Sour Grapes

Dewberry Farm #10

by Karen MacInerney

A toast to murder... with a bitter aftertaste.

As autumn settles over Buttercup, Texas, the buzz is all about the grand opening of the new local winery—but when the winemaker is found dead in the barn after a disastrous debut dinner, the celebration turns somber. Was it despair over a bad batch of wine… or something more sinister? Dewberry Farm’s own Lucy Resnick uncorks a tangled web of secrets and lies that could lead to more than one fatality—unless she can stop the killer before the harvest turns deadly.

Praise for the Dewberry Farm mysteries...

“Now that I’ve gotten to know the residents of Buttercup, I can’t wait to visit them again. Killer Jam is filled with a good mystery, delightful characters, and a fun setting that will bring cozy readers back for many more visits.” —Carstairs Considers...

“I’m excited to see more from Karen MacInerney…I look forward to reading more about Lucy and her escapades in Buttercup, Texas, and hope we see a lot more of a certain fine lookin’ veterinarian!” —Bubble Bath Books

“Killer Jam is a great first book in the new Dewberry Farm series. Highly recommend! Looking forward to the second one already!” —MysteriesEtc

“I give Killer Jam 5 out of 5 stars. I liked the characters and the humor in the book. I also loved the paranormal element (or the possibility of a ghost)! I look forward to the next book in this series.” —The Avid Reader

“This is a great story; it will quickly grab your attention and keep you turning the pages. There are several laugh out loud moments, particularly a few involving the cow and her antics…I think this is going to be another great series!” —A Cozy Booknook

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery

220 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 30, 2025

About the author

I'm the author of the Agatha-nominated Gray Whale Inn mystery series, Tales of an Urban Werewolf. the Margie Peterson mysteries and the Dewberry Farm mysteries (plus a new fantasy in the works). My reading is like my writing: eclectic!

I grew up in the Northeast, but I currently live in Austin with my husband, two kids, and a houserabbit named Bunny. Feel free to visit me online at www.karenmacinerney.com; I love connecting with readers.

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy’s goats and cow go missing. She finds a puppy instead while looking for them. She can’t find them on her farm, but she does find their foot prints and begins to follow them. She follows them to a house she never knew was so close to her. Loosing the animals trail she goes to check with the neighbors only to find a dead body. However, things don’t go as planned at the event. Lucy is now looking for more than her beloved animals she looking for the owner of the puppy and a murderer.

This is my favorite in the series so far. The mystery is full of suspense and plenty of twists to keep Lucy and the readers on their toes trying to figure out who is behind everything that is happening. There is more than one mystery going in the story as well, but they are woven seamlessly together. Lucy is a great protagonist with her love of animals, support and loyalty to her friends and community, and intelligence.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone.

[Diane Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Awaiting patiently for the next in this series.. Love them..

[Marseydoats · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though I liked this overall, the author has her priorities skewed. If you've got missing livestock, you look for them until you find them. If you've got other obligations, you cancel them. Animals come first.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

We're back in Buttercup and Lucy has stumbled over not one, but TWO bodies. Which is not really a great way to spend your time. To be fair, Lucy has the nose to figure out who did the deed, so if anyone's going to find bodies, I guess she should be the one.

So. The first body was found when some of Lucy's livestock escaped and went roaming. Her search for them brings her to a house down the way where a woman had been, uhh, ended. Not only does Lucy have to deal with the worry of her missing animals, but she has the sight of this dead lady now stuck in her head.

Leaving that case to the police (since she didn't know the lady and didn't have any stake in finding out who did it), Lucy finds a SECOND body up at the new winery. On one hand, the discovery caps off a disappointing debut of the winery's wines. On the other hand, maybe the two deaths are related? Possibly? Regardless, Lucy is invested now and she's putting her investigative skills to use as she attempts to ferret out the whos and whys of these two deaths.

A sweet little pup, a move forward in the romance department, a wedding (not Lucy's!), secrets, a twisted plan, lots of wine, and one lady who is determined to piece together the clues until she figures out what's what. *thumbs up*

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[Kelly - Words We Love By · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this series and look forward to every new installment like I’m catching up with an old friend. Poor Lucy, she just can’t seem to stay out of trouble or away from a dead body! Every time she turns around, someone in Buttercup has met an unfortunate end, and of course, it’s up to her to solve the mystery.

