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Originally Posted by HarryT
They're certainly formulaic, just as the "Perry Mason" books are, too, to name one other example, but that's their appeal to many: you know exactly what you're getting. That's the appeal of "cozy mysteries" to many people. Safe reading that you know you're going to enjoy.
(Only one "m" in "Hamish", btw  ) |
Many books I read because they challenge or educate me. Not Perry Mason books. Those are for fun, and typically sandwiched between more erudite fare. You're right about the appeal of "cozy mysteries". They're safe, enjoyable, and much like a visit with old friends. And like old friends, you learn to have certain expectations of them. You expect to be entertained, but not shocked. Sure, people die in these things, but their deaths are very neat. All the blood is off-stage.
I just finished two books tonight:
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The Case of the Sleepwalker’s Niece by Erle Stanley Gardner. This was a nice, safe, and cozy mystery that made me feel I was among old and trusted friends. Not the best in the series, but certainly entertaining, with some very expected admissions in the courtroom by the master.
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Through a Window: My Thirty Years with the Chimpanzees of Gombe by Jane Goodall. Well, I haven't actually read the afterword and the two appendices yet, but I am done with the main body of the work. I discovered a lot about humans can be learned by reading her insights into chimpanzee behavior. Highly recommended.