Cozy Mysteries discussion
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What Cozy Did You Just Finish Reading??? (Archive)
DonnaCarol wrote: "What do you consider chick lit? ..."Hoo boy - that's a tough one to define, I think. I too have read the Death, Taxes, ... series and love it. And I agree it's a bit more "chick-lit mystery" than cozy, but defining it? hmmm.... Ok here goes (and Melodie might do a better job than I):
language is a bit coarser, sex is a bit more explicit (though not excessively graphic), a bit more relationship-centric, but not so much that you lose the plot of the mystery. A bit of "girl-power" but not enough to make you itch.
Cozies to me tend to have a bit of a naive or 'innocent bystander' vibe to them that 'chick-lit mysteries' don't.
Clear as mud? ;-)
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Chick lit is genre fiction which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often humorously and lightheartedly. The genre became popular in the late 1990s, with chick lit titles topping bestseller lists and the creation of imprints devoted entirely to chick lit. Although it sometimes includes romantic elements, chick lit is generally not considered a direct subcategory of the romance novel genre, because the heroine's relationship with her family or friends is often just as important as her romantic relationships.
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Thanks Jennifer & Heather. I was thinking it would be mostly romantic mush. (I've been married 40 long years, what can I say.LOL.) It sounds like chick lit might be more of a balance of romantic/mystery. I can deal with that. I used to read nothing but pure romance, but I really need the mystery and sometimes adventure mixed in nowadays for me to want to try it. "Death,Taxes,and Extra-Hold Hairspray" goes on my TBR list. The title made me want to know more.
DonnaCarol wrote: "Thanks Jennifer & Heather. I was thinking it would be mostly romantic mush. (I've been married 40 long years, what can I say.LOL.) It sounds like chick lit might be more of a balance of romantic/my..."If you're a fan of reading-books-in-order, and I can't remember if you are or not (it's not necessary in this series), then the first one in the 3-so-far series is Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure. All are good, but Extra hold hairspray is the best, IMO.
I do prefer to read-in-order but lately I have gotten impatient and read a few out of order because I couldn't get my hands on the ones that came before them.It sounds like that one will be a good way to intorduce me to the "chick lit" genre. Thanks Jennifer.
DonnaCarol wrote: "Thanks Jennifer & Heather. I was thinking it would be mostly romantic mush. (I've been married 40 long years, what can I say.LOL.) It sounds like chick lit might be more of a balance of romantic/my..."DonnaCarol, some day you feel like stepping out of the mystery zone and trying some chick-lit, try Jill Mansell. I used to think that genre was just too fluffy to bother with until I hit upon Jill's books. I think they are hilarious. So, if you're looking for a light very humorous read some day, try one of hers.Jill Mansell
Heather L wrote: "A good definition of chick lit: Chick lit is genre fiction which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often humorously and lightheartedly. The genre became popular in the late 1990s, with chick ..."
Good definition! Think Steel Magnolias
Leslie wrote: "Heather L wrote: "A good definition of chick lit: Chick lit is genre fiction which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often humorously and lightheartedly. The genre became popular in the late ..."
I don't think of Steel Magnolias as "chick lit", tho, myself. Most "chick lit" I don't read, but the Death & Taxes series would tend more toward that than cozy mysteries, IMHO.
I finished Heirloom Murder by Kathleen Ernest
I liked this one better than the first. Chloe works at Old World Wisconsin where she works in historical preservation. The mystery is the center of the plot but I enjoy the interesting details about the Scandinavian cultures she weaves in.
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Finished reading Pies and Prejudice by Ellery Adams this week. A pretty good mystery, I would probably read the next one in the series.
Kari wrote: "I just finished Hollywood Scandals
which might also fit the Chicklit/cozy mystery hybrid. I enjoyed and I shall be reading more."I also enjoyed the hollywood scandal series. have you read her high heel series? I loved them as well.
Kaye wrote: "DonnaCarol wrote: "Thanks Jennifer & Heather. I was thinking it would be mostly romantic mush. (I've been married 40 long years, what can I say.LOL.) It sounds like chick lit might be more of a bal..."Thank you Kaye. I really enjoy trying out new genre's and new to me authors and am looking forward to trying some of Jill Mansell's books. I put several of them on my TBR list and added them to my "take to the store with me " list. I'm not sure if you know this about me, but the laugh out loud and witty,quickly stories are a top choice of mine.
Leslie wrote: "Heather L wrote: "A good definition of chick lit: Chick lit is genre fiction which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often humorously and lightheartedly. The genre became popular in the late ..."
I can't. I'll cry again. :o
I was very glad to have Donna Andrews quirky characters to keep me company after reading my last non-cozy. (whew) I finished "No Nest for the Wicket this evening.
Andrews stayed true to form so I had a fun, entertaining read.