In Sour Grapes, things take a deadly turn at the new Red Oak Winery when a winemaker and his girlfriend end up murdered, and Lucy uncovers more than a few secrets that nearly get her killed, too. But that’s not all she has on her plate, her goats (Hot Lips and Gidget, plus the rest of the mischievous herd) and Blossom the cow decide to stage a great escape, leaving Lucy with a farm in chaos and a mystery to solve. Luckily, there’s a sweet new pup to keep Chuck company while Lucy plays detective and tries to figure out where things stand with Tobias, the local vet.

Lucy juggles it all...murder, mayhem, romance, and farm life with her trademark determination and heart. This series is such a perfect mix of cozy humor, small-town charm, and clever mystery plotting. Sour Grapes is another fun, fast-paced addition that reminds me exactly why Lucy Resnick is one of my favorite cozy heroines.

Lucy is definitely my hero, now I’m already counting down to the next one!

[Lady Galaxy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series and the main characters, but since I'm not a wine drinker, the mystery itself didn't engage me. The book was still well written. To paraphrase a famous meme, it's me not the author.

I kept waiting for the missing goats and cow to tie into the main plot, but it turned out to be a separate sub plot. I found myself way more worried about the critters than the humans in this one. I can't believe Lucy was stupid enough to go to question the obvious suspects all by herself without telling anybody where she was going. I also hate it that she's invited the boyfriend to live with her. She should listen to that part of her that doesn't really want to share space with somebody. Her plan to build a separate wing of the house for him to live in should tell her she's not ready to share space with somebody. It's OK to want to remain single and independent!

I look forward to the next book, and hope it isn't such a long time coming. I also liked the teaser chapter at the end for her next series. It sounds like it's going to be fun. I'm eager to read the whole book!

[Deborah Almada · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was great to get back to Dewberry Farm, it seems like it has been a long time between stories. I have missed the wonderful farm stories, delightful animals, and friendly neighbors and friends developed thru the series. Unfortunately, they all played a very small part in this book, most of the secondary characters we have come to care about were at least mentioned but had little or no role in our saga, most of the animals were missing for most of the book which made some of Lucy's actions a little more unexplainable. I understand her minor connection to the new Winery, they are a potential client for her goat cheese, but the depth of her involvement in looking into something that appears to be a suicide at the start, seems odd, especially considering her problems at the farm. All of that said, it was an interesting mystery and definitely kept my interest throughout. We did get rewarded at the end with an adorable event that regular readers would be happy about. I hope we get another chance to spend some quality time on the farm soon. #SourGrapes #DewberryFarmMysteries #Karen MacInerney #bookreview #bookideas #retiredreader

[Carla Brauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing Sour in Buttercup…but Murder!

The latest Dewberry Farm mystery is plump, juicy, and ripe with intrigue. Be sure to have a glass of your favorite beverage poured as you taste through Lucy’s latest escapades in “Sour Grapes”. (Trust me on this.)

There’s a new winery in Buttercup and everyone is looking forward to the success of a flourishing new venue; or are they? Dead bodies always seem to appear when Lucy and her menagerie of animals are near, and yes, it wouldn’t be a cozy without a dead body or two.

Unlike the occasional unfortunate dead, you will enjoy beautiful descriptions of the Texas countryside, and the warm relationships with “most” of the humans and animals. All sprinkled with just a touch of supernatural happenings to ponder as you puzzle out who the culprit is this time.

My highly anticipated visits to Buttercup never fail to run me through a gamut of emotions. I can count on experiencing humor, awe, heartbreak, empathy, and always, at the end, a heart filled with gratitude for the gift of another visit to Buttercup.

