Category Archives: Cozy Mystery Week

Cozy Mystery Week: The Wrap Up!

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The first annual Cozy Mystery week has come to an end. I certainly enjoyed it; I hope you have to. I learned a lot this week, mainly that one week isn’t enough to feature all the cozy mystery series I love. So, I do hope to make this an annual event at the very least. Certainly, Cozy Mystery Week isn’t the only time I’ll devote to reading cozy mysteries! I discovered so many new series this week that I cannot wait to dive into. Additionally, I have a few series I still want to feature, so stay tuned for more!

Before I share some of the series that are new to me, let’s do a quick recap of the week:

Now, on to the series I discovered via other Cozy Mystery posts:

Juliet Blackwell’s Haunted Home Renovation Series
Karen Olson’s Tattoo Shop Mysteries
Robin Paige’s Sir Charles Sheridan Series
Rosemary Harris’ Dirty Business Mysteries
Victoria Laurie’s Ghost Hunter Mysteries & Psychic Eye Mysteries
Nancy Atherton’s Aunt Dimity Series
Jenn McKinlay’s Library Lover Mysteries

These are just a small representation of all the series I’ve discovered this week! What about you? Any favorite cozy mysteries you’d like to share?

Also, don’t forget to link up your cozy mystery post! It doesn’t have to be from the last week. As long as it involves cozy mysteries, feel free to link it up!

Finally, thank you all for participating (putting up with) Cozy Mystery Week. This week has reminded me of how much I love reading cozy mysteries!

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Cozy Mystery Week Day Seven: Review-Killer Librarian by Mary Lou Kirwin

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  • Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Pocket Books; Original edition (November 27, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 1451684649
  • Source: Publisher

Karen Nash is a small-town librarian in Minnesota. She’s preparing to embark upon a dream trip to London with the love of her mid-life, Dave. Just a few hours before their flight, Dave calls and breaks things off with Karen, their four-year relationship ending in a matter of minutes. Obviously, Karen is shattered. Taking a few minutes to collect herself, she thinks about all the time and effort she has put into this trip and decides to go…without Dave.

Arriving at the airport with less than an hour to spare, Karen is shocked to find Dave boarding the plane. To make matters worse, he isn’t alone; a skinny, young attractive woman is at his side. Fuming, Karen realizes that the best revenge would be to continue with the trip as planned.

Upon arrival in London, Karen retreats to the bed and breakfast she reserved for their stay, only after following Dave and his young honey to the hotel where they are staying. Obviously, she’s completely shattered to find out the true cause of the breakup, but she’s in London! A city she has dreamed of visiting and she intends on making the most of it. The owner of the bed and breakfast is the incredibly charming Caldwell Perkins, a book lover like herself. Her room is full of classics she can’t wait to devour. Still upset about what happened with Dave, she agrees to join Caldwell on a trip to the local pub. There, she gets slammed, not realizing the beer served in England is a bit more potent than American beer. She finds herself talking to a brooding, mysterious stranger, telling him what happened with Dave, perhaps maybe wishing he were dead…

The next morning, Karen awakes and finds another guest of the B&B sitting a chair, a copy of the classic Milne book,Winnie the Pooh,draped across his leg. Karen believes he is sleeping but unfortunately soon realizes he is dead. Was his death natural or was it murder? Karen, obsessed with mysteries, can’t help but get involved, at the same time wondering if that strange man she spoke with in the pub the other night truly intended on following through her wish to kill Dave…

Since Cozy Mystery Week is drawing to an end, I thought it would be appropriate to feature a brand new cozy series. Killer Librarian is the first in a new series. A truly stunning debut, this cozy has a whole host of characteristics I absolutely love as a reader including an absolutely gorgeous setting, a bit of mystery, characters who share my love of books and, ok, a little romance. Karen’s character is a true delight. She’s an intelligent, witty librarian who believes her live can’t get any better when in actuality it can’t get much worse. Readers can’t help but feel sympathy for her, ultimately wanting the very best for her.

