What Cozy Are You Reading? > Likes and Comments
I just finished two of Laura Child’s’ Tea Shop mysteries. I’ve read several in this series and am never disappointed. The tea shop seems so real and I always feel completely embedded in every mystery. The three main characters are like old friends now.
I completed
10-15-2022 and
10-15-2022
I really liked Biscuits and Bedlam by L.C. Turner, another freebit from Prolific Works. It was just the sort of cute, fluffy cozy I like where the question is "who did NOT want to kill the victim?" The whodunit was kind of obvious but the adorable animals and yummy pet treats and human baked goods made this one a winner. I never thought I'd fall in love with a pig character! Who would have suspected a 50 pound miniature Vietnamese pig would be so cute?
QNPooh - one of my favorite animal characters is Oscar, Lily Ivory's familiar in the Witchcraft mysteries. He is a gargoyle who takes the form of a pot-bellied pig. I keep telling my husband that our four cats would have fun with a pot-bellied pig sibling, but he's not going for it! 🤣
I picked up Murder at the Lobstah Shack today. I grew up spending summers on Cape Cod and still have family there. I'm going to be super nitpicky if it doesn't have the right feel. Tea & Treachery is cute but the setting is super generic seaside.
QNPoohBear wrote: "I never thought I'd fall in love with a pig character!"You're not a Jethro fan? (Amanda Flower's Amish Candyshop series). While I'd love to see him... well... behave more often, there wouldn't be much to write about if he did :)
Barb wrote: "QNPoohBear wrote: "I never thought I'd fall in love with a pig character!"You're not a Jethro fan? (Amanda Flower's Amish Candyshop series). While I'd love to see him... well... behave more often..."
I haven't read that series. This isn't my first pig character but Beans was so adorable, like a dog.
Kicking off my cozies for the week with
A Christmas Candy Killing by Christina Romeril https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am reading Death of a Wandering Wolf
by Julia Buckley.Lots of Hungarian American culture. Very well written, strong characters.
Penny wrote: "I just finished two of Laura Child’s’ Tea Shop mysteries. I’ve read several in this series and am never disappointed. The tea shop seems so real and I always feel completely embedded in every myste..."I bought Shades of Earl Grey
at a thrift store and have packed it to read on my upcoming cruise.
For one of our group reads this month, I read
Broken Heart Attack by James J. Cudney https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Finishing out the week with
Deadly Valentine by Carolyn Hart https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I listened to Pasta Mortem. It seems to be the last of the supper club mysteries. I love this series and enjoyed this book which is set just before Valentine's day. There was a good mystery and after some drama all the supper club members ended up in a good place.
QNPoohBear wrote: "Murder in an Irish Castle
Aunt Dimity's Good Deed
"Was Aunt Dimity for your book club where you bake something from the book?
Zermeena wrote: "Was Aunt Dimity for your book club where you bake something from the book?"Yes and I highly recommend the butterscotch brownies! We couldn't stop eating them. I made a batch at home today. Quick and easy. The book was OK but had a lot of dated content like fat shaming, slut shaming, mental illness. The plot moved quickly and I couldn't put it down but it really needed a family tree and character list.
I'm almost done with Murder in an Irish Castle. I can't put it down! I had to skip to the end and was up really late. I have to go back and fill in the part I skipped.
I have been off-and-on reading the Trouble Cat Mysteries series (📚) when I am not binging Frankie and Grace (📺) on my Kindle! 🥰
I started a new to me author Dead on the Vine
by Elle Brooke White.Good so far set in California. Charlotte inherits her great uncle's farm and tries to figure out what to do with it. Cute pig too.
Started Jenn McKinley’s Library Lovers mystery series - A Likely Story
I would also like to read this Jenn McKinley's serie
I listened to Wine Tastings Are Murder. It had a good mystery and was hilarious. I could relate to Aunt Ginny's struggles with Alexa!
QNPooh - I remember making those butterscotch brownies years ago. All the guys in my house loved them!
Zermeena wrote: "QNPooh - I remember making those butterscotch brownies years ago. All the guys in my house loved them!"I bet they did! I had to make a batch at home and promptly ate 1/4 of the 9X9 size pan myself at once. The house smells so good. My bedroom smells like butterscotch. Aunt Dimity's next recipe is lemon bars. I don't like lemon so I won't eat those but so far, her recipe box has been a hit.
Getting a bit in the Halloween spirit with
No Parm No Foul by Linda Reilly https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Hi, every book in Jenn McKinley's Library Series is good but they do flow best when read in order. One of my favorite series. Jenn was a librarian before writing so the series is very realistic. Enjoy!
Eleanor wrote: "Hi, every book in Jenn McKinley's Library Series is good but they do flow best when read in order. One of my favorite series. Jenn was a librarian before writing so the series is very realistic. Enjoy!!.."Yes and Lindsey has a classic librarian brain! She's my fictional alter ego with a good job.
I stumbled upon this seasonally appropriate short story and really enjoyed it.
Halloween Hoedowns Can be Deadly by Ryan Rivers https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Hoopla Bonus Borrows linkhttps://www.hoopladigital.com/collect...
Quick look - a few cozies - lots of Christmas
Thanks for the reminder, LJ. I peeked earlier today and found several ebooks I might try to work into November's list, but I don't care for having to read ebooks online rather than on my kindle, so we'll see.