[Liz Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy is helping out at a winery event, a day after her goats and cow have escaped and she found a body while out looking for them. Just another day in Buttercup, Texas.
At the winery dinner, several new wines are being introduced. Even the owners haven’t been able to taste them, at the insistence of the winemaker. But the wines are bad, putting survival of the winery at risk. But before Lucy can leave for home, she finds yet another body!
I’ve read all of the author’s Dewberry Farm Mysteries, so I’m already familiar with the community and its characters. This book is more focused on a complex story, so there’s a bit less of the local flavor. That said, I had trouble putting it down until way past my bedtime. This is a warm, amusing and intriguing addition to the series and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Vicki May · Rating 5 out of 5]

nother fantastic visit to Dewberry Farm. Lucy Resnick is dealing with runaway livestock and the discovery of not one but two bodies.
Sour Grapes is beautifully written so that the reader feels they are in the Texas hill country surrounded by wonderfully quirky characters. The mystery is full of twists to keep the reader guessing whodunnit. I look forward to each visit to Dewberry Farm like a visit with old friends or a rousing murder mystery weekend.
I highly recommend Sour Grapes to all cozy mystery readers.

[Jennifer Wise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved this series but this book seems rushed. There was no misdirection, no red herring and the characters really did not evolve. It was completely obvious who the villain (s) were. The main character asked the same question 3 times to another character. Why? We already had the answer. That was frustrating. What I loved about the series is the everyday life and how the mystery would unfold naturally. This was rushed and forced. Not sure I’ll continue with the series if this is the quality going forward.

[Kathleen Chrisman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new winery in Buttercup, Texas gives Lucy something to look forward to until she discovers a body and follows the clues to uncover who the killer is. Lucy's life is always full. If chasing down clues aren't enough she has missing livestock on her mind. Another fun read. Looking forward to the next book in this series.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 10 of 10 but I felt like the series was going to continue at the end of this book. We shall see! This series always has an interesting and somewhat crazy mystery and wonderful characters.

Amazin synopsis:
As autumn settles over Buttercup, Texas, the buzz is all about the grand opening of the new local winery—but when the winemaker is found dead in the barn after a disastrous debut dinner, the celebration turns somber. Was it despair over a bad batch of wine… or something more sinister? Dewberry Farm’s own Lucy Resnick uncorks a tangled web of secrets and lies that could lead to more than one fatality—unless she can stop the killer before the harvest turns deadly.

[BethAnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karen MacInerney delivers the perfect mix of small-town charm, humor, and mystery. I loved the vineyard setting and the way Lucy balances determination with heart. The pacing was just right, with plenty of twists but still that cozy Texas feel I’ve come to expect from this series. A great fall read for anyone who enjoys smart, feel-good mysteries. Always love the animals as well!

[Melody Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story from Dewberry Farms in book 10 of the series. Goats and cow are missing. Little dog found with blood on his collar. Two dead bodies. And they are all connected through the opening of the new winery. It’s up to Dewberry Farm owner Lucy Resnick to untangle the wine corks to get to the bottom of secrets and lies. Lots of twists and turns with a bitter aftertaste.

[Carola Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely and exciting

I like this series a lot. It was a long time since the last one, I hope next one doesn’t take so long. I ant to read more about Tobias moving in. They make a lovely couple.

[Keri Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivateing

I love Karen Maclnemey books jump right in and never let you go to the very last page. Full of mystery and suspence. Just when you think you know who did it, another clue drops and you have to start allover.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love going back to Dewberry Farm to visit with old and new friends! This visit includes the opening of a winery, a new business (and a new mystery to solve)! There are new romantic developments, as well as a sweet, new puppy! A most enjoyable read!

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reliable story

The author didn't disappoint but she needs some new characters. The stories are beginning to all be the same. It did take me longer to figure out who done it but this story was pretty much the same as the last book.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it! I read it way too fast.

[Nana Fields · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it!!!

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always fun to spend time with Lucy and her crew

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

still love this series!!

Great story and character progression!! Love the series. Looking forward to the next one. I also like the recipes at the end.

[Michelle Courtright · Rating 2 out of 5]

last book I’ll read in the series

Books are now less than 200 pages, and frankly have become so repetitive and banal that I have no further interest in the series or its characters…

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

really good story...

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyed the other books in this series. This one felt repetitive and a key place at the end was misnamed. Just not a fan of this one.

[Jennetta Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love all of Karen's books!

[Katie Hufford · Rating 1 out of 5]

Such a slow and boring story line.

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I already miss this series 😭 I hope Karen writes more, but I’ll definitely be diving into her other series.

[kathleen spero · Rating 5 out of 5]

easy reading very enjoyable a clean read..