A Welsh Hot Toddy and The Wrong Boy

Welsh Hot Toddies, a deserted beach, and murder. Sounds like a fun afternoon. Author Cathy Ace is our guest today on Drinks with Reads and I am intrigued. 

Cathy is the author of two mystery series - the Cait Morgan and the WISE Equeries Agency novels. She has been a frequent guest on Drinks with Reads, won numerous awards, and she is the Toastmistress for the 2019 Left Coast Crime fan convention to be held March 28-31 in Vancouver, Canada. We'll have more on Left Coast Crime later.

- Deborah Lacy

A Welsh Hot Toddy and The Wrong Boy

By Cathy Ace

Today is National Hot Toddy Day (January 11^th 2019 in the USA) – so let’s celebrate! 

THE WRONG BOY is set on the Welsh coast, where I grew up and where the wintry rain is frequent and often horizontal…so a warming beverage is just what’s needed on a winter afternoon. THE WRONG BOY is also something of an increasingly chilling read – so have one of these drinks to hand, and settle in for a book that’s been described as a "…suspense-packed page turner…the ending is a stunner…" by Hallie Ephron, NY Times bestselling author of ‘You’ll Never Know Dear’, and as “…about as cozy as a cornered snake. Told in a rising chorus of authentic voices, the story is deft and disturbing, creepingly claustrophobic, and with a grip that tightens to a choke-hold before its shattering conclusion…" by Catriona McPherson, multi-award-winning author of ‘Go To My Grave’.

A “hot toddy” is part of a genre of beverages, but has twists…rather like THE WRONG BOY itself, which is a tale of psychological suspense, with a splash of domestic thriller, featuring a setting dripping with mythical overtones.  

A toddy generally includes: some sort of spirit base, usually whiskey; a splash of hot water; some sweetener, such as honey or sugar; and any combination of woody spices, the most popular being cloves, but cinnamon and anise are also popular choices. The proportions can be adjusted to taste, and – because they allow for personal choices to be made when it comes to exact ingredients – I’m using Penderyn Dragon Myth single malt whisky in this recipe to make sure the drink is truly Welsh (Penderyn is the only whisky distiller in Wales, more info here.) and – when you read the book – you’ll see why it’s the perfect accompaniment for curling up with The Wrong Boy.

Here’s the recipe – feel free to adapt.

• Add 2 ounces of Penderyn Dragon Myth single malt whisky and 1 teaspoon of honey to a heat-safe glass.  
• Heat 2 ounces of water to a near-boil and pour into glass.
• Stir until the honey is dissolved. (Add a bit of orange marmalade at this point if you like…I do!)
• Insert a few cloves into an orange wedge, squeeze it in and leave in the glass. 

Garnish with a thin slice of lemon.  

NOTE: the first sip will be HOT – take care! 

You can find out more about Cathy’s new book THE WRONG BOY, as well as her eight Cait Morgan Mysteries, four WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries and two collections of short stories and novellas (which include the back-stories of all her characters) at her website. 

You can connect with Cathy on Facebook and on Twitter @AceCathy. You can find Mystery Playground on Twitter @mysteryplaygrnd and on Facebook. You can also follow the blog by clicking the link on the upper right-hand corner of this webpage. 

The photograph in the background is courtesy of, and copyrighted by, ©Emma Mugford; it is the original of the photo used on the cover of the book.