Wine and Punishment by Sarah Fox

I was getting deep into my historical fiction when this hold came up at the library...and down the cozy mystery rabbit hole I went, dropping everything else to read this book. 

It's the first in a series--"A literary pub mystery". Wine, a pub, and books. Not hard to see why I wanted to read it. Quick synopsis: Sadie Coleman is a new resident of the small town of Shady Creek, Vermont. She's purchased a historic old mill, and turned it into a pub that has a literary theme to it: cocktails crafted after authors and books, along with a cozy atmosphere filled with book shelves and a few new book clubs. She's only been open a few months, and things are going well. 

However, one night her ex-boyfriend shows up at the pub. She'd broken up with him months earlier over his gambling habit. She moved away and started fresh. Now he's back and wants to see her. Slipping out the back door, she avoids him. The next morning, he's found dead, and of course Sadie is one of the suspects. With the annual harvest festival starting in a few days, with lots of tourists coming into town, it's the worst time for a murder! And to further the mystery, the same night Eric is murdered, a fire breaks out in a local antique shop. Are the two connected? What did Eric want with Sadie? 

Of course Sadie is curious, and needs to nose around. But that could put her in some dangerous situations, and somebody in town doesn't like Sadie very much.  

I enjoyed this cozy very much. I will definitely read more of the series. Characters are likable, the town is appealing, and there's plenty of build up for a romance with the ocal brewmaster, Grayson. This was a welcome diversion from a busy week. I'm really enjoying dipping into the cozy mystery genre. Only problem is there's so many I want to read, I'm having a hard time choosing my next one. Big surprise, but I do like cozy mysteries that have a literary theme to them. 

Rating: 4/6 for an enjoyable start to a new mystery series. If you enjoy books and cocktails, and someday dream of having your own literary pub, you'll enjoy this cozy mystery. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio.

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