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Archived > What Cozy Did You Just Finish Reading??? (Archive)

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message 1901: by Donna (new)

Donna | 27 comments I finished Elvis and the Dearly Departed (A Southern Cousins Mystery, #1) by Peggy Webb today. It was very funny. I intend to read more of this series.


message 1902: by Caroline (new)

Caroline | 661 comments Mary wrote: "Caroline, so glad you enjoyed STAY TUNED FOR MURDER. I wanted to add a "woo-woo" element, but didn't want to really say whether or not "Madame Chantel" was real, or a phony. Thanks so much for post..."

Mary - It's easy. When you're typing in a comment, look above the box and you'll see "add book/author). When you click on that, it will offer the choice "link" or "cover" and I just click cover. Then type in the name of the book, it will bring it up and say "add". I think it's pretty cool. Then when folks move their cursor over the photo of the book cover, it tells them the name of the book and author. : )

I just finished Ghost in Trouble (Bailey Ruth, #3) by Carolyn Hart I love Carolyn Hart's books and this was great.


message 1903: by Susie (new)

Susie Fevella (susieinks) | 821 comments I just finished Bleeding Hearts. My goal is to catch up on this series before the end of February ;)


message 1904: by Melodie (new)

Melodie (melodieco) | 5280 comments Susie in KS wrote: "I just finished Bleeding Hearts. My goal is to catch up on this series before the end of February ;)"

Did you like it? It's one of the best in the series, IMHO.


message 1905: by Beth (new)

Beth | 616 comments Melodie wrote: "Sandra J wrote: "I finished Candy Cane Murder last night. The first novella by Joanne Fluke was cute, but I found the recipes at the end of each chapter a distraction, They broke th..."

If you're looking for a good collection of mystery short stories, I recommend the one that I'm reading now (and enjoying): Chesapeake Crimes: They Had It Comin' Chesapeake Crimes They Had It Comin' by Donna Andrews


message 1906: by Beth (new)

Beth | 616 comments Donna wrote: "I just finished Death on Demand (Death on Demand, #1) by Carolyn Hart by Carolyn Hart. This is the first book I've read by this author and I really enjoyed it."

Uh oh, Donna! Carolyn has a long backlist of titles that will keep you busy reading for months. :)


message 1907: by Catherine (new)

Catherine (catjackson) I was wondering about Chesapeake Crimes. I've seen it mentioned a couple of times and thought about buying it for my TBR pile. I live on the Chesapeake and would love to find a mystery that was set in my area.


❂ Murder by Death  (murderbydeath) I just finished Who's Afraid of Virginia Ham? by Phyllis C. Richman. This was my least favorite of the three books in the series - The writing was excellent and really, it was a great plot. But the author did such a good job setting up the victim throughout most of the book - he isn't killed until nearly the end, although you know from the beginning he is going to be the victim due to some foreshadowing - that I really dreaded continuing on with the reading. I thoroughly detested the victim and did not enjoy reading about what evils he kept perpetrating. Having said all that, the book is excellent, it just didn't leave me with a feeling that all ended as it should have. Which was the authors point, if not my preference.


message 1909: by Susie (new)

Susie Fevella (susieinks) | 821 comments Melodie wrote: "Susie in KS wrote: "I just finished Bleeding Hearts. My goal is to catch up on this series before the end of February ;)"

Did you like it? It's one of the best in the series, IMHO."


I did like it Melodie! I'm almost caught up.

Last night, I just finished

Sleeping With Anemone


message 1910: by Susan (new)

Susan I just finished Death on Demand (Death on Demand, #1) by Carolyn Hart . I read this many years ago and still had it on my shelves. Fortunately, I didn't remember the plot from the first time I read it! This time I had the murderer pegged, but not the reason. I've got a couple more in this series on my shelf so I'm in for some good reading.


message 1911: by Tracy T. (new)

Tracy T. I finished Ghost at Work (Bailey Ruth, #1) by Carolyn Hart and I wasn't that impressed by it. Bailey Ruth was obsessed with eating and the mystery was tied up a little too quickly and neatly for me.


❂ Murder by Death  (murderbydeath) I just finished Home for a Spell by Madelyn Alt. I like this series - although her mother and sister drive me nuts. :) This was a good addition, although maybe not her best one, to the series. I found I was getting impatient with the many many internal dialogue's about what is going on in the town that is causing so many murders. I like that she ties all the books to that theme, just found in this book she harped on it too much. Still, I'm looking forward to the next book.

And as a bonus, this book helps me check off the "Q" on my Characters A-Z challenge. :D


message 1913: by Melodie (new)

Melodie (melodieco) | 5280 comments Finished If Walls Could Talk A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery (A Haunted Home Repair Mystery, #1) by Juliet Blackwell and really liked it!


message 1914: by Catherine (new)

Catherine (catjackson) I just finished Death on Demand. I had forgotten how much I liked that book. And now, thanks to this group, my TBR pile is so big I just don't know where to start for my next read! Oh well, I'll figure it out. :)


message 1915: by Lisa (new)

Lisa (lisa_rd) | 7 comments Death Threads by Elizabeth Lynn Casey.


message 1916: by Shay (new)

Shay | 408 comments Catherine wrote: "I just finished Death on Demand. I had forgotten how much I liked that book. And now, thanks to this group, my TBR pile is so big I just don't know where to start for my next read! ..."

I recently read And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie and noticed that Hart's books all start like that. A one or two page thing on each character- what they're doing and feeling leading up to the "event".

I like the Death on Demand Series, but I don't like her Henrie O series.


message 1917: by Susie (new)

Susie Fevella (susieinks) | 821 comments Melodie wrote: "Finished If Walls Could Talk A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery (A Haunted Home Repair Mystery, #1) by Juliet Blackwell and really liked it!"

If you liked it Melodie, then I need to check it out!


message 1918: by Kimmie (new)

Kimmie (thatkimmiegirl) | 100 comments I just finished a couple of good cozies on audio book including The Cat Who Could Read Backwards (Cat Who..., #1) by Lilian Jackson Braun and two by MC Beaton Death of a Cad (Hamish Macbeth, #2) by M.C. Beaton , Agatha Raisin and the Day the Floods Came (Agatha Raisin, #12) by M.C. Beaton .

The first two were initially a little odd because the main character is a male. I am used to reading cozies with female main characters. Both were good and I plan to read more in both series.

Agatha is always great!

Almost forgot I also finished my new author read Crewel World (A Needlecraft Mystery, #1) by Monica Ferris . I really enjoyed it and thought Betsy redeemed herself. I can't seem to find a sports book so I am sitting out this month's challenge.
Kimmie


message 1919: by Melissa (new)

Melissa (lissieb7) | 80 comments Just finished Murder on a Girls' Night Out (Southern Sisters Mystery, #1) by Anne George by Anne George and loved it! It was laugh-out-loud funny! Can't wait to read more in this series!


❂ Murder by Death  (murderbydeath) Just finished A Brisket, a Casket by Delia Rosen. I'm not sure what I think of this first book - I liked the story, and the premise, but it felt a bit wooden to me. This sometimes happens for me on the first book of a series, and I usually warm up to it by the second or third (or discard the series all together). I'll definitely read the next book in the series and see how it goes before making a decision.


message 1921: by Nora-adrienne (new)

Nora-adrienne (nora_adrienne) The Pumpkin Muffin Murder
By: Livia J. Washburn
Copyright Nov. 2010

Phyllis’s son Mike and his wife planned a trip out to California for the Thanksgiving Weekend with their son Bobby to visit his grandfather. Unfortunately as small children do, he got an ear infection that threatened to cancel the entire family’s trip. Phyllis jumped in and said she would be happy to have Bobby stay with her for the holiday.
Phyllis was entered in the Harvest Festival’s baking contest and was looking forward to winning, and not be competing with her best friend and housemate Carolyn. Carolyn had been asked to be one of the judges for this event. Phyllis was making test batches and taste testing her entry, her pumpkin muffins. Carolyn was spending evenings working with her friend Dana Powell on the decorations and set up for the festival.
Phyllis even helped to pick up and deliver some of the decorations to the park and place them in the spaces allocated for their display. The next morning Phyllis and Bobby packed up her entry and rode over to the park…..
The Festival’s purpose this first year was to help bring in canned and packaged foods to help feed the town’s poor and needy. The entry fee was a full bag of groceries.
While waiting for the Judging to start she and Carolyn walked around the park looking at all the tables, games and rides that had been set up to entertain the families who were attending. While walking back to the judging area Carolyn asked Phyllis if she thought there was something odd about the hay bale and scarecrow that were sitting behind the judging area. Phyllis realized that it was not where she had placed it the evening before. The two friends decided that between them they could move it back to the original site so everyone could enjoy it. Carolyn was getting ready to move the hay bale when Phyllis tried to list what was supposed to be a very light scarecrow. She felt something wrong and was looking it over when she told Carolyn that it wasn’t a scarecrow but a dead body.
This set off a chain of events that involves Phyllis and all her housemates. It takes Phyllis, Carolyn, and all of the housemates to work out who done it, and why. The ending will surprise you.

This is the fifth book in the “Fresh Baked Mystery” series and I’m looking forward to many more years of Carolyn and company’s adventures.

I borrowed this book from my local library for the purpose of enjoyment and review.


message 1922: by Zoe (new)

Zoe (bookwormfromathens) | 712 comments I've just finished Avenging Angels (Beaufort & Company, #3) by Mary Stanton and highly enjoyed it. There was an unexpected twist towards the end of the story about who the real client of the Company was, which caught me by surprise. I find Bree's character likeable in general although sometimes she seems uncertain and self-conscious. I will definitely read the next book in the series, Angel's Verdict (Beaufort & Company, #4) by Mary Stanton


message 1923: by Linda (new)

Linda Klinedinst (linda_klinedinst) | 113 comments I just finished reading Decaffeinated Corpse (Coffehouse Mystery, #5) by Cleo Coyle today - Jan 20, 2011. I finished it this morning. I love this book. It was really good.


message 1924: by Melodie (new)

Melodie (melodieco) | 5280 comments Finished A Killer Crop (Orchard Mystery, #4) by Sheila Connolly . This is the best, by far, in this series. I haven't cared much for the series in general and hadn't planned to read any more of them, but the cover was so pretty on this one I couldn't resist.


message 1925: by Susie (new)

Susie Fevella (susieinks) | 821 comments Melodie wrote: "Finished A Killer Crop (Orchard Mystery, #4) by Sheila Connolly. This is the best, by far, in this series. I haven't cared much for the series in general and hadn't planned to read any more of them, but the cover was..."

Glad to hear this one is better! I have it waiting on my Kindle ;)


❂ Murder by Death  (murderbydeath) Just finished Sink Trap by Christy Evans. Eh. This one was just 'ok'. It's a first in a series, which are sometimes a bit rough, but I found nothing to like or dislike about any of the characters. I got very little sense of place and I figured out 'whodunit' from their first appearance in the book and nothing along the way ever made me wonder if I was right or wrong. Very little mystery to this story. But it fulfilled some of my challenges for me, so all is not lost! :D


message 1927: by Caroline (new)

Caroline | 661 comments Just finished Dead Lift by Rachel Brady and The Day of Small Things by Vicki Lane . Dead Lift is # 2 in the Emily Locke series by Rachel Brady and deals with some really complex family issues as well as an intriguing mystery. I thought Rachel did a great job with both. And Small things is a book by Vicki Lane which, while not really in the Elizabeth Goodweather series, is about a major character in the Goodweather series - Miss Birdie. As always, Vicki has written a great book but I'm eager to find out more about what's happening with Elizabeth.


message 1928: by Susie (new)

Susie Fevella (susieinks) | 821 comments Jennifer-in-oz wrote: "Just finished Sink Trap by Christy Evans. Eh. This one was just 'ok'. It's a first in a series, which are sometimes a bit rough, but I found nothing to like or di..."

