| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| EnchantedWoodsGirl |
Posted - Jun 05 2006 : 3:02:14 PM
After years of reviewing erotica and trashy books, I have a penchant for what they now term Cozy Mystery - aka Agatha Raisin, Aunt Dimity - Do you all have any recommendations to make? What are some of your favorite cozy mystery books? Dorothy Bodoin is a fairly new author and her mystery books about Foxglove Corners are wonderful - just the books to curl up with on a windy night with a hot cup of tea! They are published by Wings ePress.
Kathy of the Enchanted Wood
http://enchantedwoodmusings.blogspot.com/
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| 17 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| EnchantedWoodsGirl |
Posted - Jun 16 2006 : 4:02:22 PM
You can find Dorothy Bodoin also on www.wingsepress.com - just look under mystery.
Kathy of the Enchanted Wood
http://enchantedwoodmusings.blogspot.com/
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| Aunt George |
Posted - Jun 16 2006 : 03:47:50 AM
Marcia, how fun to visit Brother Cadfael's stomping grounds. Sure wish I could go there too. Ellis Peters lived right there. I bet the gardens were wonderful. You know Brother Cadfael was surely a farmboy!!
Kathy, I'll go to the library and see if I can find Dorothy Bodoin!
Georgann |
| EnchantedWoodsGirl |
Posted - Jun 16 2006 : 12:38:23 AM
Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter - The Tale of Hill Top Farm by Susan Wittig Albert - I just ordered The Tale of Holly How. I love how she incorporates talking animals and the wonderful English countryside in her books - amazing writer!
No one has read any of Dorothy Bodoin yet? You are missing a real treat for the senses without the trashy romance!
Kathy of the Enchanted Wood
http://enchantedwoodmusings.blogspot.com/
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| Celticheart |
Posted - Jun 15 2006 : 11:07:48 PM
Georgann,
I've read several of the Brother Cadfael books. I buy them at the second hand store whenever I see them.
We visited Shrewesbury when we were in England in 1996. They have recreated(or created) Brother Cadfael's herb gardens at Shrewesbury Quest across the street from the real abbey. Very cool!
I think there is a book specifically about Brother Cadfael's herb gardens. I think I saw it once on Amazon.
The entire area is very nice anyway--pretty. We stayed in Shelton for 2 days at Shelton Hall Hotel which was built in 1620, I think. Great fun.
Marcia
"I suppose the pleasure of country life lies really in the eternally renewed evidence of the determination to live." Vita Sackville-West
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| Aunt George |
Posted - Jun 13 2006 : 12:52:29 AM
Oh, yes, I read all of the Brother Cadfael mysteries. Ellis Peters aka Elizabeth Pargater answered a fan letter I wrote to her over 20 years ago. She said that the Brother Cadfael stories are set around true events, she just filled in the gaps. She lived right there in Shrewesbury, Shropeshire where the stories are set. These are wonderful, the settings are so real. Brother Cadfael is a medievil Benedictine Monk who fought in the Crusades and then retired to the monastic live. He became the herbalist for his order and solved murder mysteries. I loved her descriptions of the herbs and uses and his gardens. Simply reading magic!! Thanks for mentioning Brother Cadfael, Marcia. It has been many long years since I read these. I need to get them out again. If you are going to read these, I think the starting book is: A Morbid Taste for Bones
Here is a list of titles I found:
BROTHER CADFAEL Mysteries:
Historical, Medieval Period
Main Character: Brother Cadfael, Monk/Herbalist, England
A Morbid Taste for Bones 78
One Corpse Too Many 80
Monk's Hood 81
St. Peter's Fair 81
The Leper of St. Giles 81
The Virgin in the Ice 83
The Sanctuary Sparrow 83
The Devil's Novice 84
Dead Man's Ransom 85
The Pilgrim of Hate 84
An Excellent Mystery 85
The Raven in the Foregate 86
The Rose Rent 86
The Hermit of Eyton Forest 88
The Confession of Brother Haluin 89
The Heretic's Apprentice 90
The Potter's Field 90
The Summer of the Danes 91
The Holy Thief 92
Brother Cadfael's Penance 94
A Rare Benedictine 95 Consists of 3 Stories
.,.CHRISTMAS
I didn't know this was a cozy mystery, but it is my favorite. I found this list on a cozy mystery site.
http://www.cozy-mystery.com/
Georgann |
| Celticheart |
Posted - Jun 12 2006 : 10:11:03 PM
I read one of hers(Martha Grimes) I think. It was "And the Horse You Rode in On." Or something like that. It was the name of a pub. Having been to England and Scotland I can tell you they really do name those pubs things like that. There is an entire street of pubs in Edinburgh with names like Dirty Dicks. Of course, that's the only one I remember;)
Marcia
"I suppose the pleasure of country life lies really in the eternally renewed evidence of the determination to live." Vita Sackville-West
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| blueroses |
Posted - Jun 09 2006 : 10:09:11 AM
Other good authors for cozy mysteries are Laura Childs and Sarah Graves. I have to keep a list in my purse for when I go to the library! Too many to remember. I do like Joan Hess and Earlene Fowler too.
