In the first in an engaging new mystery series from USA Today bestselling author Sarah Fox, the owner of a charming literary pub finds her fresh start on the rocks thanks to a case of murder. Booklover Sadie Coleman knows that in life, as in fiction, the right setting can make a world of difference. The small town of Shady Creek, Vermont, seems like the perfect place to start over after losing … place to start over after losing her Boston job to a merger and her relationship to her ex’s gambling addiction. She’s bought and redecorated the old grist mill pub, transforming the Inkwell into a cozy spot where tourists and regulars alike can enjoy a pint or a literary-themed cocktail, or join one of several book clubs.
Little by little, Sadie is adjusting to the rhythms of her new home. Fall in Shady Creek is bookmarked by the much-anticipated Autumn Festival, complete with a pumpkin catapult competition and pie bake-off. Unfortunately, the season also brings an unwelcome visitor—Sadie’s ex, Eric, who’s angling for a second chance . . .
Before Sadie can tell Eric to leave, he’s found dead near the Inkwell. When the local antique shop catches fire on the same night, it’s clear the town is harboring at least one unsavory character. Now, with her Aunt Gilda, her friend Shontelle, and the pub’s patrons all in the mix, Sadie must uncover the truth . . . before a killer declares last call.
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I really enjoyed this first book in Sarah Fox’s new Literary Pub Mystery series. Wine and Punishment takes place at a literary pub – a pub with books, how clever is that?!?! I love, love, love the idea behind this setting…and it did not disappoint! Sadie Coleman has moved to Shady Creek, Vermont after breaking up with her boyfriend, and opens the Inkwell, the aforementioned literary pub. Due to the facts that her ex-boyfriend is murdered during a surprise visit to town, an arsonist is on the loose, and she’s butting heads with the handsome owner of the local brewery, Sadie may have bitten off more than she can chew, especially since the events of the annual Autumn Festival are taking up all of her time. A well-crafted cozy with what promises to be a good cast of recurring characters, I didn’t guess whodunit, and I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in the series. 5 stars!
WINE AND PUNISHMENT by Sarah Fox
The First Literary Pub Mystery
Sadie Coleman is gearing up to celebrate her first Autumn Festival in Shady Creek. Proud of her newly purchased business, and thrilled that locals and tourists alike seem to like her literary themed pub, Sadie is excited to embrace the event and promote the Inkwell. Having left her gambling addicted boyfriend in Boston, Sadie’s dismayed when she learns he’s come to town looking for her. After avoiding him for the night, she figures she’ll have to face him in the morning. What she faces, however, is the discovery of his dead body. Surely, it must have been a tragic accident, after all, no one else in town knew him…or did they? When a series of malicious acts begin plaguing her, Sadie begins to wonder if she is indeed welcome in town. Could whoever killed Eric also be the person targeting her? But why? And does any of it have to do with the arson that seemed to announce the start of the crimes in her sleepy little town?
WINE AND PUNISHMENT is a wonderful start to a new series. The characters are richly drawn with many layers, some just hinted about, ready to be explored in more detail in future books. Sadie is a likable protagonist with the fun habit of having a literary bent to her exclamations as well as her beverages.
Shady Creek provides a wonderful setting. Autumn in Vermont screams cozy and fun events such as a pumpkin pie contest and pumpkin catapult competition are delicious details that add to the cozy charm. I adore the idea of a pub with literary themed drinks. I’m lucky in that I have such a bar near me. It’s known for its sci-fi and book named cocktails, such as The Bell Jar, Picard’s Jacket, and Hufflepuff. I was excited to read about Sadie’s Huckleberry Gin and Count Dracula and delighted to see some recipes at the back of the book!
The mystery in the first Literary Pub Mystery was complex and compelling. Were the crimes in Shady Creek even related? It wasn’t until the very end that things were made clear, and once revealed everything clicked into place. WINE AND PUNISHMENT is a smart, witty mystery that made me feel at home. I devoured this book and can’t wait to read more about Sadie Coleman and her friends at the Inkwell.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book in the hopes I would review it.
