Cozy Mysteries discussion
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What Cozy Did You Just Finish Reading??? (Archive)
Finished
. The first one wasn't bad, but this one......eh! The heroine did WAY to many stupid things that would NEVER fly in real life. Won't bother with another.
I just finished "Pies and Prejudice" by Ellery Adams. I liked it. It's the first in the "Charmed Pie Shoppe" series. You have to be open to the idea of magic. If you are already rolling your eyes over the idea of a "charmed" pie shop then this story won't be for you.
Murder Most Maine Gray Whale Inn Mystery#3 By Karen MacInerney 
5*****
love this series
Finished
and I'll be honest, it irritated me a bit. I liked the general story, but when the guilty party became obvious to me, it was SO obvious that I questioned it thinking it was just a red herring.It wasn't.
Melodie wrote: "Finished . The first one wasn't bad, but this one......eh! The heroine did WAY to many stupid things that would NEVER fly in real life. Won't bother with another."Thanks Melodie...I've had these on my wish list for awhile, but wasn't really sure if I would like them. I have too many other good books to catch up on and you and I agree a lot about lots of characters ;)
and I finished [bookcover:Halos|1576592 Oh and Rich DiSilvio and Liszt's Dante Symphony:which would not come up on the search even though he is on here?
❂ Jennifer wrote: "I sat down last night for the first time in a while and started 
. Loved it! Finished it before I went to bed and it was all I could hope a first in a new serie..."Looks tantalizing.
Just finished the 1st 2 books by Bao.rbra Annino of the Stacy Justice series. The 1st, Opal fire was great. But the 2nd, Bloodstone was a bit of a let down but still a nice read.
Just finished
. It was pretty good. Will probably read the others in the series.
just finished Pies and Prejudice. Love Ella Mae and the bakery shop. Looking forward to more. Always makes me hungry.
Finished
a couple of nights ago. I love this series and this one *might* be one of the best yet. :)
Shirley wrote: "Murder Most Maine Gray Whale Inn Mystery#3 By Karen MacInerney 5*****
love this series"
I'm glad to hear that because I have been wanting to read that series. Just havn't gotten my hands on any yet. I think now, I'll try harder. Glad you liked them.
Melodie wrote: "Finished . The first one wasn't bad, but this one......eh! The heroine did WAY to many stupid things that would NEVER fly in real life. Won't bother with another."I don't mind some of that "Oh Good Grief" factor in a series, but if the author never lets the character "smarten up" (,learn from her past)to a reasonable degree....I get frustrated and drop the series. I do like them to be fun. They don't need to be rocket scientists but I dont like them to be blatantly STUPID. Sounds like I might should pass on that series.
I just finished reading Huckleberry Finished
. I enjoyed this one. A little break from all of the cooking series.
Finished Underdog by Lorien Berenson yesterday. It was a nice, change from some of the more intense books I've been reading, but I wouldn't rate it more than ***. Now, on to The Big Cat Nap: The 20th Anniversary Mrs. Murphy Mystery by Rita Mae Brown. I've loved her Mrs. Murphy books, but so far this one just isn't quite up to her usual standards.
adlin wrote: "Biblophile wrote: "I just finished 
and [bookcover:The Body in the Boudoir: A Faith Fairchild Mystery].
I recently started reading the Faith Fairchild series and lik..."
I loved Uneasy Spirits. I won it so I was doubly glad to give it a glowing report.
Uneasy SpiritsUneasy Spirits
and [bookcover:The Body in the Boudoir: A Faith Fairchild Mystery].I recently started reading the Faith Fairchild series and lik..."
I loved Uneasy Spirits. I won it so I was doubly glad to give it a glowing report.
Uneasy SpiritsUneasy Spirits
Just finished
Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates. I picked this up after reading the favorable reviews here and was not disappointed. This is a great first in a series. Likeable characters, good mystery plus the food made me long for Southern cuisine.
Just finished two books -
and
. I'd have to say I enjoyed Pies and Prejudice more than Killer Crab Cakes.
Mod
Zipped through
. Definitely one of my top 5 series and this one didn't disappoint.
I have always been a "laid back" kind of reader. A book does not have to be written with punctuation perfect, flawless grammer etc. for me to enjoy the story . I don't read to judge an authors SKILL as a writer. I read according to their ability to entertain me with a story. But....after finishing "Magnolias,Moonlight and Murder" I have to say that a few things did distract me from the story. For one, Ellie is a professional organizer and through- out the book there are lists inserted of organizing rules to follow , some rather long. I would have preferred those in a chapter at the end of the book. The flow of the story suffered. (IMO). I also had issue with Ellies parenting, her interaction with her husband etc. But the mystery was actually good. So....even though my comments sound negative, I will be reading some more of these.
Finished Sinister Sprinkles by Jessica Beck!!
DonnaCarol wrote: "... I have to say that a few things did distract me from the story. For one, Ellie is a professional organizer and through- out the book there are lists inserted of organizing rules to follow , some rather long. I would have preferred those in a chapter at the end of the book. The flow of the story suffered. (IMO)..."Sometimes when authors do that I skip it and keep reading the story then may come back later and read the list. However, I'm not familiar with this author or how her books are formatted.
Just tried a Heather Blake book. It Takes a Witch I was in one of those moods for something different and thought I'd give this series a try. So glad I did. Fun, fun, fun!! I thoroughly enjoyed all the characters. Loved the town! The story was very well written and had an easy flow. The way the characters were introduced (there were several) and their "special" ways reminded me of the fairy tale books by Janette Rallison. Loved the humor! I will definitely continue the series.
