL! 😂

The vivid description of New Orleans I can imagine is spot on! Definitely made me want to visit!

The only thing I wish the book had was some more background info on the characters. It didn’t take away from the book at all or change how I felt about it. I’m guessing we will probably learn more in the coming books.

I highly suggest this book if your looking for a fun fast paced cozy mystery.

I received this ebook For free from Booksirens in exchange for my honest review.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was provided an e-arc in exchange for an honest review via Booksirens.

This cozy mystery would be fabulous for anyone, but particularly those that enjoy a good drink. There's some mixology, some romance, and of course - trouble to be solved.
Lakestone did very well with this whodunit.
There was a bit more romance in it than I would normally enjoy in my cozy mystery, but that wouldn't stop my from picking up the next in this series.
While a little more character development wouldn't have hurt, there is definitely time in the series to build more of that. For a book one, it was alright!

[Aineenmarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. The author really draws the reader into the story. Will definitely read another book by this author.

[Daisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first "cozy mystery" and it wasn't what I expected. I may try out some other books in the genre, but this particular series isn't for me. It's a short book relatively short book and sadly the characters weren't developed enough. I found the main character slightly annoying, but tolerable. I wish the background was fleshed out more. What's included was interesting maybe there's more in the other books, but I won't be finding out. Since the characters weren't established well, the ending/reveal didn't make me feel anything. I also wasn't of the pop culture references or the word choice for dialogue/descriptions which just didn't feel natural.

[Aղցela W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first book in the "Bohemia Bartenders Mystery" series. I liked this book, but it was a few things that I did not like. Eager to shake up her drinks and her life, mixologist Pepper Revelle jumps at an invitation to join the elite Bohemia Bartenders. Leader Neil thinks she’ll be the perfect advance gal for his team at a colorful cocktail convention in her hometown of New Orleans. I liked Pepper and her corky ways I also liked Neil but the sexual tension between them was weird. What I didn't like was the over explaining of what everyone was wearing. I also figured out who the suspect was early and at times it was like reading a crime blooper. This was my first time reading this author. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling. I am looking to reading the next book in this series.

[Sarah Woodhouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. What a fun, quick paced mystery.

The entire atmosphere of NOLA really bleeds through the pages. From the get go, you're in party central.

I look forward to reading the next book in the series. I want to see if anything happens between Pepper and Neil. They're both my favorite characters.

The ending was crazy! I hadn't expected what happened to happen. Mind blown.

It really made me want to visit New Orleans. I've been to several places in Louisiana but not yet that far south. This book put a yearning in my heart to visit sometime in the years to come.

Such a fantastic book abd a really interesting mystery. Not the same ole same ole.

I absolutely recommend this book. So glad I found a new author to enjoy.

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fun read set in New Orleans. I loved the mystery, although I did figure out who the killer was early on, and I really enjoyed all the cocktail talk. Learning about a skill I don't have is always interesting.

Very fun read.

[Michaela Thomasova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good quick read but honestly without the unique setting, it would be about 2.5 stars 🫣

[Gail Van Polen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in New Orleans, this book is fast paced and fun, a plot twist around every corner. I loved it!

[Jason Pettus · Rating 3 out of 5]

2023 reads, #16. (I'm now reading romance novels and women's erotica on a regular basis, in order to better help my freelance clients who write in the same genres. Check out my "romance" tag to see all my reviews.) This is my latest read from a group of 30 romance novels I downloaded to my Kindle for free last month from one of those promotional websites, featuring a handful of titles in each of around a dozen romance subgenres, such as Western romances, Regency romances, space alien group sex romances, small-town Christian romances, etc. This particular one is firmly within the "cozy mystery" subgenre, in that a crime is committed at the beginning of the book and our characters then spend the book solving the crime, but with them not being traditional crime-solvers but rather the types of people in the types of professions that go over well with middle-aged women who read romance novels. So in this case that's a group of professional bartenders from a Key West-type town in Florida, in New Orleans for a weekend to sling high-end cocktails on behalf of a hipster whiskey company at an industry booze convention, but who witness both a tampering of the whiskey to try to sabotage the company's chances and an attempted murder of one of the founders, then spend the rest of the book running around the streets of New Orleans trying to figure out who did it and why.

As such, then, this is as good as any other cozy mystery -- in other words, if you don't like the genre in general, you certainly won't like this particular example of it, but those who do like this genre will find a lot to like here as well. In fact, really my only complaint is that it didn't seem to be a romance story at all -- the one and only time our female lead character even kinda shows an interest in the opposite sex is when she makes an awkward drunken pass at her "boss for the weekend" (she does these gigs for fun -- she's actually a co-owner of a bar back in Florida for a living), and even that goes nowhere because he's too nice a guy. That made it funny to find on a page full of promotional books for traditional romance novels; but that certainly doesn't make it a bad book, albeit not a great one either, but rather exactly the amount of quality I would expect from a free book through a genre promotional website. Let the buyer be warned that that's exactly what you're getting here, no more and no less!

[Katreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

RISKY WHISKEY by Lucy Lakestone
The First Bohemia Bartenders Mystery

Kayanne Revelle, better known as Pepper, has left her business partner in charge of her Florida bar and has joined the team of Bohemia Bartenders in New Orleans for a cocktail competition. Excited to compete in Cocktailia supporting Bohemia Distillery, Pepper soon finds herself surrounded by cocktail nerds, jazz music, and danger. It seems as if someone is out to destroy the distillery's reputation and perhaps the distillers themselves! Pepper finds herself intoxicated, not only by the danger and cocktails, but by Neil Rockaway, the lead bartender. Will Pepper create a perfect cocktail, start a relationship, or get herself more muddled than the sugar cube and bitters in a Sazerac?

RISKY WHISKEY is like the froth on the top of a whiskey sour, a little bit tart without much substance, but still enjoyable. Pepper is very outgoing, a bit provocative, and curses regularly. The curses don't bother me. I'm apt to curse like a sailor myself, plus most of the cursing fit the scenes, although one or two seemed a bit superfluous. However, the book seems to be geared toward readers in their twenties. The gregarious mixologists are more into getting drunk and hooking up than anything else.

Although RISKY WHISKEY is considered a mystery with a bit of heat, the heat and attraction portion tends to take center stage. The relationship between Pepper and Neil is intertwined and integral to the story. Pepper spends just as much time contemplating Neil as she does helping him look into the mystery.

I did enjoy the mystery trail, from the bad whiskey to the hunt for who may be responsible. I really liked meeting Conan Cray and hope to see more of him in future books. I also appreciated Pepper's backstory and the hints surrounding Neil's life.

One thing is certain, the author knows her cocktails. The vivid descriptions and characters' admiration for the tradition of cocktail conjuring continually made me crave a finely crafted unique beverage. Cocktails, and New Orleans itself, have a rich history and both are lovingly highlighted here.

RISKY WHISKEY is an enjoyable combination of cocktails, attraction, and sabotage at a New Orleans cocktail convention.

FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me an e-copy of this book in the hopes I would review it.

[Jessica Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.

I had a little too much fun reading this book! We meet Pepper who has quite the name I must say as she is getting ready for a big event. She works as a cocktail bartender with some incredible skills at creating drinks. A distillery is being spotlighted with their new run and more. Set up goes great until the servers are late due to a delayed flight and the whiskey is no where to be found. This creates chaos so she is sent to find the missing liqueur. Imagine her surprise to find the one watching the cases unconscious. He needs to be rushed to the hospital. The whiskey has been tampered with though no one knows how or why. This makes for quite the mystery as they try to figure it all out while still running the event after scrambling to replace their product. Makes for a well written fun mystery full of surprises and well rounded characters offset by a intriguing atmosphere. A must read for cozy fans. I totally loved it so I give it 5/5 stars.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kayanne better known to all by the name Pepper joined The Bohemian Bartender an elite group of bartenders.
She has been asked to work at Cocktailia a convection in Peppers hometown of New Orleans by Neil and she jumps at the chance.
When she was sent to get several cases of whiskey, they were using at the convention she finds more than just the whiskey – she finds a family friend on the floor with a bottle of whiskey by his side. The question is now who tampered with the whiskey and why.
There are many twists turns and surprises in the story trying to figure out what exactly has been going on and why. Read this and you will be as surprised as they are as to who was behind it all.
RISKY WHISKEY is the first book in the Bohemia Bartenders Mystery series.
I received an ARC copy in exchange for my review.
Thank you to Velvet Petal Press and Lucy Lakestone for this ARC.

[Janae · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up.

This was a fun romantic murder mystery of sorts. I enjoyed the characters quite a bit. Pepper and Neil are so fun together.

I enjoyed Peppers outfits and her nerdy takes on mixology. Learning all the mixologist terms and the fun behind that world was really neat.

Neil is a laid back hottie who is on the insecure side. The way he pushes and pulls Penny is quite endearing.

It does lead to question more though. I feel there wasnt much in conclusion. Yes we did figure out who the big bad was, but there was no sense of closure for Penny and Neil. I get that there are more books to come, but it felt a tad too cliff-hanger for me.

Thank you Booksirens for my advanced ecopy for honest feedback. All thoughts are my own.

