Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge discussion
2015 Level 4(Sleuth Extra)
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Karen's Kozies 2015 - Sleuth Extraordinaire
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So... I was rushing to finish this book before midnight, but didn't make it. This is book one of 2015.1. Joanne Fluke - Blackberry Pie Murder 150101
This book was left on a cliffhanger of sorts. I just saw that the newest edition to the series, Double Fudge Brownie Murder, will be out in February. Though I'm not champing at the bit to read it, am glad that I don't have to wait a year for the next addition to this series.
Here's the thing I didn't like about this book and Red Velvet Cupcake Murder, the previous book in this series.(view spoiler)
I think of all the Swensen books I've read, this has been the worst. It's fine, readable, but there is more spent on wedding planning and cooking minutia than real mystery-solving. In fact, this and Red Velvet Cupcake Murder didn't really have involving, hard-to-solve mysteries. Also, this book didn't really involve regular characters like the other books did. That is, people are mentioned, but most don't have any real dialogue, some even being background noise Hannah overhears. I realize you can't include every character in every book, but Norman's mother Clair---Dolores' partner---never came up. Lisa's father and Herb's mother are mentioned, but only in passing. In fact, Lisa even has a lesser role in this book.
I have posted before on the Hannah-and-her-two-boyfriends subplot before. It hasn't been that annoying because in book time only a couple of years have passed, but now I'm getting tired of the endless conundrum. I never get the feeling that Hannah loves either of the men beyond friendship. I skim over the passages about how Hannah wants to be married, how she loves both, how Norman built her dream house, blah blah blah. It's becoming very tired and, for me, doesn't add to the story. I don't know... Maybe binge reading has made this series less appealing. We'll see if a couple of months absence makes my heart grow fonder.
Anyway... I'm off to a good start. Finished my first book an hour into the new year (is it sad that I'm home reading on New Year's Eve??). I interrupted my reading of Laura Alden's Foul Play at the PTA and am returning to that series now that I've read the last, to date, of the Swensen series. I have Plotting at the PTA next on the list. Although, I did just find Heather Blake's One Potion in the Grave at the e-library. That will be my next book, pushing PTA off a day or so. The e-library also has some missing books for series I've started. Ack!! No more browsing tonight! (On a good note, however, I am e-set for the next few months!)
Deb Baker's Murder Passes the Buck (e-book freebie), the start of the Gertie Johnson series, is still my back-up book and Motherhood Is Murder my car book.
And, I have to update my TBR with all the latest additions to my series. I am a few books behind in more than several. I will need to catch all those up ASAP! What a great start to 2015!
Dagny wrote: "Happy New Year!"Happy New Year to you!!
Finished another. My father used to say be careful what you do on New Year's because what you do that day, you'll do the rest of the year. So, I stayed home and didn't spend money (good!), ate cookies (maybe not so good), lazed around (pretty good) and snoozed off and on (???), watched TV (maybe not soooooo good), worked and played on the computer (okay), stayed up too late (not so good), and read (EXCELLENT!).
2. Heather Blake - One Potion in the Grave 150103 (which I finished around 1:30a. Need to stop staying up so late!
There are only two books, to date, in the Magic Potions series. I have really enjoyed both, I think this more than the first. Though there are crazy characters (mostly family), I don't find them too annoying. The mysteries have been good and the cozy stories have held my interest. I'm looking forward to more in this series.
I started Heather Blake's Wishcraft Mystery series a couple of years ago. There are four books in that series (five if you count the one coming in May 2015). I liked the one I read (first, I'm now the other four behind). Now that I've joined a finish-the-series group, I'll have to see about catching up.
