Cozy Mysteries discussion

My review for The Curlew's Eye by Karen Manton

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Finished The Target, an excellent older suspense by Catherine Coulter. This one really had me turning the pages, especially in the second half. I had a feeling one character was somehow involved in a lot of what was going on, but had not connected those final dots.

This is book three in Coulter’s “FBI” series. I loved her historical romances and her first few suspense novels, so no idea why I put this one off for so long. I guess my only excuse is that I keep getting distracted by other books. Don’tcha hate when that happens? 😬

"Finished The Target, an excellent older suspense by Catherine Coulter. This one really had me turning the pages, especially in the second half. I had a feeling one character was somehow involved in a lot of what was going on, but had not connected those final dots.

This is book three in Coulter’s “FBI” series. I loved her historical romances and her first few suspense novels, so no idea why I put this one off for so long. I guess my only excuse is that I keep getting distracted by other books. Don’tcha hate when that happens? 😬"...

Are you my long-lost reading twin? 😆 I loved her old books, as well, and have just finally started picking up her FBI series books! I haven't had a chance to dive in, yet, because of the other books in line. Yep, I hate when that happens. 😄 But I'll get there!

My review for The Girl Across the Wire Fence by Imogen Matthews

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Meg — We seem to keep picking up some of the same books this year, lol. What is this — three, four now in the last month or two? If you tell me it was for a Popsugar prompt, things will really be scary. I used it for the “blogger/vlogger” prompt, though it also fits bestseller from the 1990s and “a book a friend would like.”

I finished another book this evening, The Book That Made Me, which is a collection of essays by Australian and New Zealand authors about the books that made them a reader and/or writer. My two favorites are “Thwack!” by Fiona Wood, about Anne of Green Gables, and “The Big Scooby-Doo Reveal” by Rachael Craw, about the Trixie Belden books. These were two of my favorite book series growing up, so no surprise that these two essays would most resonate with me.

My review for The Australian Climate Change Book by Polly Marsden

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Shout out to fellow Trixie Belden fans!!!!!!

Mark wrote: "Shout out to fellow Trixie Belden fans!!!!!!"

😄

Yes that was also me :)

Mainly -- who am I kidding... when I'm not reading cozies, I'm reading contemporary romance. I'm hooked on short insta-lust/love books, but have hit a few longer books this past month.

Jane Fox's Zaftig Dating Agency series has added several new additions. They're short enough to be read within a half-hour or so.

Also, I'm working my way through Marley Michaels' latest series, Eagle Mountain Brothers. I've read the first two (with two more to come, one this week; the other in November). I've read:
** Cowboy Seeks a Horse Whisperer ** Cowboy Seeks a Romantic

This series is a sequel series to three other series set within neighboring Alaskan Mountain Ranges. The series involve brothers, their cousins, etc. and their women. The lore is that the spirit of the mountain rewards the men who watch over and care for her by bringing their soulmates into their lives. Each story is about one couple drawn together by the "call" of the mountain and how they respond to it to get to their HEA. Yes, fluff, but I like them.

Though they can be read as standalones, characters crossover from the different series and books. I've read and enjoyed all (to date).
** Moose Mountain Brothers
** Men of Moose Mountain
** Bear Mountain Brothers

Heather L wrote: "Meg — We seem to keep picking up some of the same books this year, lol. What is this — three, four now in the last month or two? If you tell me it was for a Popsugar prompt, things will really be s..."

I know, funny, right? Good tastes and all that. lol. I didn't pick the Coulter for popsugar, so we won't cue the scary music this time around. I do have to finish some other categories, tho...

The book of essays sounds good...I may end up with it on the tbr. Loved the Trixie Belden books! I still have some of them, on a shelf near Nancy Drew and the Dana Girls, among others.

Mark wrote: "Shout out to fellow Trixie Belden fans!!!!!!"

👍 😄

Meg — 😀

I’m down to nine categories for Popsugar, which would normally average out to three a month, but one of those I haven’t yet gotten to is the longest book in Mount TBR. I might be futzing with that a bit to read “one of the longest.” There’s no way I’m reading War and Peace at this point, which is over 1100 pages, but I might be able to manage something around 800 pages. Maybe. 😳

My review for GOLD! by Thomas Greenbank

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Heather, 1100 pages??? Ugh, I don't think I'd have the patience. For the longest prompt I'll be doing good reading Outlander, which is 850p. I saved it from way back, with the promise to my book friends then that I'd read it when I retired. It's time to make good on that promise. I just have to keep telling myself that 850 isn't that bad. 😏

Meg, I loved Outlander! I read it in only three or four days, staying up later than I should have a couple nights to finish. I read the first three books, but it’s been so long I think I’d need to reread those three before continuing the series. Hmmm...now there’s an idea— No no no! I know if I reread Outlander I’ll want to go right to the next, and the next three months are already pretty full. Sigh.... Some day... 😳

Hahaha!!!

My review for Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished a book that I won in a GR Giveaway. Tempting The Dragon King by Kiersten Fay. This is the first book in the Dragon Lords series, but it's set in the same world as the her Shadow Quest series. This meshes a few genres. It's a science fiction paranormal romantic suspense novel. While there's plenty of action and steamy scenes, there are some deeper threads that center around domestic abuse, child abuse, grief, and honor.

