Cozy Mystery Corner discussion

This topic combines the old "Which cozy are you reading?" with Which series first have you just read?

Tell us about the cozy you have just started, are currently reading, or just finished! A favorite series or a brand new one! Would you recommend it?

An Appetite for Murder Lucy Burdette's first novel in the Key West Food Critic Mysteries was my introduction into the Cozy Mystery Genre and I am hooked!

Since reading that I have moved on to devour all of the Janet Evanovich , Stephanie Plum books, as well as her newer supernatural "Wicked" series.

Right now I am currently reading Al Roker's The Morning Show Murders: A Novel

I just finished If Fried Chicken Could Fly and now I'm looking forward to the second book!

I just started Hot Button and I'm enjoying it so far :)

Finished which wasn't as good as others in the series. Will be starting this weekend after I finish 2 other books I'm reading!

Susie in KS wrote: "I just finished If Fried Chicken Could Fly and now I'm looking forward to the second book!

I just started Hot Button and I'm enjoying it so far :)"

I like the button collector books, Susie. The new just came the other day!

reading Hearse and Buggy. I enjoy the Amish aspect of the book

I'm reading Holiday Buzz, the latest from Cleo Coyle and I'm starting my first novel from Ellery Adams in her Books by the Bay series very interesting and unique!

I am currently reading Book, Line and Sinker (Library Lover's Mystery #3) by: Jenn McKinlay. I like this series and this is a good addition.

I am currently reading A Killer Maize by Paige Shelton...and I love it....I love all of her books....Book, Line and Sinker was another really good book...the end will leave you going what the heck.....but make you look forward to the next in the series...

I just finished . I like to scrapbook with friends so I thought I would enjoy it. It was just OK. I ended up giving it 2 stars.

Michelle wrote: "I just finished . I like to scrapbook with friends so I thought I would enjoy it. It was just OK. I ended up giving it 2 stars."

Read this one some time back and I didn't like it either.

Michelle wrote: "I just finished . I like to scrapbook with friends so I thought I would enjoy it. It was just OK. I ended up giving it 2 stars."

Joanna Campbell Slan has a scrapbooking series out too. I read one that was OK. I'm not a big scrapbooker so it wasn't super engaging for me, but I think her books are pretty successful.

Amanda wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I just finished . I like to scrapbook with friends so I thought I would enjoy it. It was just OK. I ended up giving it 2 stars."

Joanna Ca..."

Thanks for the heads up! Maybe I'll look into it!

As a scrapbooker, I had really high hopes for Scrapbook of Secrets, but I couldn't even make myself finish the book!

Campbell Slan's series is better, as long as you can tolerate her mother-in-law *@@* Laura Childs also has a scrapbooking-based series; the first book is Keepsake Crimes. Of the three series, this one is, imo, the best.

Uh oh. I think I own Scrapbook of Secrets. I used to scrapbook a lot, but I can't even get into that room now :)

Barb wrote: "As a scrapbooker, I had really high hopes for Scrapbook of Secrets, but I couldn't even make myself finish the book!

Campbell Slan's series is better, as long as you can tolerate her mother-in-law..."

Thanks for another recommendation!

jaxnsmom wrote: "Uh oh. I think I own Scrapbook of Secrets. I used to scrapbook a lot, but I can't even get into that room now :)"

Oh boy does *that sound familiar! LOL I've had to pass on a couple of weekend crops because my stuff is all over the place and it would take weeks to get it all together to go away for a weekend, yikes!

I just finished . I wasn't sure if this was a cozy or just a historical mystery series at first, but it has several cozy characteristics -- an amateur detective (Beau Brummel), a feline companion, and an overall lighthearted tone. I love historical cozies, but most of the ones I've read have been Victorian or later so finding one set in the Regency period was a nice surprise.

Christina - I've decided if it gives me the feel of a cozy, then it's a cozy. We all have our adjustments to the basic definitions, so go with what you like.

Have you read Sweet Revenge by Andrea Penrose? It's the first in the Lady Arianna Regency Mystery series. I believe there are three so far.

just finished

here is my review
Penny Gibson's review
Jan 13, 13 · edit

4 of 5 stars false
bookshelves: cosy-mystery
Read from January 11 to 13, 2013

This is the first in a series.
The Prince of Wales, Edward, has a debauched son Eddy. Eddy is found with his throat slit at Sandringham. Lord Francis Powerscourt is asked to investigate whilst no one is to know about the murder as the royal family hush it up and declare Eddy died of influenza.

I found this a quick, well-paced and in places, humourous, story and just when I thought all was done and dusted there was another twist.

A fair amount of aristocratic drawing room gossip and matchmaking going on inbetween murders!
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I'm reading No Consideration for the Cat by Marian Babson. If you haven't read her cat books, they are really good. Funny and fun.

jaxnsmom wrote: "Christina - I've decided if it gives me the feel of a cozy, then it's a cozy. We all have our adjustments to the basic definitions, so go with what you like.

Have you read Sweet Revenge by Andrea..."

Thanks for the recommendation! One of the local libraries has Sweet Revenge, and I plan to pick it up soon.

Currently reading Crime Fraiche

I just started which is #2 in the Haunted Souvenir Shop Mystery series.

