Murder by the Glass: Cocktail Mysteries by Edited by Teresa Inge and Yvonne Saxon

Murder by the Glass: Cocktail Mysteries by Edited by Teresa Inge and Yvonne Saxon
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Whether the setting is a vineyard in Argentina or a small town in Virginia, these 17 mystery and suspense authors infuse this collection of deadly deeds with a variety of potent potables, the stories in Murder by the Glass: Cocktail Mysteries range from light-bodied puzzles to edgier tales with bitter consequences. No matter what your taste, these stories pair well with any beverage, each blending a baffling mystery, a glass and a murder.

This anthology includes works by Allie Marie, Betsy Ashton, Frances Aylor, Mary Dutta, Eleanor Cawood Jones, Diane Fanning, Debra H. Goldstein, Libby Hall, Maria Hudgins, Teresa Inge, Maggie King, Kristin Kisska, Allie Marie, K. L. Murphy, Alan Orloff, Josh Pachter, Shawn Reilly Simmons and Heather Weidner.

Sometimes thirstiness is deadly.

Maddie attempted to solve her sister’s murder and get revenge on the killer in “Revenge on the Rocks.” There were so few clues to go on that I was quite curious to see how she’d figure out who killed her sister. I liked the fact that she had to work so hard to put the pieces together. It made sense given what a private person the sister was and how she originally met the man who took her life.

All of the stories in this anthology were well worth reading, but I thought a few of them would have benefitted from a little more development. “The Good Citizen” was one of them. While I completely understood how irritating it is to spend time with someone who complains about everything, I would have liked to know why Sylvia’s killer thought that taking her life was their best option. She was no doubt a highly difficult person to have a conversation with, but she wasn’t violent or dangerous. It seemed to me that it would have made more sense to let her live out her final days and avoid her as much as possible in the meantime. With more exposition, this could have been one of my favorite stories of them all.

“Swiping Right” started off with a first date between Corynne and Tad, two single people who’d recently matched with each other on a dating site. They were both excited to meet, but there was something unusual about Corynne that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. I eagerly read on to find out what else she was looking for from Tad other than the possibility of love. This tale meandered a little, but everything it mentioned while slowly moving towards the exciting conclusion was critical to understanding what was really happening here. I had a wonderful time figuring it all out.

Murder by the Glass: Cocktail Mysteries kept me guessing. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys a strong drink or an intriguing mystery.