Cozy and Tight Murder Mystery
This wonderful cozy mystery takes place in a small New England Town. The plot is exciting with many suspects, multiple crimes and a fascinating small town experience. The characters are just what one would expect in a small town. I plan on reading as much of this author’s work as I can! I received this book for free and this is my honest review.
I love this cozy mystery! First in A Literary Pub Mystery series, this is everything a cozy mystery should be. It is a challenge to solve, has a few red herrings that this armchair sleuth followed, the characters are delightful and well-rounded, and the setting sounds like a place I’d love to visit.
The Inkwell is Sadie’s new pub, open only a few months and already popular in this New England town. The former owners also had used the picturesque gristmill as a pub, so it already had a good following, made even better with the new theme. Sadie, getting her love of books and reading from her father, has many, many books. Her beloved library is on shelves throughout the pub and in her apartment upstairs from the pub. She plans to bring people together through book clubs for various genres, and already has people interested in two different groups.
Sadie left Boston and a troubled ex-boyfriend after visiting her Aunt Gilda in Vermont and learning she could purchase the pub. Eric has a gambling problem and the lies and behaviors that go along with it. Four months later, Sadie and close friend Shontelle are heading out to Aunt Gilda’s birthday dinner when one of her employees comes to tell her that her ex wants to see her. Not wanting to miss the birthday celebration, the two ladies leave out the back door. After the dinner and seeing a fire at the building with an antique shop and a vacant storefront, Sadie returns to a peaceful, closed pub with no sign of Eric.
The next morning, all four of Sadie’s tires are slashed. She sees the owner of a nearby brewery, Grayson, who seems to dislike her, and asks him if he did the deed. His dog goes down to the lake near their properties and bar0ks. The German shepherd discovered the Eric’s body, covered in blood. Stunned and struggling through shock, the police allow her to go to her pub to await questioning. Now a suspect, Sadie wants to find who killed Eric for his family’s sake. Then, incidents begin to occur, including things that threaten Sadie’s life.
I like Sadie, Shontelle and Gilda. Many of the pub regulars are good-hearted, friendly folks. Sadie is young and enthusiastic; she is happier with this than she was in other careers. A young mother, Shontelle and Sadie became fast friends. Gilda is the family member Sadie is closest to who encourages her and is an excellent sounding board and friend. Between this wonderful group of people and the book clubs meeting in the pub, this is a place I would love to be and can’t wait to “visit” again and hope to see more of Wimsey!
What a fabulous start to this series! The author describes the New England Autumn Festival beautifully. I admit to being thoroughly stymied by this mystery. I followed a couple red herrings, even suspected someone who wasn’t on Sadie’s “list”. From a nameless creepy guy to the owner of the property that burned, Sadie considers one person after another. Grayson even makes the “list”, even though he simply doesn’t feel right. Plot twists kept me on my toes, yet never did I suspect the real bad guy. Nor did Sadie, until it was too late…I highly recommend Wine and Punishment to everyone who has enjoyed the author’s other series, book clubs and reading, New England, and classic mysteries.
From a grateful heart: As a street team member, I received a copy of this novel from the author, and this is my honest review.
Wine and Punishment by Sarah Fox is the first in a new cozy mystery series and has one of the most unique settings of any that I have read this year. Sadie Coleman has moved to Shady Creek, Vermont and opened the Inkwell, a literary pub.
I found this book to be charming and completely captivating. I liked Sadie from the beginning and was so proud of her as she faced some extremely tough situations in her new home – her new pub/home and car are vandalized, an arsonist has struck at the local antiques store, she’s butting heads with the local brewery owner and her ex-boyfriend is murdered when he surprises her with an unannounced visit. I appreciated the fact that police did not immediately zero in on Sadie as the prime suspect for the murder which is definitely a change from most cozy mysteries. Sadie’s Aunt Gilda and her best friend, Shontelle, were great supporting characters. I look forward to getting to know all of them better as this series progresses. The plot moved swiftly with plenty of twists and red herrings. Although there were few suspects, the twists kept me turning the pages until the end. I was gripping my chair during the reveal as Sadie was in a lot of danger. The reveal was startling and I never even came close to guessing who was behind the arson, murder and vandalization. I am really looking forward to the next book in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.