The setting! I can’t help but talk endlessly about the beautiful setting Kirwin portrays. Having never visited London myself, Kirwin portrays a setting so vivid that I feel as though it’s a city I’ve known all my life. She picks up on cultural differences between the United States and England (i.e. back yard vs. back garden, book store vs. book shops, etc.). At one point on the novel, Karen visits Hay On Wye, a small village overflowing with book shops. Hello? A bit of heaven on earth.

While nothing yet has been announced about subsequent titles in this series, I cannot wait to read more about Karen, the killer librarian. Highly recommended.

 

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Cozy Mystery Week Day Six: The Coffeehouse Mysteries by Cleo Coyle

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You may recognize the author of today’s featured series, the Coffeehouse Mysteries, from a series I featured earlier this week. In addition to today’s series, she writes the Haunted Bookshop series under her pen name, Alice Kimberly. It’s really no surprise that I enjoy the Coffeehouse Mysteries as well for many of the things I love about her other work is duplicated in this series.

Also, admittedly, I have an obsession/addiction to coffee. As Coyle so eloquently puts it in the first book in this series, On What Grounds, when you find that perfect cup of coffee, you make yourself vulnerable, for once you no longer have access to that coffee, you’re screwed. So true, so true.

Imagine that perfectly brewed cup of coffee…but in written form. Hard to imagine? Well, Coyle does an outstanding job of putting in written word the beauty and essence the glorious hot beverage that is coffee. Oh, and throw a bit of crime into the mix and you have a wonderfully addictive series.

The main character, Clare Cosi, left her job as manager the historic Village Blend coffeehouse in New York’s Greenwich Village when her marriage ended. She escaped the memories of her marriage and fled to the New Jersey suburbs. Ten years later, however, her daughter Joy is off on her own and Clare’s life has become quiet and, frankly, quite dull. When the eccentric, elderly owner of the coffeehouse calls her and offers her job to her once again, Clare can’t resist. Little did she know what she was getting into. Deaths of employees, customers, and prominent socialites are just the tip of a mess that Clare finds herself immersed in. Running this coffeehouse is her passion and therefore she is willing to do whatever it takes to maintain the prestigious reputation the coffeehouse has upheld for so many years.

In addition to being a truly remarkable and addictive cozy mystery series, Coyle educates readers a great deal about coffee. She does this so expertly that readers don’t even realize how much they are learning until they find themselves quoting names of particularly delicious (and expensive!) coffee varieties. She goes beyond the basics of coffee, yet it is so engrained within the storyline that it is unnoticeable on the surface.Additionally, Coyle excels at capturing the New York setting, both in descriptions of the physical landmarks as well as the culture of the surrounding residents.

The recipes…how I loved all the recipes! Coyle includes a few recipes in each volume as well as on her web site. Fans of coffee lovers and foodies alike will truly enjoy this series!

Out of all the cozy series I’ve read this is probably the longest series (twelve books in total) it is by far the most addictive one. When I started this series nine years ago, I happened to pick up a copy of the first book. Just the first book. It was pure torture that I had to wait a year for the release of the next book. Readers just discovering this series are in luck having the ability to have the entire series at hand. I warn you, however: don’t just pick up the first book…grab the second as well. Like coffee, this series is so addictive you will want to have the next one on hand!

 

About the author:

Cleo Coyle is the pseudonym of Alice Alfonsi, who collaborates with her husband, Marc Cerasini, to write the Coffeehouse Mysteries and The Haunted Bookshop Mysteries, both of which are national bestselling series for Penguin’s Berkley Prime Crime.

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Cozy Mystery Week Day Five: Key West Food Critic Mysteries by Lucy Burdette

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How can one not love a cozy mystery series set in a warm, tropical setting like Key West, Florida? I discovered this series last winter, reading it as from my cold, gray Northern Virginia home. The descriptions of the lively, colorful, warm setting was just what I needed. Quoting my review of the first book in the series, An Appetite for Murder:

An Appetite for Murder is the first book in Burdette’s Key West food critic mystery series and it is a true delight! Not only does she cause your mouth to water with all the talk of food, but she really captures the essence of Key West as well; the culture, the people, the food, comes to life on the pages.  The setting is absolutely perfect, particularly for those of us up North suffering from frigid temperatures this time of year!