Fisnished the last of my library books. Shadows on The Coast of Maine
By Lea Wait.Even though it isn't a favorite so far, it was entertaining enough for me to probably read another in this series.Again, more "info" between each chapter.Some of it was interesting facts but it is like having commercials in the story. I guess this is something we have to get used to.
Finished
and really liked it, except for the heroine, Ella Mae, being so blind to what was going on around her! That's the only thing that kept me from giving it 5 stars.
WHAT ANGELS FEAR by C.S. HarrisI just finished What Angels Fear by C.S. Harris. It's the first book in the Sebastian St. Cyr mystery series, and I loved it. The settings are very evocative of the era and the hero is a likeable guy. I want to read more about him in subsequent installments.
REVIEW: This first title in the Sebastian St. Cyr mystery series will hook you and reel you in. Accused of a heinous rape/murder, Viscount Devlin flees the authorities and takes refuge in 1811 London where he seeks to clear his name. With various allies to help him, he unravels a scheme involving French spies, political intrigue, blackmail, and greed. Evocative setting details will have you believing you’re in fog-shrouded London as you follow the hero’s adventures into disreputable alleyways and slummy inns as he searches for the killer before the man strikes again. Devlin can’t even trust his own family who harbors their own damaging secrets. At stake is the life of a woman he once loved and who loves him still. Can he unmask the villain, save the Regency, and avoid the hangman’s noose? Once you read this book, you’ll want to find more stories in Harris’s engaging series.
Just finished
by Heather Webber. I love this series!
Susie in KS wrote: "Just finished by Heather Webber. I love this series!"Susie, I love this series! Im going to have to get
Perfectly Matched. =)
Started and finished Hard Row
while traveling today. Started Skirting the Grave
- I love both these series. Good reading day.
Just finished Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden by MC Beaton. I was not impressed. I kept thinking "How could a woman described as smart and intelligent and successful in business be so stupid about men." Her actions just didn't ring true. I also figured out 'who done it' early in the story. I wish there had been more emphasis and effort put into the mystery and less into Agatha's romantic efforts.
Nancy wrote: "WHAT ANGELS FEAR by C.S. HarrisI just finished What Angels Fear by C.S. Harris. It's the first book in the Sebastian St. Cyr mystery series, and I loved it. The settings are very evocative of the..."
While I agree that it is an excellant book, and definitely worth reading and continuing with the series if it's your kind of thing, I would hardly refer to it as a 'cozy'. In the books that I've read, the crimes are gruesome and the subject matter surrounding motives has been sordid.
I can't abide graphic or gratuitous sex and and violence, and didn't find the details in this series to be so, but they are there. If I remember correctly, the details given were enough to fill out a vivid picture of the ongoing story and setting, but details were given.
If your usual kind of 'cozy' historical is Mrs. Jeffries, Charles & Kate Sheriden or crimes in and about the Pennyfoot Hotel, approach with caution towards the subject matter in this series.
But, if a little sterner stuff is palatable, you won't find much better.
Christy
Catherine wrote: "Just finished Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden by MC Beaton. I was not impressed. I kept thinking "How could a woman described as smart and intelligent and successful in business be so stu..."I know a lot of women who are smart in general but silly when it comes to common sense/life so I guess I can just go with Agatha's romantic exploits more but I realize she is not for everyone!
Just finished
. It was an OK book and I may try the next one before deciding if I want to continue reading the series.
Just finished
which I picked up as a free download. Very good, rather atypical main character and liked it well enough that the second in the series is close to the top of my 'to buy' list.
I have finished two in the last couple of days. "If Walls Could Talk" by Juliet Blackwell.
I wasn't sure about the "ghostly" aspect of the series but I actually enjoyed it very much. I will be looking for more of these.
I also finished "Death and the Walking Stick" by Linda Berry. Even though it is A Trudy Roundtree Mystery
Trudy didn't play as much a part in the actually "sleuthing" as a group of quirky senior citizens did. Many may still categorize this as not a cozy, but for me, it meets my personal idea of one. Not technically realistic in all matters but it was very entertaining. Very witty. I will be on the lookout for more of these.
Went away for a short holiday and finished
India Black and the Widow of Windsor and
. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't call India Black a cozy, but I'm not sure what else you'd call it. It's a historical mystery, I guess. But it was very good. The Poppy Markham book was o.k. A good mystery, but ultimately the characters didn't grab me enough to make the effort to read the next one.
Catherine wrote: "Just finished Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden by MC Beaton. I kept thinking "How could a woman described as smart and intelligent and successful in business be so stupid about men?..."Those are two different skill sets. Being smart in school or in business is different from having social skills. There are many with one skill set and not the other - like the popular kids at school who were C students.
Readers in this group are divided on our reactions to Agatha. It strikes me reading your post that Agatha tries the same approach in both situations - her aggressiveness and brash behavior made her a successful businesswoman in advertising. Those traits don't work in her romantic life. The author does go over the top sometimes with Agatha's pursuit of romance.
I just finished
by Lois Greiman. I was thrilled to find this book as I absolutely love this series. I hope it's a sign of more books to come!
Finished
. Didn't like it, but then books that deal a lot with gardening aren't my thing anyway as I have absolutely no interest in it. Which is why I'm wondering why I even ordered this book in the first place!
I finished a few while I was on vacation:
,
and
. Love my Kindle for traveling.
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Cozy Mysteries
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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I actually liked this one, but must confess to not remembering much about it right now and I read it this month!