Started

Currently reading The Lost Gardens I love this series!

Melodie wrote: "Started "

I recently won this book, and looking forward to reading it..anxious to hear what you think of it.

Reading Deadly Patterns

I'm reading the Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder.

Joan K. Maze
writing as J. K. Maze

OK I am almost done with my first cozy mystery I'm not that impressed with it :( I don't know why but it just isn't holding my attention. My mind keeps wandering off LOL

♥Robin ♥ wrote: "OK I am almost done with my first cozy mystery I'm not that impressed with it :( I don't know why but it just isn't holding my attention. My mind keeps wanderi..."

Robin,..Do you like history novels..or more contemporary?
There are some "cute" cozies..centered around bakeries, knitting stores, book stores...that you might like.
( I like the cozies that feature food, except they make you hungry when you are reading them )

Have you looked at books by Jenn McKinlay, JoAnna Carl, Miranda Bliss ( her Restaurant series? )

I love history and contemporary novels. I have looked into the "cute" themed cozies and I have a few based on crocheting and knitting because I'm a crocheter. I was digging through my shelves and ran across this one A Christmas Journeylooked it up on GR and thought OHHHH this is a cozy I will start with it.....not a very good choice LOL

The knitting ones I own are:

Died in the Wool
Knit Fast, Die Young

A Deadly Yarn
Needled to Death
Knit One, Kill Two

The Crocheting ones I own are:

Hooked on Murder
Dead Men Don't Crochet
A Stitch in Crime

But of the ones I own I know nothing about them or the authors LOL I acquired them some where along the way and just tucked them away on my shelves. ☺

I'm trying to stay away from the library for a while and read either what I own on my shelves/have on computer/have on kindle. So I have been digging high and low in these places to see if I have anything LOL

I think I may have some of the freebies that were offered for Kindle but I have no idea what they would be as this is a "very new to me genre"

♥Robin ♥ wrote: "I love history and contemporary novels. I have looked into the "cute" themed cozies and I have a few based on crocheting and knitting because I'm a crocheter. I was digging through my shelves and r..."

Robin, Sounds like you have some great cozies to start with! =)

Robin - I find I don't like a lot of the British ones as much. Too much dialogue in some, and I don't really know what it is about the others. But there are others that I love. Two I found were by Tasha Alexander and by Andrea Penrose.

Just like any genre, there are types that I like and ones that I don't care for. It's a matter of finding the right ones. You might like the ones featuring around something you enjoy, like the crocheting ones. I hope so anyway!

I don't know what it was about A Christmas Journey that I didn't like...it may have been the dialogue has it did seem to have a lot of it. It wasn't a horrible read, but probably not a series I will continue on with. Oh well, that just another book off my shelf/tbr LOL.

I'm just going to keep on trying different ones until I find the ones that appeal to me as there are a lot to choose from ☺ You're right, there's good and bad in every genre, you just have to find the right ones for YOU!!!

Thanks for the recs, I will add those to my tbr so I won't forget lol

@Melissa, Thanks ☺ I probably should have picked up a crochet or knitting one but the cover of the Christmas one looked good....especially since it is so cold here.

Robin, I can understand about the covers of books. =)

Im reading a cozy mystery by Elizabeth Lynn Casey right now, its called Sew Deadly. Its really good, I like it.
( this book is first in this series ).

Its about a lady that is new to a Southern Community, and takes over working at the small towns library..
As she gets to know the ladies, she makes some friends, including a little girl that comes in with her class from school.

I'm not sure if it's technically considered a cozy or not, but I'm currently reading Nowhere to Run, by Mary Jane Clark, for next week's book group at work. This is the second book in the KEY News series for me, and (so far) I like this one as much as I did the first.

The problem is that I wasn't able to start with book 1 in the series -- the two I've read aren't even consecutive books, and it's making me a little crazy LOL

Reading I have wanted to read this for a while and it was in the library.

I don't think is a cozy but I found it on my kindle and started reading it LOL

♥Robin ♥ wrote: "I don't think is a cozy but I found it on my kindle and started reading it LOL"

I've read it and the next one, and liked them both. I consider them to be cozy, although they probably fall more accurately under historical mystery as a genre. Amateur sleuth, mild romantic element, a bit of humour, nothing graphic (beyond the fact that she's a madam of a brothel and even then the language is tame tame tame).

I just finished Killer Librarian and thought it was excellent!

❂ Jennifer wrote: "I just finished Killer Librarian and thought it was excellent!"


OOh I want to read that it's on my list but it's soooo many books away

Reading

❂ Jennifer wrote: "I just finished Killer Librarian and thought it was excellent!"

Good to know. Have this one coming up soon.

Fanficfan44 wrote: "Currently reading The Lost Gardens I love this series!"

this looks good and the library has it!! thanks for recommendation

Started

I'm just about to start Crocodile on the Sandbank. I've heard a lot of good things about this series, so I have high hopes for it!

Penny wrote: "Fanficfan44 wrote: "Currently reading The Lost Gardens I love this series!"

this looks good and the library has it!! thanks for recommendation"

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did

Currently reading I am in a gardening frame of mind.

Fanficfan44 wrote: "Currently reading I am in a gardening frame of mind."

Sounds interesting, added to my tbr. Let me know what you think of it.