September's Featured Author - Adrian Andover

Adrian Andover is the debut cozy mystery author of Whiskey Business, which releases on September 9th, 2025.

Adrian and I met while both taking Ellie Alexander's Mystery Masterclass to hone our mystery writing skills. We started interacting on line, then became members of the same critique group before meeting in person for the first time when Adrian flew to Portland to spend time with a friend. Adrian is full of fun and hijinks, which you will find come through in his soon-to-be released debut cozy mystery, Whiskey Business. This is a fabulous debut, set in a literary-themed speakeasy lounge. You're going to love it!

Here's what to expect:

Reece Parker is a mixologist--shaken by his recent breakup, stirred up in a mystery, and searching for proof of his innocence...

After breaking off an engagement with his fiancée, Reece Parker opens Subplot, a literary-themed underground cocktail lounge in his quaint hometown of Hope Mills, Pennsylvania. While launching a new business temporarily distracts him from self-pity, Reece's regret is compounded when he stumbles upon a customer's body behind the lounge after a whiskey club meeting gone wrong. As if he wasn't already on the rocks, his ex-fiancée's big brother is a police officer on the case. Reece takes matters into his own hands to prove his innocence, save his lounge's reputation, and restore peace in his beloved town. But as he seeks out the victim's killer, will he meet his own bitter end?

I asked Adrain to tell us where his inspiration for Reece owning a speakeasy came from. Here is what he had to say:

'The idea to set my series in a literary-themed mixology lounge came to me before Reece's character did. In Asbury Park, NJ, there's an incredible cocktail lounge called Laylow, which is located below an Eastern Mediterranean restaurant and behind a secret door. Everything is music-themed there, from menus in CD jewel cases to the check arriving in a cassette case. I thought, "Wouldn't it be cool if there was a bookish version of this place?" With that in mind, I found myself asking questions about what led Reece to open it, and his character developed from there.'

I love hearing how writer's come up with a new storyline. It's fascinating! And yes, a literary-themed lounge sounds amazing! I'll be first in line to make a reservation at Subplot!

Readers - Are you intrigued? Whiskey Business will be out soon, but you can preorder now! Pop over to Adrian's website to find all the details and sign up for his newsletter. You just might end up with a new cocktail recipe or two!

A little more about Adrian:

Adrian Andover is an avid reader, lifelong mystery lover, and debut author.

Growing up, he spent countless hours watching Murder, She wrote with his grandma and reading any mystery series he could get his hands on, from Cam Janesn to The Boxcar Children. Fast forward to 2020. Adrian was living alone in a 200-square foot studio apartment in Asbury Park, NJ during the pandemic. He was living hours away from his family. Unable to go anywhere, he found a joyful respite in cozy mystery novels, allowing himself to be transported to coffeeshops, bookstores, and other cozy locations he couldn't visit in person. He made friends with the amateur sleuths and quirky cast of characters in the long-running series he was devouring.

As much as Adrian fell in love with the genre, he quickly realized it was rare to see a character like himself--a gay man--represented on the page, especially as a protagonist. So he set out to write his first mystery.

When Adrian isn't writing, revising, or publishing a story, he enjoys reading, taking long walks, listening to live music, and tasting new craft cocktails in his chosen hometown of Asbury Park, NJ.