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Just finishing up "Death of a Cozy Writer" by G. M. Malliet.
Wow!
Let me repeat Wow!
[Last time I publically wowed was for Dennis Lehane's "Shutter Island"]
It won the 2008 Agatha Award for best first novel.
Imagine a novel taking all ... repeat ALL ... of the standard cliches, tropes, themes, etc. of cozy mystery novels .... mixing them all together ... with loads of humor [Here's a sample line: "... she mumbled again. "Thank you." wondering if the little skip in her heart was happiness or an impending seizure."]
and making it work!
A dysfunctional family summoned at Christmas time back to the home manor by a hated father who keeps changing his will. A new wife. A murder in the past. Displays of medieval weapons. Everyone lying. Snowed in during the murders. Identities within identities within identities. Servants who know more than they should. Murder on top of murder.
And one of the victims was [gasp!] an author of cozy mysteries who stole his plots from Christie but "his were better."
And ... a detective St. Just accompanied by Sgt. Fear?
Simply marvelous. I can't even begin to unpack all the not-so-veiled references to past classic cozy mysteries.
This is one fun read. I don't want it to end, but have already loaded up my reader with the rest of her oeuvre!
Brava!
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