I'm glad you commented on this book ;) I have it on my "wish list", but maybe I'll try a few others before this one. Thanks!


message 1929: by Zoe (new)

Zoe (bookwormfromathens) | 712 comments I've just read the last page of The Quick and the Thread by Amanda Lee and I must say it was an amazing cozy! A very quick and easy read for me ( English isn't my mother tongue )with lovable characters; Marcy was really sweet and intelligent-I found her to be more down-to-earth than the usual cozy protagonists and, of course, Angus was just adorable! The plot was smart and well crafted and, even though I had the killer's identity towards the end of the story, this didn't spoil the fun for me. I'm now awaiting the second installment in the series, Stitch Me Deadly by Amanda Lee , which will be out on February 1st.


message 1930: by Eileen (new)

Eileen | 14 comments Just finished Spying in High Heels (High Heels, #1) by Gemma Halliday , really enoyed it! Now reading the second in the series Killer in High Heels (High Heels Series #2) by Gemma Halliday , seems even funnier!


message 1931: by Katie (new)

Katie (katieisallbooked) | 36 comments I finished Body of Intuition (Karma Crime Mystery, #1) by Claire Daniels yesterday.

It was just okay. I'm trying to decide if I liked it enough to read the next two books in the series that I already have on my shelf.


❂ Murder by Death  (murderbydeath) I just finished Murder on the Bride's Side by Tracy Kiely. This is the second in the series by Tracy Kiely, and I found it to be a great read. The mystery was a solid one with a tug on the heartstrings at the end. The romance sub-plot was a bit silly, but resolves itself in the end. All in all, I really enjoy this series and I'm hoping and looking forward to a third.


message 1933: by Nell (new)

Nell | 1223 comments Tracy wrote: "I finished Ghost at Work (Bailey Ruth, #1) by Carolyn Hart and I wasn't that impressed by it. Bailey Ruth was obsessed with eating and the mystery was tied up a little too quickly and neatly for me."

If you prefer more traditional cozy mysteries, try one of her other series - Death on Demand or Dead Man's Island Dead Man's Island (Henrie O, #1) by Carolyn Hart , the first Henrie O and one of the best mysteries I've ever read.


message 1934: by Priscilla (last edited Jan 23, 2011 07:18AM) (new)

Priscilla | 127 comments I finished The Trouble With Witches (Ophelia & Abby, #3) by Shirley Damsgaard The Trouble With Witches and I loved it! Great atmosphere, loved all the magic aspects, not dark or too spooky just a light magical read with a good mystery! I cant wait to read the next one and have ordered it at the library.. ;)


message 1935: by Kelley (new)

Kelley (booknerd69) Jennifer-in-oz wrote: "I just finished Murder on the Bride's Side by Tracy Kiely. This is the second in the series by Tracy Kiely, and I found it to be a great read. The mystery was a so..."



I love this series. I read the first two back to back and I am also looking forward to the next one. The writing is very funny and smart. It does get a little kooky, but overall it's becoming a favorite of mine.


message 1936: by Mary (new)

Mary Kennedy | 27 comments Eileen, I love Gemma Halliday's books,we happen to have the same agent. I've never met Gemma but I love her fun, breezy style. I just finished TO HAVE AND TO KILL by Mary Jane Clark. Is it a cozy? It has an amateur sleuth, and a hunky FBI guy (but they're just friends, he's not a live interest.) It's the first in the Wedding Cake Mystery series. Did Mary Jane used to write thrilers? Historicals? Someone said this was a change of pace of her. I enjoyed it and will defintely get the next in the series.


message 1937: by Mary (new)

Mary Kennedy | 27 comments Oh yes, the Key News series, where is my brain!! I remember those. This does seem like a cozy...the Wedding cake series, I mean. I'd like to read more by her.


message 1938: by Marisa, Cozy Mysteries Assistant Moderator (new)

Marisa (moretta) | 4144 comments Mod
GirlGetsReal wrote: "Just finished Cattitude by Edie Ramer It was super cute and fun even though a little strange."

Thank you by the tip. I've got it, it looks like fun.


message 1939: by Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator (new)

Heather L  (wordtrix) | 27500 comments Mod
Eileen: Glad you liked the first High Heels book, and hope you enjoy the rest of the series as much as I did! Gemma is on another site I frequent and also contributes to the Killer Fiction blog--she's an absolute hoot!

