Cozy Mystery Reads: Canon Clement Mystery series by The Reverend Richard Coles

April 16, 2024April 8, 2024 - Stephanie Leave a comment

“But what he liked most of all about dogs was their innocence of human motives, the self-promoting stratagems and egotism, their affection unstaled by familiarity and reciprocity. This is why the queen surrounds herself with corgis, he sometimes thought: love without deference.”
― Richard Coles, Murder Before Evensong

Canon Daniel Clement has been the Rector of Champton for eight years, the last four of which he has been living with his widowed mother, Audrey in the Rectory. His two dachshunds, Cosmo and Hilda, keep him company when his opinionated mother starts on a tangent.

Champton is on a relative even keel until Daniel announces his plan to install a lavatory in the church which would necessitate the removal of pews. This divides the community and sends his parishioners into a tizzy, fighting over tradition and what should be done instead of the lavatory. Daniel expected a bit of an outcry, but not one as large and longstanding as he received. Lines are drawn throughout town with some going so far as to suggest plans of their own for the proposed lavatory space.

These plans come to a screeching halt when someone is found dead at the back of the church, stabbed in the neck with a pair of secateurs, also known as pruning shears. The police start investigating, other bodies are found, and Daniel is left trying to put his community back together. Tensions start to rise as secrets that were once long buried are unearthed. Who is the killer? A member of the community? Or a stranger seeking revenge for a long ago wrong-doing? Daniel searches for answers all while trying to keep his sleepy parish from falling apart.

“Daniel recalled the bishop saying the same thing, that the higher you rise in an organisation, the further you are from what you need to know.”
― Richard Coles, Murder Before Evensong

Canon Clement Mystery series

Murder Before Evensong (2022)
A Death in the Parish (2023)
Murder at the Monastery (2024)

Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge by Spencer Quinn

April 11, 2024April 1, 2024 - Stephanie Leave a comment

If you don’t know what to read, what is your go-to? I gravitate towards cozy mysteries starring elderly people. My latest read was Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge, the first book in the new Mrs. Plansky series written by Spencer Quinn, a pseudonym used by author Peter Abrahams. Spencer Quinn is most known for his Chet and Bernie Mystery series that started in 2009, starring Chet the dog and his human partner PI Bernie Little.

Mrs. Loretta Plansky has been dealing with a lot lately: her husband has just died, her retirement in Florida is mired with dealing with her cantankerous 98-year-old father, and her children and grandchildren are constantly asking her for money. As a recent widow in her seventies, Loretta just wants to spend her day playing tennis and enjoying her new hip!

Mrs. Plansky receives a phone call in the middle of the night from her grandson, Will, saying that he has been arrested and needs ten thousand dollars. After asking some questions, she decides to give him the money. She sends him her bank details, delighted to receive another phone call a short while later saying that Will has the money and has been released. She heads back to sleep, happy that Will is safe.

Loretta wakes up the next morning and phone calls start pouring in. She is shocked to discover that she has lost everything. Her bank and her financial advisor call to say that she drew her accounts down to zero the night before, millions of dollars gone in the blink of an eye. Loretta soon finds herself in meetings with law enforcement who inform her that her life savings are gone and unfortunately there isn’t much they can do to help her. The scammers are gone, their heist complete, and Loretta is left with nothing. After processing her emotions, she decides to start investigating on her own, following the only clue that she has to a small village in Romania. Mrs. Plansky wants her money back. She isn’t a fool and won’t be taken advantage of anymore.

This was a good introduction to a new series, enough to have me hoping that the subsequent books in the series will be more entertaining. Typically cozy mysteries have a main character with a quirky sidekick, but this book popped back and forth between two view points: 1) Mrs. Plansky and 2) the scammers in Romania. Mrs. Plansky spend the majority of the book by herself with no relief or help. The story focused instead on her forgetfulness as a character, which was distracting. Thankfully about 80% of the way through, some helpers popped into Mrs. Plansky’s life, adding some comic relief to the story. Hopefully these characters are also present in the next books.

This title is also available in large print.

TV6 Book Club February Read Wrap-Up and Introduction to March Reads!

March 14, 2024February 10, 2024 - Brittany Leave a comment

red cover silhouette of a woman and a man

In February, Morgan and I read The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory to celebrate Wedding Month. Below is a short synopsis and what I thought of the book!

