4 July 2017
Today’s Top Pick
At work the other day, I had this awesome idea for a #tpt. This week, I’m going to tell you all about why I love cozy murder mystery novels!
My sister, Michelle, is the one who got me into this genre. Michelle works at our public library and is a very avid reader. She was always raving about cozy murder mysteries and telling me all about the different ones she was reading. I always enjoyed her stories, but hadn’t gotten around to reading any myself, until she bought me one.
Cozy murder mysteries are usually small, paperback novels revolving around a murder of some sort that usually takes place in a small town. Typically, the main character in the novel is a woman living in said small town who is a bit of an amateur sleuth. There’s usually a group of main characters that all live in the area and everybody tends to know each other. The first body can be discovered in the first few pages, or sometimes even a few chapters in. This is where the fun begins! The main character starts trying to figure out who the victim is and just who murdered him/her. She’ll end up suspecting everyone from her next door neighbour to her ex’s new girl.
What makes these novels so great is that there really is a cozy for everyone. There are cozies about bakers, gardeners, home renovators, librarians, quilt makers, writers—the list goes on! There are even holiday themed cozy murder mysteries.
I’m going to share with you the novels that got me started in this genre. Now, a lot of these novels are series, but you don’t always have to read them in order. For instance, for Christmas, my sister bought me the Christmas themed novel from one of her favourite series. Even though it was not the first book in the series, I was able to follow along just fine.
The Diva Wraps it Up by Krista Davis
This book is a part of the “Domestic Diva” series. Main character, Sophie Winston, is a writer for a domestic diva column. In The Diva Wraps it Up, as Christmas draws near, strange things start happening in her hometown. One man tumbles over a balcony at a Christmas party, while another falls off his ladder hanging Christmas lights. However, things take an even stranger turn when the cookie swap Sophie and her friends are a part of leads to murder. With the perfect mix of comedy and mystery, The Diva Wraps it Up is a great Christmas cozy murder mystery. I had a lot of fun trying to figure out who the murderer was and the motive behind the crime. Due to the subject of the book, there’s even some fun cookie recipes in the back that you can try and make yourself.
Vampires, Bones, and Treacle Scones by Kaitlyn Dunnett
A Liss MacCrimmon Scottish Mystery, Vampires, Bones, and Treacle Scones is the perfect cozy murder mystery to read around Halloween time. Liss MacCrimmon owns the Scottish Emporium in Moosetookalok, Maine. For Halloween this year, Liss is organizing the fundraiser with a haunted house at the old abandoned Chadwick mansion. With the perfect location for her haunted attraction, Liss begins to assemble the decorations and frights to scare the townsfolk. When a very realistic body turns up in the house with puncture marks on the neck, the questions begin. Who is the deceased and why was the body dumped in Liss’ haunted house? It’s up to Liss to piece together the clues and discover the truth, before it’s too late.
Spackled and Spooked by Jennie Bentley
Avery Baker and her boyfriend, Derek Ellis, have just recently bought an old abandoned house. Their plan is to renovate the house and resell it when it’s done. The house, however, may end up being more of a hassle than they realized. With a shady history, involving the deaths of the previous owners, this house is said to be haunted. Avery and Derek don’t care. They think with a little bit of love and a whole lot of hard work, they can sell the house. When digging up the crawlspace under the house to add additional supports, Derek uncovers bones—and they might just be human. After calling the police, it’s soon discovered that the bones are that of a young female who was murdered in the last ten years. Like all cozy murder mysteries, it’s time for Avery to start piecing together who the victim was and just why they were dumped in the crawlspace of that particular house.
Cozy murder mysteries really are an incredibly fun and addicting genre of novel. I can almost 100 percent guarantee that you’ll find one you will enjoy. If you have any suggestions of ones you think I should check out, let me know in the comments below!
Share this:
