What Cozy Are You Reading? > Likes and Comments
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QNPoohBear
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Feb 25, 2025 02:09PM
I didn't like Witch and Famous
so much. The mystery ended up too complicated like the author couldn't decide who she wanted to be the murderer and just made up unnecessary drama. I didn't guess correctly. I also didn't like how Josie (view spoiler)[brewed a love potion for Sam when she had already decided not to. (hide spoiler)] All the jealously over Daphne "stealing" the men was silly. I do love the bibliomancy. That part is cool.
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Mark wrote: "I love Annette's books, but I don't consider her cozy. The first couple were border line, but as the series has gone on, I feel like any of that has been left behind."Good to know, thanks. I've enjoyed the two books I've read so far, and it's a bonus that the series is set here in Pennsylvania. It's a fictional town in a fictional county, but it feels like home :)
Between the 22nd and the 24th, between other reads, I finished the first six novellas in the Cherringham mystery series by Matthew Costello and Neil Richards. I've had these in two Audible boxed sets, and I just never got to them. I loved them! The MCs are a retired NYC detective who lives in a houseboat in England and an English single mom who has become a friend. Each story is fairly short (under 150 pages pretty much) but well rounded and well done.
Cherringham 1-3
Cherringham 4-6This writing duo has also written the Mydworth Murders series, also novellas. I've finished six of those, as well.
I'm currently three books into the Maggie and Pepper (Black Cat Cozy Mysteries) series by Wendy Ledger.
I warmed things up with
Something's Guava Give by Carrie Doyle https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review of
Owls Well That Ends Well by Donna Andrews is here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I just finished
An Enchanting Case of Spirits by Melissa Holtzaudio book and enjoyed it. I am glad to see a 2nd book in the series will be coming out in a few months.
Just finished The Ghost and the Stolen Tears by Cleo Coyle (Alice Kimberly) from her (their) Haunted Bookshop series.
I've started the next-in-series, The Ghost Goes to the Dogs.
I also have Eve Calder's A Tale of Two Cookies started on another reader. This is the third book (and last???) in her Cookie House series. I read the first two books in January. There hasn't been a new entry since 2021, so this may be a three-and-done.
Helen wrote: "My review of The Alpine Zen by Mary Daheim is here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."Alpine/Emma Lord is one of my favorite series of all time. I read them all, including the two books after "Zen"--aka After Alpine/Emma Lord Returns. I can't say I loved every book, but I was never disappointed in any. The the mysteries are good and I love (most!) of the characters as well as the remote, small-town setting. I found Emma's job as the local newspaper publisher interesting as well. Watching her and her small staff work to make the weekly viable in the age of instant access, etc. only added to the stories. I really miss this series (and Ms. Daheim).
Her other series, Bed-and-Breakfast, is good, too. Though, I do have to admit that the main character, Judith McMonigle (later Judith McMonigle Flynn) is not a favorite and her mother is mostly annoying. However, neither is bad/annoying enough that I didn't enjoy the books in the series. The mysteries are good and Judith is okay, just not a favorite.
Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos
The murder doesn't happen until the end of chapter 14. There's a lot of chaos surrounding a Battle of Yorktown (inspired) craft fair from too many people who don't know anything about history and Meg is included in that one. Why wouldn't a female glassblower wear skirts? Wool doesn't burn and death by burning was absolutely NOT the leading cause of death in 1781. I hated Michael in this one and think Meg should dump him ASAP! He's too jealous of her career/passion and friends and too self-centered. Whine, whine, whine all about ME! Plus his mother is terrifying and awful! I'd keep Spike though. He's cute, kind of.
Barb wrote: "A Murder in Helvetica Bold (Thistlewood Star #1), by Jessa Archer..."Found this title and series under the author C. Rysa Walker (pseudonym??) . and TBRed it!! Funny, I just posted how I enjoyed a Mary Daheim series, Emma Lord/Alpine, with the same theme--publisher of a local weekly newspaper. Giving this one a try. Thanks for the review.
~and~
Barb wrote: "This Way to Murder (The Board Game Cafe Mysteries #1) by Shelley Shearer..."
Had this on my radar. Also TBRed!
~and~
Barb wrote: "Beating the Wrap (Bonnie & Clyde #3) Julie Anne Lindsey..."
Had this in my TBR files already, but thank you for the reivew.
Karen wrote: "Barb wrote: "A Murder in Helvetica Bold (Thistlewood Star #1), by Jessa Archer..."Found this title and series under the author C. Rysa Walker (pseudonym??) "
I believe she's going by the Walker name now instead of Archer, but my copy showed the Archer name - and it worked better for my many spelling challenges :)
I'll be watching for your thoughts on these books when you get around to reading them.
I'm kicking off the month with
Silent as the Grave by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mark wrote: "I'm kicking off the month with Silent as the Grave by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."Let us know how this mother/daughter do writing together. Rhys seems to enjoy it. I could never write a book with my mother!
I struggled a bit with this one (same issues I've had with some of Rhys' other books), but overall, I've enjoyed their collaborations.
Rhys and Clare are teaming up for another one soon. They have to figure out when they can get together to work on it, as per Rhys's posts on Jungle Red Writers.
Initially, I wasn't sure about the first book, but the characters grew on me enough that I chose to read the second as well, The Widows’ Guide to Murder and The Widows’ Guide to Backstabbing, both by Amanda Ashby. My reviews : Widows' Guide to Murder and Widows' Guide to Backstabbing
I finished I Died for Beauty
by Amanda Flower. This book is a historical Cozy with Emily Dickenson as the main character and her maid Willa. This book set in 1857 with the horrible winter blizzard. Well written, good mystery and strong characters. I enjoyed the information on that horrible winter.