Alexa is trapped in an elevator with a sexy stranger who charms his way into her purse (by eating her snacks) and into attending a wedding with him that weekend as his fake girlfriend. When the two attend the wedding, they find that there is nothing fake about the way they feel about one another.

Both Alexa and Drew are afraid to admit their true feelings but still try long distance dating and find it hard to juggle work and their complicated pasts.

I really liked this book; it tackled real issues in a respectful way, and I look forward to reading more in the series!

After loving our February read, I am so excited to get started with our March TV6 Book Club Pick! Below are our 4 options for March including our winning title! Feel free to check them out from Davenport Public Library!

***TV6 Book Club Winner!
The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict (In Honor of Women’s History Month)
Hedy Kiesler is lucky. Her beauty leads to a starring role in a controversial film and marriage to a powerful Austrian arms dealer, allowing her to evade Nazi persecution despite her Jewish heritage. But Hedy is also intelligent. At lavish Vienna dinner parties, she overhears the Third Reich’s plans. One night in 1937, desperate to escape her controlling husband and the rise of the Nazis, she disguises herself and flees her husband’s castle.

She lands in Hollywood, where she becomes Hedy Lamarr, screen star. But Hedy is keeping a secret even more shocking than her Jewish heritage: she is a scientist. She has an idea that might help the country and that might ease her guilt for escaping alone—if anyone will listen to her. (Synopsis by Goodreads)

Sew Deadly by Elizabeth Lynn Casey (In Honor of National Quilting Day on March 16th)
Ever since she moved to Sweet Briar, South Carolina, Yankee librarian Tori Sinclair has been the talk of the tiny town. But she’s been so busy at work, winning over the sewing circle, and trying to forget her cheating ex that she hasn’t even had time to baste together a pillow, let alone mind local gossip. Then she finds the hometown sweetheart dead at her back door…

Everyone believes the police investigator, who’s just fixin’ to link Tori to the murder in a love triangle gone bad. To clear her name, Tori will have to rely on her new sewing sisters and stitch together the truth- or be darned. (Synopsis by Goodreads)

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld (In Honor of Let’s Laugh Day on March 19th)
A comedy writer thinks she’s sworn off love, until a dreamily handsome pop star flips the script on all her assumptions. Romantic Comedy is a hilarious, observant and deeply tender novel from New York Times–bestselling author Curtis Sittenfeld. (Synopsis by Goodreads)

A Proposal They Can’t Refuse by Natalie Caña (In Honor of National Proposal Day on March 20th)
Natalie Caña turns up the heat, humor and heart in this debut rom-com about a Puerto Rican chef and an Irish American whiskey distiller forced into a fake engagement by their scheming octogenarian grandfathers.

Smile Beach Murder by Alicia Bessette

March 13, 2024March 1, 2024 - Michelle Leave a comment

In this cozy mystery series kick off, author Alicia Bessette introduces us to the colorful cast of characters living on Cattail Island off the coast of North Carolina in Smile Beach Murder, the first book in the Outer Banks Bookshop Mystery series. Callie Padget grew up on the island and has now returned from Charlotte after her job writing for a newspaper was eliminated. As glad as she is to reconnect with her uncle and see long lost friends, the island holds bittersweet memories for her. Years earlier, her mother fell off the lighthouse deck on Smile Beach and was killed. It has never been clear to Callie what exactly happened the night her mother fell. Was it an accident, murder or suicide?

Callie soon finds a job at the local bookstore where she spent many hours after her mother’s death reading everything she could get her hands on. She also runs into long lost friend Eva Meeks, who runs Meeks Hardware, along with her sister. Eva shares with Callie that she may have discovered a long lost secret of the island and is on the hunt for a buried treasure. During a late night phone call, Eva begs Callie to meet her at the lighthouse at Smile Beach to find out more about the treasure. When Callie arrives, she discovers the worst possible scenario – Eva has fallen from the top of the light house in exactly the same way as her mother did 10 years ago!

As Callie begins her amateur investigation, she makes some of the residents angry along the way. From the remaining family members who run Meeks Hardware to the richest family in town, Callie has a tendency to stir the pot when she uncovers clues that may indicate that Eva did not jump off the lighthouse and was pushed.

