Wasn’t very interesting to me especially since the heroine just kept jumping to conclusions without proof Nobody really layered, funny, smart or communicative

Wine and Punishment is the first book in a proposed new cozy series from author Sarah Fox. In this series, Sadie Coleman is picking up the pieces from a job loss and a broken relationship by buying a pub located in an old mill in a small town in Vermont. Her aunt has a hair salon there, which is Sadie’s connection to the town.
In this first book, Sadie’s ability to settle happily into her new life is almost immediately interrupted by a series of unsettling circumstances along with a couple of murders. The troubling events start with Sadie finding all four tires of her car slashed when she goes out early one morning to do some running around. Almost immediately she encounters the dead body of her former boyfriend. Are the two events related? Is Sadie being targeted? What has she done to deserve this?
As Sadie becomes a suspect in her ex’s murder, she decides she must solve the question of who killed him. Along the way the reader is introduced to Sadie’s aunt, who represents a strong support system along with the hunky, single guy for whom Sadie denies her growing attraction.
Add to the mix a couple of employees for Sadie, Mel and Damien, who may develop stronger personalities and voices of their own in future books, a picturesque Vermont town in fall with leaves turning and a charming fall festival that serves to draw in tourists and please both them and the townspeople. All these combine to give weight to the book, although they seem to be more trope-like in terms of what you typically find in a cozy mystery book than actual characters who serve a strong purpose in furthering the story.
Because this is the first in a proposed series, these characters may develop stronger voices of their own as the series continues and they are written in more depth. It will be entertaining to have more of the town of Shady Grove described as the series moves forward. Hopefully, the reader will get a greater opportunity to see as well as experience the charms of a small new-england village.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I look forward to the next book in the series to learn more of Sadie’s adventures as well as having the opportunity to delve further into the personalities of the secondary characters.

It's always a treat to read the first entry in a new mystery series and to be looking forward to the next book! Sadie is independent and smart and an enjoyable narrator. She's a book lover and a pub owner, and she's building a new life for herself in a new town. Too bad her ex has to show up and potentially ruin everything by dying. There was a good mixture of characters, relationships, setting, and action. The plotting was tight, and I'll be on the lookout for the next title in the series!

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wine and Punishment was a delightful new read that many readers will enjoy the thought of a literary pub in a mystery all combined in one. I enjoyed the characters and the plot was well done. The ending was a bit of a surprise.I look forward to reading the next book and would recommend this for anyone who loves cozy mysteries.

Who wouldn’t want to own or at least hang out at (often) a literary pub? Such a unique setting for a cozy mystery...the first in what I hope is an ongoing series. Every once in a while I feel the need to curl up with a good cozy and this one really fit the bill. Maybe not the most original plotting (ex comes to town...gets murdered...heroine is chief suspect etc) but the locale and supporting characters were really wonderful and entertaining. And there is a bit of romance that was sadly portrayed a bit immaturely but still kind of cute. A good mystery all in all and I highly recommend. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy to review.

Seriously, a pub with books! Such a fun idea. Well written and super book to read, with plenty of surprises, adventure and great characters.Looking forward to more.

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.

The mill and pub sound amazing. The town sounds like a nice place to visit. An ex boyfriend showing up sure did cause a stir. It was an interesting story with a nice twist at the end. I enjoyed the book.

This mystery book was a tad disappointing for me. Sadie is thirty, has bought an old mill in a new town. She has turned it into a quaint themed book pub! All very clever has the making for an exciting read. Her ex-boyfriend comes to town, gets murdered, all eyes are on her. She decides to find out who killed her ex. Thus we begin her sleuthing skills. Let me say; the story starts breaking down here. The hunk who owns a microbrewery is at the top of her list; her Aunt likes him, he has been in town six years working on getting his brewery to be successful. She behaves like a teenager around him; the story breaks down further! How can a thirty-year-old, who has lived with a man, not recognize sexual attraction with Grayson, the microbrewery owner? I am so disappointed in this book. It should be put in YA section.
I do not recommend. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book.
Carolintallahassee

I loved the cover and was intrigued by the book's synopsis. I wasn't disappointed. A good solid mystery with interesting characters and a touch of romance. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author. it you like cozy mysteries give this one a try. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

Sadie is loving her new life. Her ex decides to show up and try to win her back but things do not go as planned. With the help of the snarky Grayson will Sadie find out what happened and in the midst of the investigation will she realize Grayson is not as bad as she thought? Is there attraction in the air? Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

This is a fun new cozy mystery with an interesting twist - the heroine owns and runs a literary themed bar called Inkwells in Shady Creek, Vermont. Sadie Coleman left Boston after she broke up with her boyfriend Eric because he was a compulsive gambler. She bought the local mill and turned it into a literary pub and is trying to make a success of the new business. When Eric comes to Shady Creek with the hope of getting back together with Sadie and is later found murdered, Sadie becomes a prime suspect. She is concerned about both her reputation and the reputation of the pub, so she looks around for alternate suspects. Could it be the thug sent by the loan shark Eric is indebted to; or the men Eric was seen fighting with at the bar? Sadie sifts through clues and alibis with the help of good looking brewery owner Grayson Blake. Sadie receives many threats against her - her tires are slashed, her windows are egged but still she perseveres to find justice for someone that she once loved. This was an interesting story with plenty of twists and turns in the plot, with a look at the joys of small town living and just the right amount of romance. I highly recommend it and hope to see more of Sadie in the future.

I loved the idea of a literary pub. The story was well written and the mystery itself kept me guessing until the end.
Sadie is a fun, likeable character who I am looking forward to getting to know.
I recommend this book and happily give it 5 stars.

I volunteered to read and review an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

Devoured this book. I couldn't get enough. This book was filled with adventure and surprises. Totally surprised at the reveal. Can't wait for the next book in the series.

Sadie Coleman has left Boston, dead-end job and a loser of an ex behind to start over in small town Vermont. She’s turning an old grist mill into a literary themed pub where you can sip your libation as you discuss the latest thriller or a classic novel. It’s fall in Shady Creek and everyone is in a festive mood as the Autumn Festival begins. Sadie barely has time to begin enjoying herself before her ex, Eric shows up, looking for another chance. She has no intention of taking him back, but when he’s found dead in her pub, it’s clear someone disliked Eric even more than she did. As random acts of vandalism strike the small town, Sadie and her new friends decide to find the culprit before the peace of Shady Creek is disturbed for good. I enjoyed so many aspects of this book, Sadie’s hutzpah, the beauty of a New England autumn and the book themed pub. So much fun!

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!