Mystery Scene Community
General Discussion => Welcome and General Discussion => Topic started by: Becke Davis on February 02, 2020, 01:57:06 am
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When it's cold outside and the days are still too short, it's the perfect time to sit by the fire sipping tea, hot chocolate, wine or whatever...while reading a cozy (or even cozy-ish) crime novel!
Tell us your favorite cozy novels and the authors of your favorite cozy series.
If you write cozies, introduce yourself and tell us about your books.
Let's make this short month go faster - join the discussion, right here, right now!
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As I wrote in my top mysteries and thrillers list for 2019, Edith Maxwell is my Queen of the Cozy. Her Country Store mystery series is my absolute favorite. I love her Quaker Midwife and Cozy Capers Book Group series as well.
I am into Carlene O'Connor's Irish Village series a lot. Plus Sheila Connolly's County Cork series. Oh, and I can't forget to mention the Vicki Delany series I'm reading: Year Round Christmas mysteries and the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mysteries.
A couple of new series I have enjoyed is the Movie Palace mysteries by Margaret Dumas and Nicole Asselin's Ballpark Mysteries.
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I'm reading the latest issue of Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine (January/February 2020). Lots of good stories, but I especially liked these three cozy/traditionals: "The Last Noel" by Steve Hockensmith, "The Wreck of the Edward Fitzsimmons" by Mark Thielman, and "On the Banks of the Styx" (featuring Dr. John Watson) by James Tipton.
As for writing, I'm working on the next Highland Bookshop Mystery. Heather and Homicide is book 4 in the series. It involves a true crime writer, a missing antique miniature book, and a circle of standing stones. I'm having lots of fun - and better get back to it. type type type type typity typo type
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As I wrote in my top mysteries and thrillers list for 2019, Edith Maxwell is my Queen of the Cozy. Her Country Store mystery series is my absolute favorite. I love her Quaker Midwife and Cozy Capers Book Group series as well.
I am into Carlene O'Connor's Irish Village series a lot. Plus Sheila Connolly's County Cork series. Oh, and I can't forget to mention the Vicki Delany series I'm reading: Year Round Christmas mysteries and the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mysteries.
A couple of new series I have enjoyed is the Movie Palace mysteries by Margaret Dumas and Nicole Asselin's Ballpark Mysteries.
I'm holding you personally responsible for increasing my to-be-read shelves! I've read a couple of books by Sheila Connolly and Vicki Delany but I don't think I've read anything by Edith Maxwell, Margaret Dumas or Nicole Asselin. I may have read something by Carlene O'Connor - I'll have to go check my shelves of keeper cozies.
In the meantime, I've ordered Edith Maxwell's MULCH ADO ABOUT MURDER.
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I'm reading the latest issue of Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine (January/February 2020). Lots of good stories, but I especially liked these three cozy/traditionals: "The Last Noel" by Steve Hockensmith, "The Wreck of the Edward Fitzsimmons" by Mark Thielman, and "On the Banks of the Styx" (featuring Dr. John Watson) by James Tipton.
As for writing, I'm working on the next Highland Bookshop Mystery. Heather and Homicide is book 4 in the series. It involves a true crime writer, a missing antique miniature book, and a circle of standing stones. I'm having lots of fun - and better get back to it. type type type type typity typo type
Thanks for visiting, Molly! I love your Highland Bookshop mystery series - I have two on my keeper shelf and one in my to-be-read pile. Can you give us any idea what's coming in Book 4? I also enjoyed LAWN ORDER and all your Haunted Yarn Shop mysteries.
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As I wrote in my top mysteries and thrillers list for 2019, Edith Maxwell is my Queen of the Cozy. Her Country Store mystery series is my absolute favorite. I love her Quaker Midwife and Cozy Capers Book Group series as well.
I am into Carlene O'Connor's Irish Village series a lot. Plus Sheila Connolly's County Cork series. Oh, and I can't forget to mention the Vicki Delany series I'm reading: Year Round Christmas mysteries and the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mysteries.