GirlGetsReal: I won Cattitude last December, but have not been able to get to it yet. Glad to hear you liked it!


message 1940: by Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator (last edited Jan 23, 2011 09:54PM) (new)

Heather L  (wordtrix) | 27500 comments Mod
Oh, Kaaaaay-ayyyye:

So, I finished Murder on the Iditarod Trail over the weekend. Either very, very late Friday night, or the wee hours of Saturday morning, depending on how you look at it. I was at the halfway point when I climbed into bed with it and could not put it down until I was done, sprinting to the end almost as fast as the mushers were the end of the race. I think if you like suspense and thrillers as much as cozy mysteries, you should give it a try.

I know others said they did not like all the intricate race details, but I liked learning about this event that is little known in the lower 48, and it made me want to watch Iron Will again (though that dogsled race was actually from Winnipeg, AB to St. Paul, MN).

At any rate, I'd be willing to take a chance on book two of the series.


❂ Murder by Death  (murderbydeath) Just finished If Walls Could Talk by Juliet Blackwell. Great first! I am a fan of this author's other series', the other one she writes as Juliet Blackwell, and the series she writes with her sister as Hailey Lind. This first in the Haunted Home Renovation series didn't disappoint. The characters are all likeable and well written and I'm looking forward to seeing future character development. I really appreciated too, that I didn't have to suffer through an over abundance of denial about her ability to see ghosts. I'm really looking forward to the next one and hate that I'll have to wait almost an entire year for it.


message 1942: by Kaye (last edited Jan 24, 2011 06:23AM) (new)

Kaye (momgee) | 862 comments Heather L wrote: "Oh, Kaaaaay-ayyyye:

So, I finished Murder on the Iditarod Trail over the weekend. Either very, very late Friday night, or the wee hours of Saturday morning, depending on how you l..."


So I guess it picked up, Heather, and wasn't so creepy after all. I just finished The End of The Road by Sue Henry and it was pretty good. So that's it for Alaska. Lol, only about 24 (I think) or so more to go.


message 1943: by Melodie (new)

Melodie (melodieco) | 5280 comments Jennifer-in-oz wrote: "Just finished If Walls Could Talk by Juliet Blackwell. Great first! I am a fan of this author's other series', the other one she writes as Juliet Blackwell, and th..."

I really liked that one, too!


message 1944: by Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator (new)

Heather L  (wordtrix) | 27500 comments Mod
Kaye: Yes, it did indeed pick up. As for the creepy factor... There weren't any more "gruesome" deaths, but I would say there is a definite creep factor about being alone in the wilds of Alaska, especially during winter.

Much of the Iditarod Trail runs through rugged and remote areas that are difficult to reach during an emergency. Even at check points there seem to be few people around, especially if mushers come in during the night.

I think I have 26 more states to go, with books for at least half of those already on my shelves.


message 1945: by Erin L (new)

Erin L (wellreadmoose) | 505 comments I finished Night of the Living Deed (A Haunted Guesthouse Mystery, #1) by E.J. Copperman and If Walls Could Talk (A Haunted Home Repair Mystery, #1) by Juliet Blackwell on the weekend. Both were good, but I think it's funny that I'm reading three books in a row where someone hits their head and gains the ability to see and talk with ghosts. (Currently reading Don of the Dead (Pepper Martin, #1) by Casey Daniels )

I've liked all of them.


message 1946: by Kaye (new)

Kaye (momgee) | 862 comments Finished Stitch Me Deadly yesterday - it really sucked me in - a good read.


message 1947: by Shirley (new)

Shirley (shirleythekindlereader) Just put Death on Demand on the read stack. I loved it.


message 1948: by Kate (new)

Kate (kate28) | 141 comments Just finished Spackled and Spooked (A Do-It-Yourself Mystery, #2) by Jennie Bentley AKA Bente Gallagher . It was the first book I have read in this series and I really liked it!


message 1949: by Sandy (new)

Sandy | 93 comments I just finished Double Prey A Posadas County Mystery by Steven F Havill which wasn't a cozy but I enjoyed it since I've read the rest of the series and like the characters.


message 1950: by Sandy (new)

Sandy | 93 comments Kate wrote: "Just finished Spackled and Spooked (A Do-It-Yourself Mystery, #2) by Jennie Bentley AKA Bente Gallagher. It was the first book I have read in this series and I really liked it!"

I have Spackled and Spooked on my TBR pile. Glad to know that it's good.


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