Through the Liquor Glass

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 festivalgoers, Sadie strives 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.

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The Details
Series: A Literary Pub Mystery – Book #5
Author: Sarah Fox
Genre/Category: Cozy – Amateur Sleuth/Culinary
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
ISBN: 1496734033
Page Count: 304
Rating:

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The Review
It comes as no surprise that Sadie and Grayson find the body of a critic who had too much power and not enough compassion. The food industry can be hazardous to your health, especially if you are a food critic with a terrible reputation and thrive on reviews that ruin lives. Through the Liquor Glass is the latest addition to the “Literary Pub Mystery” series by Sarah Fox.

Sadie is busy creating cocktails for her pub, planning her mother’s first visit, and trying to have a relationship with Grayson. But she is nervous about her mother’s visit; what if she doesn’t like Sadie’s new home or Grayson? Adding to her stress is a food critic that has several business owners upset, including Sadie. The critic is known for harsh reviews that have caused businesses to fold up. When the critic’s body is found by Sadie and Grayson, the finger points to the past, and Grayson is the number one suspect in the murder. Grayson does what he thinks is best and goes into hiding, and Sadie does what she does best, sticks her nose where it doesn’t belong.

You don’t have to look far to find suspects in the food critic’s murder; the town appears full of them, which I found odd when you consider the critic didn’t live there. There appears to be only one motive, a critical review, or so you are led to believe. But nothing is as it seems, and readers will find a few surprises throughout the story. Some evidence can be challenging to follow, and the red herrings will send you down the wrong path. I did not believe the deception Sadie perpetuates on her mother or that she withholds information from the police; even though I understand the reasoning, it just doesn’t fit with her established character.

I love Sarah Fox’s writing and most of her series. But unfortunately, I found Through the Liquor Glass hard to read. The main character seemed to have a personality change that did not suit her, and even Grayson did not appear to be his usual self. The mystery was not original; the murder of a food critic who gives a scathing review has often been done in cozy mysteries. The killer is uncovered after a confrontation that places Sadie in danger. Secrets are revealed, and old mysteries are solved. I liked the story’s ending; it felt right, and it worked. The murderer did not come as a surprise to me, but some readers may not guess the identity. Even though I found fault with much of this book, I recommend this series along with the other series written by this author.

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The Author
Sarah Fox, a writer of cozy mysteries, was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she developed a love for mysteries at a young age. When not writing novels or working as a legal writer, she is often reading her way through a stack of books or spending time outdoors with her English Springer Spaniel.

More books from Sarah include Claret and Present Danger or a book from the “A Pancake House Mystery” series, A Wrinkle in Thyme.

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