Cozy Mysteries
Book Review
My mystery reading varies. Sometimes I want to be challenged, while at other times I want to escape for a few hours into a cozy mystery with pleasant characters, an attractive setting, and a certain knowledge that all will turn out well in the end.
Pet Detectives
For really, really light reading, I turn to the authors who assign key roles to animals.
Rita Mae Brown is one of the longest-standing authors in this tradition with her books about Mrs. Murphy (the sensible cat), Pewter (the greedy braggart cat), and Tucker (a corgi with a sharp bite when it comes to taking down villains). There is a great deal of continuity in the series so you get to know the local minister, the police officers, and some of the history of Virginia.
They may not have a speaking part or a role in solving the mystery, but animals are central to all Donna Andrews’ books. Just look at the titles: The Falcon Always Wings Twice, Owl Be Home for Christmas, and Toucan Keep a Secret. Meg Lanslow is a blacksmith; her husband is a drama professor; her father a doctor with a penchant for murder; and her grandfather is a renowned naturalist and zookeeper. There is a cast of thousands with relatives ranging from herbalists to lawyers to gaming geeks, not to mention local residents with wandering sheep, academic infighting, and a town of hillbillies just down the road. These are funny, silly books that will warm your heart.
Louise Carson is a Canadian author who has written three books about a young woman who inherits a house full of cats (I think it’s 18!). Fortunately she has help looking after them, but she has to watch out for her quarrelsome relatives. These are very Canadian books with references to Toronto and skiing and lake-country B&Bs.Â
Romance
Janet Evanovich’s series character Stephanie Plum struggles to make a living as a bounty hunter. Her cars are destroyed more often than she actually turns someone in, and her grandmother, who attends every wake in New Jersey, is a magnet for trouble. Stephanie’s love life is equally complicated – will she end up with Morelli, the cop she grew up and went to school with, or Ranger, a mysterious but very sexy security expert? You’ll laugh until you cry with these funny, absurd tales of life in the suburbs. Animal lovers will be pleased to know that Stephanie’s hamster has a cameo role in all the books.
My sister-in-law and I are avid followers of J D Robb’s series of mysteries about a woman police officer in a future New York city. Eve Dallas is not only a very successful police officer, she is married to a handsome, very sexy, Irish businessman. Dallas is a tough cop who prides herself on kicking ass when necessary, but she’s also a loyal friend, and I’ve enjoyed watching the characters evolve throughout the series.
Beside the Sea
Setting is (almost) everything in these seaside mysteries.
Julie Wassmer centres a series of mysteries in Whitstable, England. The oyster fishing, seafood restaurant, and port are an attractive backdrop to Pearl, a restaurateur and private detective who teams up with a local police officer to solve local crimes. There’s lots of local flavour with disparaging comments about tourists and second home owners as well as reports on community events and economic activities. The books have been turned into a television series that I’m enjoying on Acorn TV.
The Seaside Knitters jump in to solve any murders that dare to interrupt the peace of their Massachusetts seaside community. Sally Goldenbaum weaves together stories of knitting with tales of the local inhabitants and the books often include a knitting pattern. This is another series with good character development.
Older Series
I’ve enjoyed cozy mysteries in the past: Elizabeth Duncan’s Welsh mysteries, Katherine Hall Page’s books about a caterer (lots of recipes) married to a New England minister, and Carola Dunn’s Cornish mysteries (she has also written a series of historical mysteries involving Daisy Dalrymple). They may still be available in your local library or on Kindle.