Cozy Mysteries discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
Archived
>
When you're not reading a cozy....
Heather L wrote: "Thanks Leslie and MaryJo. I guess if I come across it at the library used book sale I might pick it up, but I won't go out of my way to look for it. I wonder if the dark, dryness comes from his yea..."could be, Healther. anyone who write fiction has to put a bit of their own temperament and soul into the attitude of their stories - most put in a lot - so it says something for John Le Carre's own psyche, which may have become jaded by some of what he experienced and saw. professional law enforcement people always have to watch out for that, dealing with the seamier side of life so much.
Finished River Marked a couple of days ago. I loved that it got into the Native American Indian mythology, which hooks me every time.
❂ Jennifer wrote: "Finished River Marked a couple of days ago. I loved that it got into the Native American Indian mythology, which hooks me every time."RIVER MARKED was one of my least favorite in the Mercy Thompson series. I think it was because it was pretty much just Mercy & Adam. Missed some of the other characters.
Melodie wrote: "❂ Jennifer wrote: "Finished River Marked a couple of days ago. I loved that it got into the Native American Indian mythology, which hooks me every time."RIVER MARKED was one of my least favorit..."
I agree, I would have liked to see more of the regular cast - and I will also say that in a book based on extraordinary creatures, the River Devil was just too extraordinary. Just too cartoonish. But I love American Indian mythology, so that offset all of that for me.
Mod
I'm reading a really good mystery, Her Enemy. This is the second book in the series which I won on FirstReads. It's so good I'm going to read the first book even if I have to buy it!
Recently read The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny, so I had to get her latest and I just finished How the Light Gets In. I wouldn't classify her books as cozies although they are mysteries. Her first in the Inspector Gamache series is Still Life. My current bedside book is Hidden History by Daniel Boorstin.
Right now, in between cozies I am reading Fear the Worst. Not a bad suspense book. My last non-cozy Bel Canto left me sad, so I wanted something a little different.
When I'm not reading a cozy, I'm working on my second book. I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Susan Bernhardt. I just joined goodreads, started an author's page, and this group. I've written a cozy mystery which is coming out in January 2014. I will be having a travelling dessert book launch party with four authors interviewing me, and you are all invited.
My first love is the cozy mystery. I'm looking forward to discussing mysteries with all of you.
If you'd like to learn more about me and my cozy mystery, my website is www.susanbernhardt.com. I'm on FB Susan Bernhardt The Ginseng Conspiracy, and my Twitter is SusanBernhardt1. Thanks.
Great to get to know you all.
Susan
MaryJo wrote: "Am about finished with my current non-mystery read, 
, The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald. Sometimes I wonder why a classic is so hyped, but must admit, this is..."I just read The Great Gatsby and thought it was a good book as well. Fitzgerald's descriptions and use of the English language were beautiful.
I've moved on to This Is How You Fall,
, I've read 34 pages and I'm still not sure what kind of book this is. Guess I need to read more of it.
Mod
I just started The Hit by David Baldacci as my non-cozy in betweener.
I've stuck with M.C. Beaton but moved from her cosy crime to her Regency Romance. They are fairly light HEA style books but I enjoy them not only for her description of regency England and its Bon Ton culture... but her work is still full of the usual vim and vigour and naughty bluntness I do so enjoy in her cosy crime work too. If you're looking in the library you'll find this work as Marion Chesney... but I've been slowly buying them as ebooks so they're found under the M.C. Beaton author name too.Janis.
Finished
The Returned. Beautifully written, but ultimately disappointing. Now reading
Critical Mass and
The Fault in Our Stars.
Melodie wrote: "Finished The Returned. Beautifully written, but ultimately disappointing. Now reading Critical Mass and [bookcover:The Fault in ..."Yay for Fault! :)
Mod
Melodie wrote: "Finished The Fault in Our Stars. Beautifully written, wish I had left it on the shelf."Sorry to hear that Melodie - I read your review :(
Heidi *Listen. I'll just keep talking anyway. * wrote: "Melodie wrote: "Finished The Fault in Our Stars. Beautifully written, wish I had left it on the shelf."Sorry to hear that Melodie - I read your review :("
Guess that proves what a powerful book it is, but I could have done without all the dredging up it did for me.