[Edi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun,lighthearted ''who's behind the near disasters'' for the team of Bohemian mixologists. The jacket cover gives adequate synopsis of the story so there's no need to repeat it, get the details when you read the book. Characters are well defined and both interesting and quirky. You might even pick up a few bartending tips along the way. Good fun quick read.

I was provided an Advanced reader copy of this book and was under no obligation to provide a review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Thanks to the author,publisher,and BookSirens for the opportunity to read this book.

[Maria Reynoso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Risky Whiskey to be a fun and boozy mystery. I personally have not yet been to Louisiana, but I felt like the author did an excellent job of describing the nightlife and different types of people that are there. I am a huge whiskey/bourbon drinker so I am always game to finding and reading about new drinks. The characters were comical and well developed. The plot had an easy flow and kept me entertained. I highly enjoyed this book, and I look forward to reading the next in the series. Thank you BookSirens for giving me an e-copy. This was my honest opinion.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, alcohol filled story. Loved the characters and the storyline. Loved learning about different drinks and mixers. Fun story to read! Excited for the next book in the series.

[Geordie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mystery set around a cocktail convention in New Orleans. Pepper Revelle is a new member of the Bohemian Bartenders who are helping an upcoming whiskey distillery show off its product. When a crate of the client's whiskey turns out to be poisoned, she and her friends try to figure out who did it, making her the target of the poisoner's next splashy scheme.

This was a pretty fun read, with Pepper being a well developed, likable and believable character. Descriptions were good, motives were good, and a lot of the dialogue (internal and external) was quite witty. I even, gosh help me, liked the romance. The main love interest was a likable guy who developed with time, and had an actual respect for Pepper that is grossly lacking in some cozy mysteries. I also appreciate that the book felt like it was written in the real world. People were actually interested in sex, had family conflicts, and swore when they were emotional.

The downsides were, unfortunately, the book-ending at the beginning and end. The book started with very vague descriptions on who everyone was and what they were doing, just throwing us into Pepper's first day working with the Bohemian Bartenders at this immense cocktail convention. It took more than a chapter to figure out who all the people were and what their relationships were. Even worse, though Pepper put some hard work into trying to solve the mystery, in the end the solution just kind of flopped into her lap. And even then she suspected the wrong person. And then she didn't really out-fight or out-think the bad guy, just ran away from him until he did something stupid! I would have liked the ending a lot more if Pepper had been pivotal to it. It mostly felt like she just fell into the big confrontation and then survived it. Not the most rewarding finale, but, I've had way worse!

Still, I appreciate a book with some clever and believable characters. Fingers crossed that book two will be as good or better!

[Maaren · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much fun!

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

[Sherry Chancellor · Rating 3 out of 5]

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. as someone who has 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

[Julie Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I think New Orleans is such a colourful, playful city and I really enjoy most books set there, so this book was a no brainer. The author captured the unique city well and I was transported into the story. I don't drink but that doesn't matter with this story, as although it is set around bar tenders (mixologists) you weren't bamboozled with complicated drink recipes. Instead the story focusses on the mystery, a little bit of romance and a complicated home life. The job was unusual for a cosy mystery but perfect for a New Orleans setting. I had guessed who was responsible because there wasn't a great deal of suspects but it still played out nicely. I liked the characters and look forward to seeing how things develop.
Pepper wants to make a good impression with her new partner Neil. As a mixolgist it is an honour to be added to the elite Bohemia Bartenders employment and gives her a chance to mix drinks in her hometown of New Orleans. As the first one to arrive she is in charge of checking the stock and equipment before everybody arrives for the weeks long celebrations and show casing the sponsors whiskey. Instead she discovers one of the employees passed out surrounded by an empty bottle and cases of whiskey. Something is a lot more wrong than being drunk on the job, the whiskey is tainted. But how? Bad brewing? Sabotage? Or something a lot more deadly? The owners don't want to call the cops but when arrows and threatening notes start flying Pepper and her boss start there own investigation. Can they discover who the target is and why? Before anybody else is hurt or there sponsors reputation is destroyed?

[Charissa Wilkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overview: Pepper Revelle is back in New Orleans for the first time since she was fourteen. As the newest member of the Bohemia Bartenders, she drew the short straw of setting up the Bohemia Distillery's table for tasting their products. Too bad that the shipment was a little delayed. What's worse is the guard that was to be watching over the products has imbibed a bad bottle. What would cause a case of whiskey to go off? Will Barnie be okay? Or is this a case of sabotage? Let's find out.

Dislikes: Poor Barnie. He was done so wrong. At least Dash is a decent guy.

The Mrs. Revelle is not living up to the Christian lifestyle. It's all good to do missionary work, if you are led to do so. Yet, Mrs. Revelle was willing to see a bartender who might skip church if Saturday ran a little too long, as someone to throw away. Perhaps she should look a little closer to how her example treated the drunkards, gluttons, and sinners.