A couple of new series I have enjoyed is the Movie Palace mysteries by Margaret Dumas and Nicole Asselin's Ballpark Mysteries.
I'm holding you personally responsible for increasing my to-be-read shelves! I've read a couple of books by Sheila Connolly and Vicki Delany but I don't think I've read anything by Edith Maxwell, Margaret Dumas or Nicole Asselin. I may have read something by Carlene O'Connor - I'll have to go check my shelves of keeper cozies.
In the meantime, I've ordered Edith Maxwell's MULCH ADO ABOUT MURDER.
The MULCH ADO ABOUT MURDER is from her five book Local Foods mystery series. I only recently acquired all five of the books in that series but haven't yet gotten around to reading them.
I know if you read the Country Store mysteries you will love them like I do. The series lead, Robbie Jordan, kicks as much butt as Jack Reacher - with way better food! I turned one of my co-workers onto the series and she can't get enough of them now.
And I will be glad to take the blame for getting you to read some of the authors I like that you aren't all that familiar with. More sales for them!
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Not sure exactly what a "cozy mystery" is? Author AMANDA FLOWER, whose books I enjoy, gives a good explanation of the genre in this article for Publisher's Weekly: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/tip-sheet/article/76834-the-enduring-appeal-of-the-cozy-mystery.html
"An amateur sleuth, an unsuspecting victim, a quirky supporting cast, and trail of clues and red herrings are the main ingredients of a cozy mystery. The term “cozy” was coined in the late 20th century...
The heart of why readers love cozies is they know what they are getting. They know they will have a sleuth who is pulled into the crime because that sleuth cares about other people, they know that the sleuth’s friends and family will help and hinder the investigation, they know that humor will abound, and they know that in the end, through all the twists and turns, the killer will be caught.
In a cozy, there is a happily ever after and justice is served. That does not always happen in the real world. A cozy is a brief escape from the troubles of the real world..."
Cozies are sometimes called "puzzlers" because there are puzzles for the reader to solve.
You'll find more about cozies (and cozy authors) at these links:
https://www.cozy-mystery.com/definition-of-a-cozy-mystery.html
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-defines-a-cozy-mystery_b_5995b2f9e4b055243ea13675
https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/4-things-you-should-know-about-writing-a-cozy-mystery-novel
https://bookriot.com/2017/12/13/best-cozy-mystery-series/
https://www.sararosett.com/what-is-a-cozy-mystery/
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3810.Best_Cozy_Mystery_Series
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As I wrote in my top mysteries and thrillers list for 2019, Edith Maxwell is my Queen of the Cozy. Her Country Store mystery series is my absolute favorite. I love her Quaker Midwife and Cozy Capers Book Group series as well.
I am into Carlene O'Connor's Irish Village series a lot. Plus Sheila Connolly's County Cork series. Oh, and I can't forget to mention the Vicki Delany series I'm reading: Year Round Christmas mysteries and the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mysteries.
A couple of new series I have enjoyed is the Movie Palace mysteries by Margaret Dumas and Nicole Asselin's Ballpark Mysteries.
Back again. Our feature for March, as a tie-in with St. Patrick's Day, is going to be Ireland. My original idea was to highlight books and/or series set in Ireland, but we can expand this to include mysteries with a strong Irish theme that might not actually take place in Ireland. You've just given us two authors/series to give us a place to start.
Any other suggestions?
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Well, we can't forget about Rhys Bowen's Molly Murphy series which does start in Ireland but is mostly set in turn of the century (or thereabouts) New York. It is the first series I read that was tied to Ireland and it is fantastic. I got to meet her at a signing and she signed my copy of the first book in the series!
I'm not sure I know of any other series/books tied to Ireland but not actually set there. At least not off the top of my head. I've never had to go looking for that kind of thematic narrative before.
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As I wrote in my top mysteries and thrillers list for 2019, Edith Maxwell is my Queen of the Cozy. Her Country Store mystery series is my absolute favorite. I love her Quaker Midwife and Cozy Capers Book Group series as well.