Vicky wrote: "I finished Heirloom Murder by Kathleen Ernest I liked this one better than the first. Chloe works at Old World Wisconsin where she works in historical preservatio..."
Good to know, as I really didn't like the first one at all. I found it somewhat condescending in places which totally turned me off to the entire book.
Just finished the book last night and loved it
Just finished The Clue of the Twisted Candle by Edgar Wallace
I gave it 4 stars -- lots of plot twists & turns -- but it isn't a true cozy since main character is a detective. This is NOT a police procedural
Just finished
and it is a page turner! I rated it 4 stars.
Ruby wrote: "Just finished and it is a page turner! I rated it 4 stars."A heads up for die-hard cozy readers. Before I Go To Sleep is listed as a psychological thriller. May be a bit intense for cozy -only readers . It did get several 3-5 star ratings.
I just finished "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" by Agatha Christie. Great ending! I don't know if I liked it better than Ten little indians but it was a really well put together story!
DonnaCarol wrote: "I was thinking it would be mostly romantic mush. (I've been married 40 long years, what can I say.LOL.) It sounds like chick lit might be more of a balance of romantic/my..."Like you, at 70 I've pretty much graduated away from the romantic mush theme (although I have to confess to having half a dozen favorite Georgette Heyer romances on my bookshelves and re-reading them quite often!) but in general, been there/ done that and don't need to go there again. Same reason I generally shy away from graphic and seduction/sex scenes in books ... hey, at my age if I've been there/done that I find it boring ... if I haven't been there/done that ... I'd prefer not to, thank you! (Probably one of the reasons I usually give vampire books a miss.)
I just started a book that may fit pretty well into to combined chick lit/mystery group
The descriptive writing is very lush and evocative of the deep south setting, attraction between the two main characters and a search for a long-vanished woman as the mystery.
Melodie wrote: "alicia wrote: "I am now reading
"Oh, I LIKED that one!!"
Love this series!
Clyde wrote: "I just finished "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" by Agatha Christie. Great ending! I don't know if I liked it better than Ten little indians but it was a really well put together story!"The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is one of my favorite Christie mysteries!
Sharon wrote: "DonnaCarol wrote: "I was thinking it would be mostly romantic mush. (I've been married 40 long years, what can I say.LOL.) It sounds like chick lit might be more of a balance of romantic/my..."Li..."
" In the Midnight Rain" sounds good to me. Southern set mysteries are a weakness of mine.(and I am one of the odd ones that LOVE the rain.) I just added that title to my written list that goes book hunting with me.Thanks Sharon.
by: Barbara Samuel
Finished another Southern Fried Mystery by Cathy Pickens, called "Can't Never Tell".
This series has quite a lot of legal explanations etc. that I tend to catch myself skimming over. I have to back up and re-read.
Other than that, I am pleased with the series. If I weren't so fond of Avery, I might be tempted to pass on the rest of the series but she has really grown on me.There are also several other very likeable characters to be missed, like little grown-up Emma. The change in the "relationship " between Avery & the sheriff gives one something to think about. And of course, I love reading about areas I call home.This one wrapped things up a bit abruptly for my taste & I wish I had been more suprised at "whodunit" . It is easy to think of these characters as your neighbors.(except maybe for the "incident" with the LEG! :o)
Just finished May Day
by Jess Lourey. I thought it was a hoot, although the fact that I was in the area in Minnesota the book is set in a couple of weeks ago on vacation may have something to do with it. I recognized every town she mentioned and she really caught the flavor of the area.
Just finished
. Loved the writing, descriptions of the countryside was lyrical. Well rounded characters, good dialogue and interesting angles t the mystery, the main character researching for a book and incidentally trying to discover more ab out her parents as well.A bit heavy on the romance for my personal taste, but not enough to keep me from reading and enjoying. A good change of pace for me and wouldn't mind trying more of this author's books.
Finished
and really liked it! If you don't mind vampires with your mystery, you might like this one!
Teresa wrote: "Kari wrote: "I just finished Hollywood Scandals which might also fit the Chicklit/cozy mystery hybrid. I enjoyed and I shall be reading more."I also enjoyed the holl..."
Sorry, I'm getting used to be normal again, the Goodreads staff figured out the problem with my profile and now I have my pic back. I was trying to say that Gemma has a new High Heels out, Honeymoon in High Heels, $2.99, it's a novella, 90 pages.Last evening I was at Jenn McKingley booksigning, she is such a nice person. Got her Red Velvet Revenge, a cupcake,and a nice pic with her, she is maybe 20 inches taller than me.
Maria wrote: "Sorry, I'm getting used to be normal again, the Goodreads staff figured out the problem with my profile and now I have my pic back. I was trying to say that Gemma has a new High Heels out, Honeymoo..."Thanks for that - I just snagged it. :)
Today I finished "The Happy Birthday Murder" by Lee Harris. This did not end up on my favorites list. :(
I noticed that the average star rate for this one was a bit higher than I could go. Interesting how we can view some books so differently. I feel bad for saying it, but I probably won't read Lee Harris again.