Likes: Pepper found a way to befriend many of the people at Cocktailia. That gave her an edge when it came to sleuthing.

Mr. Cray reminded me of the helpful mad scientist. Why he needs all of the chemistry set-up makes me a little concerned.

Dash was able to put his nervous energy to a good use. He was even willing to make his cousin, Travis, a business partner legally.

It was great when Pastor Revelle showed up for Pepper's and Neil's competition. That was a great discussion, meeting, or however you wish to call the get-together for both father and daughter.

Conclusion: This was an interesting book. If you are a cocktails fan, and enjoy cozy mysteries, then this book is for you. Enjoy the read.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Risky Whiskey by Lucy Lakestone is a fast-paced mystery with drinks and fun characters taking charge. 

Will Pepper and Neil figure out whose after Dash? And why the culprit has included Pepper?

Pepper Revelle

Pepper is our sleuth, and she tells the story. She is a bit more advanced than the average cozy sleuth, as she has a bit of a mouth on her, and her hormones are working. Yes, I will put it like that. Pepper is the co-owner of a bar in Bohemia Beach, Florida, but she has also been asked to join the Bohemia Bartenders. The bartenders travel around assisting distilleries and such promote their products. They also compete in bartending competitions. I honestly didn't know there was anything like this for these tradesmen. 

I like Pepper, she has spunk, initiative, intelligence, and she is pretty with an eccentric fashion sense. The way that she describes the people around her is funny. I am surprised she doesn't have a flame-worthy scale. But Pepper isn't all drinks, outfits, and check out the pretty people. She has her issues, some of which have to deal with her feelings towards her parents.

The Mystery

The Bohemia Bartenders are in New Orleans for the big convention. However, they are there to assist Dash with the presentation of his company's whiskey. All sorts of things start happening to Dash, his whiskey is tampered with, he loses his company's money, someone shoots at him, and Dash starts losing his confidence. But he has Pepper, Neil, and Travis to help get him through this trying time, and find the culprit.

Five Stars

I think that Ms. Lakestone has a hit here. The Bohemia Bartenders Mysteries is a great series. I am rating Risky Whiskey by Lucy Lakestone with five stars. I enjoyed reading about Pepper's life, and I look forward to seeing if she and Neil get together. Also, getting to know the other bartenders better. They seem like a fun crew. Pick up your copy today; I think you'll like it. 


The 2nd Book in the Series is Coming Out on August 18th
Wrecked by Rum
When rum collectors collide ...

When mixologist Pepper Revelle joins the Bohemia Bartenders for what promises to be an entertaining, rum-soaked tiki convention in sultry South Florida, she expects divine ukuleles, sublime swizzles and a chance to know chief bartender Neil a little better. What she gets is chaos — the death of a high-profile rum collector, a cast of sneaky suspects, and ten thousand limes to squeeze.

With one of their own under suspicion, Pepper and Neil set out to find the real killer. But behind the aloha shirts and cocktail parasols is a blender full of secrets. The centerpiece of the convention is a high-dollar tasting of rums that survived a shipwreck and other disasters, and when a precious bottle vanishes from the crime scene, everyone with a ticket is a suspect.

As Pepper tries to keep the insatiable crowd inebriated and her gregarious dog Astra sober, she finds peril under every palm tree. It seems like everybody’s guilty of something. But who’s guilty of murder? And can she and Neil find the culprit before they’re smacked like the mint in a Mai Tai?

Wrecked by Rum is the second book in the Bohemia Bartenders Mysteries, funny whodunits with a dash of romance set in a convivial collective of cocktail lovers, eccentrics, and mixologists. These cozy culinary comedies contain a hint of heat, a splash of cursing and shots of laughter, served over hand-carved ice.


Giveaway
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Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Risky Whiskey by Lucy Lakestone. Check out the other stops and giveaway if you have time.

Until the next time,



 

This Guest Review is for Baroness' Book Trove. 

This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great start to a new cozy mystery series for me. I do not drink and never have but I have always had a fascination with cocktails and the way bartenders mix drinks and all the different combinations they come up with. So even though I may not be the best judge of this I do think the drink portion of this book was highly compelling. The mystery was well-plotted and also kept my attention. I did feel bad for one of the characters (who was a total sweetheart) when the murder was unmasked, you could tell they were totally heartbroken. The main character Pepper was a great protagonist to follow around and I liked her interactions with the other characters. One of the things that both worked for me and at the same time didn't was Pepper and Neil's on-again off-again flirting. I liked their chemistry but every time they were starting to get closer something would happen and after a while, it felt a bit overdone. Hopefully, that corrects itself further into the series. I am looking forward to the next one.