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Discussion Forums - Mystery & Thrillers
Topic: Strictly For Cozy Mystery Lovers
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Hi! My name is Sandy and I'm powerless over a good cozy mystery (giggle). After not seeing a recent discussion group for cozy readers here in this forum, I decided I'd initiate a thread for our enjoyment. This is the place to come to when you'd like to share which cozy you're reading at present, critique it and others you've read, recommend cozy mysteries and/or authors and generally just "speak cozy". I hope you'll join the group & come back often! |
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Due to the fact that I really, really enjoy JoAnn Fluke's bakery mystery series, I am going to start reading Cinnamon Roll Murder this evening. I'm a little behind in this series because I've been busy reading the first in several cozy series new to me. Thus, my old faves have taken a back seat. My local library had CRM so I checked it out today. In case you don't know...Fluke has written several psychological thrillers. I've read a few of them and IMHO they are really well written with bunches of suspense and surprise endings. More about those later... |
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I have read all the JoAnn Fluke bakery mysteries but none of the thrillers so thanks for the tip. I recently read tea Shop mystery by Laura Child but not sure if I am going to continue. I also like Leslie Meir, Emily Brightwell and many more. |
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Yea Marleen! Another Fluke fan! How many more do I need to catch up on? I guess I could look it up right? I think I read that she has a Blackberry Pie Murder as her latest? I've not read the tea shop mysteries...the one you read really didn't float your boat? |
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I love cozy mysteries also. Haven't read any of JoAnne Fluke's though or Laura Child though. I am presently waiting on my copy of Jenn McKinlay's newest cupcake book and Sofie Kelly/Ryan's new series book to get here which should be by tomorrow. I love Sofie Kelly's magical cats series so hoping the new one is just as good. |
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Hi Cynthia! I just finished Jenn McKinley's first cupcake mystery and really enjoyed it. I have the next two waiting for me to read. I think you'd enjoy Fluke's Hanah Swenson cozies...she's a cookie baker and owns her own cookie shop. Cookies, cupcakes, tea...what wonderful, yummy things to read about right?! |
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I prefer cozies but I do enjoy a good thriller too. There is a virtual box dedicated only to cozies and the link is in my signature. Beware though: when I joined I found so many new ones I have trouble keeping track of them all!
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Cozies are one of my favorite genres (the other being biography-memoir). I'm always glad to make new friends with similar reading tastes and my friend acceptor is set on auto-accept. I've already listed some of my favorites in CMT so I'll just repost that comment here: I like Sofie Kelly's Magical Cats mysteries but my favorite series is Rhys Bowen's Her Royal Spyness. I also enjoy Nancy Atherton's Aunt Dimity series plus Susan Elia MacNeal's Maggie Hope series although I'm not sure the latter qualifies for a cozy. Apart from Agatha Christie my favorite older series is Dorothy Gilman's Mrs Pollifax, who has some other non-series books that are worth reading as well. I first read Mrs Pollifax on my husband's recommendation. At 35 I found the books very amusing. Now that I've reached Mrs Pollifax's age I still find them amusing but have a completely different take on the series. I was saddened by Dorothy Gilman's death knowing that there would be no more books from her.
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Yes, Sandy, "Blackberry Pie Murder" is Joanne Fluke's latest book. I read it a couple weeks ago. It is quite different from the previous books. I don't want to say anything to spoil it, so just be prepared for different. :) I really liked it. I'm reading the latest Monica Ferris book "Drowning Spool." I love Ferris' series. The MC inherits her aunt's needlework shop. There are several fun characters. There is quite a back list for this series. I would say it isn't critical to read them in order, but it helps to do so. For those of you who like Agatha Christie, try reading Ngaio Marsh. She has a long series with the MC a Scotland Yard Chief Inspector. He has a trusty sidekick with him. These are really very good. Again, it's not critical to read them in order, but relationships do develop over the series.
