Wine and Punishment

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.