Cozy Mysteries discussion
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When You’re Not Reading a Cozy
Here is my 4.25 rounded to 4 stars review of Her First Mistake by Kendra Elliot:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mystery
1st book in the Noelle Marshall series
Full of twists, turns, lives, and action with good world-building, great characterization, and a gripping storyline. What an ending!
Just finished this proper regency romance.Very nice read even if very short ( 30 pages only)
Her Gentleman Thief
by Robyn DeHartHere is my review :
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Here is my 4.52 rounded to 5 stars review of Gone Dark by Ryan Steck:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Heart-pounding and suspenseful thriller
Fantastic sense of place and atmosphere
Heart-wrenching at times, heartwarming at other times
Fourth book in the Matthew Redd series
Intense action scenes
Wildfires
Yes, a different type of title for me.
Big Fat F@!k-Up by Lawrence Allan is a funny mystery, and I'm looking forward to reading more. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Here is my 4.12 rounded to 4 stars review of One Dark Kiss by Rebecca Zanetti:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Romance / Fantasy / Romantasy / Suspense
2nd book in the Grimm Bargains series
Darker than other books I've read by this author
Action-Filled, Fast Romance, Well-Developed Characters
Unique fantasy element related to social media empires
I wanted a few more details wrapped up cleanly at the end.
Here is my 4.57 rounded to 5 stars review of Beyond Her Reach by Melinda Leigh:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Police Procedural
10th book in the Bree Taggert series
Intriguing, fast-paced, plot twists, and suspenseful
Solid mystery, strong female protagonist, plenty of action, and a little romance
Medieval mystery, book 9 in Crispin Guest series.A Maiden Weeping
by Jeri Westerson This series never disappoints me and this installment is no exception!
My 5-star review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My readathon reviews:
Escape From Portaleige by Kerstin Stanfordhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Hidden Dreams by Suzanne Gilchristhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Tides That Lie by Jenn J. McLeodhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The White Crow by Michael Robothamhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I've started reading
Drinks and Sinkholes. I know it's a cozy fantasy but I have no idea what else is involved. Amy Marie recommended it on her booktube channel and I thought I would give it a go. So far so good.
Mod
Here is my 4.61 rounded to 5 stars review of City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mystery / Police Procedural, but so much more
1st book in the Casey Duncan / Rockton series.
This is a favorite series in one of my discussion groups. I first heard of this series when book seven was released. I read it as well as the books that have been released in the Haven’s Rock spin-off series. I am now going back and reading the first 6 books in the series.
It was great to get Casey’s full backstory in this one. I also enjoyed watching Casey and Rockton Sheriff Eric Dalton get to know and respect each other and learn his backstory as well.
Complex characters, multiple mysteries, and excellent world-building are the backdrop for this well-written and entertaining novel set in an off-the-grid sanctuary town.
I listened to The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine who Outwitted America's Enemies. It was little too dry for me, but the story was fascinating. It was about the life of Elisebeth Smith Friedman was a code breaker during WWI and WWII. She played a crucial role in helping America win the invisible war of spies.
Here is my 3.05 rounded to 3 stars review of The Best Lies by David Ellis:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Psychological Thriller / Crime Thriller
Moves Back and Forth in time
Frequently changes Points of View
Good characterization, some originality, plenty of twist.
The flow was interrupted and slowed the pace too much for me, but many reviewers enjoyed this one more.
Here is my 3.59 rounded to 4 stars review of Them Bones by David Housewright:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mystery / Crime Novel
Combines mystery, science, and a theft
Paleontology
Great worldbuilding, good characterization, solid plot
Mac McKenzie series bk 22
My review of
What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I'm also reading the nonfiction
The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech's Hype and Create the Future We Want by Emily M. Bender. My friend's graduate school advisor is one of the authors. I am concerned about some aspects of the widespread use of AI, especially plagiarism for art/writing.
