Cozy Mysteries discussion
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When You’re Not Reading a Cozy
My review for
Bleak Times at Orchard Cottage Hospital by Lizzie Lanehttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I finished Say You'll Remember Me
by Abby Jimenez.I finished the book today. Absolutely excellent. The romance is wonderful. Samantha's mother's dementia will make you want to cry, especially if you have been around loved ones with dementia. The animal care is awesome. One of the best books I read this year.
Here is my 4.07 rounded to 4 stars review of The Elias Enigma by Simon Gervais:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Political / Espionage Action Thriller
Covert Operations, Assassins, Spies, Government operatives
2nd book in the Caspian Anderson series
Main Setting: Bordeaux, France and surrounding areas
Overall, this book was suspenseful, riveting, fast-paced, and pulse-pounding.
There is a strong sense of good versus evil throughout the novel.
Here is my 4.48 rounded to 4 stars review of Rage by Linda Castillo:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Police Procedural / Crime Thriller / Mystery
Descriptive - great sense of place (Painters Mill, OH)
Great Characterization
Gritty, Suspenseful, Action-Packed, Gripping
My review for
Ming and Flo Fight for the Future by Jackie Frenchhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review for
What you are looking for is in the library by Michiko Aoyamahttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review for
The Lost Girl of Seahaven by Phillipa Nefri Clarkhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I've read a few mysteries since I last posted, but began July reading a romance series (when I should have been working... oopsie...) =o)Anyway, I just finished a five-day affair with Sara Fields’ Boston Kings--all eight (to date).
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*** Take Me, Daddy
* Make Me, Daddy
* Break Me, Daddy
* Watch Me, Daddy
* Share Me, Daddy
* Tame Me, Daddy
* Use Me, Daddy
* Punish Me, Daddy
I saw the description of one of the later books and wanted to read it. Though I had the series TBRed, I hadn’t started it and I really really like to (HAVE TO) read series in order. So, I started with book one and read the entire series--yes, the entire series to date.
The books feature the love stories of the members two mafia/gang families (so far). Featured in the first five books are the Murphys, an Irish family (five brothers and their sister) who moved with their cousins from Ireland ten years prior to the evens of the first book after their parents were killed in a gang war there. They set up business, etc. in Boston. The Morozovs are a Russian Bratva family (five brothers) also operating their businesses and territories in Boston after a move from Russia. They’re featured in the last three books (to date). The two families allied when a Morozov princess was rescued from a bad situation by the Murphy family (by then, the Murphy/Kavanaugh family). There are bonus scenes available for most of the books.
While I enjoyed some more than others, I’ve rated the stories 3.5/4 stars, rolling up or down based to my overall enjoyment of the characters featured as individuals and as a couple and the overall story. I love that (most of the) female leads are strong women in their own rights. While the alpha dominants rule in the bedroom, they never strip their women of their power.
My negative isn’t the stories themselves’ it’s series continuity. For example, a main character in the first book has a new name in the second (to be fair, it’s the same from there on out); a character shows up and the age provided doesn’t work with the history provided in the previous books; a couple is referred to as married when their characters aren’t married at that point (though, they were a couple, so…). The “errors” don’t really affect enjoyment of the specific stories, but does affect enjoyment of the overall series—at least for me.
These are listed as standalones and they can be read as such—though you miss some of the background to other characters, events, etc. The stories take place in the same “universe” and within the same timeframes, albeit later than one another. You would think the author would have a series bible to keep things straight from book to book or that the editor would catch or question the seeming errors. I also don’t like hanging threads in stories, or things I see as unanswered—e.g., a character related to the family shows up in a story, but we never learn why she hasn’t been with the family all along because it doesn’t seem likely that she’d be left behind without a good reason. If there is a reason, we never learn it, nor is her past discussed within the family, etc. Just stupid little things like that…
I don’t know how many books are planned for the series. There are two Morozov brothers still single, so I believe there are at least two more stories. Also, mentioned alongside the main Murphy family was a set of five cousins who work with/for the family. Also, the Murphys have a right-hand consiglieri, Liam. A bonus short featured him and his woman (??), but he (they) could still get a full story. There’s also a sort of next-gen romance that could come to fruition years down the road.
I don’t know how many books are planned for the series. There are two Morozov brothers still single, so I believe there are at least two more stories. Also, mentioned alongside the main Murphy family was a set of five cousins who work with/for the family. Also, the Murphys have a right-hand consiglieri, Liam. A bonus short featured him and his woman (??), but he (they) could still get a full story. There’s also a sort of next-gen romance that could come to fruition years down the road. I'll keep reading.