Melodie wrote: "Heidi *Listen. I'll just keep talking anyway. * wrote: "Melodie wrote: "Finished The Fault in Our Stars. Beautifully written, wish I had left it on the s..."Yeah. I have had breast cancer and my mother passed away from it but have not the particular type of cancer mentioned in the book. Either way books with this subject always hit me pretty hard. Have you read A Monster Calls
? That book had me crying in a ball on the couch :(
I'm reading a streampunk mystery starring Mina Holmes (Mycroft's daughter) and Evaline Stoker (Bram's younger sister)! LOL It's really good so far.The Clockwork Scarab,
Heidi *Listen. I'll just keep talking anyway. * wrote: "Melodie wrote: "Heidi *Listen. I'll just keep talking anyway. * wrote: "Melodie wrote: "Finished The Fault in Our Stars. Beautifully written, wish I had ..."I didn't know that, Heidi. My mom had breast cancer 4 years ago, as did my niece & SIL. Nasty stuff. I haven't read A MONSTER CALLS, but if it's about the same thing I'll probably leave it alone.
Melodie wrote: "Heidi *Listen. I'll just keep talking anyway. * wrote: "Melodie wrote: "Heidi *Listen. I'll just keep talking anyway. * wrote: "Melodie wrote: "Finished T..."Yup if cancer stories are too much skip it - it is a beautiful book though and I do not regret reading it.
Karen M wrote: "I'm reading a streampunk mystery starring Mina Holmes (Mycroft's daughter) and Evaline Stoker (Bram's younger sister)! LOL It's really good so far.The Clockwork Scarab, [bookcover:The Clockwork..."
I'm speechless! what an idea, what a combination! if the author knows how to make a good story out of that, and you are impressed so far? , it has to be fun.
This morning, finished Midnight at Marble Arch, by Anne Perry, her latest Thomas and Charlotte Pitt mystery. Don't have time today, but will leave a review here this week sometime...Have to say, though, having enjoyed some of Ms. Perry's latest books, this one, not so much.Midnight at Marble Arch
Hi, I just finished the terrific Where did you go Bernadette from Marie Semple. Bernadette is fabulous and I loved the premise. Some of the back story is slow, but there are parts of the book where the detail is mesmerizing. Highly recommend.Looking for a new romance novel now. Open to suggestions.
Heather L wrote: "Finished The Perks of Being a Wallflower over the weekend. An interesting narrative, told in letter form. Liked it, but definitely not an uplifting read, and it's easy to see why it is one of the m..."Heather, my daughter raved about this in movie form. Have you seen the movie?
Karen M wrote: "I'm reading a streampunk mystery starring Mina Holmes (Mycroft's daughter) and Evaline Stoker (Bram's younger sister)! LOL It's really good so far.The Clockwork Scarab, [bookcover:The Clockwork..."
The mind boggles. I wouldn't have thought Sir Conan Doyle would have let Mycroft out of his club long enough to spawn heirs, let alone that he'd be interested! lol
So it turns out that a great part of my job is a whole lot of do nothing. :) Thank god for Kindle on the mac! lolI finished up Cry Wolf this morning. I really didn't have much interest in the Alpha and Omega series, since werewolves aren't the highest ranking in my paranormal interest list. But boredom makes for more reading flexibility. :D
Good story, overall. I like the Mercy Thompson series better, but this was a good read.
Mod
Hi Melinda! No, have not seen the movie yet. I wanted to read the book first. Now I'm interested in seeing it, and seeing Emma Watson in a role so completely different from that of Hermione Granger.
Heidi *Listen. I'll just keep talking anyway. * wrote: "I plan to read The Book Thief, The Lovely Bones,and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Anyone read any of these?"Book Thief is quite good, though not as great as many people rave about, and I hated Girl with the Dragon Tattoo -- boring, the real heart of the mystery doesn't get started until 200+ pages in or so, sexist, really an awful waste of time for me. Haven't read The Lovely Bones, but have heard positive and negative about it.
MaryJo wrote: "This morning, finished Midnight at Marble Arch, by Anne Perry, her latest Thomas and Charlotte Pitt mystery. Don't have time today, but will leave a review here this week sometime...Have to say, ..."
