Cozy Mystery Corner - Page 13

phenomshel · 03-24-2011, 03:14 PM

I hope y'all are as excited about this news as I was! Susan Conant is getting ready to release the first four books in her acclaimed Holly Winter series in ebook formats!

This is a great series, and I am so excited about getting to re-read it on my Sony!

Iznogood · 03-24-2011, 08:59 PM

Cozy mysyeries I can recomend:
Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie (free from gutenberg.org)
She died a Lady by John Dickson Carr
The Problem of the Green Capsule by John Dickson Carr

rhadin · 03-26-2011, 10:37 AM

I highly recommend Vicki Tyley's 3 books, Thin Blood, Brittle Shadows, and Sleight Malice, all of which are available at Smashwords for $2.99 each. I found them to be exceptional reads. I think Tyley is the Australian P.D. James -- a can't miss read.

SensualPoet · 03-26-2011, 04:43 PM

Brittle Shadows is Vicki Tyley's latest book and it's actually just $0.99 at Amazon Kindle.

bert501 · 03-26-2011, 07:00 PM

Just finished Ghost in Trouble--LOVED it. I thought it read like those old Topper movies, does anyone remember those? Now I have to read everything else she has written!

SeaBookGuy · 04-24-2011, 07:08 PM

I'm nearly finished with Bookplate Special, the third (of four) in Lorna Barrett's "Booktown" series, featuring mystery bookshop owner Tricia Miles, set in the town of Stoneham, NH ... which was dying until a local magul had the idea of turning the unused downtown stores into bookstores of different genres (mystery, history, food, etc.).

Tricia and her sister Angelica come from a wealthy family, and have lots of loot from previous marriages, but at least Angelica runs two businesses (cookbook store and separate restaurant), as well as having a book under contract. Tricia seems arrogant about having gone to Dartmouth, as well as deciding that the local sheriff is nasty to her because she's "jealous" of Tricia's looks. In this book, Sheriff Wendy Adams has turned over the homicide case (third body Tricia has found in the same small town in barely a year!) to a male staff member instead, basically washing her hands of the bookseller. Tricia keeps meddling at every turn, and then feels aggrieved that Captain Baker finally blows up! She's really become incredibly self-absorbed at this point; she may be (relatively) good looking and wealthy, but her spoiled background ("After all the money my father spent on Ivy League educations, he'd be horrified to see me now!" - she was washing dishes at her sister's place for a few minutes - once!) seems like rather a turn-off to me!

Catlady · 04-24-2011, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeaBookGuy

I'm about 1/3 of the way through Murder Past Due ... and not really liking it much. Some reviewers have said they found something "off" about it; my impression so far is that James wrote a book he thought he was "supposed to" in order to attract a specific audience (cat people, Dewey lovers).

I just finished Murder Past Due the other day, and I found it a bit odd, too. I was really thrown for a loop by the protagonist being male--I expected a female. I thought that would be the whole point of a male author using a female pseudonym--that he'd be writing from a female POV. And, really, the protagonist could just as well have been female--I don't think anything would need to have been changed but the physical description!

The 18-year-old boy read a lot younger to me--more like 14 or 15.

And the protagonist didn't even solve the mystery! At least the cat did remind me of my own sweet Maine coon-ish kitty.

SeaBookGuy · 04-24-2011, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catlady

I don't think anything would need to have been changed but the physical description!

WHAT physical description? I'm a fairly astute reader and came away with basically no details about the protagonist's appearance at all.

Catlady · 04-25-2011, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeaBookGuy

WHAT physical description? I'm a fairly astute reader and came away with basically no details about the protagonist's appearance at all.

True enough--but there were a couple of mentions of clothing, I think. And things like tying his tie and shaving.

NightBird · 04-30-2011, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bert501

Just finished Ghost in Trouble--LOVED it. I thought it read like those old Topper movies, does anyone remember those?