I don’t know how many books are planned for the series. There are two Morozov brothers still single, so I believe there are at least two more stories on their way. Also, mentioned alongside the main Murphy family was a set of five cousins who work with/for the family. Also, the Murphys have a right-hand consiglieri, Liam. A bonus short featured him and his woman (??), but he (they) could still get a full story. There’s also a sort of next-gen romance that could come to fruition at some point.
Note: These stories feature rough, intense sexual scenes, including spanking. If such material offends you, please avoid this series.
My last read of June was a book by Liz Talley, Deconstructed from her Cricket Crosby Capers series.
I read this thinking it was the start of a cozy mystery series. While there's a sort of mystery/crime to be solved, it's really a Chic-Lit book. I read that it was supposed to be a standalone, but fans of the characters wanted more. There are two subsequent books in the series (to date). The later "capers" appear to be on the cozy mystery side. I’ll find out when I read them.
This series features main characters Cricket and Ruby. Cricket owns an antique/vintage business. Ruby works for her. In this, Cricket find her husband of 15 years has been having an affair with their teenaged daughter's tennis coach. She sets out to get the good on him, then file for divorce before he knows what hit him. Her anger is making her a bit scattered and Ruby, who has a secret past sort of decides/gets roped in to helping her. Ruby's family lives on the fringes between criminal (mainly petty stuff) and legal. Ruby has two cousins who also wind up joining the "crew" as Cricket sets out to outwit her husband--who, she finds, has moved the monies in their joint accounts to the Cayman Islands and is getting ready to skip the country with his mistress.
The other main story revolves around Ruby and her want to distance herself from the "fringy" people in her family, including her uncle who caused her to spend two years in prison. She's enrolled in college studying business and design. Her grandmother and great-Aunt taught her how to sew, crochet and tat, and knit. Ruby is a designer and part of what she does is taking/buying pieces from the discard pile of Clair's store (soiled, beyond simple repair, or otherwise unsellable), "deconstructing" them then mixing and matching the salvageable parts and designing/constructing new items.
The theme of "deconstruction" runs throughout the story. Cricket has always been seen as the good wife and mother. She put everyone else's needs above her own to the point that she didn't even notice her marriage was failing. Her husband doesn't think she’s stupid, but underestimates her intelligence, strength, abilities, and her resolve. He doesn’t think she has a clue to what he’s doing and even if she did, he actually believes she’d never risk the life she has by doing anything about it. He thinks he'll get away clean. Their daughter, Julia Kate, sees her only as a mother to do things for her, but not as a person. As Cricket begins her action plan, she's deconstructing the life she's been living, taking the best pieces of it and herself, coming up with something better.
Ruby is doing the same, taking the best pieces—including reconciling with family—and creating something beautiful.
From Cricket: “It’s an analogy, Ruby. You’ve taken the good parts and made them into something better. It’s like a theme for both of our lives... without the deconstructing, you have no history. It’s the deconstruction that matters. Without understanding who you are and accepting all the good and bad parts of your past, you don’t know the things worth keeping, and you can’t get rid of the things that need to be tossed. You can’t remake yourself... "
As mentioned, this was meant to be a standalone, but fans clamored for more Cricket and Ruby. Subsequent books appear to expand on the "caper" portion of the story with Cricket getting her PI license and wanting to work part time as a PI (one of Ruby’s cousins is a PI and assisted Cricket in book01.) Book 02, If the Dress Fits, has Ruby, who has started a dress design business, accused of theft. Cricket and crew—which I’m assuming includes at least the two cousins who assisted Cricket in book02, Juke and Griff) set out to prove her innocence. I believe Griff will be Cricket’s love interest. I’ll see as I continue the series.
It was a quick, fun, and funny read with a hint of romance between Cricket and Griffin and between Ruby and old flame, Dak. I can see this as a standalone with Cricket getting back at her husband and she and Ruby partnering in Ruby's new design business, all hinting at future HEAs, I can also see why fans wanted more. I hope the subsequent books are just as fun.
I'm reading Upon a Starlit Tide
. I'm going to take a break from reading cozies for a minute so I can actually get into this book :p
Here is my 4.28 rounded to 4 stars review of The Last Wizards' Ball by Charlaine Harris:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Alternate History / Fantasy
6th and final book in the Gunnie Rose series.
Excellent characterization and fantastic world-building
Charlaine Harris is one of my favorite authors and she did not let me down with this conclusion to the series. The characters are compelling, led by strong and capable protagonists. While I hoped for a different ending, the ending was in keeping with the somewhat dark alternative history theme.
Here is my 4.63 rounded to 5 stars review of Watcher in the Woods by Kelley Armstrong:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mystery
Set in a fictional sanctuary town in the Yukon wilderness in Canada.
Book 4 in the Rockton / Casey Duncan series
Excellent World-building, Great characterization
Suspenseful, Entertaining, Multiple mysteries
Mod
* The Introvert's Way: Living a Quiet Life in a Noisy World by Sophia Dembling, which was okay, but definitely nothing I didn’t already know (but I do wish this had been around for the adults in my youth).
* The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, a historical fiction with a bit of a mystery and pinch of mystical realism. This is one of those books I probably never would have picked up were it not a June read for a classics group, and also seeing it mentioned on a YouTube channel I follow about the same time this book was nominated in the other group. It’s also one of my favorite books of the year so far.
I read The Shadow of the Wind at the end of 2011 and really enjoyed it. So glad you enjoyed it Heather! I must read the next one!!!
My review for
Death at Booroomba by AA A L Booth (aka Alison Booth)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Here is my 4.23 rounded to 4 stars review of Forged in Battle by Marc Alan Edelheit:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Science fiction military action thriller
Book 1 in the Command Decision series
Fast-paced, action-packed
Compelling characters, fantastic world-building, exceptional action scenes
My review for
Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon by Sophie Greenhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Historical mystery set in ancient Greece. An engaging blend of fiction, history and mythology !Shadows of Athens
by J.M. AlveyMy 4.5 rounded up to 5-star review :
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Here is my 4.56 rounded to 5 stars review of Dead Line by Marc Cameron:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Crime Thriller
7th book in the Arliss Cutter series
Action, A brutal Alaskan Winter, a manhunt, ruthless criminals
Fantastic world-building
High-octane action
Here is my 4.48 rounded to 4 stars review of Alone in the Wild by Kelley Armstrong:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Police Procedural / Crime Thriller
Book 5 in the Rockton / Casey Duncan series
Great characterization and Worldbuilding
The killer was a too easily discerned.
I enjoyed learning more about the First and Second Settlements.
I Finished The Frozen People
by Elly Griffiths. This book is book 1 in her new series. It is a time travel novel between present day and 1850 England. I loved her Ruth Galloway series. This one is just okay. I did like the attention she paid to clothing, speech of the 1850s. Definitely set up for a series.
Here is my 4.05 rounded to 4 stars review of Hunter's Heart Ridge by Sarah Stewart Taylor:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Historical Mystery / Police Procedural
2nd book in the Franklin Warren and Alice Bellows Mystery series
Set in November 1965 in Bethany, Vermont and the surrounding area
Good characterization and world-building
Well-developed and intricate plot
Somewhat slower paced
Here is my 4.16 rounded to 4 stars review of Construction Site Preschool Activity Book: Fun Learning with Trucks, Tools, and Mighty Machines by Brightly:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Preschool Activity Book
Combines fun and education
Variety of activities
Aimed at 3-5 year-olds
My review for
Wartime Comes to West India Dock Road by Renita D'Silvahttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
An engaging cold case mystery, with a subsided plot of romance, against the backdrop of British Burma ( today Myanmar ) in 1936.The Missing Sister
by Dinah JefferiesHere is my 5-star review :
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I finished Not They Who Soar
by Amanda Flower. Set at the Word's fair in St. Louise 1904. Our main character is Katherine Wright the sister of Orville and Wilbur Wright. Information about the fair was very interesting as well as the early days of flying. Oh yes a murder mystery too. Book 2 of series. I highly recommend.
Here is my 4.2 rounded to 4 stars review of Throwing Shadows by Claire Booth:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Police Procedural
Excellent world-building
Compelling characters
7th book in the Sheriff Hank Worth series
Setting: in and near Forsyth, MO - largely in the Ozark backwoods
Here is my 4.43 rounded to 4 stars review of A Stranger in Town by Kelley Armstrong:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Police Procedural / Crime Thriller
6th book in the Rockton / Casey Duncan series
Excellent worldbuilding and characterization
Here is my 3.23 rounded to 3 stars review of Girls, Crimes, and the Ruling Body by Barry R. Ziman:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Political Thriller
Descriptive
Lack of dialogue in the first half
Much improved second half of the novel
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)
More...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...