Single Malt Murder

On the windswept isle of Islay, where centuries-old distilleries dot the landscape, tradition and innovation are about to clash with deadly consequences.

When Jamie MacKinnon is found dead beside the spirit safe at historic Dùnmor distillery, it seems at first like a tragic accident. But Jamie had uncovered something sinister lurking behind Highland Heritage Ventures' modernization plans—a systematic scheme to strip Scotland's traditional distilleries of their unique character, all in the name of profit and standardization.

Before his death, Jamie distributed evidence of the conspiracy across four USB drives, entrusting them to colleagues who bridge both the old and new worlds of whisky-making. Now Alasdair Mackenzie must return to his family's distillery to help Detective Inspector Hamish MacLeod uncover the truth. But someone is willing to kill again to keep Jamie's discovery buried.

As automated systems slowly replace generations of craftmanship, and calibration cycles provide convenient windows for sabotage, the very soul of Scotch whisky hangs in the balance. With the help of veteran warehouse worker Ross MacCallum, quality expert Margaret Campbell, and technology specialist Jenny Morrison, Alasdair races to piece together Jamie's distributed evidence before more lives—and centuries of whisky-making tradition—are lost forever.

In this atmospheric debut novel, the rugged shores of Islay provide the backdrop for a gripping tale of murder, betrayal, and the conflict between tradition and progress.