Wine and Punishment

Written by Sarah Fox

Narrated by Eva Kaminsky

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 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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Dec 18, 2018
• ISBN: 9781980023098

Sarah Fox

Sarah Fox is a social and cultural historian with interests in the social histories of law and medicine, the body, emotion, gender, food, and community. She completed her PhD at the University of Manchester in 2017 and is currently working at the University of Birmingham as a research associate on the Leverhulme-funded project Material Bodies, Social Identities: Embodiment in British Letters c.1680-1820.

Reviews for Wine and Punishment

[Teri Wise · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story was OK. It had potential but didn’t quite live up to it. I could not figure out the killer before hand but it didn’t really make sense.
I was also frustrated how the main character kept saying she couldn’t figure things out when it was so obvious. I hate when female characters are portrayed as being stupid or silly. Not that she came across that way all the time. The person who was killed had a gambling problem. She couldn’t figure out that it could’ve been someone that he owed a gambling debt?

The narrator has a nice voice but I’ve never heard a voice actor inhale so loudly (and sometimes wetly). It got to be aggravating after a while.

[Colleen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sarah Fox did such a good job creating the ambiance of the small town in this book. She also did a great job capturing the conflicting emotions the main character has as she is trying to establish her business, a literary pub, and herself in the town while also dealing with the trauma of discovering her ex-boyfriend murdered. There were many suspects and red herrings that kept me guessing. I also liked that we got to laugh a little at the main character as she fumbled her way through being an amateur sleuth while her enemy/possible love interest actually seemed to be a lot better at it!

I loved the idea of a literary themed pub and all the literary themed cocktails mentioned in the book! I really want to know if they were all taste-tested... ? I will definitely be reading more in this series. And the audiobook was wonderful narrated too!

[avanders_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well that was fast!

[cyderry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sadie Coleman has broken up with her boyfriend, Eric, left Boston and purchased the old Grist mill in Shady Creek, Vermont opening a literary pub - wine, beer, drinks and books! The Autumn Festival is just a few days away, but Sadie has other things to deal with - slashed tires, fire in a neighboring building, and an ex-boyfriend that wants her back. When she discovers Eric's dead body and she seems to be the only one in town that knows him, Sadie jumps to the top of the suspect list and has to figure out who did it to clear herself.

As the first in the series, I will pleased to see a good description of the town and many of the secondary as well as the man characters. Great start

[kris_anderson-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wine and Punishment by Sarah Fox is the debut novel in A Literary Pub Mystery. Sadie Coleman has purchased an old grist mill in Shady Creek, Vermont. She has turned the lower floor into Inkwell, a literary themed pub. The annual Autumn Festival is scheduled to begin in four days with the pumpkin catapult contest, a pie contest (which Sadie has got roped into judging) and vendor tents. Sadie is getting ready to depart for her Aunt Gilda’s birthday party when one of her employee’s tells her that her ex-boyfriend, Eric is in the pub. Not wanting a confrontation, Sadie sneaks out the back and enjoys an evening with her aunt and friends. On her way home, Sadie is shocked to see the Treasure Chest, a local antique shop and the building next door on fire. The next morning Sadie goes to her car and finds that someone has slashed all four of the tires. Sadie believes Grayson Blake of Spirit Hill Brewery is responsible and heads off to confront him. Instead, Sadie finds a deceased Eric sprawled by the edge of the creek. Sadie finds herself at the top of Detective Marquez’s suspect list which puts her wonderful new life in jeopardy. Feeling that she has no other choice, Sadie starts nosing around. She needs to discover why Eric was in town and retrace his footsteps. Can Sadie find the killer before she must trade in her pub apron for a prison jumpsuit?

I thought Wine and Punishment was nicely written with a good flow which made it an easy to read cozy mystery. I loved the description of the old grist mill that has been turned into a literary pub called Inkwell (wood, stone and plenty of books). There are cozy chairs, books and drinks named for books and authors. Sadie Coleman has left Boston to start over in Shady Creek, Vermont where her Aunt Gilda resides. Sadie leaves her ex-boyfriend, Eric behind who has trouble recognizing the truth and a terrible gambling addiction. I liked the picturesque town of Shady Creek with its charming shops and friendly residents (minus the killer). The town is gearing up for the annual Autumn Festival which has the unique pumpkin catapult contest. Each team constructs its own catapult for which Sadie is thankful she has employee, Damien Keys. The scarecrow for outside Inkwell is dressed like Sherlock Holmes (how cute). Sarah Fox took the time to set the stage for the series by describing the town and giving readers details on the main characters. I hope we get to learn more about the secondary characters in future books (Damien and Melanie for example). There is even a cute cat named Wimsy. I liked the interactions between Sadie and Wimsy, but I was surprised that she let her cat run around outside. There are various books and authors mentioned throughout Wine and Punishment including Ellery Adams. The mystery was interesting, and some readers may be surprised by the killer’s identity. I did feel that the pacing was inconsistent. I would have liked a brisker pace. I am giving Wine and Punishment 3.5 stars. Wine and Punishment is a good beginning to A Literary Pub Mystery series and I am curious to see what the author dishes up next time.

[linda.marsheells · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5 STARS because i really did like reading it... A good stress-reliever mystery for the holidays AND the subject is dear to my heart, 'cozy' is the correct word.
Some may say the characters were not filled out enough but i say they were just enough to make you look forward to reading more in this new series.

[arthistorychick · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wine and Punishment by Sarah Fox
Book #1: Literary Pub Mystery
Source: NetGalley
My Rating: 4/5 stars

**MINI-REVIEW**

The Bottom Line: I have to say, I have really been fortunate to come across some excellent new cozy mystery series this year! As you might suspect, Wine and Punishment is one I am glad to have run across as it combines two of my favorite things, a brewery/pub setting and a book theme. As far as the story itself goes, I was pretty much hooked from the beginning. Sadie is trying hard to fit into to her new community and her new life and that is made all the more difficult when her ex is found dead, she suspects the local most eligible bachelor, and the bad just keeps piling up. What I like most of Sadie is her determination to save the new life she has begun to build for herself. She isn’t going down without a fight and if that means she must solve a mystery on her own then she is absolutely going to do so. What’s more, Sadie isn’t the type of woman to fall for the first fine man she meets (plus she thinks he’s guilty of murder!) which makes for a decent level of personal and interpersonal tension throughout the read. I found the mystery itself to be interesting but made all the more fun and enjoyable because of the cast of characters and the fantastic setting. For sure, I will be coming back for more of this awesome and can’t wait to see how the bar and the community grow as they embrace Sadie and her brand of community spirit(s)!!

[lindapanzo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've enjoyed the Pancake House series from Sarah Fox and so was eager to read this first book in her new Literary Pub series. In this very promising first book in an extremely promising new series, Sadie Coleman leaves Boston and relocates to the small town of Shady Creek, Vermont where she opens a literary pub, the Inkwell, at an old grist mill, complete with literary-themed cocktails and book clubs.

The book includes a number of engaging characters and, to me, is a series that seems primed for a long and fun run for cozy lovers. I especially loved the chemistry between Sadie and the brewery owner. This book, one of the best new cozies I've read this year, is one I'd highly recommend to cozy fans. Absolutely loved it.

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.)