I am into Carlene O'Connor's Irish Village series a lot. Plus Sheila Connolly's County Cork series. Oh, and I can't forget to mention the Vicki Delany series I'm reading: Year Round Christmas mysteries and the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mysteries.
A couple of new series I have enjoyed is the Movie Palace mysteries by Margaret Dumas and Nicole Asselin's Ballpark Mysteries.
I'm holding you personally responsible for increasing my to-be-read shelves! I've read a couple of books by Sheila Connolly and Vicki Delany but I don't think I've read anything by Edith Maxwell, Margaret Dumas or Nicole Asselin. I may have read something by Carlene O'Connor - I'll have to go check my shelves of keeper cozies.
In the meantime, I've ordered Edith Maxwell's MULCH ADO ABOUT MURDER.
The MULCH ADO ABOUT MURDER is from her five book Local Foods mystery series. I only recently acquired all five of the books in that series but haven't yet gotten around to reading them.
I know if you read the Country Store mysteries you will love them like I do. The series lead, Robbie Jordan, kicks as much butt as Jack Reacher - with way better food! I turned one of my co-workers onto the series and she can't get enough of them now.
And I will be glad to take the blame for getting you to read some of the authors I like that you aren't all that familiar with. More sales for them!
I do buy a lot of new books but I balance those with books from the library and from used book stores. I do like to support authors as much as I can!
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Jumping ahead to March, some of the books and authors that come to mind (in addition to the authors already mentioned in a previous post):
Tana French's Dublin Murder squad books: http://tanafrench.com/books.html
Stuart Neville's THE GHOSTS OF BELFAST https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/ghosts-belfast
Ken Bruen's THE GUARDS https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/298920.The_Guards
Dervla McTiernan's THE RUIN and THE SCHOLAR
Benjamin Black's Quirke series
Sheila Connolly's County Cork series
Erin Hart's Nora Gavin/Cormac Maguire series
Paul Murray's SKIPPY DIES https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/books/review/Kois-t.html
Colin Bateman's DIVORCING JACK https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-55970-310-9
Adrian McKinty's Detective Sean Duffy series
John Banville's THE BOOK OF EVIDENCE
Cora Harrison's A SECRET AND UNLAWFUL KILLING https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-312-37268-2
Bartholomew Gill's Peter McGarr mysteries https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/bartholomew-gill/
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I like the Gunn Zoo Mysteries with Teddy Bently as the star by Betty Webb
also VM Burns has several and I like her Mystery Bookshop Mysteries staring Samantha Washington
And then there are the classic like Agatha's Miss Marple
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Well, we can't forget about Rhys Bowen's Molly Murphy series which does start in Ireland but is mostly set in turn of the century (or thereabouts) New York. It is the first series I read that was tied to Ireland and it is fantastic. I got to meet her at a signing and she signed my copy of the first book in the series!
I'm not sure I know of any other series/books tied to Ireland but not actually set there. At least not off the top of my head. I've never had to go looking for that kind of thematic narrative before.
Good call! I met Rhys several years ago - I think it was at Left Coast Crime in Santa Fe. Before she started the Molly Murphy books or the Her Royal Spyness series, she had a cozy series set in Wales and featuring police constable Evan Evans. I read every one of them and was sad when she moved on to her newer series', even those became much bigger best sellers than the Evan books. She has also written some stand-alones. Her new stand-alone, ABOVE THE BAY OF ANGELS, comes out on February 11. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07T6KS3QH/
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I'm posting this on behalf of cozy mystery author LEANN SWEENEY. She is having a miserable time after an injury in 2016 which caused significant nerve injuries to her dominant arm and hand. She's still in constant pain which, as you can imagine, makes it very difficult to write/type. She's worried her fans have given up on her CATS IN TROUBLE series but the good news is, she has almost completed the next book in the series.