My review for
The Girl With the Yellow Star by Natalie Meg Evanshttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Here is my 4.57 rounded to 5 stars review of The Blue Horse by Bruce Borgos:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Crime Thriller / Police Procedural
3rd book in the Porter Beck series
Action-packed, Thought provoking, A few gruesome scenes
Excellent world-building
Intense and Suspenseful
Great Characterization
Here is my 4.12 rounded to 4 stars review of The Medusa Protocol by Rob Hart:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Thriller
2nd book in the Assassins Anonymous series
If you’re in the mood for something a little different, come to Assassins Anonymous with Mark, Astrid, Booker, Valencia, and Ms. Nguyen.
Filled with dark wit, action, and thrills.
Great sense of place
Unique premise
Very nice clean romance set in regency England.The plot is a little different from the usual and I've find it captivating from start to finish.
My Fair Gentleman
by Nancy Campbell AllenMy 5 star review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I listened to A Time of Love and Tartan
. It rambled at times and had some absurd scenes, but overall I enjoyed it. It is always interesting to catch up with the inhabitants at 44 Scotland Street.
My review for
The Path Through the Coojong Trees by Leonie Kelsallhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Here is my 4.56 rounded to 5 stars review of A Darkness Absolute by Kelley Armstrong:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Crime Novel / Mystery / Police Procedural
2nd book in the Casey Duncan / Rockton series
Suspenseful, entertaining, well-written, action-packed
Great characterization and fantastic world-building
Plot twists and turns
I've finished two historical mysteries recently.
Playing It Safe by Ashley Weaver https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
No Hallowed Ground by Steve Hockensmith https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
message 1584:
by
Marisa, Cozy Mysteries Assistant Moderator
(last edited Jun 23, 2025 11:54PM)
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I'm visiting Big Bend with the latest Jack Prester Mystery from Sandy Dengler.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
* Remember Summer by Elizabeth Lowell — Romantic suspense by a long time favorite author. This has been in Mount TBR for ages, so it’s good to finally get it read. Had I realized it was set at the 1984 Summer Olympics, I would have gotten to it sooner.
* Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez — A romantic comedy. OMG, the squirrel scene has me laughing so hard, it was a good thing I was reading it at home and not in public.
Here is my 4.23 rounded to 4 stars review of Broke Road by Matthew Spencer:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Police Procedural
2nd book in the Rose Riley series
set in the community of Red Creek in New South Wales, Australia
Plenty of twists, turns, and suspects
Well-written
Captivating storyline
Compelling characters
I finished a delightful new book The Lost Story
by Meg Shafer. I bit of retelling of Narnia set in West Virginia. I really enjoyed it.
Closing out the month with the disappointing
Nemesis by Gregg Hurwitz https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Clean regency romance with a hint of mystery, set in India.The Secret of the India Orchid
by Nancy Campbell AllenHere is my 4.5 rounded up to 5 star review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Here is my 4.59 rounded to 5 stars review of This Fallen Prey by Kelley Armstrong:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Crime Novel / Mystery / Police Procedural
2nd book in the Casey Duncan / Rockton series
Suspenseful, entertaining, well-written, action-packed
Great characterization and fantastic world-building
Plot twists and turns
Cozy Mysteries
Books mentioned in this topic
Every Bend in the River (other topics)Watching the Detectives (other topics)
Blind Date with a Werewolf (other topics)
The Secret of Secrets (other topics)
Willow Rose (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Emerson Ford (other topics)Patricia Briggs (other topics)
M. Kevin Hayden (other topics)
Deanna Raybourn (other topics)
Rob Sinclair (other topics)
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However, I did just finish a new-to-me series...
**
Piper Stone's three-book Legacy of Kings series.
*01 Sinner - Xander & Jessica
*02 Seducer - Zachariah & Sara
*03 Seducer - Wilder & Cassandra
I rated all three 3.5 (rolled to 4 because I liked them more than a 3.0 rating. There were things I liked and didn't like about each story, including the fact that they all started out slow. However, they held my interest with the three mysteries interwoven with one mystery that shadows all the series. And, I liked that the women were strong characters, equals to their men.
The series is listed as "dark," and with the subject matter, it is. Plus the first book started a bit creepy for my liking, but not so horrible that I'd put it down. The other negative... While the stories are complete, I felt there were threads left hanging. There is an overall satisfactory ending, that isn't negated by the "threads," but I prefer when all my questions are answered.