I like all kinds of mysteries and really love Martha Grimes series. She titles her books that are set in England after odd sounding pub names in England, like the "Old Contemptibles" or "The Man With a Load of Mischief." I love the quirky side characters and adore Inspector Jury.
"You cannot find peace...by avoiding life."
Virginia Woolfe |
| Carolinagirl |
Posted - Jun 08 2006 : 6:31:10 PM
Cozies are the only kind of mysteries I read. I like Diana Mott Davidson (the first cozy author I read) and Julia Spencer Fleming. I've been reading a knitting series (only two so far) by Maggie Sexton (I think- the first one is called Knit One, Kill Two and the second is called Needled to Death). Charlaine Harris writes good cozies- a series about vampires and another about a cleaning lady in Shakespeare, Arkansas). I love the Southern ones the most... check out Joan Hess's Maggody series too.
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| Celticheart |
Posted - Jun 07 2006 : 9:34:49 PM
Love the Earlene Fowler books and the Susan Wittig Albert books too. I just discovered the Aunt Dimity books a couple of months ago and really like those too. The Brother Cadfael books by Ellis Peters are very good. I've read several of those. Has anybody else read any of Laurie King's books about Sherlock Holmes and the girl(I think her name is Mary)?? The Bee Keeper's Apprentice is the first one. They are all really good.
Marcia
"I suppose the pleasure of country life lies really in the eternally renewed evidence of the determination to live." Vita Sackville-West
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| TheSoapMaven |
Posted - Jun 06 2006 : 08:33:33 AM
Oh I do love the Tea Shop books! Just started one yesterday. Hannah brought it home to me from the library ...love having a daughter working at the library!!
Susan
Proprietress of Dahlem's Soapworks http://www.thesoapmaven.com
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| LisaBee |
Posted - Jun 05 2006 : 9:56:09 PM
You will love these two authors...and if anyone on here has read them, they can tell you what they think. The first is the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. These are laugh out loud funny and I just love it when a new one comes out. The second one is Laura Childs. She writes two series - The Tea Shop Mysteries (set in Charleston, SC) and the Scrapbook Mysteries (set in New Orleans, LA). In the first series, there are lots of tea tips and recipes, in the second there are scrapbook projects. If anyone happens to be near my boutique this fall, Laura will be coming to host a book reading of her newest book and I will be serving a themed tea for the occasion. Also, I will be selling both of these series in my shop. I guess you can tell I am a huge fan! I hope you will like these two ladies...and don't forget the Mitford Series by Jan Karon. Wonderful!!!
"There is no teacup too large, nor book too long."
BLOG http://lisa222.blogspot.com WEBSITE http://alittlepartasparta.com |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Jun 05 2006 : 5:11:19 PM
I love love love the Earlene Fowler series..the Benni Harper Mysteries..they all have quilt titles. I have read them all.They are set where I grew up and I recognize so much in the books..I love that part!
And I really like the Monica Ferris Needlework mystery series too...love those. I have read all but the newest one.
The are addictive for sure!
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| Nancy Gartenman |
Posted - Jun 05 2006 : 5:02:02 PM
So of course I had to order one of her books, I have a pile of books here almost as tall as me, I figure I must be getting really really smart.
NANCY JO |
| blueroses |
Posted - Jun 05 2006 : 4:44:54 PM
I, too, love Susan Wittig Albert & Diane Mott Davidson.
Kathy, Diane Mott Davidson came to speak at a local library last week and I went. She is so funny and speaks really well. It was a fun evening.
"You cannot find peace...by avoiding life."
Virginia Woolfe |
| Mumof3 |
Posted - Jun 05 2006 : 3:52:32 PM
Oh- Dorothy Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax series is wonderful. I also loved Thale's Folly by the same author. Mysteries are not usually what I go for, but these are fun.
Karin |
| Kathigene |
Posted - Jun 05 2006 : 3:36:16 PM
I have a very long list of authors that I like. Among them are Diane Mott Davidson, Donna Andrews, Monica Ferris, Earlene Fowler, Sharon Short, Victoria Houstan and Denise Swanson. I often go to Amazon.com and look under mysteries. Usually they give you the option of further narrowing your results. I pick amateur women sleuths and you will have lots and lots of synopsizes to read. I rarely buy from Amazon because I prefer to support local stores even if they are chains. I want them in my community. And really there is a cozy to fit about every interest. There are lots of cooking cozies, and needle working cozies, and quite a few cozies with dogs or cats in them. They are great fun to read and are a favorite of mine. Once you get started it's hard to stop. They are like eating chips.
Kathy
Dogs make such good friends because they wag their tails rather then their tongues. |
| TheSoapMaven |
Posted - Jun 05 2006 : 3:16:30 PM
LOVE LOVE LOVE Susan Wittig Albert and Cleo Coyle.
Susan
Proprietress of Dahlem's Soapworks http://www.thesoapmaven.com
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