I have this, too, and am looking forward to it. I find Perry's work to be hot and cold. I started reading them years ago, did not like the WWI series and am on the fence about Monk, but really liked the Pitt series. I do like the political turn this series has taken, but sometimes I find the books feel similar. I wasn't fond of the one that takes place at the royal palace; I think what happens is that there is too much similarity in the dialogue and the way the characters think. For some reason, the word "weaknesses" always comes up when Pitt and some others are talking or thinking about crimes and the people who commit them - it becomes noticeably irritating. But for the setting Perry can hardly be beat. She really knows how to plop you down in some version of the Victorian age. Whether it's accurate who can say? I wasn't born then. ;)
I read a variety of things when I'm not reading a cozy - mystery is probably my favorite genre, but I don't read mostly cozies. I like them once in a while.I just finished Ysabel, a YA fantasy by Guy Gavriel Kay, which I did not care for; and "A Dark Devotion," a suspense novel by Clare Francis which I also did not like. 400+ pages and limited character development, pretty obvious plot "twist" and it just dragged on.
However, I have just begun reading "Visitation Street" and I LOVE IT so far. It's a suspense/mystery and not very cozy but it draws in the reader so fast and is written so well it's amazing.
I have also been reading a lot of Sharan Newman's Catherine LeVendeur series, which is great: full of medieval atmosphere, believable characters who don't try to speak modern American versions of medieval-speak ("thou," " 'tis," "ye," etc.) -- I highly recommend it. Well-drawn characters and settings.
❂ Jennifer wrote: "Karen M wrote: "I'm reading a streampunk mystery starring Mina Holmes (Mycroft's daughter) and Evaline Stoker (Bram's younger sister)! LOL It's really good so far.The Clockwork Scarab, [bookcov..."
It's actually very good. The author doesn't try to write like Conan Doyle, which is a good thing, but it takes place during the right time period for Sherlock Holmes which is Victorian and steampunk is Victorian with steam devices so it seems to work. It is YA but I'm enjoying it.
For me the very best of the Sherlock additions are the Mary Russell series by Laurie King. Big books. Very well written. Really worth the read.The only problem is that she isn't writing them as fast as I can read them.
They're among my favorites.
Can't say enough good about them.
I'm reading Lorrie Thomson's debut novel Equilibrium. It's a beautifully written story of a mom coping with life after her husband's suicide.
I am reading The Light Between Oceans currently, and just started the audiobook of Bless Me, Ultima.
Wendy wrote: "MaryJo wrote: "This morning, finished Midnight at Marble Arch, by Anne Perry, her latest Thomas and Charlotte Pitt mystery. Don't have time today, but will leave a review here this week sometime....."thanks for your thoughts on Perry's books, Wendy. I did post a review if you'd care to read it, I never give plots away in reviews. when you've had a chance to read this one, hope you will give me your take.
Sharon Burch Toner wrote: "For me the very best of the Sherlock additions are the Mary Russell series by Laurie King. Big books. Very well written. Really worth the read.The only problem is that she isn't writing them as fa..."
I just read Garment of Shadows and have decided I need to go back and read from the first book. I really enjoyed it especially since she didn't try to be Conan Doyle.
Finished
Critical Mass by Sara Paretsky. The book doesn't hit store shelves until late October, but I got an ARC. I can't remember the last time I was disappointed with a V.I. Warshawski tale, and this one was no exception. A mystery with roots going back to Nazi Austria.
I've just started
Between Heaven and Texas, a prequel to Marie Bostwick's Cobbled Court series. I've really liked the books in the series, and I'm hoping this one is just as good.
I have given up on Athina Onassis in the Eye of the Storm which is something I very rarely do but it was just too dry. Instead I started Georgiana Darcy's Diary: Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice Continued which is a hugh improvement.
I finished Death Takes a Holiday last night. Definitely *not* a cozy, so I figured it belonged here more appropriately. Not as good as the first two books, but enjoyable nonetheless.
I am reading Brad Thor's Black List. It really moves! Have read most of his previous ones & consider him a "solid" good read :)
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Cozy Mysteries
Books mentioned in this topic
A Multitude of Monsters (other topics)Alibi in High Heels (other topics)
The Second Life of Nick Mason (other topics)
Torch Ginger (other topics)
The Good Girl (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Gemma Halliday (other topics)Craig Shaw Gardner (other topics)
Kristi Charish (other topics)
Sharon J. Bolton (other topics)
Gemma Halliday (other topics)
More...
When I was working I taught a few classes using these books as inspiration.
The best to you.