Simultaneously investigating her mother’s mysterious fall and the most recent event at the lighthouse, Callie learns the hard way how sticking her nose into the investigation can be risky as she is attacked by a masked perpetrator who she believes was trying to throw her off the trail. Soon thereafter, she befriends the new martial arts teacher in town, Tony Dodge, and a budding romance ensues after he offers to give her private self defense courses.

As Callie gets nearer to uncovering what truly happened to her mother and to Eva years later, another victim is discovered. Callie wonders if she will uncover the truth before she becomes the next victim. Bessette not only has written an engaging mystery, she has also made the setting of the Outer Banks come alive to the reader. The sand, breeze and salty air are vivid in this debut mystery. If you are looking for a cozy mystery that has a spectacular setting and memorable characters, pick up Smile Beach Murder, the series launch of the Outer Banks Bookshop Mystery series.

The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp by Leonie Swann

March 7, 2024February 24, 2024 - Stephanie Leave a comment

The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp is the first book in the Agnes Sharp Murder Mysteries series written by Leonie Swann. This book is dark, but also funny and full of twists and turns. If you’re looking for a cozy mystery series featuring a group of senior citizens trying to solve a murder, this is for you!

Agnes Sharp has always wanted to be able to control her own life. Wanting to be surrounded by like-minded people, she created Sunset Hall, a house share for the elderly in the sleepy English countryside. At Sunset Hall, they all can control how they live and how they choose to spend their time. They may have mobility issues, misplaced reading glasses, different dietary tastes, and many other problems, but the most important fact is that the residents of Sunset Hall are all there for each other.

When a police officer knocks on their door one morning, nothing could prepare them for what he says: a dead body has been discovered at a house close to them. Quickly taking in this news, the group is relieved that the officer is there to tell them about their neighbor’s dead body and not the body that they are currently hiding in their shed out back. Confused about what to do with the dead body in their shed, the discovery of their dead neighbor couldn’t have come at a better time. They just have to find out who murdered their neighbor and then pin that murder on them (after all, said person has already murdered their neighbor, there’s nothing to say that they wouldn’t have murdered again, given the chance). Easy, right? With a plan in place, Agnes and her cohorts start looking for clues, venturing outside their comfortable norms and head to the village where they will have to interview locals and steer clear of the authorities to find the killer.

This book follows an eccentric group of seniors who are attempting to solve one murder while covering up another. The author mixes multiple sub-plots amongst the different points-of-view, which I enjoyed. The residents of Sunset Hall, alongside their pets, Hettie the tortoise and Brexit the dog, are delightful. The author portrayed the characters from their own point of view, which I appreciate in cozy mysteries. Readers are then allowed to see why these senior citizens choose to live on their own terms, alongside the challenges of aging and all the associated needs that come along with it. The twist at the end was also unexpected! I am intrigued enough to read more of their work.

My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey

January 29, 2024January 9, 2024 - Stephanie Leave a comment

“I do have a super strength and it involves overthinking everything to death.”
― Tessa Bailey, My Killer Vacation

Are you looking for a mix between a cozy mystery and a steamy romance? Try My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey! I have yet to dislike any of Tessa Bailey’s romance novels, so when I stumbled upon My Killer Vacation on the shelves at the library, I knew I needed to read this cozy mystery romance. (Content warning: this book was much spicier than I thought it was going to be. The romance/sex scenes definitely do not take place off page. Go forth and read if you will.)

Perky and energetic elementary school teacher Taylor is on vacation with her heartbroken brother on Cape Cod, a vacation she’s been saving for for years. Minutes after arriving, Taylor finds peepholes in her bedroom, and upon further inspection finds a DEAD BODY downstairs. Taylor is a true crime enthusiast, so of course she decides to do a little investigating herself.

The sister of the murder victim doesn’t agree with the police’s handling of the case, so she reaches out to bounty hunter, Myles, to figure out what really happened to her brother. Myles is a grouchy motorcycle riding bounty hunter with relationship issues (you can see where this is heading, right?). As soon as Taylor and Myles meet, sparks erupt. Much to Myles’ dismay, Taylor won’t stop poking around in the case, so the two work together despite the sexual tension bubbling away between them. Whatever their relationship is is not enough to stop the two from investigating.

