"What is a cozy mystery? Could you suggest some holiday-themed cozy mystery titles or authors who write cozies with a holiday theme?"
Some of you may be wondering what a "cozy mystery" is, as Deb did. The comments on her post say (more or less) that they are mystery novels featuring an amateur detective, off-scene violence, maybe romance, but no sex. They vary from comical to more serious, but are apparently always fast-paced. And they have fun covers. Basically, it seems that a cozy mystery is lighter reading than a murder mystery. I left Deb this comment:
"I haven't read many cozy mysteries, though [like Deb] I think I'd recognize one when I see it. However, I inherited my friend Donna's Kindle after she died. I haven't looked at ALL of the books on it yet, but I see that she gave 5 stars to these cozy mysteries (all by the same author)."
- Croissants and Corruption (Margot Durand Cozy Mystery, Book 1 of 12) ~ by Danielle Collins, 2017, cozy mystery (Virginia), 5 stars
- Desserts and Deception (Margot Durand Cozy Mystery, Book 2 of 12) ~ by Danielle Collins, 2017, cozy mystery (Virginia), 5 stars
- Pastries and Pilfering (Margot Durand Cozy Mystery, Book 3 of 12) ~ by Danielle Collins, 2017, cozy mystery (California and Virginia), 5 stars
That's when I decided to sign up for this challenge, starting my list with these three cozies, since Donna gave them top ratings. Yes, I see that these are not "holiday-themed" (as Deb wanted), but they are cozy mysteries and Donna enjoyed them. So I'm in!
I'm also planning to do the version of the challenge where I'll read only cozy mysteries of my choice, since I can then read ones that are already on Donna's Kindle. I just looked again and see a couple more that she gave 5-star ratings:
- Brew or Die: A Java Jive Mystery (Book 4 of 5) ~ by Caroline Fardig, 2017, cozy mystery, 5 stars
- Murder Over Mochas: A Java Jive Mystery (Book 5 of 5) ~ by Caroline Fardig, 2017, cozy mystery, 5 stars
- [I looked up the first three, which are Death Before Decaf, Mug Shot, and A Whole Latte Murder. They are the three shown in the illustration above. These three are probably among the hundreds of other books on Donna's Kindle, too.]
The next step is to choose how many books I plan to read:
- Level one (Snoop) ~ Read 10 cozy mysteries of your choice.
- Level two (Investigator) ~ Read 20 cozy mysteries of your choice.
- Level three (Super Sleuth) ~ Read 30 cozy mysteries of your choice.
- Level four (Sleuth Extraordinaire) ~ Read 40 cozy mysteries of your choice.
I'll start at the Snoop level, since I don't know how much I'll enjoy cozies. I've probably read fewer than ten in my whole life. We shall see. Anyway, the challenge begins January 1, 2022 and ends December 31, 2022. We don't have to choose our books in advance and, even if we do, we can change the list at any time during the year. Okay, I'm in!
Books I've completed:
1. Croissants and Corruption ~ by Danielle Collins, 2017, cozy mystery (Virginia), 164 pages, 8/10
2. Desserts and Deception ~ by Danielle Collins, 2017, cozy mystery (Virginia), 128 pages, 7/10
3. Pastries and Pilfering (Margot Durand Cozy Mystery, Book 3 of 12) ~ by Danielle Collins, 2017, cozy mystery (California and Mexico), 180 pages, 7/10
4. Oy Vey, Maria! : A Mrs. Kaplan Mystery ~ by Mark Reutlinger, 2021, cozy mystery, 186 pages, 8/10
5. Aunt Bessie Decides ~ by Diana Xarissa, 2014, cozy mystery, 238 pages, 4/10
6. Class Reunions Can Be Murder: Every Wife Has A Story (A Baby Boomer Mystery Book 4) ~ by Susan Santangelo, 2013, cozy mystery, 240 pages, 9/10
7. Retirement Can Be Murder: Every Wife Has A Story (A Baby Boomer Mystery Book 1) ~ by Susan Santangelo, 2009, cozy mystery, 214 pages, 8/10
8. A Pain in the Tuchis: A Mrs. Kaplan Mystery ~ by Mark Reutlinger, 2015, cozy mystery, 217 pages, 10/10
9. Mrs. Kaplan and the Matzoh Ball of Death ~ by Mark Reutlinger, 2014, cozy mystery, 244 pages, 6/10
10. The Obituary Society ~ by Jessica L. Randall, 2014, cozy mystery, 196 pages, 3/10
11. Murder to Go (Food Truck Mysteries #1) ~ by Chloe Kendrick, 2015, cozy mystery, 149 pages, 6/10
Well, I passed my goal by one extra cozy mystery.
3 comments:
I'll be eager to see how this challenge plays out, Bonnie. I finished my cozy for my book club, and I thought it was fine, but I don't see myself becoming a cozy mystery reader if the one I read is typical. Let's see how you feel about the books your friend enjoyed so much.
I haven't read any cozy mysteries, but I know people love them. And, reading the ones you find on Donna's Kindle is a great way to do this challenge.
So happy to have you join us, Bonnie. I'm sure you will find many fun cozies. You already have quite a few to choose from.
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