As long as I'm here fooling around (instead of cleaning!)...3. Thomas Shawver - The Dirty Book Murder: A Rare Book Mystery 150105
I don't quite know what I think about this book. I like the main character, book merchant Michael Bevan, enough, but other characters and the story were only okay. Have you ever read a book that leaves you feeling a bit grimy afterwards? This did it for me. I don't know if that's because the author is a good descriptive writer and I could feel the grime or if it was the characters that left me feeling icky. Bevan is a disgraced and disbarred lawyer who now runs a not-quite antiquarian book store. He has two employees, a simpleton barista and a snooty book expert who used to run her own store. He's a widower, his wife having died about 15 year prior. He has a 20 year old daughter who love-hates him. There are a few other characters that I assume will be series regulars, his old law partner and his family and the hardened police detective. The Dirty book from the title refers to a first edition of a novel by French author Colette, a book being auctioned with other early erotica. Bevan, and a rival dealer, are outbid for the collection, but the other dealer steals the Colette book. He is murdered and Bevan becomes the prime suspect and sets out to clear his name. From there it intertwines with a members-only "party" club comprised of some of the wealthy go-getters in the city, one of whom is involved with Bevan's daughter.
There is currently another book in the series. I have it on my TBR---as a low priority at this point. It wasn't that the book was bad, it was just...I don't know...maybe not "cozy" enough.???
Final update for January (and the beginning of February since I'm here)...4. Laura Alden - Foul Play at the PTA 150118
5. Laura Alden - Plotting at the PTA 150125
6. Chris Cavender - The Missing Dough 150202
7. Laura Alden - Curse of the PTA 150207
8. Laura Alden - Poison at the PTA 150208
This catches me up on the Beth Kennedy/PTA series. So far, I'm enjoying it. The characters in the town seem real. The mysteries are involving. I like that she's not at odds with the local police (at least not all the time!). The characters don't seem to act irrationally, though there are times one or another is in danger.
Alden writes another series under the name Laurie Cass, the Bookmobile Cat Mysteries. I'm not a cat person, but may give the series a try because I enjoyed these. I'll add it to TBR, but may not get to it for a while. I'm trying to catch up all (!!) the series I'm behind on. Quite a task, especially when new books are hitting several series in the next few days. ACK!
I've just e-borrowed Mary Daheim's Clam Wake, Jenn McKinlay's Sugar and Iced, and Denise Swanson's Nickeled-and-Dimed to Death and Dead Between the Lines to catch up those series. (I love the library!)
February Update (with a week of March!). My goal of catching up the series I read is going well. Most of the books I've read this year have been catch-ups.9. Jenn McKinlay - Sugar and Iced 150209
This catches me up on this series...at least until April! Still enjoying this series overall. Though, now there's the possibility of a love square with the main protagonist--sort of, maybe. Guess I'll have to read the next one to see! :o)
10. Mary Daheim - Clam Wake 150215
Up to date with this series...until June! Though there are aspects to this series I don't like, overall it's pretty good. Twenty-nine into it and still the mysteries are fresh.
11. Denise Swanson - Nickeled-and-Dimed to Death 150216
12. Denise Swanson - Dead Between the Lines 150217
These two bring me up to date with the Devereaux Dime-store Mysteries. This is one of my favorite series. I love the mix of mystery with hot (but not erotic) romance. I can't wait to see where the series goes.
13. Juliet Blackwell - A Vision in Velvet 150223
Another up-to-dater. Juliette Blackwell is one of my favorites. This series never lets me down. I love the romance. I love the paranormal. I love the characters. I can't wait for the next addition.
14. Lorna Barrett - Book Clubbed 150225
This brings me up to date with the Booktown Mysteries. I started liking protagonist Tricia Miles with the last book. She was okay in this book, but the way she reacted to the men in her life knocked her down a bit. I don't know what it is, but there's something... I still like this series and look forward to the next addition.
15. Cleo Coyle - Espresso Shot 150301
16. Shirley S. Allen - Academic Body 150302
This is a stand-alone I got as an e-freebie. Since I needed one for a reading tournament task, I decided to go with this. I didn't particularly care for the book. The reason for the murder, to me, was rather flimsy. I never really got a sense of the characters, including the protagonist, who is a former Broadway director who now, because of health reasons, works as a college professor. His wife is a famous stage actress. The book is set in the 1962/63 school year. It was winter, but I don't recall if it was before or after the new year. I found parts of it confusing and found myself looking back a few pages to verify information. I don't know if that was because I just couldn't get into the book or because the writing was not as clear. The author passed away, so there are no other books of hers to compare.
