Cozy Mystery Corner - Page 6

phenomshel · 01-24-2011, 12:07 AM

Re: Sookie. Well, although there are some mysteries (and some dead bodies) in the series, I probably wouldn't call them mysteries either, though I'm not sure exactly what I would call them instead. I've been familiar with Charlaine Harris' work for years and years, my mom had the Lily Bard series, and the Aurora Teagarden books. I've enjoyed everything by her I've read, and Sookie is no exception. However, interestingly enough, I can't watch "True Blood". I downloaded an episode to see how far off the shows were from the books and found out real quick that the amount of blood I "visualize" when I read is most definitely not the same vision that the producers of that show had in mind!! Since I don't do visual blood, I gave up on watching the show.

Nyssa · 01-24-2011, 12:14 AM

Its unfortunate, although understandable, that the violence is too much for you to watch. That aside, the show is is almost as great as the books, although they took one particular story line way too far, and may be ignoring another.

Terisa de morgan · 01-24-2011, 02:19 AM

Perhaps you can call Urban Fantasy to Sookie books: the paranormal elements are stronger than the mystery, but there's still mystery. But it isn't a cozy in any way (sex, gore,...)

amward · 01-24-2011, 02:58 AM

Gosh I never realised there were so many cosy mysteries or that it was a genre. I love them. The Agatha Raisin series are good reads, written by the author of the Hamish Macbeth books, M.C Beaton. I have recently discovered the Ophelia O series by Tanya Jones which have me laughing out loud. I've bought more (e)books since i got my ereader for Christmas than I've bought in the last year..I'm too mean to pay AU$30-35 for a book I can borrow from the library for nothing.

JoelArnold · 01-24-2011, 07:24 PM

Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but I really enjoyed G.M. Maillet's Death of a Cozy Writer.

lyric39 · 01-25-2011, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lyric39

Lets start a cozy mystery corner where we can swap our favorite curl up on the couch reads.
I'll start with a few that I've just read, can't wait to see what you'll add.
Chapter and Hearse Lorna Barret

Busy Body M.C Beaton

Deadly Greeting (a Card making mystery) Elizabeth Bright

Fatally Frosted Jessica Beck

M.C.Beaton Death of a Celebrity

hello again, the ook that I've just read doesnt quite fit into this catagory but I was just wondering if anyone has read Confessions of a Shoppaholic?

phenomshel · 01-25-2011, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lyric39

hello again, the ook that I've just read doesnt quite fit into this catagory but I was just wondering if anyone has read Confessions of a Shoppaholic?

I read the first one, there's a whole series of them. I consider them more Chick Lit (sorry, women's fiction for those more PC than me). Not that I don't read a fair bit of it when I'm in the mood, LOL.

teadonkey · 01-25-2011, 06:14 PM

Interesting points. I read some of Harris' other books, the more mystery series type ones, and I've considered them sort of... DARK cozy. But I've never known what to call the Sookie books! As for True Blood, I can't do that show. I need a little less sex in a story than that. I find it too distracting from the storyline, personally. (: I definitely like a little romance, but too much makes my tiny attention span go haywire.

I consider the Shopaholic series chick lit, as well. I try to alternate between a chick lit and a cozy, though! That way I don't get any clues mixed up in my head from one mystery to another.

Oh!! I just finished A Study in Scarlet, the Sherlock Holmes book. I gotta say... I found it to be kind of in line with cozy mysteries more so than a DETECTIVE story. Holmes is WAY quirky and is not a professional, and they are most definitely not gory in nature - all things I find as hallmarks in cozies. Anyone else read some of the Holmes stories and have a similar view? Or a different view?

SeaBookGuy · 01-25-2011, 07:09 PM

I might consider Holmes stories as "cozy" (albeit stretching things a bit) in the sense that one reads them as much for the characters, scene, etc. rather than "plot".

phenomshel · 01-26-2011, 12:01 AM

Sherlock Holmes as cozy probably isn't stretching it as much as you would think. You're right, not gory, he's an amateur, and he's nothing if not quirky, LOL! You also have the peripheral characters such as Watson and Mrs. Hudson, and a nemesis. But there are also a lot of the traditional detective hallmarks in there too. I wonder what they'd be classified if they were written today? (Like the Sherlock Holmes miniseries on PBS).