I'm starting out the week with the newest Murder, She Wrote novel -
Snowy with a Chance of Murder by Jessica Fletcher and Barbara Early https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review of
Murder is Elementary by Diane Weiner is here. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...A good story marred by poor editing.
is supposed to be part of a cozy mystery series, but is more about a bumbling mommy blogger. Not recommended. My review herehttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I listened to Jealousy Filled Donuts
. This one is not as fast paced or interesting as the first two but the murderer is not as obvious. There's a lot more cozy to the plot.
Finally caught up with the backlog of books!
Murder Off the Books (By the Book #3), by Tamara Berry ★★★★Review
The Body in the Wetlands (Jazzi Zanders #2), by Judi Lynn ★★★★Review
Murder with Cinnamon Scones (Daisy’s Tea Garden #2), by Karen Rose Smith ★★★★Review
Death Come Quickly (China Bayles #22), by Susan Wittig Albert ★★★★Review
Broken Bone China
This one was much better than the last couple. There are more suspects, less annoying investigating and Earl Grey is the bestest goodest boy ever! He deserves a whole bag of treats.
My second book for the week is
Homicide in the Indian Hills by Erica Ruth Neubauer.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I finished an e-ARC of A Recipe for Murder
It was a little slow to begin with but picked up once someone died. It was good to be back in the village with the quirky locals. The murder turned out not to be what I expected. I was sort of suspicious of that person but not sure who the killer was all the way until Ellie figures it out. Her fiancé, (view spoiler) The wedding day scene will make longtime readers sniffle and tear up!
I missed Death Down the Aisle
and apparently Ellie made a new BFF in that one who reappears in time for Ellie's own wedding.
Now I'm into listening to the audiobook
Witch Upon a Star
For my real life book club. All paperback copies are checked out but a friend had checked it out on Hoopla so she saved it for me and allowed me to listen to it on her account. It's really fast paced and good so far. TWO dead bodies in Wilfred on the same day! How will they ever recover?
I finished Death by the Dozen
by Jenn McKinlay. Very good cozy series set in Arizona. Loved the cooking competition in this one.
Alice wrote: "I finished Death by the Dozen by Jenn McKinlay. Very good cozy series set in Arizona. Loved the cooking competition in this one."That's a good one.
My favorite cozy series. I identify strongly with Mel and everyone feels like old friends. I HOPE she gets a contract for more. I miss Fairy Tale and everyone.
I read A Poisonous Palate. It was a complicated mystery that stemmed from events that took place in the 1970s.
I’m reading “Lending a Paw” by Laurie Cass
Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon I stayed up late and woke up early to read this. I couldn't put it down. It's more of a traditional mystery than the previous stories. It's still a wacky screwball comedy populated by a menagerie of animals (including a one-winged buzzard), tech bro frat boys, weird shrinks, affirmation bears and of course Meg's family. The technology is laughably outdated and it works only as a GULP historical fiction novel! Even though it doesn't qualify officially as historical, it does in terms of technology. There are giant desktop computers, mice with cords, CD-ROMS and no one can work from home without their data and without the invention of the cloud, they can't do anything without CD-ROMS or hard drives. The mystery was very good and I had a hunch whodunit based on process of elimination but I wasn't sure. Michael is away but Meg calls him long-distance so he's involved in the sleuthing on the periphery.
Currently reading Bayou Book Thief! And finished Death at a Scottish Christmas earlier today!
With all the books and authors that I need to read I rarely find myself reading one author back to back to back. But I have several Carolyn Haines' Sarah Booth Delaney series titles to get through while they are free to me from Audible, plus I need five books by one author for a reading challenge. So far today I've finished:
Bonefire of the Vanities
Smarty BonesTomorrow I'll be attacking:
Booty BonesThe last two will be sometime in the next couple weeks. In fact, I'll make it six if I can squeeze one more in (my April tbr is already over full!),
I really enjoy this series, especially as audiobooks, so this is not a hardship. 😊
I just finished How to Solve your own Murder, by Kristen Perrin today, and I started Murder goes Hollywood, by Sylvia Selfman.
Two Weddings and a Murder
The final book in the series. SNIFF SNIFF! It all ends as it should, of course but the mystery in between is fact paced. I never guessed whodunit. There are so many suspects and I was certain it was one or two people but I was wrong.
The Renshaw children are all grown up and even young Fox is coming into his own and fast becoming a man.
TW: There's a lot of prejudice in this village against the Romany people. Phoebe uses the correct term for now, Romany, and Eva refers to them as gypsies out of habit. Other characters use gypsy as a slur.
I'm closing out the month with
Waters of Destruction by Leslie Karst https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I finished a wonderful new to me series, book one. An American in Scotland
by Ludy Connelly. Really well written. Great description of Scotland, customs and people. Can't wait for book 2.
I got the audiobook after reading your review. I'd been looking at this for awhile and you decided it for me.
The Sign of Death by Callie Hutton
The Wagtail Murder Club
I enjoyed my visit to Wagtail as usual. Mystery wise this one is pretty simple. I guessed a good half of it, almost all of it, pretty early on but there were a lot of GASP moments along the way!
Squishy is our newest furry friend in Wagtail, a Labrador puppy who is so adorable and friendly. He fits right in with Trixie, Gingersnap and even Twinkletoes who is wary of all those dogs running around. The pets are a hoot in this novel expressing their opinions about certain things very plainly so even a dumb human can understand.
I finished
The Skeleton Makes a Friend yesterday and it was a good one! I've been hopping around this series so I'm not quite done yet; I need to go back to the Halloween one. Otherwise this would have been my last, which would have been a bummer! I never thought I'd get hooked on books starring a skeleton but these are so well done.
I love Sid and wish the series had continued for more than five books.