Starting the week and the month with
A Book Club to Die For by Dorothy St. James https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Eleanor wrote: "Hi, every book in Jenn McKinley's Library Series is good but they do flow best when read in order. One of my favorite series. Jenn was a librarian before writing so the series is very realistic. En..."Jenn McKinley is an author I could never warm up to. She has some terrific ideas but only 2 or 3 per book. This should be enough for me, but unfortunately the rest of the content in her books leave me without emotion. But I do have the sense that I'm missing something.
Luffy, I have come to realize that Cozys are somewhat personal. I like the characters and their relationships in Jenn's Library Series but I do agree with you that they are at a different level than Cleo Coyle's Coffeehouse series and many of Ellery Adams' series. Cleo's Coffeehouse series has the most depth and intricate details of any cozy series I have ever found. You can reread several times and find new details and clues each time. The same holds true for several of Ellery's series especially the Books by the Bay aka Oyster Bay series. Author Amanda Flower is very well thought of by many readers but I tried liking her Amish Candy Shop series and just found it to be simplistic and lacking any energy so she isn't on my list of authors I follow. Read and enjoy what makes you feel good.
I LOOOOVVVEEE Jenn McKinlay. She's the best! Her books are so funny. I didn't care for Ellery Adams. I read A Killer Plot and Murder in the Paperback Parlor/I didn't click with Maddie Day either but I keep reading her books when I have nothing else to read.
Finished up the week with
Secrets in the Stacks by Lynn Cahoon https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
An Act of Foul Play
(NetGalley e-Arc)
Another great adventure for Emily and Flo. This time it takes place mostly in Bristol with a secondary mystery in Littleton Cottrell. We meet Flo's twin sister Gwen for the first time and that creates a lot of fun moments. It seems that Flo is the instigator of the banter. She does it with her sister too.
I missed the multiple connected mysteries of the earlier books though. However, the mystery is difficult to solve until the clue that gives Lady Hardcastle her "a ha!" moment. I wasn't 100% sure even then though.
There's a lot about the theater and inner workings of putting on a comedy in 1912 and a lot of local color in Bristol. If theater isn't your thing, you could skip this one, but don't because Gwen is a lot of fun! Emily and Flo refer to an as yet told adventure. I hope we get the full story soon.
I just finished The Diva Runs Out of Thyme which is a Thanksgiving mystery. it is the perfect book to read in November and now I'm motivated to plan my menu. Hopefully, no murders or poisonings will occur outside of another cozy.
Oleander wrote: "I just finished The Diva Runs Out of Thyme which is a Thanksgiving mystery. it is the perfect book to read in November and now I'm motivated to plan my menu. Hopefully, no murders or..."I just finished The Diva Serves Forbidden Fruit
! There's a lot going on and it's a good mystery. There was a last minute plot twist I didn't see coming. Yet I still can't connect with the characters. They're older and more settled than I like my sleuths to be. I can't relate to whiny rich people owning their own homes and entertaining countless people who walk through the door at all hours. This time I did appreciate the household decorating tips. They're not so ritzy anymore.
Lol. I don't relate to that lifestyle either. My idea of preparing to entertain is making sure the litter box is fresh. However, I enjoy sleuths from all walks of life. I thought the mystery was good even though my eyes rolled in my head a few times at all the food descriptions.
Starting the week with the newest in the fun Royal Spyness series -
Peril in Paris by Rhys Bowen https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mark wrote: "Starting the week with the newest in the fun Royal Spyness series - Peril in Paris by Rhys Bowen https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."I'm on hold for that but not sure I want to continue with the series.
I picked up The Plot and the Pendulum today, finally! It's in the pile TBR next week, I think.
I'm curious why you aren't certain about continuing the Royal Spyness series. For what it's worth, I felt this was one of the stronger books that Rhys Bowen has released recently.
Finishing off the week with
Lover Come Hack by Diane Vallere https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mark wrote: "Starting the week with the newest in the fun Royal Spyness series - Peril in Paris by Rhys Bowen https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."I got the audiobook for this one and can't wait to read it. It might be a little while, though. 😑 I have a bunch of reading challenges to finish up, and December is filled up already. It'll be a fun read for the new year, tho!
Mark wrote: "Finishing off the week with Lover Come Hack by Diane Vallere https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."I really liked this one.
Mark wrote: "I'm curious why you aren't certain about continuing the Royal Spyness series. For what it's worth, I felt this was one of the stronger books that Rhys Bowen has released recently."Because of developments in Georgie's life. (view spoiler)
I recently read Too Mulch to Handle (English Cottage Garden Mysteries ~ Book 6), Soldiers of Fortune and Hurricane Force. And I listened to Wine Tastings Are Murder, Beauty Expos Are Murder and Antique Auctions Are Murder.I love the humor of Jana Deleon and Libby Klein. They both had me laughing so hard at times I had to put the book down or pause the audiobook! I have listened to all the Poppy McAllister books in Hoopla and can't wait for the next book.
I did not like Stuffed to Death by Meg Macy
The main character is a holdover from the teddy bear factory mystery series which I have not read. I felt like I was dropped into the middle of something with the heroine and her best friend, and her family subplot Characters were randomly name dropped without explanation and the plot was really dark. The whodunit was rather obvious but I was expecting something a little more complicated and less obvious.
I really enjoyed Banana Chiffon and Bad Deeds by London Lovett
It read just like any other cozy series first book. The heroine was a bit clueless and immature about her love life but her devotion to her Nana is exceptional and the more frantic she becomes, the more her investigating becomes a bit silly. It's understandable that she would want to confront suspects in hopes of finding her Nana. Her baking sounds amazing and I think she needs to open that bakery ASAP! (Lose Jonathan, gain a bakery.)