ARC Review: Through the Liquor Glass by Sarah Fox

Through the Liquor Glass
Author: Sarah Fox
Series: A Literary Pub Mystery (Book 5)
Publication: Kensington Cozies (November 29, 2022)

Description: Fall is in full swing in the picturesque New England town of Shady Creek, Vermont, and Sadie Coleman, owner of the literary-themed Inkwell pub, is serving up delicious food and drinks with a side of sleuthing in the latest Literary Pub Mystery from USA Today bestselling author Sarah Fox…

Autumn brings a wonderland of color and atmosphere to Vermont. As the last leaves fall from the trees, the town is gearing up for a new festival: A Taste of Shady Creek. Pub proprietor Sadie Coleman is looking forward to visitors coming to sample her literary-themed cocktails. She’s a little more wary about her mother’s impending first visit. What if her mom doesn’t like Sadie’s adopted town—or her new boyfriend, Grayson Blake?

Those concerns are overshadowed when a food critic is found dead at Grayson’s craft brewery, pinned under a barrel. Curiouser and curiouser—the victim is linked to Grayson’s past as a private investigator, and all the evidence points to him as the killer. While Grayson lays low, Sadie starts some investigating of her own, diving down a rabbit hole of suspects. Was it a bad review that made the killer mad as a hatter? Or are there other motives at play?

In between serving Kiss of the Cider Woman cocktails and book-minded bites to festival goers, Sadie is striving to clear Grayson’s name. But it’ll take more than a dash of ingenuity to prevent the festival from fizzing out completely—and stop a killer from downing another innocent life . . .

My Thoughts: The fifth book in the Literary Pub mysteries has Sadie Coleman busy preparing for a food and drink festival and preparing for her mother's first visit to her new home in New England and introducing her to her boyfriend Grayson. 

When one of the food critics who is in town for the festival is found dead in Grayson's brewery, Sadie finds herself needing to solve a new mystery. After all, Grayson had a history with the victim and police are looking at him as the number one suspect. When Grayson goes into hiding so that he can continue his investigations into who might have murdered the woman, Sadie is left to conduct her own investigation. 

There are lots of possible suspects because the victim made a habit of alienating people. From a fellow food critic to a man who lost his restaurant after her bad review to a young woman who gave up a possible writing career after receiving a critique from the victim, Sadie has lots of possibilities. 

I had a couple of problems with the story. Despite having solved four previous cases, Sadie seems particularly clueless. Her desire to find her boyfriend even though it might lead the police to him seems really odd. She didn't need to see but just wanted to. She also takes some chances when she decides to search one of her suspects' rooms and her heavy-handed interview techniques weren't very effective.

Fans of cozies on the more unrealistic end of the spectrum, or those who have read earlier books in this series, would seem the best audience for this title.  

Favorite Quote:

Nick took a moment to consider his words. "She was a determined and tenacious woman. She'll be sorely missed by everyone who knew her." He stared down into his mug of coffee with a somber expression.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.