Stitchawl · 01-26-2011, 04:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phenomshel

Sherlock Holmes as cozy probably isn't stretching it as much as you would think. You're right, not gory, he's an amateur, and he's nothing if not quirky, LOL! You also have the peripheral characters such as Watson and Mrs. Hudson, and a nemesis. But there are also a lot of the traditional detective hallmarks in there too. I wonder what they'd be classified if they were written today? (Like the Sherlock Holmes miniseries on PBS).

With that in mind, I just finished John Sanford's latest in the 'Virgil Flowers' series. Another great spin-off series from his 'Prey' series, there is good mystery but even better character studies, and always bringing back people from the Prey series as Virgil works for Lucas Davenport in Minnesota's BCA. All the fun folk that worked together for Lucas find themselves helping Virgil, but not so much as to make you think it's one of the Prey books. This new series is definately on it's own, and worth following if you love a good mystery that adds fun into the mix!

Stitchawl

phenomshel · 01-26-2011, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

With that in mind, I just finished John Sanford's latest in the 'Virgil Flowers' series. Another great spin-off series from his 'Prey' series, there is good mystery but even better character studies, and always bringing back people from the Prey series as Virgil works for Lucas Davenport in Minnesota's BCA. All the fun folk that worked together for Lucas find themselves helping Virgil, but not so much as to make you think it's one of the Prey books. This new series is definately on it's own, and worth following if you love a good mystery that adds fun into the mix!

Stitchawl

So can you read these if you haven't read the Prey series? The descriptions of those sound a little more intense than what I usually read.

Stitchawl · 01-26-2011, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phenomshel

So can you read these if you haven't read the Prey series? The descriptions of those sound a little more intense than what I usually read.

Oh, absolutely. You don't even need to read them in series order. Each book gives enough of Virgil's background to appreciate him, and doesn't require knowledge of the Prey series to enjoy the addition of those characters. Sanford is enough of an author to provide his readers with enough information to completely appreciate what unspoken interaction is going on.

Virgil is the kind of cop who usually forgets to bring his gun. He leaves it under the seat in his truck... He's a nice guy, not a bully, and always calls for back-up rather than playing super-cop. He'd rather be at some rock concert or out fishing... until a case grabs him and he forgets to sleep. He wears rock band T-shirts, jeans, and a sport jacket, and usually finds himself in bed with one or two suspects...unless interrupted by a phone call.

The Prey series crimes tend to have a heavy dark feel to them, but the characters are not so dark. In the Virgil Flowers series, the crimes are lighter and the characters are almost funny. Not all, but most.

Stitchawl

amward · 01-26-2011, 11:31 PM

Hmm yet another author to check out. I'm still debating whether I should have joined this forum, I'm having too much fun and spending lots of time.

Anne

bert501 · 01-26-2011, 11:48 PM

I'm really enjoying the "Royal Spyness" series by Rhys Bowen. I would call them "cozies" since they have a murder (or 2!) but they're not thrillers more like whodunits and whytheydidits lol.

The hook is that the heroine is 34th in line to the British throne but hasn't a penny so she works as a domestic all the while spying on Edward & Mrs. Simpson for Her Majesty!

Very well done and I highly recommend the series. I'm on book 3 and they just keep getting better!!

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01-24-2011, 12:07 AM	#76
phenomshel ZCD BombShel Posts: 4,793 Karma: 8293322 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: The Frozen North (aka Illinois, USA) Device: iPad, STB Kindle Oasis	Re: Sookie. Well, although there are some mysteries (and some dead bodies) in the series, I probably wouldn't call them mysteries either, though I'm not sure exactly what I would call them instead. I've been familiar with Charlaine Harris' work for years and years, my mom had the Lily Bard series, and the Aurora Teagarden books. I've enjoyed everything by her I've read, and Sookie is no exception. However, interestingly enough, I can't watch "True Blood". I downloaded an episode to see how far off the shows were from the books and found out real quick that the amount of blood I "visualize" when I read is most definitely not the same vision that the producers of that show had in mind!! Since I don't do visual blood, I gave up on watching the show.