Just thought you might like to know - The Topper movies were based on the Topper books by James Thorne Smith and are available here at MobileRead:

Topper (aka The Jovial Ghosts)

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...per#post902694

Topper Takes a Trip

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...per#post902696

I haven't seen anyone mention Simon Brett. He has written a few different series but I have been reading the Mrs. Pargeter books and really enjoying them. Unfortunately, they are not available in ebook but I got them used at Better World Books for $3.00 each. There are 6 books in the series. Basically, Mrs. Pargeter is a burglar's widow who plays an amateur sleuth, using her dead husband's "tools of the trade" and contacts to obtain information. The first book, A Nice Class of Corpse, takes place in a residential hotel. Some humor, many red herrings and lots of twists.

Here's the Amazon page if anyone is interested in reading more about them:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss...t+mrs+pargeter

bert501 · 04-30-2011, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NightBird

Just thought you might like to know - The Topper movies were based on the Topper books by James Thorne Smith and are available here at MobileRead:

Topper (aka The Jovial Ghosts)

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...per#post902694

Topper Takes a Trip

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...per#post902696

I haven't seen anyone mention Simon Brett. He has written a few different series but I have been reading the Mrs. Pargeter books and really enjoying them. Unfortunately, they are not available in ebook but I got them used at Better World Books for $3.00 each. There are 6 books in the series. Basically, Mrs. Pargeter is a burglar's widow who plays an amateur sleuth, using her dead husband's "tools of the trade" and contacts to obtain information. The first book, A Nice Class of Corpse, takes place in a residential hotel. Some humor, many red herrings and lots of twists.

Here's the Amazon page if anyone is interested in reading more about them:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss...t+mrs+pargeter

ooh-some more books to add to my TBR list lol thanks for this info, hopefully there is a large print edition somewhere; I'll gladly use my magnifying glass to get to enjoy these books!!

NightBird · 05-01-2011, 02:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bert501

ooh-some more books to add to my TBR list lol thanks for this info, hopefully there is a large print edition somewhere; I'll gladly use my magnifying glass to get to enjoy these books!!

Lol - I have the same problem. My mother has macular degeneration and having a lot of trouble reading, so I've been looking for magnifiers for her and trying out different ones, and finding out they work great for me for the small print books also. So far I have tried this one, which works very well but is a little heavy:

http://www.amazon.com/Bausch-Lomb-Sa...229362&sr=1-10

This one is also good:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001N0D81O

Then I saw these flip-up glasses, and I thought these would actually be the best solution if they work:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KYVLBI

amward · 05-01-2011, 04:12 AM

[QUOTE=NightBird;1519018]Lol - I have the same problem. My mother has macular degeneration and having a lot of trouble reading, so I've been looking for magnifiers for her and trying out different ones, and finding out they work great for me for the small print books also. So far I have tried this one, which works very well but is a little heavy:

I just gave my mother my Ereader. She is 95 and also has macular degeneration. With the reader she can bump the print size up to where she wants it, can feel where the buttons are and I typed out the instructions in huge font. It's easier for her than a large print book and her special glasses.

Helen Smith · 05-01-2011, 12:09 PM

SensualPoet and rhadin, I have read Vicki Tyley's first book, Slight Malice, and I really enjoyed it. I have bought the others but haven't got to them yet. Her books are are very reasonably priced and she writes very well.

NightBird · 05-01-2011, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amward

I just gave my mother my Ereader. She is 95 and also has macular degeneration. With the reader she can bump the print size up to where she wants it, can feel where the buttons are and I typed out the instructions in huge font. It's easier for her than a large print book and her special glasses.

Yes, we went the ereader route, too, but the print was still not big enough for her and she is one of those people who just does not like reading on an ereader. The magnifiers are good for other things besides reading, too.

I'm glad that's working for your mother, though, and thanks for the suggestion.

03-26-2011, 07:00 PM	#185
bert501 Connoisseur Posts: 68 Karma: 263126 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Missouri, USA Device: Kindle	Carolyn Hart Just finished Ghost in Trouble--LOVED it. I thought it read like those old Topper movies, does anyone remember those? Now I have to read everything else she has written!

