Name: Wine and Punishment
Author: Sarah Fox

Sarah Fox’s cozy mysteries Wine and Punishment and Dead Men Wag No Tails are light, fun reads I consumed recently between more hard-hitting, thought-provoking novels. Because variety is the key to avoiding reading slumps!

Literary Pub Mystery #1, Wine and Punishment (December 2018)

Source: Local Library

Genre: Mystery, Drama, Crime

Wine & Punishment Publisher Synopsis

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.

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Magical Menagerie Mystery #2, Dead Men Wag No Tails (January 2025)

Source: Audiobook review copy from Libro.fm

Genre: Mystery, Romance. Crime

Dead Men Wag No Tails Publisher Synopsis

Georgie Johansen’s return to the coastal haven of Twilight Cove has been a dream come she gets to work with Auntie O at the animal sanctuary, has adopted two very adorable dogs who have very special abilities and even has a blossoming romance with the gorgeous farmhand Callum.

It’s August and the town is buzzing with anticipation for the annual Dead Eye Days pirate festival. The excitement reaches a fever pitch when long-term resident Jasper, a pirate fanatic, declares he is in possession of a treasure map!

However, the hunt for treasure soon becomes a hunt for a murderer when Jasper is found dead, and Georgie is once again compelled to put on her sleuthing hat. With her extraordinary dogs Flossie and Fancy beside her, and Euclid, the mysterious great-horned owl, keeping a watchful eye on them, can she uncover the killer and protect Twilight Cove? Or will her curiosity put a bounty on her own head?

A cozy mystery series with a magical twist, perfect for fans of Sofie Kelly, Amanda Flowers, Wendy Corsi Staub and Gretchen Rue.

My Review

The charm and enjoyment to be had from reading cozy mystery novels often stem from their settings and relatable protagonists rather than the underlying mysteries themselves. So Wine and Punishment, which centres on a book lover seeking a fresh start, buying a literary-themed pub in a historic building in a leafy small-town setting, sounded like a recipe for success to me.

From the pub’s literary-themed cocktail menu and book club events to Sadie sharing her love of the Nancy Drew series with a young reader and ultimately emulating lots of Nancy Drew behaviour herself, Wine and Punishment delivers on the title’s promised bookishness. The extent to which Sadie is personally impacted by the criminal activity that unfolds makes her quest to solve the case herself more credible and compelling than your average amateur sleuthing escapade. Fox’s use of the ‘enemies-to-?’ trope also added a lighter layer of interest and escapism also. So, this Literary Pub Mystery Series is one I will likely return to in future.

Dead Men Wag No Tails also ticked a lot of charm-factor boxes with protagonist Georgie, an author, and her super cute doggy duo (with special powers) living and working at her aunt’s animal sanctuary in a coastal small-town setting. This being the second title in the Magical Menagerie Mystery series, her romance with a retired sports star opting for a quieter life working at the sanctuary has already been established but remains relatively chaste.

While Dead Men Wag No Tails was a sweet and relaxing listening experience (Hallie Bee Bard’s narration is clear with Hallmark-style pacing), I did not find this story’s premise or plot as compelling as Wine and Punishment. Some of the characters’ motivations did not feel quite as strong. I also think this novel’s narrative would have benefited from a tougher edit. For example, the mention of routine peripheral actions that could easily have been left unsaid broke my engagement on occasion.

That said, both of these Sarah Fox cozy mysteries yielded several hours of enjoyable relaxation and proved fantastic palate cleansers between some of the more complex and emotionally impactful titles on my reading pile.