Cozy Mysteries discussion

Since we have so many awesome challenges going now, I'll limit the monthly theme read to 2 choices.

July is National Parks & Recreation Month so read a mystery that takes place in a national park. You could also read a mystery involving any kind of conservation, game life, environmental type of worker.

There are several "sweet" days in July - Ice Cream Day, Chocolate Day, Cheesecake Day, etc. So, in honor of our sweet tooth, read any mystery involving sweets - i.e. candy makers, bakers, ice cream shop owners, doughnut shop owners, etc. Bon Appetit!

Do we need to read one of each Suzanne? The sweet book is so not an issue for me (I'm hooked on culinary cozies) but have no idea where to look for the first!

The Anna Pigeon series by Nevada Barr. Anna is a park ranger, set in multiple locales.

The Jamaica Wild series, Sandi Ault. Also a park ranger.

Hi Nairabell, you can read either, or both. Totally your preference.

For parks & recreation you could also try the C.J. Box / Joe Picket series or the Joseph Haywood / Grady Service series.

Thanks :)

Donna Ball also had a series about a woman who trained dogs for search and rescue. It takes place in the mountains and should qualify for a Parks and Rec book.

Ahhhhh! You're going to kill me *sniff, sniff* Well, I'll try to search two books :(

2 / 2

1.- Parks: Track of the Cat by Nevada Barr (7/9)
2.- Sweet tooth: I Scream, You Scream by Wendy Lyn Watson (7/11)

For parks & rec -- the second Aaron Elkins book, The Dark Place, takes place in Washington's Olympic National Park and features a park ranger.

None of the books on my July TBB list qualify for either theme, so I'll have to check the TBR pile. Wish me luck. *Grabs hard hat, prepares for book spelunking*

Sounds great, I'm in!!

Off to look for a couple more books .......

Nevada Barr's books are great, as are C.J. Box's and Donna Ball's. I always hoped she write another in that series.

A good Ice Cream book is by Wendy Lyn Watson.

Heather L wrote: "For parks & rec -- the second Aaron Elkins book, The Dark Place, takes place in Washington's Olympic National Park and features a park ranger.

None of the books on my July TBB list..."

LOL!

Okay, I've come up with my two -


1. Parks & Recreation - Wild Indigo by Sandi Ault

2. Sweet Tooth - Sprinkle with Murder by Jenn McKinlay

Heather L wrote: "For parks & rec -- the second Aaron Elkins book, The Dark Place, takes place in Washington's Olympic National Park and features a park ranger.

None of the books on my July TBB list..."

Possibly a very dumb question - but what's a TBB list?

I'm new to this and have 2 questions:
1) What is a TBB list?
2) What is a TBR pile?

TBB = To Be Bought (books you want to buy)
TBR = To Be Read (generally books owned to be read)

Well, I'll think about I Scream, You Scream. It's been in my TBR for a time, and I have to know if I like the series...

Marisa wrote: "Well, I'll think about I Scream, You Scream. It's been in my TBR for a time, and I have to know if I like the series..."

I really liked this book. But one of the plot points is an old high school flame who comes back to town, which is something I'm a sucker for!

OH, my God! That's something I don't like. Well, I'll try anyway if you say you liked it.

1. Parks:
Some Like it Lethal ~ Nancy Martin

2. Sweets:
Sprinkle with Murder ~ Jenn McKinlay

Marisa wrote: "Well, I'll think about I Scream, You Scream. It's been in my TBR for a time, and I have to know if I like the series..."

I liked that one :)

Heather L wrote: "TBB = To Be Bought (books you want to buy)
TBR = To Be Read (generally books owned to be read)"

Thank you Heather.

OK. My July read (the only one that matched from my tbr pile) is .

Heidi wrote: "OK. My July read (the only one that matched from my tbr pile) is ."

I really like this series!! It's one I stay current with, even though the last one felt like it was written by someone else.

So far Just Desserts is the only one I've found that fits the theme. My sister gave it to me ages ago, but I've never got round to it. Still need one for parks and rec. Nothing in the TBR seems to fit.

Heidi wrote: "OK. My July read (the only one that matched from my tbr pile) is ."

I liked this one also!

I'm going to read

I'm going to read Glazed Murder for sweets and Track of the Cat for the parks.

Kari wrote: "Looks like fun.

Sharyn McCrumb and Valerie Wolzien also have books that take place in National Parks.

I am going to read either or [bookcover:The Choco..."

Both of your "sweets" books are good ones. OPEN SEASON is a great read, but not a cozy at all! LIBERTY FALLING is my least favorite of all of Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon books that I've read. I only gave it 1 star.

Great list, Suzanne. :-)

I'll be reading by Sammi Carter and by B.B. Haywood.