 

The second book in this series, Death in Four Courses just released in September and is just as amazing as the first book. The main character, Haley Snow, is attending a conference for food writers when she finds the body of an esteemed food critic, Jonah Barrows. Barrows is about to release a “tell-all” book and it appears as though someone doesn’t want that to happen. Lucy, attending the conference in the hopes of getting the opportunity to interview Barrows for an article, instead becomes immersed in the investigation.

This series is a true delight, one that foodies will devour (pun intended). Burdette describes the food in such detail that you swear you can taste it. If readers are truly interested in tasting the food described, Burdette so graciously provides recipes for many of the food items mentioned.

Since this series is made up of only two books at this time, I do encourage readers to start from the first book. You learn a large bit of history about the characters, information that continues to come into play in the second book. Bottom line: this series, like any good dish, is meant to be devoured.

 

About the author:

Lucy’s alter-ego, clinical psychologist Roberta Isleib, has published eight mysteries including the Golf Lover’s Mystery series and the Advice Column Mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime. Her books and stories have been short-listed for Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards. She’s a member of Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime, and a past-president of Sisters in Crime.

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Cozy Mystery Week Day Four: Wishcraft Mysteries by Heather Blake

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Set in Salem, Massachusetts (of course!) the Wishcraft Mysteries feature Darcy Merriweather, a young woman who has just discovered that she, too, holds the Wishcrafting power. Witches with this power have the ability to grant wishes, with restrictions of course. She’s come to Enchanted Village, her aunt’s magic-themed tourist town, to learn more about her powers. She joins her Aunt Ve in working for a personal concierge service, As You Wish. The company’s motto: No job impossible.  In most cases, her job requires her to “magically” provide hard to find items, dress up as the tooth fairy, etc. That said, in many cases, Darcy finds herself tangled up in much more, including murder, the discovery of dead bodies, etc. Unable to grant her own wish to get to the bottom of these crimes, she instead becomes involved in the investigation.

Unbeknownst to the general public, Enchanted Village is comprised of a whole host of individuals with magical powers, including Curecrafters (healers) and Charmcrafters (potion creators). This unique cast of character adds quite a bit of flavor to this truly entertaining series. Fans of mysteries with a touch of the supernatural will truly enjoy this series!

Currently made up of just two books, there is ample time for readers new to the series to catch up before the release of the fourth book, The Good, the Bad, and the Witchy, in April:

 

To get a sample of the series, check out this excerpt of It Takes A Witch.

 

About the Author:

Heather Blake (known also as Heather Webber) is the author of three (almost four!) mystery series. In addition to the Wishcraft Mysteries, Heather also writes the Lucy Valentine and Nina Quinn mysteries, as well as a few romance and ebook titles.

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Cozy Mystery Week Day Three: Bibliophile Mysteries by Kate Carlisle

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Set in San Francisco, the main character in the Bibliophile Mystery series is Brooklyn Wainwright. She has a very skilled trade, requiring a steady hand and a great deal of focus and concentration. She’s a surgeon of sorts, except her patients aren’t people, but books. Brooklyn is a smart and sassy book restorer.  One would think that book restoration would be a pretty laid back and relaxing occupation. Normally, perhaps, but in Brooklyn’s case it is anything but dull.

Brooklyn becomes embroiled in cases ranging from supposedly cursed books to sordid secrets and murder. The books Brooklyn is tasked to restore range from Pride and Prejudice to Beauty and the Beast and the Kama Sutra; a book lovers dream.

Dare you ask why I love this series? Book restoration, stunning volumes of beautiful classics, murder…this series has it all. To top it all off, Brooklyn is an incredibly strong main character and, added to the incredibly unique plot lines, the Bibliophile Mystery series are hopelessly addictive.

I discovered this series right around the same time I started blogging. Reuniting with this series was like a walk down memory lane. While I didn’t review them on my blog, I definitely do plan on doing so in the future, starting at the very beginning. With six books in the series this is quite an investment, one that is worth it in my mind!