17. Lucy Arlington - Every Trick in the Book 150306
Still loving this series...and it's only the second book.
18. Denise Swanson - Murder of a Small-Town Honey 150309
Started this series because of the book tournament and because this was a book of the month in another group. I enjoyed it, though I prefer Swanson's Devereaux series.
Just started on Nancy Martin's A Little Night Murder, which will bring me up to date with the Blackbird Sisters Mysteries.
Trying to keep with the cozy series is hard! Just as you get up to date, new additions hit the shelves! I keep completing and completing... Still, I love it!
March (and a bit of April) update... YEAH, I hit the minimum goal for this level and going strong. Still catching up my series.19. Nancy Martin - A Little Night Murder 150312
I am so angry with the end of this book that I cannot wait until the next one!! ;o)
20. Cleo Coyle - Holiday Grind 150314
21. Lawrence Block - Passport to Peril 150316
This was billed as a "a thriller loaded with international intrigue." However, it was not that thrilling until the last third of the book. I read this stand-alone as part of a mini tournament.
22. Lawrence Block - Strange Embrace 150318
Still seeking something "thrilling" for the mini tournament, I read this. This has a good story with an interesting protagonist, Broadway producer Johnny Lane, but was not really thrilling (I kept looking). I wouldn't mind a series with Johnny Lane, which is funny since the book was based on an old TV series.
23. Denise Swanson - Murder of a Sweet Old Lady 150320
I started this series last month because I needed a first-in-series for the tournament. I read this because I also needed an award winner. I love love love Swanson's Devereaux Dime-store Mysteries. I am now loving the Scumble River series, so far. I've read some things about this series that may irritate me as I keep reading, but two books in and I am hooked enough to read the next.
24. Cleo Coyle - Roast Mortem 150321
25. Kaitlyn Dunnett - Vampires, Bones and Treacle Scones 150328
Yes, I continue to put myself through the agony of reading this series. Usually books in this series take me only a couple of hours to read. This one took me a few days. I just could not work with the writing of this one. It seemed jittery/disjointed to me--scenes jumped from one to another (then it was three days later...). The story started 6-8 weeks before Halloween. Then it's Halloween. All of a sudden four or five months had passed. On the plus side, I finally got to know what happened to a character from the first book. (There was no epilogue-type wrap-up to let us know what had happened after that mystery had been solved. We were left hanging.) And, there was a timeline of sorts given for the stories to date. This is the seventh book in the series--one a year, but in finding out what happened to the character from book 1, we find that only two years had passed in fictional time. (Then, weirdly, I read the preview of the next book and more than 5 and a half years had passed since the first book???) Oh well... (Sadly, yes, I will be reading the next. Why, I don't know.)
26. Sue Ann Jaffarian - Ghost of a Gamble 150401
This is a fun series. I have to get the latest from the library.
27. Victoria Laurie - Deadly Forecast 150402
I remember not particularly enjoying the previous book in this series. I rated it three stars (the other have gotten four). However, this redeemed the series for me. I loved the set-up of this story which (view spoiler) I am looking forward to catching up the series to date.
On to my next book, Cleo Coyle's Murder by Mocha. (Then, five more of those to catch up to the latest, due December 2015.) Though, I don't know if I'll keep going with this series right now, or go back to those that need only one or two to catch up. I guess it depends on what I can get at the library/e-library. And, I do have an MJ Holliday waiting on the hold shelf for me right now.
