Cozy Mysteries discussion

These are based on some common and uncommon holidays that occur during the month of May. Complete as few or as many as you wish.

1. Birth Mother Day (May 7th) and Mother's Day (May 8th) - Read a book where at least one character is a mother.

2. Blame Someone Else Day (first Friday the 13th of the year) - Read a mystery where someone is falsely accused.

3. Frog Jumping Day (May 13th), Dance Like a Chicken Day (May 14th), and National Sea Monkey Day (May 16th) - Read a book with an animal either on the cover or a character in the story. (Note: Any animal counts, even if the cover has a butterfly on it, for example, or a horse in the novel.)

4. Military Spouses Day (May 6th) and Armed Forces Day (May 21st) - Read a book with a character that is in the military, is the spouse of a military member, or is a veteran or spouse of a veteran, or where the author is a veteran.

5. Pick Strawberries Day (May 20th) and Water a Flower Day (May 30th) - Read a book with a fruit or a flower on the cover, or the cover is red.

Hope you enjoy the new monthly mini-challenge. Remember, you don't have to read every category. Do as many or as few as you want. It's up to you if you want to read all mysteries or mix them up.

This sounds like fun!

Very clever!

Thanks. Hope you like it. There are lots of unique and odd holidays. I laughed when I came across Blame Someone Else Day!

Looks like fun!

You always have such great ideas. I also love the blame someone else day!!

There are alot of fun and silly holidays on some lists. Not all of them translate easily into something we can work into a challenge. For example, May 3rd is Lumpy Rug Day. lol Told my kids about May 10th, Clean up Your Room Day. hehe May 9th is Lost Sock Memorial Day. I have no idea who comes up with these. lol

Sound like fun

I'm in!

Me too! I can already think of titles for some of these.

I am in.. Going to have to think about a title.

I'm going to look for some titles (I've already got another which it's OK for another challenge, so...)

I'm going in even though I have no idea when I'll find the time to read them:
1. May 8 Mother's Day
Mother's Day Murder by Leslie Meier
May 7 Birth Mother
Staying Home Is a Killer by Sara Rosett
2. May 13-16 Animals
by Miranda James
3. May 20 Strawberries by Joanne Flue
May 30 Fruit by Sheila Connolly.

Looking for the last 2 made me hungry, so excuse me while I go eat!

Here is my plan for May. Hard to believe it's almost May already!

1. Birth Mother Day (May 7th) and Mother's Day (May 8th) - Read a book where at least one character is a mother. Murder at the PTA Luncheon

2. Blame Someone Else Day (first Friday the 13th of the year) - Read a mystery where someone is falsely accused. Dead Men Don't Lye

3. Frog Jumping Day (May 13th), Dance Like a Chicken Day (May 14th), and National Sea Monkey Day (May 16th) - Read a book with an animal either on the cover or a character in the story. (Note: Any animal counts, even if the cover has a butterfly on it, for example, or a horse in the novel.) Dyer Consequences

4. Pick Strawberries Day (May 20th) and Water a Flower Day (May 30th) - Read a book with a fruit or a flower on the cover, or the cover is redOne Bad Apple

How fun. I'll update as I read!


1. Mom -
2. False Accusation -
3. Animal - Elvis and the Dearly Departed 5/16
4. Military -
5. Fruit/Flower/Red-

I'm in!

0/5 Done

1. Mother's Day: Your Cheatin' Heart by Nancy Bartholomew
2. Blame Someone Else: Tutu Deadly by Natalie Roberts
3. Frog Jumping: Last Writes by Laura Levine
4. Armed Forces: TBD
5. Pick Strawberries: Candy Apple Dead by Sammi Carter

3. Frog Jumping, Dance Like a Chicken...Day: Curiosity Thrilled the Cat Finished 5/3.

I got this book the last week of April - too late for Raining Cats and Dogs, but I can use it for the mini-challenge. The cats are on the cover and are main characters in the story.

1. Birth Mother Day (May 7th) and Mother's Day (May 8th) - Read a book where at least one character is a mother.

2. Blame Someone Else Day (first Friday the 13th of the year) - Read a mystery where someone is falsely accused.

3. Frog Jumping Day (May 13th), Dance Like a Chicken Day (May 14th), and National Sea Monkey Day (May 16th) - Read a book with an animal either on the cover or a character in the story. (Note: Any animal counts, even if the cover has a butterfly on it, for example, or a horse in the novel.)