Happy Reading, everyone! :-)

Kari wrote: "Yes we have had the CJ box discussion but it has been on my bedside table for awhile. Liberty Falling is my next Nevada Barr but I have been reading her out of order. Maybe I shall skip ahead Blood..."

BLIND DESCENT was good. She did too good a job describing going down into those caves! I am a bit of a claustrophobic and some of that book really got to me! I think the general concensus with my M/T friends was that LIBERTY FALLING was the weakest in the series. BLOOD LURE is good. #10, HUNTING SEASON, is the last I've read, but I have the ones following in The Pile.

I am going to Read for Parks Ill Wind
Then for Sweet Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder

Linda wrote: "I am going to Read for Parks Ill Wind
Then for Sweet Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder"

ILL WIND is my favorite, so far, in the Anna Pigeon series. Mostly because it takes place here in Colorado at a place I'm familiar with. And I also really enjoyed CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE MURDER. The chocolate chip cookie recipe in it is really very good!

Thanks Kari and Melodie. Glad to hear that they will be good reads. Both of these books have been in my collection for a long time. Since I have been on GroodReads I have been going through all the books that I own and read them first.

Nairabell wrote: "I'm going to read Glazed Murder for sweets and Track of the Cat for the parks."

I enjoyed Glazed Murder hope you like it!

*Resurfacing from the TBR cave again*

Aha! I knew I had to have something set in the great outdoors. Found one on fishing, The Nail Knot by John Galligan. Bought this for my Mom at the Wisconsin Book Festival a few years back as he is a local author, and never got round to reading it myself. Not big on fishing, but it fits the theme. Plus it will knock Wisconsin off my USA list.

My God, what a good TBR cave you have, LOL!

Aiming to read:

Death by Chocolate by G.A.McKevett

FINISHED the book 7.15.

Hmm...I think I'll read , I didn't read this series in order so I still have this book to read.

Sherrie, I really want to try the fudge cupcake recipe! I'm actually thinking I might go out tonight and get the ingredients.

Lindy-Lane wrote: "Aiming to read Death by Chocolate by G.A.McKevett"

Let us know what you think of this one Lindy.. I read 'Death By Chocolate' earlier this year after enjoying 'Poisoned Tarts' in the same series,but I found it different in style and a bit slow in comparison.

Courtney wrote: "Sherrie, I really want to try the fudge cupcake recipe! I'm actually thinking I might go out tonight and get the ingredients."

Let me know how it turns out. I've wanted to try the recipes in the books and the only recipe I've tried is the pot roast recipe in .

Do not make Joanne Fluke's Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies. Even my kids would not eat them. Flat, odd looking cookies. The taste was mediocre too. (It wasn't me, people beg to get on my Christmas cookie drop off list. I refused to even give these away, threw the whole batch out. Not up to par.)

Shay wrote: "Do not make Joanne Fluke's Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies. Even my kids would not eat them. Flat, odd looking cookies. The taste was mediocre too. (It wasn't me, people beg to get on my Christmas coo..."

lol...that bad huh? Even the kids wouldn't eat them, I'll stay away from that one. What book was that in?

Courtney wrote: "Sherrie, I really want to try the fudge cupcake recipe! I'm actually thinking I might go out tonight and get the ingredients."

If you are reading this book in paperback your recipe should be okay, but if you happen to be reading a first edition hardcover copy, there's an error in the fudge cupcake recipe. It calls for 1-1/2 tsp baking soda, and it should be baking POWDER.

Sherrie, I think it was in the Candy Cane Murder. I'm pretty sure it was a Christmas themed one because I bumped my usual Christmas chocolate cookie for that one. I ended up making my usual one, behind schedule. (It's a chocolate cookie and when it's still hot, you put Andes chocolate candies or baking chips and when they melt you spread them out. Yum.)

That sounds yummy Shay!

I'm reading it in paperback Melodie, I'll check out the recipes in see if there are any that catch my eye.

The chocolate chip crunchies in Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder rock, as do the chocolate chip oaties in Murder on the Rocks. I used both to bribe my Mum's physio's last summer :)

Nairabell wrote: "The chocolate chip crunchies in Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder rock, as do the chocolate chip oaties in Murder on the Rocks. I used both to bribe my Mum's physio's last sum..."

I just got Murder on the Rocks from the library. I'll have to try the oaties recipe!!

I'm all done with Glazed Murder :) It rocked, and I'm so glad there wasn't a love triangle at all. I read the Joanne Fluke books (up to Carrot Cake Murder) at the start of the year and it was driving me nuts. I'm reading Track of the Cat next.

PS - It's 6:25pm here in London, so it's been July for a while :)

Does a hunt club setting count for #1?