Mod
I enjoy reading your comments about the books you've read. You've given me a few new books to look into. :)
What Britney and Kristine said! :)
April update... I've been wasting time reading e-freebies of the non-cozy type. I know there are still a couple of days left in April and I may get one more cozy read, but I just finished one I wanted to comment on so here goes.28. Cleo Coyle - Murder by Mocha 150406
29. Victoria Laurie - Fatal Fortune 150407
Still loving this series. This one had Abby Cooper's best friend, Candice Fusco, on the run for murder. Try solving that case when your husband and Candice's husband both work for the FBI, the very people hunting her down. Loved watching Abby work the case.
30. Julie Kramer - Delivering Death: A Novel 150409
This is the first book in this series not to have a name in the title (Silencing Sam, Stalking Susan, etc.) -- not that that's a big deal or anything. Anyway... This series is on of my favorites. In this entry, news reporter Riley Spartz is hunting down someone who blows up people. If that weren't enough, someone sends her an envelope of human teeth. Thus she starts hunting the story behind the teeth and finds more than she bargained for. I can't wait for the next one.
31. Victoria Laurie - What a Ghoul Wants 150422
I usually love these books, but for some reason, I kept getting distracted by e-freebies. It wasn't until I got about 100 pages in, which took me a few days, that I kept at it until it ended. It's actually a good book with malevolent ghosts and murder!
32. Victoria Laurie - The Ghoul Next Door 150426
Though I had trouble getting into the last entry, I found this one very easy to read. There's one more, to date, I have on hold request. I've read the opening to that book and can't wait to finish it.
33. Joanne Fluke - Double Fudge Brownie Murder 150428
This is the one I just finished and had to comment on. As with the past few Fluke books, the mystery in this one takes a back seat to the characters' lives, most specifically to Hannah and her men. Long rant/summary with spoilers: (view spoiler) -- That being said, now I can't wait for the next book to see if I'm right. I still like the series -- the characters, the recipes, etc.
I have started Denise Swanson's Dying for a Cupcake: A Devereaux's Dime Store Mystery and hope to finish on or before Apr 30. Then, I have two Richard Belzer cozies. I'm awaiting several latest-in-series, now on hold request. Hopefully my e-freebies won't keep distracting me too much.
I can't believe I haven't updated since April!! I will try to do that this week, but there hasn't been a lot to add to my cozy list (about three each month??).Lately I've allowed myself to get distracted by e-freebies -- action/romance, romance/hot romance, etc. However, I just started reading Jenn McKinlay's Dark Chocolate Demise. I've been stuck since I can't remember when with Richard Belzer's I Am Not a Psychic!: A Novel. I don't know what it is, but I just cannot seem to get into it. I like Richard Belzer, and even read the first in his series, I Am Not a Cop!. Belzer is the main character, an actor on a "cop show" in New York. In the first book, which took me forever (for me) to get through, one of his friends is missing, presumed killed, and he sets out to find the murderer. It's not that the stories aren't interesting, but for some reason I have a mental block with them. I was reading "Psychic," which I've renewed for three or four lending periods at this point when I got distracted -- avoidance on my part.
Anyway... yesterday I decided I'd bypass Belzer, temporarily, for McKinlay. I was 80 pages in so quickly -- back on the cozy track, but still avoiding Belzer. Then, I was distracted by visiting family. I'm planning on finishing Dark Chocolate Demise today. Then, I will read Mary Daheim's The Alpine Zen.
Then, I will force myself to finish Psychic. I think I have some books due to come up on my library hold list, including Juliet Blackwell's Spellcasting in Silk and Kate Carlisle's Ripped From the Pages. I want Belzer done before those come in! I only have two more renewal periods left for Belzer. Eighteen weeks is too long to spend on one book, but I will finish it! I probably should not have started it after Cop, but thought that was a fluke.
Oh well... Back at it.