4. Military Spouses Day (May 6th) and Armed Forces Day (May 21st) - Read a book with a character that is in the military, is the spouse of a military member, or is a veteran or spouse of a veteran, or where the author is a veteran.

Read: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

5. Pick Strawberries Day (May 20th) and Water a Flower Day (May 30th) - Read a book with a fruit or a flower on the cover, or the cover is red.

ooooh this sounds like fun
i am going to give it a go
n i already have a few books in mind best get reading lol :)

Nell wrote: "3. Frog Jumping, Dance Like a Chicken...Day: Curiosity Thrilled the Cat Finished 5/3."

It sounds cute!

It's a little hard to know if someone is falsely accused until you've read the book, so could we give some suggestions of books we've already read? Off the top of my head, there's definitely a false accusation in Death in Daytime by Eileen Davidson.

Judy wrote: "It's a little hard to know if someone is falsely accused until you've read the book, so could we give some suggestions of books we've already read? Off the top of my head, there's definitely a fal..."

I figured almost any mystery fits this. There is almost always someone falsely accused, usually the main character and that's why they have to solve the crime. At least that's the logic I used when I was picking a book...

Linda's got the right idea. Alot of cozies start out by the amateur slueth trying to solve the crime because they are the prime suspect and their innocent.

Yes, that's right. It's not going to be difficult to find a cozy where somebody is wrong blamed but the opposite ;)

I guess I've read a lot of cozies where nobody is blamed specifically until the end when the sleuth finally figures it out.

I wrote everything in my notebook but forgot to post my entry. :P


1. Birth Mother Day (May 7th) and Mother's Day (May 8th) - Read a book where at least one character is a mother.
Shoots to Kill by Kate Collins

2. Blame Someone Else Day (first Friday the 13th of the year) - Read a mystery where someone is falsely accused.
Murder under Cover by Kate Carlisle

3. Frog Jumping Day (May 13th), Dance Like a Chicken Day (May 14th), and National Sea Monkey Day (May 16th) - Read a book with an animal either on the cover or a character in the story. (Note: Any animal counts, even if the cover has a butterfly on it, for example, or a horse in the novel.)
Death Takes the Cake by Melinda Wells

4. Military Spouses Day (May 6th) and Armed Forces Day (May 21st) - Read a book with a character that is in the military, is the spouse of a military member, or is a veteran or spouse of a veteran, or where the author is a veteran.
Shoots to Kill by Kate Collins

5. Pick Strawberries Day (May 20th) and Water a Flower Day (May 30th) - Read a book with a fruit or a flower on the cover, or the cover is red.
Crossed Bones by Carolyn Haines

This is my list at this moment, they can be reordered (I'm reading and adding to the theme I think they belong)

3/5 Done

1. Mother's Day: Murder at the PTA by Laura Alden (05/06/2011 - ★★★★)
2. Blame Someone Else: A Killer Crop by Sheila Connolly (05/04/2011 - ★★★★)
3. Frog Jumping: Murder under Cover by Kate Carlisle (07/04/2011 - ★★★★)
4. Armed Forces:
5. Pick Strawberries:

Judy wrote: "It's a little hard to know if someone is falsely accused until you've read the book, so could we give some suggestions of books we've already read? Off the top of my head, there's definitely a fal..."

Hi Judy - In my clean, humorous cozy mystery, If You Can't Stand the Heat, my main character's territorial stepsister is falsely accused of murdering an egotistical and antagonistic French chef.

-Robin

Clever challenge!

1. Mother's Day (May 8th) - A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole - Not a mystery, but it's my favorite book ever and I started re-reading it a few days ago. A dysfunctional and funny mother/son relationship is at the center of this book.

2. Blame Someone Else Day - Chopping Spree by Diane Mott Davidson

3. Animal on the Cover - Bingo Barge Murder by Jessie Chandler

4. Veteran/Military - One Was a Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming

5. Fruit/Flower - Death of an Orchid Lover by Nathan Walpow

Here I go: May Mini-Challenge

1.(Mother) -

2.(Falsely accused)- "Killer Mousse" By Melinda Wells (5/21)

3.(Animal on cover) -

4.(Military)- "Mint Juleps, Mayhem, And Murder" By Sara Rosett (5/9)

5.(Fruit/Flower) - "Black Beans & Vice " By J.B. Stanley (5/30)

Will update as I finish reading.