“Terrible things happen sometimes, but you can’t avoid the high of happiness or joy, because you’re too afraid of falling from a great height.”
― Tessa Bailey, My Killer Vacation

Mystery Reads: Coffeehouse Mystery series by Cleo Coyle

October 24, 2023September 25, 2023 - Stephanie Leave a comment

“Coffee makes a sad man cheerful, a languorous man active, a cold man warm, a warm man glowing. It awakens mental powers thought to be dead, and when left in a sick room, it fills the room with a fragrance…. The very smell of coffee terrorizes death.”
― Cleo Coyle, On What Grounds

Ten years ago, Clare Cosi left her job managing the historic Village Blend coffeehouse in New York City. She moved to the quieter suburbs to raise her daughter. These quieter spaces are starting to bother Clare, so when the owner of Village Blend calls and proposes that Clare come back to manage the coffeehouse, she is intrigued. Soon Clare is moving back to New York City, right in the action and ready to serve up coffee.

Clare has scored the spacious rent-free apartment located right above Village Blend. Bringing her last bit of belongings to her new place early one morning, Clare is shocked to see that Village Blend is closed and locked when it should be open, serving customers. Angry that her new assistant manager is slacking on the job, Clare walks into the coffeehouse to find coffee grounds all over and her employee gravely injured. The arrival of the police and their subsequent ruling that this whole incident was an accident rubs Clare the wrong way. She isn’t convinced, despite their certainty, that her employee was clumsy enough to fall down the stairs. Clare begins an investigation of her own, determined to uncover the truth.

This series has been on my to-read list for quite a while. I took a risk and decided to read the first. While not a coffee drinker, I did find myself enjoying all of the coffee making tips and recipes that the author sprinkles throughout the book. I was pleasantly surprised with the plot. It wasn’t the best cozy mystery start to a series that I’ve read, but it also wasn’t the worst! I’m excited to see where the second book takes me.

This title is also available as a Libby eBook.

“As the 1902 coffee almanac put it, ‘When coffee is bad it is the wickedest thing in town; when good, the most glorious.”
― Cleo Coyle, On What Grounds

Coffeehouse Mystery series

Mystery Reads: Record Shop Mystery Series by Olivia Blacke

July 26, 2023July 19, 2023 - Stephanie Leave a comment

If you’re ever not sure what to read, I highly recommend you listen to our podcast, Checked In: A Davenport Public Library Podcast. As of this writing, we have sixteen episodes ready for you! Our podcast is hosted by three librarians: myself and two others. Each month we talk about different topics, plus we share our reading recommendations and what we are currently reading. My latest read came recommended on the podcast when we were discussing new cozy mystery series. This read was a very fun start to a new series with a concept that I hadn’t read before: murder in a record shop.

Vinyl Resting Place is book one in the Record Shop Mystery series by Olivia Blacke. Blacke has a criminology degree, something that is apparent as you read this title. She is a member of the International Thriller Writers as well as Sisters in Crime. Her writing hooked me from the start – the punny title alone grabbed me and made me want to read.

Vinyl Resting Place tells the story of three sisters and their journey to open a family business in their hometown. Juni Jessup and her sisters, Tansy and Maggie, have put everything into Sip & Spin Records, a record and coffee shop in Cedar River, Texas. Juni has moved home from Oregon, her sisters quit their jobs, and they put their savings into opening up a new record store in the same storefront that their grandparents had their record store. In case it’s not evident yet, family is everything to the Jessups.

At the kick-off party the night before the store is set to open, friends, family, and people from town fill the store. The Jessup sisters have high hopes that their store will fill a need. Being that they are so close to the Austin, Texas music scene, they are able to stock their store with local musicians. As the party winds down and they start cleaning up, the three are excited everything went so smoothly. Their joy pops when they find a dead body in the supply closet. Things escalate quickly: their uncle is arrested, they put up Sip & Spin for collateral, and then Uncle Calvin disappears! They are devastated that he would put them and their business at risk. Juni and her sisters decide they have to find Uncle Calvin. The best way to do that: to find the murderer. At least the three have each other, but even their help might not be enough to keep Juni safe and to solve the crime.

This start to a new series is charming. It’s full of tropes that make up a cozy mystery: a small town, a new entrepreneur turned amateur sleuth, a meddling family, and a love triangle! This isn’t your conventional cozy though: the setting and the protagonist are edgier than others. The family dynamic is different, the mystery and killer were unexpected (looking back now, I can see the hints), and Juni is intriguing. Plus there were so many music references that eventually I started writing them down, so I could look them up later! I can’t wait for the next one to come out!