YEAH!! I finally finished Richard Belzer's I Am Not a Psychic!: A Novel! Bad news for me is that my hard drive crashed and I lost my reading lists. I thought, "No problem. I have it on my phone," only to find that when I synced my phone the list was overwritten -- god knows how -- with an older version. Gone went three years of data only some of which I had backed up elsewhere. I'm trying to rebuild the list with what's posted on GoodReads, what's on my library and e-purchases lists, and what's shown as read in my e-readers. The sort of good news about allowing myself to get e-distracted is that there weren't many cozies after I got stuck on Richard Belzer's books so though I'm missing a lot of e-pages-read, I think I can recreate my cozies-read. I may not have exact dates for the May through mid-August reads, but they're around the time based on when I returned them to the library, etc. At least the months and years will be correct. Here goes (in sort of correct order)...
34. Denise Swanson - Dying for a Cupcake: A Devereaux's Dime Store Mystery 150430
This is one of my favorite series. I just love the heroine, Devereaux “Dev” Sinclair. I like the hot romances with her two (maybe three!) men. I enjoy the other characters and the town. What more does one need in a good series? Oh... The mysteries are good, too! My expanded review.
35. Victoria Laurie - No Ghouls Allowed 150508
I loved this entry to the series. The books have been getting darker as of late. This "ghoul" in this one was scary great! The mystery surrounding the ghost action was good, too. In this entry, we go home to Valdosta, Georgia with MJ and Gilly (and Heath, of course). MJ's father is getting married. Though he and MJ have had a strained relationship since her mother passed away, he seems to want to repair it. We also get to meet Gilly mother, the love. Though it's a vacation of sorts, MJ and gang are roped into assisting her stepmother-to-be with a ghoulish problem.
36. Richard Belzer - I Am Not a Cop! 150517
The story is written first person with Belzer as the protagonist. He's an actor who plays a cop on TV. When a friend goes missing, presumed dead, Belz sets out to find out what happened. Because he's caused some problems for the show, he's been assigned a personal assistant (babysitter), Kalisha Carter, to make sure he stays out of trouble, shows up on time, etc. She becomes his sidekick. The book is full of humor and, the mystery was good. Overall it just wasn't satisfying and I can't really tell why. Link to my full review.
37. Jenn McKinlay - Dark Chocolate Demise 1506xx
Contains one of my all-time favorite lines from a book: "There was no way she should find this domineering male thing he had going on attractive. And yet a tiny little feminine part of her swooned, which made the liberated woman inside of her vomit."
I'm still loving this series. This was a quick read once I got to it. (After having struggled with the one I set aside to read this, I was surprised at how fast a read it was. It wasn't me, it was the book!) Mel, Angie, and the rest of the gang are dressed as ghouls to sell cupcakes at a Zombie Walk event. As usual, Mel finds a corpse. This one, however, is dressed just like Angie. Was she the intended target? With Joe still MIA working on his gangster case, it's assumed someone is targeting his family and friends. This means round-the-clock bodyguards in the form or Angie's brothers and Mel's recent crush, Detective Manny Martinez (oh, the chemistry!). The book ends on a personal story cliffhanger leaving one wanting the next book.
38. Mary Daheim - The Alpine Zen 1508xx
Ms. Daheim has run the gamut from A (The Alpine Advocate) to Z (The Alpine Zen). I, for one, am hoping she start all over at "A" or hits the numbers -- anything to keep this series going. Though I've liked some books more than others, this series is too good to end. I'm loving how she's written the romance between Emma and Milo and want more. The mysteries are still good. The characters are still interesting, too.
39. Victoria Laurie - Sense of Deception 1508xx
In jail for contempt (accidentally outing a judge who questioned her abilities during a trial), Abby meets Skyler, a woman on death row for murdering her young son. Of course, Abby knows she didn't do it. When she's released, she enlists Candice to help her prove Skyler's innocence. My expanded review.
40. Juliet Blackwell - Spellcasting in Silk 150821
I know I've said it before, but I love this series. I love the character of Lily more and more with each book. I love her romance with Sailor. This entry has Lily assisting Detective Carlos Romero with strange happenings at a botanica, an herb/healing shop, whose owner was arrested after one of her customers died, an apparent suicide. On top of that, the store owner's teenage granddaughter has disappeared. Aiden joins in because the the teen is an untrained but powerful witch, much like Lily. Other than the hint of a future happening between characters that peeves me and will anger me if it does happen, the book was very good. I can't wait for the next.