Leann has 8 books so far in the CATS IN TROUBLE series, starting with THE CAT, THE COLLECTOR AND THE KILLER:
http://www.leannsweeney.com/the-cat-the-collector-the-killer/
She has five books in the YELLOW ROSE mystery series, starting with PICK YOUR POISON:
http://www.leannsweeney.com/pick-your-poison/
It's hard for authors to write AND promote their books, and it's even harder when they are dealing with illness and/or injuries. If you'd like to give Leann and her books some love, you can find out more about them here: http://www.leannsweeney.com/books/
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One cozy "rule" I don't really agree with is that the sleuth has to be an amateur. I think it's more about the setting and atmosphere. For example, Becke, I notice that you mentioned a series featuring a police constable. One that comes to my mind is the Richard Jury series by Martha Grimes, that I consider to be cozies. Of course, those encompass two settings, and I guess Melrose's little corner of the world is the cozier of the two, and he's an amateur, but even the London bits with Jury and his crazy neighbors and colleagues are cozieish. Have only seen the series and not read the books, but Midsomer Murders definitely seem like cozies to me. Even Agatha Raisin turns pro and opens her own detective agency!
Not sure it qualifies as a cozy, although in general I consider Christie to be a cozy author, but I'm currently reading So Many Steps to Death (British title Destination Unknown), which is more in her espionage category - disappearing scientists.
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One cozy "rule" I don't really agree with is that the sleuth has to be an amateur. I think it's more about the setting and atmosphere. For example, Becke, I notice that you mentioned a series featuring a police constable. One that comes to my mind is the Richard Jury series by Martha Grimes, that I consider to be cozies. Of course, those encompass two settings, and I guess Melrose's little corner of the world is the cozier of the two, and he's an amateur, but even the London bits with Jury and his crazy neighbors and colleagues are cozieish. Have only seen the series and not read the books, but Midsomer Murders definitely seem like cozies to me. Even Agatha Raisin turns pro and opens her own detective agency!
Not sure it qualifies as a cozy, although in general I consider Christie to be a cozy author, but I'm currently reading So Many Steps to Death (British title Destination Unknown), which is more in her espionage category - disappearing scientists.
If you ever do watch Midsomer Murders, brace yourself! While I often include "cozy-ish crime" with cozies, Midsomer is far too gruesome to qualify. The setting of Midsomer Murders is similar to the villages Agatha Christie writes about and the plots are nice and twisty, but the methods of murder are shocking.
On the other hand, I just finished reading Deborah Crombie's A BITTER FEAST, and I was thinking about whether her books could be considered, at least, cozy-ish. Some characters swear, which seems normal rather than shocking - at least to me. And while there are murders they are not usually shocking. Family is central to her books - the family evolves as the books progress, which is one of the things I love about them. Another thing I like is the realism about family responsibilities - the need for child care even when (or especially when) a murder is being investigated. Dogs are an important feature in many of the books, and the author doesn't skip over important things like feeding the dogs and taking them for walks, training young dogs, etc.
Some of the books are darker than others, but I don't find them remotely depressing.
I love the Richard Jury/Melrose Plant books, and I think I'd call them "cozyish", too.
I think the "rules" of cozies, and of mysteries in general, are kind of arbitrary. They haven't been revised for modern readers - I think today's readers can overlook a degree of cursing in mysteries. And the rules for mysteries in general caused an uproar even when they were first circulated. Here's that list:
Ronald Knox was a mystery writer in the early part of the 20th century who belonged to the Detection Club, a society peopled by such legendary mystery writers as Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, G. K. Chesterson, and E. C. Bentley. Among his novels: The Viaduct Murder, Double Cross Purposes, Still Dead.
Knox was also a Catholic priest, which is perhaps why he was tempted to write a 10 Commandments of detective fiction. If you write such stories, thou shalt obey these laws:*
The criminal must be someone mentioned in the early part of the story, but must not be anyone whose thoughts the reader has been allowed to follow.
All supernatural or preternatural agencies are ruled out as a matter of course.
Not more than one secret room or passage is allowable.