Just finished Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates. Loved it! Loved the cover,too; it makes me hungry!
I finished reading
. Brilliant! You can read my review on the book page if you want. I really recommend it. Any one else read this?
I just finished a delightfull book, This Pen For Hire by: Laura Levine. Plenty of laugh out loud moments.Several possible suspects with clues that make sense, but are woven into the story with such skill that even as the story reaches it's climax, you still aren't positive who dun it until the reveal.A little language in this one (for those that avoid it.) A fun read.
I will be reading more in this series.
I just finished "Bookmarked for Death" by Lorna Barrett. However, I've never been the type of girl who only reads one book at a time. So... I've also recently finished:The Mournful Teddy by John J. Lamb
If Books Could Kill by Kate Carlisle
I am terrible at writing book reviews, so I'll just say that I totally loved all 3 of them. I tried to describe the "cozy" genre to a friend at work, and this is what I told her: "You read it and think, someone just got brutally murdered so why the heck do I have the warm fuzzies?" I think that's pretty accurate. :)
Stacey wrote: "I just finished "Bookmarked for Death" by Lorna Barrett. However, I've never been the type of girl who only reads one book at a time. So... I've also recently finished:The Mournful Teddy by John..."
lol..thats pretty accurate Stacey. I think one huge differance between a cozy and a regular mystery/suspense/horror is that a cozy has a neighborly,feel good edge to it,often with some humor & little or no language & limited to rather mild passion. No gore & violence to a PG level for the most part. And of course, the sleuth is a "non-professional". I think this is the way the cozy reading members of this group have described a cozy.And you had two of my favorites on your list..Bookmarked for Death and If Books Could Kill. Both good series. (imo)
Stacey wrote: "I just finished "Bookmarked for Death" by Lorna Barrett. However, I've never been the type of girl who only reads one book at a time. So... I've also recently finished:The Mournful Teddy by John..."
I miss John Lamb's Teddy Bear series. Really liked all of them, except one. And Kate Carlisle's Bibliophile series is among my favorites!
❂ Jennifer wrote: "I just finished 
A Witch Before Dying. Excellent read! Shaping up to be a great series! :)"I have this one coming up to the top of The Pile very quickly!
DonnaCarol wrote: "Today I finished "The Happy Birthday Murder" by Lee Harris. This did not end up on my favorites list. :( I noticed that the average star rate for this one was a..."I read The Father's Day Murder and was bored to death. Rated it a 2*. Like you, I decided no more of that author!
Finished
Beef Stolen-Off and was pleasantly surprised! I didn't care for the first in this series very much, but this one was MUCH better!
Kaye wrote: "DonnaCarol wrote: "Today I finished "The Happy Birthday Murder" by Lee Harris. This did not end up on my favorites list. :( I noticed that the average star rate..."I am sorry for the author that we didnt take to her books. Thankfully, many must because she has several out there. I wondered if it might have just been one bad "apple" but if you felt the same with The Fathers Day Murder, that doesn't bode well does it.? :(
Finished
and liked it. I figured out who the murderer was before the end but not until the last couple chapters. There were some good things I hope are progressed as this series continues.
❂ Jennifer wrote: "I just finished A Witch Before Dying. Excellent read! Shaping up to be a great series! :)"I've been dying to get my hands on this one. I finished the first in this series not too long ago and absolutely loved it. I can't wait to see how everything progresses. The animal characters are hilarious!
Julie wrote: "The animal characters are hilarious! ..."Julie - there's a scene in A Witch Before Dying with Archie and a St. Bernard that had me laughing out loud hysterically. I won't give it away, but I giggle just remembering it. :)
Melodie wrote: "Finished Beef Stolen-Off and was pleasantly surprised! I didn't care for the first in this series very much, but this one was MUCH better!"Glad you found this one to be an improvement - I enjoyed it quite a bit more than the first one as well. :)
John wrote: "I finished reading . Brilliant! You can read my review on the book page if you want. I really recommend it. Any one else read this?"I also just finished this book. Fantastic! Here is my review:
I have now added a new author to my favorite mystery writers. As soon as she publishes another novel, I'll buy it. I fell in love with the characters, the story line and especially Genevieve's linear thinking. Can't wait to read more. Is this the frist in a seies? Since it says on the cover 'A Genevieve Lenard' novel, I'm assuming and really hoping so! I want to read more about them - all of the characters in this book could become the star of their own novel.
Finished
and loved it! One of my favorite series ;)
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Cozy Mysteries
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Thanks for the heads up Melodie on Taxes, & Hairspray. It isn't the language that would deter me as much as if it is my idea of "chick lit". What do you consider chick lit?