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Thanks Joy...I thought that was the title. A few weeks back, I read the first in Ferris' needlework series and enjoyed it very much. I have the next 9 on my shelf waiting for me to read. I liked the character (her sister) who bought the farm (so to speak)...it's a shame she couldn't have stayed and brought Betsy in another way, but heck, it's still good. |
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I'm happy - yesterday I received five new cozies. Looking forward to reading the Sofie Ryan book. The magical cats series that she writes is one of my favorites. Sugar and Iced (Cupcake Bakery, Bk 6) :: Jenn McKinlay |
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Cynthia, you really scored big! Were these on your wishlist? Like I said earlier, I've read McKinley's #1 in her cupcake series & enjoyed it. Have you read her Library Lovers series? It's another good one. |
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They were a birthday present from me to me. The Library Lovers series is another favorite of mine. I also like her Good Buy Girls series written under her pen name of Josie Bell. I didn't however like her new Hat Shop series. Probably won't worry about getting that read real quick. |
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They were a birthday present from me to me. Best kind of presents! lol I just got a nice haul in the Cozy VB
I also have some coming from BN A Biscuit a Casket [Pawsitively Organic, Bk 2] by Liz Mugavero (This is my new favorite series! It's heavy on the Ghost of a Gamble [Ghost of Granny Apples, Bk 4] by Sue Ann Jaffarian (Another wonderful series - lots of LOL moments for me.) The Crypt Thief (Hugo Marston, Bk 2) by Mark Pryor (This is a series that isn't on the radar of too many people. Hugo Marston is the head of security at the US Embassy. He finds a mystery or two to solve on the streets of Paris where he is based. The first book is "The Bookseller." I highly recommend it. )
Last Edited on: 4/19/14 2:09 AM ET - Total times edited: 2 |
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I wanted to say some other things too .... almost forgot. I didn't care for reading the Joanne Fluke series - however, I have a long commute and have discovered that I LOVE the audio CD's of the books. I think I've gone through most of the series this way. Same with No. 1 Detective Ladies series by Andrew McCall Smith. I didn't like reading them but the narrator is simply fabulous so the book just comes alive for me! I also had a "duh" moment when I mentioned that the Murder She Wrote books were the only ones I collect - I'm a big MC Beaton fan and just love the Agatha Raisin series. Some of my other cozy favorites are: Kate Collins' Flower shop mysteries Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce (This is another one that has a simply awesome narrator! I have also all of these on my "Nook" shelf on Nook Color.) Love Mr. Monk Love the new "Sunny and Shadow" cozies by Claire Donally. The new one comes out soon! I also highly recommend the Vish Puri cozies by Tarquin Hall. They might not actually be considered a true cozy because the protagonist is a "real" private investigator in India but they read like one and are just hilarious! Again here I've both read them and listened to them on CD and the narrator just makes the series come alive. And last but definitely not least, I love the Bibliophile series by Kate Carlisle and the Vintage Magic series by Annette Blair. I would call all of those above my "go to" series - I buy the next book in line just simply knowing I'm going to like them! I probably have a dozen more I could put in that category too! (Such as everything by Jenn McKinley!) I'm currently reading "Death Overdue by Mary Lou Kerwin for the Cozy VB. It's the second in the series and very good. I also recently read Clammed Up [Maine Clambake, Bk 1] by Barbara Ross. Very good start to a series - solid characters and a good mystery. The second one comes out soon. I also muscled my way through Lending a Paw (Bookmobile Cat, Bk 1) by Laura Cass - I did not like it although it has good reviews. I didn't like the main character - an overthinker and the repetitive dialogue reflected this. Also, I'm not one to shirk away from animal sleuths (love them - ever since "The Cat Who ...." books) but when there is no build up to their "talents" and all of a sudden a cat takes off leading their owner to a body ... well ....
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The Crypt Thief (Hugo Marston, Bk 2) I have that one as well as the first one in my TBR but didn't realize they could be classified as cozies. Started to pick the first one the other night but was too tired and now I have the new ones that I will probably read first. |
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I got a bunch of cozies when I went to the thrift store a few weeks ago. This store has a buy 4 get the 5th free thing and this day we also got 25% off each item. So, I got 30 books for about $9.50. The total with 4 pairs of pants and tax was $20.
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Wow Amber! You really scored! Are the cozies by the same author or various? Any of the same series? I'd love to fall into something like that! |
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All the books are from different authors and different series. I'll have to make a list of all the books that I got. |
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Oh Amber...that would be awesome! Gives us something to look forward to on your bookshelf when you're finished reading them. One of the purposes of this thread was to possibly (if folks are for it) swap books from those who gather here. It would be a perk for the group not to have to wait on a wish list for some of their faves. Just a pleasant thought. |
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This might not be the best place for this post but I'm anxious to read this one and always have bags of credits:
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I'll keep an eye out for it at our library book store Marya. And, yes, I think it's a great place to post it! IMHO, we should all be reaching out to each other for books we're wanting to read. |
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No Way Amber! Holy crud you hit the mother load! |
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Nice haul, Amber! I've read or have a lot of them but I amassed them from many places not just one! Lucky! There is one FOL where I have always had great luck with new cozies. Not lately though. .50 a piece so that's not bad. I just started "Woof at the Door." I'm not sure I like it or not. It's being sent out in the Cozy VB. That's where most of my new WL cozies go.
Last Edited on: 4/14/14 11:50 PM ET - Total times edited: 1 |
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