Category Archives: Cozy Mysteries

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Since I am watching the Summer Olympics, my usual reading has taken a hit. I am about half way through Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead.

The previous book in the series ended with a cliffhanger: Finlay sees a proposed hit on her husband with a bounty of $100,000. She is pretty sure Theresa is not behind it since she is in jail for her connections with the Russian mob.

Since Finlay is nothing if not impulsive, she not only looks at the hit, she responds to it. The coded response comes to both Finlay and ‘EasyClean”, saying whoever murders Steve first will get paid – and she wants it done by Christmas.

Finlay and her nanny/friend begin investigating and are in Steven’s trailer at his business when someone firebombs it. The discovery of a body in a storage unit rented under Theresa’s name further complicates the case.

Like the first in the series, it is funny. But also full of contrivances. Finlay does a lot of foolish things, impulsively and without thought. I would give the series a B to a B+. It’s funny and the story keeps moving but I find Finlay’s thoughtlessness and impulsivity annoying.

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I wanted to read something very different and somewhat exotic. I picked up Auntie Lee’s Deadly Delights: a Singaporean mystery.

This was truly exotic, from the strange and unusual food to the Singapore setting. But, as I have said so often, people are always the same. (I frequently feel that the murder victims are so unpleasant it is no surprise when they’re murdered and, in fact, I wonder why it took so long.) If anyone deserved murdering, it is Mabel Sung and her son Leonard. There is no shortage of suspects but suspicion immediately falls on the caterer, Auntie Lee, who prepared traditional foods for the buffet, some of which require soaking to remove cyanide. (Really!)

Auntie Lee, who knows she is innocent, embarks on her own investigation. Fortunately, Inspector Salim has eaten at Auntie Lee’s cafe numerous times and he does not believe Auntie Lee is definitely guilty. The game is afoot!

This is a cozy police procedural with a lot of humor. The unusual setting is certainly a plus but the personality of Auntie Lee is the real charm here. Really fun.Recommended.

Currently Reading – a good beach read

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Murder in the Bistro; a Maggie Newberry mystery, by Susan Kieran-Lewis, is number 9 in the series. I bought it after seeing an ad on Bookbub.

There is a lot going on in this mystery. It really gives the reader of the stresses of a young mother with young children, married, and in the French countryside.

Maggie’s husband Laurent is busy with the grape harvest and is having trouble with some of the gypsy pickers. At the same time, her friend Grace, and Grace’s two children, are staying at the house. The youngest, Zouzou is fine but Taylor is a difficult thirteen. Grace is trying to get her business off the ground – but the photographer is more interested in shooting photos of Maggie’s youngest, Mila.

Then another American in the village, a chef trying to open a bistro, is murdered and Laurent’s partner is accused. The victim is so poisonous the reader is unsurprised when she is murdered, but there are other unpleasant characters in the village. The reactions of the locals to Maggie sure don’t encourage moving to a village in France.

But – I loved the book. I plan to go back to number one and read them in order. Recommended.

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This week I read two cozies. The first is the third in a series I really enjoy by Mindy Quigley.

Delilah and crew are on their way to a mansion, and a very high-end fundraiser for the Library. Delilah is already stressed out from creating a pizza with no tomato sauce, no gluten, and no cheese.

Then a body rolls down the steps and lands at the bottom. Who would want to kill this annoying, but harmless, member of the Library Board?

Calvin Capone, and his mother, are on scene and begin the investigation as a storm rages outside, trapping everyone, including the killer, in the mansion.

All the usual characters are here, including Butterball the cat.

Lots of fun. The recipes aren’t bad either. I have already ordered the next one.

The second cozy is a book I purchased after seeing a Bookbub deal. My first time ever buying one. Foul Play at Seal Bay by Judy Leigh takes place in Cornwall, England. Morwenna is an older woman, divorced, and working in the small local library and her family’s teashop.

At a party to celebrate Morwenna’s daughter’s engagement, a wealthy transplant from London is murdered. The local detective is completely out of his depth. Morwenna can’t help but begin asking questions. A letter, and a sign painted on the Library wall telling her to back off, fail to discourage her.

I did not see the final twist coming. Light and charming.

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Killer in the Kitchen is the second Chesapeake Bay mystery by Judy L. Murray.

Lizzie, Helen’s daughter, is the host of a popular cooking show. Upon hearing that Roberto, the popular chef and main attraction of the show, wishes to sell his house, Helen visits the set to meet him. When she visits the second time, she is just in time to see Roberto collapse, poisoned.

Worse yet, Lizzie had also tasted the food and is slightly affected.

Helen jumps in with both feet to identify who might have murdered Roberto. Now its personal since the shooter clearly considered Lizzie only as collateral damage.

There are suspects aplenty. Besides Roberto’s partner Adrian, Dana is another host who was pushed aside and lost a huge percentage of her ratings. The food stylist, Mariah, is another suspect, this time with an important secret.

The characters shine here. Although I had a suspicion about the murderer’s identity, I kept reading. I felt like I knew the characters personally and I was engaged in their lives.

Highly Recommended.

