Whiskey Business Reading Kit

Whiskey Business

Whiskey Business is the first book in the Mixology Lounge Mystery Series by award-winning author Adrian Andover. The amateur sleuth is Reece Parker, a mixologist who owns Subplot, a literary-themed underground cocktail lounge, in the quaint town of Hope Mills, Pennsylvania. Reece’s life ends up on the rocks when he finds a body in the alley behind his business. Read more about Whiskey Business.

Whiskey Business Reader Questions

Use these questions for a book club discussion or a chat with a friend after doing a buddy read. If you aren’t in a book club, you can still use these questions to reflect on the book after you read it.

• What three words would you use to describe Whiskey Business?

• What did you think of Subplot? Is it a place you would like to visit?

• If you could open your own themed lounge, what would the theme be?

• How did the small town of Hope Mills impact the story? How would the story have been different if it was set in a large city?

• Who was your favorite character in Whiskey Business?

• Readers have commented that Whiskey Business is a "character-driven mystery." When reading a cozy mystery, how important is the protagonist's journey to your enjoyment? 

• What did you think of Reece’s character journey in Whiskey Business?

• Cozy mysteries often have a straight, female protagonist. How did a gay, male protagonist impact the story for you?

• What did you think about the relationships between Reece and Nate, Reece and Chloe, and Reece and his parents?

• Whiskey Business pushes the boundaries of some familiar cozy mystery tropes. What tropes do you love to read in cozy mysteries, and which could you do without?

• Did you have a favorite scene in Whiskey Business? What did you like about this scene?

• Were you able to solve the murder mystery in Whiskey Business?

• What did you think of the ending?

• Would you like to see Whiskey Business turned into a movie? Who would you cast to play Reece?

• Do you have any predictions for future books in the Mixology Lounge Mystery Series?

• Do you plan on reading Pour Choices, the next book in the series?

Fun Activities for a Whiskey Business Book Club Meeting

• Get together to discuss Whiskey Business. Share your favorite characters, scenes, and mystery moments. Use the reader questions shown above to spark conversation.

• Get together for a night out at a speakeasy or lounge and enjoy a cocktail or mocktail.

• Create a cocktail lounge at home. Pick one to three base spirits (like whiskey, vodka, or gin) or non-alcoholic bases (like tea, juice, or seltzer). Set out matching glassware, put some ice in a bucket, lay out fresh citrus garnishes and a few mixers, and set the mood with lighting and music.

• Imagine that you’re a mixologist at Subplot. Create your own alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink. What ingredients would you use? What bookish name would you give the drink?

• Have a cocktail or mocktail recipe swap. Ask everyone to find a delicious drink recipe to share with the group. Compile the submitted recipes into a printed and bound recipe book or a shared digital document. Or, share the recipes with a free recipe-sharing app like Cookpad or Pepper.

A Bookish Moment With Adrian Andover

Watch Adrian’s appearance on A Bookish Moment, a streaming program that connects writers and readers. Bookish Moment hosts Sarah E. Burr and J.C. Kenney interviewed Adrian the day Whiskey Business was released. They asked him some really great questions. This program is a wonderful way to take a deeper dive into the story and Adrian’s writing journey.