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Cozy Mystery Week Day Two: The Haunted Bookshop Mysteries by Alice Kimberly (Cleo Coyle)

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After her husband commits suicide, young widow Penelope Thornton-McClure returns to her hometown of Quindicott, Rhode Island with her son. There, she finds her aunt Sadie in financial trouble, about to lose the family’s old bookshop. Refusing to allow the bookshop to close, Penelope uses the insurance money from her husband’s death to renovate the bookshop. Unfortunately, the construction awakens the spirit of a private investigator, Jack
Shepard, gunned down on the premises half a century ago. Jack isn’t exactly thrilled with his situation yet can’t help but want to watch over Penelope and her family.  He has his hands full, for Pen & the bookstore seem to be a magnet for mysterious deaths.

One of my favorite things about this series is the chemistry Pen and Jack have with one another. She’s a strong woman forced in the role of single-mother, struggling to help keep her family’s bookshop alive. He’s a suave P.I. with an outdated outlook on life. Their connection is an interesting one; Pen is capable of experiencing Jack’s past cases through her dreams. This “skill” is an important one, especially when his past cases help her solve more current ones.

The setting is another thing I love about this series. Hello, mystery bookstore? My idea of a dream, right? The bookstore’s name? Buy The Book! Genius I tell you!

While there are several books in this series and I highly recommend you starting from the beginning, it is possible to pick up this series at any point. Looking for a fantastic cozy mystery series with a touch of the supernatural? The Haunted Bookshop Mysteries are for you!

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Kicking off Cozy Mystery Week: Julie Hyzy’s White House Chef Series

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Cozy Mystery Week is finally here! My intent for hosting this blog event is two-fold: to spotlight my favorite cozy-mystery series as well as discover series I am not familiar with. Therefore, I thought it would be appropriate to start off this week of cozy-mystery celebration by featuring the series that brought me back to cozy mysteries: Julie Hyzy’s White House Chef series.

Set in Washington D.C, the main character of this series is feisty, hard-headed, and independent White House chef, Olivia Paras. Olivia always seems to find herself in the middle of a murder or suspicious death and somehow conveniently finds a way to become involved in the investigation. Part of the reason I think I enjoy this series so much is the location: Washington, D.C., just a hop, skip and a jump away from me. I love reading about settings that are familiar to me. Another reason I truly embrace this series is Oliva herself; she’s quite a spitfire! Finally, I have to mention the food! Each book in the series features an assortment of delicious recipes at the end. How can one not resist?

As proof of my love for this series, I’ve reviewed every single volume, devouring it (pun intended) as soon as I get my hands on a copy. They are as follows (in order of publication):

The six book in this series, Fonduing Fathers, is publishing later this month. Guess who is putting her life on hold once she has a copy in her hands?


Check back later this month for my review of Fonduing Fathers! More immediately, however, check back tomorrow as I feature yet another one of my favorite cozy mystery series!

Reviewed a cozy mystery lately? Want to join in on the fun of Cozy Mystery Week? Add a link to your start up post or cozy mystery review below! No blog, no worries! Tell us about your favorite cozy in the comments!


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Announcing: Cozy Mystery Week- December 1-8, 2012

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The fall/winter months are times of year best spent curled up with a blanket and a nice book. Even better, a cozy mystery! Cozies are certainly one of my favorite types of books that, unfortunately, I don’t have the opportunity to read as much a I’d like. So, what better reason to read about them than a week-long celebration of cozy mysteries?

During the first week of December, before the holiday hustle and bustle takes over my life, I will feature my favorite cozy mystery series. Each day I will focus on a favorite series of mine.  A fan of cozies yourself? Join me! Link up below or indicate your interest in the comments below. Also, I’ll create a link-up the beginning of cozy mystery week,  so feel free to link up any cozy mystery posts you’ve written. The best part? They can be from any time period, not only Cozy Mystery week.

So, get your comfortable reading spot, a nice warm blanket, a cozy mystery or two, and join me for Cozy Mystery Week!



 

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