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Murder comes home is the third in the Hometown mysteries by Rosalie Spielman.

A television crew has descended on Aunt Edna’s home. Ricks and Picks is scouting for more antiques and collectibles (Think Antiques Roadshow.) The discovery of a box of letters sparks an investigation into the history of the house and the family that owned it before. And the mysterious death of a so-called orphan girl.

At the same time, undercurrents in the television crew begin to cause problems in modern times. The ’67 Mustang Tess and her aunt – the Shecanics – are restoring for sale is taken from the garage. When it’s found, the Ricks and Picks cameraman is found dead of carbon monoxide poisoning, zip tied to the steering wheel. Tessa and Aunt Edna are on the case.

I love these books. Tessa and Aunt Edna are fully realized. I wish I knew Aunt Edna. The other characters are real individuals. And the mysteries aren’t bad either. I hope Spielman continues this series.

Highly Recommended.

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This week I read Death in the Orchard by MK Graff.

This is the third in the Trudy Genova mysteries. Trudy is a nurse. In the previous two entries, she is hired as a medical consultant to verify the information in television productions.

Death in the Orchard is a little different. Trudy, and significant other Ned, are on their way to Schoharie County to visit Trudy’s family. Her brother and wife are having a baby.

But Trudy has another agenda. Her father was murdered years ago and she has always thought there was more to it. The reader knows there is. A recent parollee hires on because he is looking for money buried in the orchard.

Then his body is discovered shot on the steps. It doesn’t take much imagination to realize someone else might know about that money!

Recommended.

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Now that Malice Domestic is over, I can review the books from the panel I moderated: the importance of setting.

Heather Weidner almost needs no introduction. The author of several series, Twinkle, Twinkle au Revoir is the latest in her Mermaid Bay series. And a funny book it is too. The Love channel (a thinly disguised Hallmark Channel) comes to town to film a new movie. Ruby, the owner of the B&B, is being driven crazy by all the quirks of the actors. But business is booming is the Christmas Shop run by Jade Hicks.

Then the body of an annoying reporter is found and someone tries to murder the male star, Raphael Allard. Laugh out loud funny.

Peril at the Pool House is also written against the setting of a beach community. Helen Morrisey, a realtor/detective, has sold a Victorian beauty to Elliot Davies and wife Allison. Elliot is running for office and holds his kick-off in the house.

But rumors that the house is haunted appear true when strange events begin happening at the house. Then the body of his assistant is discovered in the pool house, bludgeoned to death.

The case takes a turn when Helen discovers a connection to a cold case.

A twisty mystery and good characters make this one shine.

Hammers and Homicide by Paula Charles takes place in a hardware store – a pretty unusual setting. Dawna is struggling to keep her hardware store going after the death of her husband. The job gets much harder when she discovers the body of a murdered man in the store bathroom. Warren Hardcastle was not popular in town but now Dawna is one of the suspects. Dawna and her daughter April jump on the case.

A touch of the supernatural makes this one a little different. Funny and fun.

Finally, Cathi Stoler’s book is a little different. She wanted to become a spy as a child and that shows. Nick Donahue’s significant other Marina are drawn into a complicated mystery that starts out simply enough with the death of a horse. The location moves from New York City to Dubai to Kentucky as Marina and Nick, a professional gambler – now there is a profession you don’t see very often – investigate.

This series has a real Robert Ludlum – Bourne vibe. Enjoyable.

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I met Mindy Quigley at Malice Domestic and, as usual, following my practice of reading something by every author I meet. I read Six Feet Deep Dish.

And what fun it was too.

Delilah O’Leary can’t wait to open her gourmet pizza restaurant in beautiful Geneva Bay, Wisconsin.. This has always been her dream. But the day before opening, her wealthy boyfriend dumps her, leaving her with an armful of bills.

Then, on opening night, Delilah finds her aunt’s caregiver Jeremy shot dead – and her aunt holding the gun.

To make matters worse, the detective, Calvin Capone (yes, the great grandson of THAT Capone) closes the restaurant while the investigation is ongoing. Needless to say, sparks fly between Delilah and Capone.

Written in a snappy style with several engaging characters – Delilah’s Aunt Biz is my favorite – this cozy is a treat.

Highly Recommended.

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I read two books this past week, but will save the one for Heather Weidner. She is on the panel at Malice Domestic that I am moderating. I will blog about all four of those books at the same time.

Speaking of conferences, I read the first in a series of my table mate at the Suffolk Mystery Festival.

Home is where the murder is

is the first in the Hometown Mysteries series.

Tessa Tresswell returns to Idaho after a twenty year career in the armed forces. Although Tessa is struggling to adapt to civilian life, she enjoys working on fixing cars with her Aunt Edna. Her family hopes she will stay, but Tessa isn’t sure.

Then Tessa finds a dead body in the park. She doesn’t know Augie That but her family does; he claimed that their property, including the garage and the store, was half his.

To make matters worse, the sheriff just happens to be Tessa’s high school love.

When Aunt Edna is arrested, Tessa knows she will have to investigate and make sure justice is done.

Lots of fun at the same time it deals with a serious subject: returning vets. Highly Recommended.