A yummy anthology containing FIVE top-rated cozy mysteries, each featuring smart and savvy ladies—who aren’t afraid to kick some butt. PLUS a romantic puzzler bonus, which isn’t at all what you might expect…
From murder at a conference in fashionable Provence to an underground feminist bordello in San Francisco (with a pit stop on the Gulf Cost where a killer’s on the loose while a hurricane closes in), Cozy Leading Ladies is sure to satisfy mystery readers who love their independent female sleuths. (Friendly piece of it’s probably best to read the collection with a box of chocolates or your favorite brand of potato chips really nearby).
Vol. 1: DEATH TURNS A TRICK, the FIRST book in the Rebecca Schwartz mystery series by Edgar Award Winner Julie Smith
A ROLLICKING TALE OF MURDER, ROMANCE, AND A BORDELLO…
Rebecca Schwartz, nice Jewish lawyer with a few too many fantasies, is happily playing the piano in a whorehouse when she suddenly finds herself assigned to make sure a near-naked state senator escapes a police raid. That dirty job done, a lovely evening turns even more delightful when she’s picked up by the cops and spends the next two hours at the Hall of Justice. Could this day get any worse? Of course! Guess who arrives home to find a dead hooker on her living room floor?
Vol. 2: THE AURA, the FIRST Kate Benedict Paranormal Mystery by Carrie Bedford
Life spins out of control for London architect Kate Benedict when she sees a dancing aura above certain people’s heads that seems to signal death. Suddenly she’s psychic. But that can't be! Psychic’s not acceptable in her circle, where the supernatural is strictly for the superstitious. And yet…people are dying. People close to her.
Vol. 3: THE 13th FELLOW, A Mystery In Provence by Tracy Whiting
POETRY, MURDER, BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE ... AND PROVENCE!
American Professor Havilah Gaie has always seen herself as “an academic version of Pam Grier’s smart, quick on their feet, loyal with a keen sense of purpose.” Now she’s got a chance to suit up for action because suddenly she’s a witness in a murder.
Vol. 4: HURRICANE Florida Panhandle Mystery #1 by Michaela Thompson
“Miss Marple meets Eudora Welty (with a trace of Erskine Caldwell)” –Kirkus
The 1950s fairly leap off the page in this classic cozy mystery set in northern Florida in the Eisenhower era, complete with Johnny Ray on the jukebox and a Womanless Wedding—this one interrupted by an explosion at a moonshine still. Lily Trulock, owner of Trulock’s Grocery & Marine Supply, leads a pretty quiet life until a stranger comes to town. Before she can say, “down the hatch,” Lily’s at the center of a vicious murder and a no-holds-barred bootlegging war—and a nasty storm’s on the way.
Vol. 5: PICK-UP LINE A New Orleans Love Story by Patty Friedmann
ROMANCE IS THE BEST PAIN-KILLER…
Cupid’s working overtime in the unlikely venue of N.O. Drugs, where plus-sized beauty Ciana Jambon works with dread-locked pharmacy student Lennon Israel, and she’s got the crush of the century.
Author of 20 mystery novels and a YA paranormal adventure called BAD GIRL SCHOOL (formerly CURSEBUSTERS!). Nine of the mysteries are about a female New Orleans cop Skip Langdon, five about a San Francisco lawyer named Rebecca Schwartz,two about a struggling mystery writer named Paul Mcdonald (whose fate no one should suffer) and four teaming up Talba Wallis, a private eye with many names, a poetic license, and a smoking computer, with veteran P.I. Eddie Valentino.
In Bad GIRL SCHOOL, a psychic pink-haired teen-age burglar named Reeno gets recruited by a psychotic telepathic cat to pull a job that involves time travel to an ancient Mayan city. Hint:It HAS to be done before 2012!
Winner of the 1991 Edgar Allen Poe Award for best novel, that being NEW ORLEANS MOURNING.
Former reporter for the New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE and the San Francisco CHRONICLE.
Recently licensed private investigator, and thereon hangs a tale.
Call me old-fashioned. Either a book/series stands or falls on its own. How many times can you re-package the same story and hope to fool the public they're getting something fresh? I reviewed the first of these stories only a month ago when 'Death Turns A Trick' was released in a 3 Book Box Set. It was average then and it's average now. Originally released in 1982 it hasn't stood the test of time. Why the other writers felt the need to have this as the lead story I don't know. Apologies for only skimming through them but this marketing gimmick leaves me cold.
Read first 2 previously (rated). Reading last novel and extra story now.
Shelved second novel — too much )sex, language, or something else. First novel nearly found Its way into the “shelved” category ... (too ... like the first).
ROMANCE is not sex —- graphics don’t qualify it for anything but shelved. Sexually graphic is called porn.
Such an array of storeys and caracters so diverse in nature, yet each imbued of culture, grace and inner strength, true ladies in the finest sence of word.Tails written for young ladies who have yet to be and more mature woman who've had those past memories to smile away the last rays of thier day. So wether young or young at heart join those whom have read Cozy Leading Ladies Kat
Great collection with a variety of authors, I'm off to read more of them
I have been a Julie Smith fan for 2 decades but had not read the other authors. Glad I did, as I have 3 new ones to chase. 4 stars for content and variety, but this would be a 5 novel, 5 star gift for a friend.
I laughed, shrugged, bit my lip and cried. A love story unlike any I've read for a long time. I so wanted a happy ending and got it! Caddy and Alec are actually quite perfect for each other. I hope Hatch stays around long enough to bounce that Star Baby on his arthritic knees!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is filled with quirky characters and an enjoyable plot. Just enough sci-fi to make it intriguing. I actually didn't want to be through with the story.
A wide variety of stories, all of them good. I really don't know how or why someone would group them together, other than they all feature interesting women. A little bit of something for everyone; murder, madam, mystery, and magic.
I picked this up because I’m very familiar with Julie Smith and I wanted to see what company she was keeping. I’m glad I did. Each story was quite different from the others, but each one well worth the read.
I like to find a series and read the whole series when possible. Some of these books were pretty good, others started out so slow that it was hard to get through them.