41. Kate Carlisle - Ripped From the Pages 150830
Okay... I guess every series I read is a favorite... The latest with Brooklyn and Derek has them temporarily living at Dharma while their lofts are being renovated. This allows for the entire family of characters to be on hand. The winery is going to start offering tastings. While preparing caves to hold the events, they come across a hidden room containing stores of pre-WWII riches (artwork, furniture, etc.)... and, through a fluke, Brooklyn discovers a dead (mummified) body, making for very cold case. The case revolves around Guru Bob's family. Brooklyn wants to help, of course. Derek's security firm is involved, so Derek is involved, too. Oh, and Max shows his face, too. All the action takes place around planning Robin and Austin's wedding.
42. Richard Belzer - I Am Not a Psychic!: A Novel 150907
Richard Belzer is the main character, an actor on a cop show in New York. He gets calls from two old friends, both in the West. The first wants him to come to LA and help him with a cold case seemingly wrapped in a conspiracy (In real as wells as fictional life, Belzer is a conspiracy nut). The other is from his mentor asking him to work a telethon in Vegas. Before he can get to LA, his friend is killed. Though Belz wants to leave the investigation to the cops, his friends "psychic" girlfriend begs him to help her solve the recent murder and uncover the "conspiracy" to the cold case. Then bodies start piling up... My expanded reivew.
43. Lorna Barrett - A Fatal Chapter 150907
These books are up and down for me -- mostly the protagonist is up an down with me. In this, she was up again. Tricia once again finds a body. Though not dead when she finds him, he dies at the hospital. Tricia wants nothing to do with the investigation, but as other events take place, she can't help but get involved. On top of that, someone is vandalizing the Chamber of Commerce's flower pots and her sister, Angelica, head of the Chamber, is livid. Add to this the romantic tension between Tricia and her ex-husband. Then there's her ex-boyfriend and police chief, Grant. Now, we've got quite a story. My expanded review.
Only three more months to go! I'd like to hit 50 cozies, but will have to see where things take me. I still haven't updated my TBR with the latest additions, though I've been lucky enough to know they're coming and reserve them at the library. Now to see what I can do to recreate my "done" list. I'm not so much worried about the freebies, most of which I don't post on GoodReads, but I do like to track pages read and when I read them. Though I stopped crying (literally bemoaning my life!), I'm still disappointed. I tend to speed-read a lot of the freebies (especially the short stories and novellas; serials and books take a bit longer) and had a couple of hundred on the list for this year alone. Create back-ups!! :o(
Mod
Britney wrote: "I love your review of books. I have added several to my TBR"Thank you!
Did not make 50. I totally got distracted by freebie e-books. Though some are cozies, did I read those? No. For some reason I got hooked on the stupid (and, to be fair, some not so stupid) romances (action/romance, suspense/romance, romance/romance, etc.) -- from tame to hot hot hot. I haven't really read any "romance" novels since I was a kid, but I got hooked on the happy-ever-afters for some reason. They, too, have their series, so, of course, I just had to read entire series, too. ;o)Maybe I just needed a few months of mindless reading. All the stories are basically the same and without a mystery to solve (for the most part), I could spin through a few a day. Plus, being e-books, they were so handy. When I finished one, I could just open another. My pages-read are up, but my cozy reading suffered.
But... Now that I've joined this challenge again, I have to get back to reading the good stuff! And, I have to catch up on my series. YEAH! (I love reading!)
Happy New Year!! Good luck to all participants!
Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
A Fatal Chapter (other topics)Spellcasting in Silk (other topics)
Ripped From the Pages (other topics)
Dying for a Cupcake (other topics)
I Am Not a Cop! (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Lorna Barrett (other topics)Kate Carlisle (other topics)
Jenn McKinlay (other topics)
Denise Swanson (other topics)
Richard Belzer (other topics)
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I'm in for another year! 20+ books!