Had fun reading these 3 mysteries!!!

1.
2. by Miranda Bliss
3. by Shirley Damsgaard
4.
5.

This one has a kitten (Dorothy L.) on the cover and someone is falsely accused.

I finally finished it last night. On to pick something for June.

This is my list at this moment, no possible re-order because none of them fits the army theme. I don't know if I'll try the last category (I have had an excuse to read some books that were in my TBR or include the new ones at the beginning)

4/5 Done

1. Mother's Day: Murder at the PTA by Laura Alden (05/06/2011 - ★★★★)
2. Blame Someone Else: If You Can't Stand the Heat by Robin Allen (05/09/2011 - ★★★)
3. Frog Jumping: Murder under Cover by Kate Carlisle (07/04/2011 - ★★★★)
4. Armed Forces:
5. Pick Strawberries: A Killer Crop by Sheila Connolly (05/04/2011 - ★★★★)

I had a 4 in 1. I read . The main character is a new mom, a military spouse, she's dog-sitting, and her best friend's husband is the chief murder suspect.

May mini-challenge - COMPLETED 5/5

1. Birth Mother Day Shoots to Kill by Kate Collins

2. Blame Someone Else Day Crossed Bones by Carolyn Haines

3. Frog Jumping Day/Dance Like a Chicken Day/National Sea Monkey Day Death Takes the Cake by Melinda Wells

4. Military Spouses Day/Armed Forces Day Shoots to Kill by Kate Collins

5. Pick Strawberries Day/Water a Flower Day Splintered Bones by Carolyn Haines

Wow-great job everyone!

I'm also reading .

MOTHER'S DAY - several would qualify: , ,

BLAME SOMEONE ELSE DAY - and also Deeply, Desperately

FROG JUMPING DAY, ETC -

ARMED FORCES DAY - Deeply, Desperately qualifies again, but I'm waiting for my hold to come in on the latest Maisie Dobbs,


PICK STRAWBERRIES DAY - qualifies I think, but I'm waiting for

Finished up May last night. Found some more series to read too.

1. Birth Mother Day (May 7th) and Mother's Day (May 8th) - Read a book where at least one character is a mother. Murder at the PTA Luncheon

2. Blame Someone Else Day (first Friday the 13th of the year) - Read a mystery where someone is falsely accused. Dead Men Don't Lye

3. Frog Jumping Day (May 13th), Dance Like a Chicken Day (May 14th), and National Sea Monkey Day (May 16th) - Read a book with an animal either on the cover or a character in the story. (Note: Any animal counts, even if the cover has a butterfly on it, for example, or a horse in the novel.) Dyer Consequences

4. Pick Strawberries Day (May 20th) and Water a Flower Day (May 30th) - Read a book with a fruit or a flower on the cover, or the cover is red One Bad Apple

Well done everyone. You're all reading quicker than me. lol

Great themes! :D

Just started reading by Sofie Kelly.

Trine: I'll be interested in what you think about as I am also reading it.

I'm jumping in kinda late so I'm aim for three but not sure if I'll make it.

1. Birth Mother Day and Mother's Day - One Hex of a Wedding

2. Frog Jumping Day,Dance Like a Chicken Day,National Sea Monkey Day - Charmed to Death 5/29/11

3. Pick Strawberries Day and Water a Flower Day - Town in a Blueberry Jam

Ellie wrote: "Trine: I'll be interested in what you think about as I am also reading it."

I'll let you know. Happy Reading, Ellie. :-)

You too! :-)

2/5 Done

1. Mother's Day: Your Cheatin' Heart by Nancy Bartholomew 5/14 ★★★★
2. Blame Someone Else: Tutu Deadly by Natalie Roberts
3. Frog Jumping: Last Writes by Laura Levine 5/16 ★★★★★
4. Armed Forces: TBD
5. Pick Strawberries: Candy Apple Dead

I just finished Behold, Here's Poison which fits:
1. Birth Mother Day and
5. Pick Strawberries Day
Plus 3. Frog Jumping, Dance Like a Chicken...Day: Curiosity Thrilled the Cat

Congrats, Kari!

Kari wrote: "Done

That was fun. Thanks for an interesting challenge"

Congratulations and you're welcome.

Bravo Kari!