My 4 star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Brenda wrote: "Hahaha!!!"

So glad we amuse you, lol. 🙃

Heather, I'd be blown away if you reread Outlander plus the next two. That would be a huge undertaking. I can't even reread some of my favorites like I used to cuz of the humongous tbr. My ambition is to one day reread the In Death series from the beginning (I've only ever done it partially) and the Miss Fortune series, followed by Meg Langslow. As you say, someday...

We’ll have to see what next year’s prompts are, and if some of the books will fit in. I wonder if I would breeze through them as fast as I did before?

Heather L wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Hahaha!!!"

So glad we amuse you, lol. 🙃"

Light entertainment is good ;)

Heather L wrote: "We’ll have to see what next year’s prompts are, and if some of the books will fit in. I wonder if I would breeze through them as fast as I did before?"

I'm rereading the Kate Burkholder series at the moment and it's with another group - one per month. It's great because I can fit one in, and I wanted to reread this series.

I'm with you about the In Death series too Meg. I read the first 3 again, then had no more time. But a friend of mine has recently finished her reread of the whole series!

Read a young adult mystery today, The Séance by Joan Lowery Nixon. Definitely worthy of the Edgar Award it won. I was honestly surprised by the denouement.

I'm reading Group and am finding it interesting so far.

My review for After the Storm by Linda Castillo

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

currently rereading Berkley Street before I read the next book in the series.

My review for Rival Sisters by Louise Guy

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

My review for If Not Us by Mark Smith

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Here is my review for One More Kill by Carolyn Arnold. Carolyn Arnold brings depravity, action, and pulse-pounding moments to a gripping crime thriller and police procedural. The setting is mainly in and around Huntsville, Arkansas and is the ninth book in the Brandon Fisher FBI series.

My 4 star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished 7 Spirits, 4 Friends by David MacNamera.

My 3 star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

My review for Chasing Alexander: A Marine's Journey Across Iraq and Afghanistan by Christopher Martin

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Read a cute romance novella by Donna Kauffman, Unleashed.

Currently reading The Four Winds for the library's book club. Not too far into it, but I just know it's going to break me at some point.

I finished the second prequel in the Tracy Crosswhite series. Third Watch by Robert Dugoni. (short story)

My 5 star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished a short story that should be read after book one in the Desperately Seeking Duke historical romance series. About a Kiss by Caroline Linden.

My short 3 star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

...I'm either reading true crime, psychology, horror or science fiction. Since the movie Dune comes out in 1 month, I thought I'd revisit that world. I've already read Dune, Dune Messiah, and Children of Dune. I'm starting with the first book in the chronological order of the series - The Butlerian Jihad. It's a really thick book, so it might take me a while.

My review for At the End of the Day by Liz Byrski

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

finished reading The Lighthouse by Ron Ripley so far I am hooked on this series. Now I am back to rereading from the Sherbrooke bride series

In between cozies, I have discovered the joy of Jennifer Ryan's wonderful books about England during WW2. The more I've thought about the first one I read, The Chilbury Ladies' Choir, the more I have concluded that (for me) it was a nearly perfect novel. I don't say that lightly.

I loved the characters, I loved how she wove their stories together, and most of all, the meticulous historic accuracy that made that world come to vivid life.

I expected to be disappointed by the next one (how could anything be THAT good???), but, incredibly, it was even better. The Kitchen Front was just so wonderful, and I learned a vast new respect for what our friends "across the pond" went thru all those war years and more. Wow.

Getting ready to dive into her 3rd one, The Spies of Shilling Lane,as soon as I finish my current cozy.

If you've liked books like The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, you'll love these.

My review for Little Bilby's Aussie Bush Christmas by Yvonne Mes

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

My review for Birds of a Feather by Tricia Stringer

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

My review for Dr Bennett's Babies by Fiona McArthur

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I am currently reading Knock Three Times . It is the 3rd book in a middle grade fantasy series that is really good. I have passed on the first two books to my niece and thought I better get a move on the rest of the series so she can read them all.

Making my way to the end of the Kinsey Millhone series with "T" is for Trespass by Sue Grafton. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Finished two more non-cozy books this week. First, I finally made it to the end of Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott. This is one of the Classic group’s choices for this month and — in my opinion — overhyped. I found it to be quite tedious and had difficulty making it to the end of each chapter without falling asleep. At least I added a few interesting words to my vocabulary, such as ‘flagitious.’

Because I found it difficult to slog through, I ended up reading two other books at the same time as this one — Unleashed, which I read earlier in the week, and Coraline by Neil Gaiman, which I read yesterday. Here’s hoping my next book is more entertaining!

Well done! You need something light and entertaining after that!

Brenda wrote: "Well done! You need something light and entertaining after that!"

Done and done, lol. I just finished another book. I was so tired at 10:30 pm, I thought I’d have no trouble falling asleep. Except, you know how it is — as soon as you crawl into bed, you’re suddenly wide awake. so I started reading Family Affair by Debbie Macomber and finished about 1 am. It was only 99 pages and a fast read. Now it’s time to go to bed for real, lol.

I think so!! lol You'll be snoring right about now :)