No hitherto undiscovered poisons may be used, nor any appliance which will need a long scientific explanation at the end.
No Chinaman must figure in the story.
No accident must ever help the detective, nor must he ever have an unaccountable intuition which proves to be right.
The detective must not himself commit the crime.
The detective must not light on any clues which are not instantly produced for the inspection of the reader.
The stupid friend of the detective, the Watson, must not conceal any thoughts which pass through his mind; his intelligence must be slightly, but very slightly, below that of the average reader.
Twin brothers, and doubles generally, must not appear unless we have been duly prepared for them.
*In truth, most of these rules have become outdated in current mystery fiction.
Source: https://www.writingclasses.com/toolbox/tips-masters/ronald-knox-10-commandments-of-detective-fiction
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Ha, I wonder how many of those "rules" Agatha Christie broke!
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Ha, I wonder how many of those "rules" Agatha Christie broke!
It feels as if she went out of her way to break some of those rules. ;-)
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Becke invited me to come and introduce myself, and I'm very happy to do so. I'm Vicki Delany, and I also write as Eva Gates. My newest book is THERE'S A MURDER AFOOT, the 5th Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery, which came out in January. This book was quite special to me as in it the gang travels to London for a Sherlock Holmes conference. I used a lot of the places I've visited as backdrops to the story. You don' t have to be a Holmes lover to enjoy my series, but a few little 'Easter eggs' are dropped in for those who are. I also write the Year Round Christmas mysteries and the forthcoming Tea by the Sea mysteries. As Eva Gates, I write the Lighthouse Library series. These are all cozy series. My web page is www.vickidelany.com and I'm on Facebook as Vicki Delany & Eva Gates (www.facebook.com/evagatesauthor).
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Hi Vicki!
Love your various series and I'll be looking forward to the Tea By The Sea series as well.
As for THERE'S A MURDER AFOOT, I have my copy and it is next up on my TBR list.
Nice to see you here on the Mystery Scene forum!
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Hi Vicki!
Love your various series and I'll be looking forward to the Tea By The Sea series as well.
As for THERE'S A MURDER AFOOT, I have my copy and it is next up on my TBR list.
Nice to see you here on the Mystery Scene forum!
Hi Vicki! Thanks so much for joining us! I especially like your Christmas mysteries, which I always seem to read out of season. I think we met at Malice Domestic, and I've been wracking my brain to think who else was at our table. Another Canadian author and an Englishwoman who had written an Agatha-Christie-type mystery. I think I have a couple pictures of our table but no captions or names. :-(
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Cozies often have a theme - cooking, knit and crochet, gardening, home repair/restoration, hair styling, crafts - while others are based around a business, like a bookstore, a bed and breakfast, an antique shop, a second-hand clothing store. My mom loved books that featured recipes at the end, while several of my friends are crazy about cozies featuring cats and/or dogs. I like to read books related to gardening or books, although my cozy collection is certainly not limited to those.
What are your favorite types of cozies? (Apologies to any Brits, Scots, Welsh or Irish mystery lovers for my American spelling. I believe you prefer "cosies" across the pond.)
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I like series that are centered around books, whether it be bookstores or libraries.
I also like books set in Ireland or Scotland.
But I can read any type of series as long as it tells me a good story.
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I like series that are centered around books, whether it be bookstores or libraries.
I also like books set in Ireland or Scotland.
But I can read any type of series as long as it tells me a good story.
Like you, I love books - cozy and otherwise - that are set around books, bookstores or libraries. I don't knit or crochet but I tell myself I'll learn someday, so I do read some knitting and crafty cozies. Once I've read a book and liked the author's style of writing, I'm likely to pick up more books by that author.
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Like you, I love books - cozy and otherwise - that are set around books, bookstores or libraries. I don't knit or crochet but I tell myself I'll learn someday, so I do read some knitting and crafty cozies. Once I've read a book and liked the author's style of writing, I'm likely to pick up more books by that author.
I don't knit or crochet either. That's not my thing. When I'm not reading or working, I write about music for a couple of websites. I do album and concert reviews for one and I write a series of articles called The Cassette Chronicles for the other site. So my reading time is treasured since I have to make sure to carve it out of all the other stuff that keeps me busy.
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Like you, I love books - cozy and otherwise - that are set around books, bookstores or libraries. I don't knit or crochet but I tell myself I'll learn someday, so I do read some knitting and crafty cozies. Once I've read a book and liked the author's style of writing, I'm likely to pick up more books by that author.
I don't knit or crochet either. That's not my thing. When I'm not reading or working, I write about music for a couple of websites. I do album and concert reviews for one and I write a series of articles called The Cassette Chronicles for the other site. So my reading time is treasured since I have to make sure to carve it out of all the other stuff that keeps me busy.
My husband is a music lover - how cool that you also write album and concert reviews! I squeeze in reading time when I'm not taking care of my grandkids and a friend's foster baby. Sometimes I stay up later than I should, but when I'm reading a good book it's always hard to put it down.
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My husband is a music lover - how cool that you also write album and concert reviews! I squeeze in reading time when I'm not taking care of my grandkids and a friend's foster baby. Sometimes I stay up later than I should, but when I'm reading a good book it's always hard to put it down.
I'd hazard a guess that we don't have the same tastes in music. I'm a rock and metal guy. But it is great to be able to write my reviews. It gets me into some concerts for free since I'm covering the show for review purposes. I even got to interview a singer that I've been a fan of for more than 3 decades. That was very cool!
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My husband is a music lover - how cool that you also write album and concert reviews! I squeeze in reading time when I'm not taking care of my grandkids and a friend's foster baby. Sometimes I stay up later than I should, but when I'm reading a good book it's always hard to put it down.
I'd hazard a guess that we don't have the same tastes in music. I'm a rock and metal guy. But it is great to be able to write my reviews. It gets me into some concerts for free since I'm covering the show for review purposes. I even got to interview a singer that I've been a fan of for more than 3 decades. That was very cool!
My husband's claim-to-fame among rock-loving friends is that when he performed an original song at an event at Meher Baba Oceanic in London, Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane got on stage and played with him.
My husband started out as a blues fan (he met John Mayall at a concert recently and impressed him by still remembering his membership number to the Bluesbreakers Fan Club from 50-odd years ago.
We're both longtime Beatle fans, but we like all kinds of music. Who's the singer you got to interview after being a fan for so long?
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That's a pretty cool thing for your husband to have played with Townsend and Lane. And getting to meet John Mayall too!
The singer I interviewed was metal singer Leather Leone who fronted the band Chastain for years. I'm a huge fan so having her actually call my house to do the interview was a really cool thing.
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That's a pretty cool thing for your husband to have played with Townsend and Lane. And getting to meet John Mayall too!
The singer I interviewed was metal singer Leather Leone who fronted the band Chastain for years. I'm a huge fan so having her actually call my house to do the interview was a really cool thing.
That is so cool!
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It's been hard figuring out what to read next, since I have so many books I'm eager to read. I started reading an edition of Malice Domestic short stories edited by Katherine Hall Page. I'm also reading another short story collection called Bodies in the Library. I have two more short story collections I'm eager to read - one by Lee Child and one by Peter Robinson. The trouble with short story collections is that they are easy to put down and come back to, so it takes me a long time to finish reading them.
Today I read MURDERS AND METAPHORS by Amanda Flower. I loved the magical aspects of the story I have one of her gardening mysteries waiting to be read. Not sure if I'll read that next, or Hilary Davidson's new release DON'T LOOK DOWN (a thriller, not a cozy).
I enjoyed MURDERS AND METAPHORS, loved the talking crow, the cat who behaves like a witch's familiar, and the books that appear whenever the magical bookstore feels they are needed. The books appearing as needed reminds me of another book with quirky, magical aspects - Sarah Addison Allen's THE SUGAR QUEEN. Her books aren't mysteries, just quirky stories with lovable characters and usually a bit of magic.