01-24-2011, 12:14 AM	#77
Nyssa Series Addict Posts: 6,180 Karma: 167189477 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Florida, USA Device: Kindle Paperwhite (2nd Gen)	Its unfortunate, although understandable, that the violence is too much for you to watch. That aside, the show is is almost as great as the books, although they took one particular story line way too far, and may be ignoring another.

01-24-2011, 02:19 AM	#78
Terisa de morgan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,636 Karma: 12595249 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Madrid, Spain Device: Kobo Clara/Aura One/Forma,XiaoMI 5, iPad, Huawei MediaPad, YotaPhone 2	Perhaps you can call Urban Fantasy to Sookie books: the paranormal elements are stronger than the mystery, but there's still mystery. But it isn't a cozy in any way (sex, gore,...)

01-24-2011, 02:58 AM	#79
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	Gosh I never realised there were so many cosy mysteries or that it was a genre. I love them. The Agatha Raisin series are good reads, written by the author of the Hamish Macbeth books, M.C Beaton. I have recently discovered the Ophelia O series by Tanya Jones which have me laughing out loud. I've bought more (e)books since i got my ereader for Christmas than I've bought in the last year..I'm too mean to pay AU$30-35 for a book I can borrow from the library for nothing.

01-24-2011, 07:24 PM	#80
JoelArnold Fanatic Posts: 544 Karma: 1036914 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Savage, MN Device: Kindle 3	Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but I really enjoyed G.M. Maillet's Death of a Cozy Writer.

01-25-2011, 06:14 PM	#83
teadonkey Zealot Posts: 132 Karma: 2179008 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Kindle 3 WiFi	Interesting points. I read some of Harris' other books, the more mystery series type ones, and I've considered them sort of... DARK cozy. But I've never known what to call the Sookie books! As for True Blood, I can't do that show. I need a little less sex in a story than that. I find it too distracting from the storyline, personally. (: I definitely like a little romance, but too much makes my tiny attention span go haywire. I consider the Shopaholic series chick lit, as well. I try to alternate between a chick lit and a cozy, though! That way I don't get any clues mixed up in my head from one mystery to another. Oh!! I just finished A Study in Scarlet, the Sherlock Holmes book. I gotta say... I found it to be kind of in line with cozy mysteries more so than a DETECTIVE story. Holmes is WAY quirky and is not a professional, and they are most definitely not gory in nature - all things I find as hallmarks in cozies. Anyone else read some of the Holmes stories and have a similar view? Or a different view?

01-25-2011, 07:09 PM	#84
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	I might consider Holmes stories as "cozy" (albeit stretching things a bit) in the sense that one reads them as much for the characters, scene, etc. rather than "plot".

01-26-2011, 12:01 AM	#85
phenomshel ZCD BombShel Posts: 4,793 Karma: 8293322 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: The Frozen North (aka Illinois, USA) Device: iPad, STB Kindle Oasis	Sherlock Holmes as cozy probably isn't stretching it as much as you would think. You're right, not gory, he's an amateur, and he's nothing if not quirky, LOL! You also have the peripheral characters such as Watson and Mrs. Hudson, and a nemesis. But there are also a lot of the traditional detective hallmarks in there too. I wonder what they'd be classified if they were written today? (Like the Sherlock Holmes miniseries on PBS).

01-26-2011, 11:31 PM	#89
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	Hmm yet another author to check out. I'm still debating whether I should have joined this forum, I'm having too much fun and spending lots of time. Anne

01-26-2011, 11:48 PM	#90
bert501 Connoisseur Posts: 68 Karma: 263126 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Missouri, USA Device: Kindle	I'm really enjoying the "Royal Spyness" series by Rhys Bowen. I would call them "cozies" since they have a murder (or 2!) but they're not thrillers more like whodunits and whytheydidits lol. The hook is that the heroine is 34th in line to the British throne but hasn't a penny so she works as a domestic all the while spying on Edward & Mrs. Simpson for Her Majesty! Very well done and I highly recommend the series. I'm on book 3 and they just keep getting better!!

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