04-24-2011, 07:08 PM	#186
SeaBookGuy Can one read too much? Posts: 2,029 Karma: 2487799 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Naples, FL Device: Kindle PW 3, Sony 350 and 650	RANT ALERT! I'm nearly finished with Bookplate Special, the third (of four) in Lorna Barrett's "Booktown" series, featuring mystery bookshop owner Tricia Miles, set in the town of Stoneham, NH ... which was dying until a local magul had the idea of turning the unused downtown stores into bookstores of different genres (mystery, history, food, etc.). Tricia and her sister Angelica come from a wealthy family, and have lots of loot from previous marriages, but at least Angelica runs two businesses (cookbook store and separate restaurant), as well as having a book under contract. Tricia seems arrogant about having gone to Dartmouth, as well as deciding that the local sheriff is nasty to her because she's "jealous" of Tricia's looks. In this book, Sheriff Wendy Adams has turned over the homicide case (third body Tricia has found in the same small town in barely a year!) to a male staff member instead, basically washing her hands of the bookseller. Tricia keeps meddling at every turn, and then feels aggrieved that Captain Baker finally blows up! She's really become incredibly self-absorbed at this point; she may be (relatively) good looking and wealthy, but her spoiled background ("After all the money my father spent on Ivy League educations, he'd be horrified to see me now!" - she was washing dishes at her sister's place for a few minutes - once!) seems like rather a turn-off to me!

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03-24-2011, 03:14 PM	#181
phenomshel ZCD BombShel Posts: 4,793 Karma: 8293322 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: The Frozen North (aka Illinois, USA) Device: iPad, STB Kindle Oasis	I hope y'all are as excited about this news as I was! Susan Conant is getting ready to release the first four books in her acclaimed Holly Winter series in ebook formats! This is a great series, and I am so excited about getting to re-read it on my Sony!

03-24-2011, 08:59 PM	#182
Iznogood Guru Posts: 932 Karma: 15752887 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Norway Device: Ipad, kindle paperwhite	Cozy mysyeries I can recomend: Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie (free from gutenberg.org) She died a Lady by John Dickson Carr The Problem of the Green Capsule by John Dickson Carr

03-26-2011, 10:37 AM	#183
rhadin Literacy = Understanding Posts: 4,833 Karma: 59674358 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: The World of Books Device: Nook, Nook Tablet	I highly recommend Vicki Tyley's 3 books, Thin Blood, Brittle Shadows, and Sleight Malice, all of which are available at Smashwords for $2.99 each. I found them to be exceptional reads. I think Tyley is the Australian P.D. James -- a can't miss read.

03-26-2011, 04:43 PM	#184
SensualPoet Wizard Posts: 2,302 Karma: 2607151 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo Aura HD, Kindle Paperwhite, Asus ZenPad 3, Kobo Glo	Brittle Shadows is Vicki Tyley's latest book and it's actually just $0.99 at Amazon Kindle.

05-01-2011, 04:12 AM	#193
amward Wizard Posts: 1,299 Karma: 2081110 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: SW Australia Device: Eco Eclipse, Sony PRS 350 (pink), Ipod Touch, Kindle Touch	[QUOTE=NightBird;1519018]Lol - I have the same problem. My mother has macular degeneration and having a lot of trouble reading, so I've been looking for magnifiers for her and trying out different ones, and finding out they work great for me for the small print books also. So far I have tried this one, which works very well but is a little heavy: I just gave my mother my Ereader. She is 95 and also has macular degeneration. With the reader she can bump the print size up to where she wants it, can feel where the buttons are and I typed out the instructions in huge font. It's easier for her than a large print book and her special glasses.

05-01-2011, 12:09 PM	#194
Helen Smith Zealot Posts: 149 Karma: 200000 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: London Device: kindle	SensualPoet and rhadin, I have read Vicki Tyley's first book, Slight Malice, and I really enjoyed it. I have bought the others but haven't got to them yet. Her books are are very reasonably priced and she writes very well.