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I started reading the Carlene O'Connor novel Murder In An Irish Pub. I won a copy of it on Goodreads and now that it showed up in the mail, I finally got to start reading it.
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I started reading the Carlene O'Connor novel Murder In An Irish Pub. I won a copy of it on Goodreads and now that it showed up in the mail, I finally got to start reading it.
Love the title!
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I started reading the Carlene O'Connor novel Murder In An Irish Pub. I won a copy of it on Goodreads and now that it showed up in the mail, I finally got to start reading it.
Love the title!
Becke, you'd probably love the series as well.
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I started reading the Carlene O'Connor novel Murder In An Irish Pub. I won a copy of it on Goodreads and now that it showed up in the mail, I finally got to start reading it.
Love the title!
Becke, you'd probably love the series as well.
Thanks for the recommendation. I'll check my to-be-read shelves (and bins) before I buy any. I think I may have one or two books in that series just waiting to be read!
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Hello, Everyone! I'm Lois Winston, and I want to thank Becke for inviting me here. I'm the author of the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries (8 books and counting, plus 3 novellas) and the Empty Nest Mysteries (2 books). Both are humorous amateur sleuth/cozy series. For those of you unfamiliar with my series, you can learn about them (and me) at my website: http://www.loiswinston.com.
As for favorite reads, I'm currently reading Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce series about an 11 year old amateur sleuth with a penchant for poisons in England in 1950. I just finished the second book and am about to start the third. I also loved, loved, loved Ariana Franklin's Mistress of the Art of Death series, which takes place during the time of Henry II.
For contemporary cozies and amateur sleuth series, I'm a big fan of Camille Minichino/Margaret Grace/Ada Madison/Jean Flowers/Elizabeth Logan (she writes under lots of pen names!), Cindy Sample, and Shelley Noble/Shelley Freydont (who also writes historical amateur sleuth mysteries), to name a few. And of course, Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series (although they're capers, not cozies).
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Welcome about Lois!
Consider yourself added to my want list now. It's funny how I can read cozy mysteries about stuff that I can't do and yet still love the stories. So the crafting series is going to be the first up for me.
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Thanks so much, JRob! Hope you enjoy it.
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Hello, Everyone! I'm Lois Winston, and I want to thank Becke for inviting me here. I'm the author of the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries (8 books and counting, plus 3 novellas) and the Empty Nest Mysteries (2 books). Both are humorous amateur sleuth/cozy series. For those of you unfamiliar with my series, you can learn about them (and me) at my website: http://www.loiswinston.com.
As for favorite reads, I'm currently reading Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce series about an 11 year old amateur sleuth with a penchant for poisons in England in 1950. I just finished the second book and am about to start the third. I also loved, loved, loved Ariana Franklin's Mistress of the Art of Death series, which takes place during the time of Henry II.
For contemporary cozies and amateur sleuth series, I'm a big fan of Camille Minichino/Margaret Grace/Ada Madison/Jean Flowers/Elizabeth Logan (she writes under lots of pen names!), Cindy Sample, and Shelley Noble/Shelley Freydont (who also writes historical amateur sleuth mysteries), to name a few. And of course, Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series (although they're capers, not cozies).
Hi Lois - Thanks so much for joining us! I still have several of your books in my keeper bookcase. I thought I'd read all of them, but after checking your book list, I think I have missed a couple. Between that and your recommendations, my wish list is growing at a scary speed! The name Shelley Freydont is familiar but Cindy Sample and Camille-of-all-the-names are new to me.
I remember what fun it was hanging out with you - too bad I haven't been to a conference in awhile.
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Hi Becke! Thanks again for inviting me to join you here at Mystery Scene. I haven't been to a conference in several years, either. Life and grandchildren have gotten in the way. Forgot to mention, another series I really enjoy is Amy Stewart's Kopp Sisters Series. It's based on the true life adventures of the first female deputy sheriff in NJ in the early years of the 20th century. The first book is Girl Waits With Gun. I think there are now 5 or 6 books in the series.
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Hi Becke! Thanks again for inviting me to join you here at Mystery Scene. I haven't been to a conference in several years, either. Life and grandchildren have gotten in the way. Forgot to mention, another series I really enjoy is Amy Stewart's Kopp Sisters Series. It's based on the true life adventures of the first female deputy sheriff in NJ in the early years of the 20th century. The first book is Girl Waits With Gun. I think there are now 5 or 6 books in the series.
Thanks so much for mentioning Amy Stewart. I've been meaning to look this up for ages, but didn't actually do it until just now. I've been a fan of Amy Stewart's garden books for years - I've read them all and I think I own them all. When I started seeing the Girl With Gun books I wasn't sure if it was the same author. It is! I already know I like the way she writes - now I'll have to check out all those new books. https://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-ca-jc-amy-stewart-20150830-story.html
And just to complicate things, I have a niece named Amy Stuart - no relation to the author!
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Hi Lois, nice to see you at the Forum! Brian and I have a ton of nieces and nephews who insist on getting married when mystery conventions are scheduled. This year we're missing Malice Domestic AND Bouchercon for weddings in Indiana and Canada. We're happy to celebrate the new family members but we'll miss our friends at the conventions.
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https://sweeps.penguinrandomhouse.com/enter/must-read-mysteries-for-march-sweeps?ref=PRH731DF33392&aid=27411&linkid=PRH731DF33392&pdivflag=1&fbclid=IwAR3OkvfFZhcX9vYFdPYxu6KjGuiL1HkKpeC9vyAIH0BO18hT1wfcPxB6TTs
Enter to Win Berkley's Must Read Mysteries for March!
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https://sweeps.penguinrandomhouse.com/enter/must-read-mysteries-for-march-sweeps?ref=PRH731DF33392&aid=27411&linkid=PRH731DF33392&pdivflag=1&fbclid=IwAR3OkvfFZhcX9vYFdPYxu6KjGuiL1HkKpeC9vyAIH0BO18hT1wfcPxB6TTs
Enter to Win Berkley's Must Read Mysteries for March!
Entered!
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I found another sweepstakes: A publisher is giving away ONE HUNDRED E-BOOKS https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/305807-deadly-sweet-tooth
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I'm excited about these sweepstakes! If any of you come across other chances to win books, you're welcome to share them (preferably if they don't require a purchase).
And if you win one, please let us know so we can cheer you on!
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Okay, we're a long way from February (and in coronavirus time, it feels like about a million years ago), but this seemed like a good place to post about the cozy mystery I'm currently reading.
Ellery Adams' MURDER IN THE LOCKED LIBRARY is the 4th book in her Book Retreat mystery series. It's the first one I've read, but a back cover blurb that mentioned "the Agatha Christie tea room" made me buy the book. I'm about 3/4 of the way through it and I'm enjoying it. A little spoiler, it features a skeleton that was buried with a very vintage book.
I'm always drawn to books about books, and I've read other books by Ellery Adams that I liked, so I may go back and read the earlier books in the series. I'm sure more have been added since this one came out, too!
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Okay, we're a long way from February (and in coronavirus time, it feels like about a million years ago), but this seemed like a good place to post about the cozy mystery I'm currently reading.
Ellery Adams' MURDER IN THE LOCKED LIBRARY is the 4th book in her Book Retreat mystery series. It's the first one I've read, but a back cover blurb that mentioned "the Agatha Christie tea room" made me buy the book. I'm about 3/4 of the way through it and I'm enjoying it. A little spoiler, it features a skeleton that was buried with a very vintage book.
I'm always drawn to books about books, and I've read other books by Ellery Adams that I liked, so I may go back and read the earlier books in the series. I'm sure more have been added since this one came out, too!
I haven't read any books by Ellery Adams yet but I believe I have the first book in this particular series in my TBR pile. I'll have to see and dig it out once I get the chance.
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I have to go through my waiting-to-be-read bins and bookshelves, too, just in case I already have earlier books in this series already.