Record Shop Mystery series:

Vinyl Resting Place (2022)
A Fatal Groove (2023)
Rhythm and Clues (2024)

New Cozy Mysteries for Spring!

May 11, 2023May 3, 2023 - Michelle Leave a comment

Some of the best loved cozy mystery series continue every spring with the next book in the series to enjoy. Below are some of the most popular cozy mystery titles to read over the next few months!

Curds of Prey by Korina Moss

As the social wedding of the summer hears up, Cheesemonger Willa Bauer is busy preparing her famous cheese bar for the festivities at the request of the bride and groom. All is well with the preparations until a member of the wedding party is found dead at the bridal shower and Willa is charged with finding a killer. Curds of Prey is the third book in the Cheese Shop Mystery series.

Digging Up Daisy by Sherry Lynn

Digging Up Daisy, the first book launching the Mainely Murder Mystery series, introduces us to Kinsley Clark, owner of the landscaping company SeaScapes. Kinsley is thrust into a murder investigation after finding a mud-covered shoe while moonlighting at her aunt’s bed and breakfast. Is this shoe linked to an infamous case from years ago that remains unsolved? Kinsley delves into the cold case and finds herself in the thick of the investigation to find a killer.

Mother of the Bride Murder by Leslie Meier

Lucy Stone travels to France for her daughter’s nuptials and happens upon a killer in Mother of the Bride Murder, the 29th installment of this popular cozy mystery series. While touring the French countryside, a body is pulled from the moat of a historic chateau. Will the wedding go off as planned or will the body count continue to rise? Lucy Stone is determined to find out and not let it ruin her daughter’s big day.

Death by Chocolate Marshmallow Pie by Sarah Graves

Another chocolate shop is coming to town and is about to encroach on Ellie’s chocolate store the Chocolate Moose in Death by Chocolate Marshmallow Pie! After the owner of Choco, the rival store, is found dead after a heated incident with Ellie. All fingers point to Ellie as the possible culprit and she has to act fast to clear her name! This is the sixth book in the Death by Chocolate mystery series.

Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust by Mindy Quigley

Set in a Wisconsin pizzeria, owner Delilah O’Leary has her sights set on winning the annual “Taste of Wisconsin” culinary contest with her crowd favorite pizza recipe in Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust, the second book in the Deep Dish Mystery series. When another culinary contestant is poisoned, everyone in the contest is a suspect. Will Delilah find the killer before they strike again?

Cinnamon Twisted by Ginger Bolton

A mundane afternoon at the Deputy Donut café turns upside down when café owner Emily Westhill takes on the nearly impossible task of trying to return an earring to a customer in Cinnamon Twisted. She gets more than she bargained for when, after finally locating the customer, Emily finds her dead! Things become even more complicated for her when a police officer finds the other earring with a note attached to Emily herself. Time is of the essence as Emily works to find a connection between the victim, earring and the mysterious history of the building that houses the Deputy Donut cafe! Fans will enjoy this seventh book in the Deputy Donut mystery series.

Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood

The very popular Marlow Murder Club series returns in the second book in the series! The trio of amateur sleuths make their next appearance in Death Comes to Marlow. Recovering from the holiday festivities, Judith is invited to a pre-wedding celebration at the home of her aristocratic neighbor. Events then go south from a blissful festive occasion to tragedy after the groom is found dead in a locked room. Is it an accident or murder? The sleuthing trio will have to find out!

Hot Pot Murder by Jennifer J. Chow

Hot Pot Murder, the second book in the LA Night Market mystery series, find cousins Yale and Celine Yee involved in another food stall escapade. After being invited to a gathering of local food vendors, one of the attendees doesn’t make it through the dinner and another vendor may be the culprit! The cousins join forces to get to the bottom of the caper so the food market won’t close for good!

Mystery Reads: Marlow Murder Club series by Robert Thorogood

February 15, 2023February 3, 2023 - Stephanie Leave a comment

“She couldn’t help noticing everything about her existence seemed to be defined by someone who wasn’t her.”
― Robert Thorogood, The Marlow Murder Club

The Marlow Murder Club is the first book in the series of the same name by Robert Thorogood. The tag line really sets up the whole book: ‘To solve an impossible murder, you need an impossible hero…’. This book has a whole cast of impossible heroes: the main one being Judith Potts, a seventy-seven year old woman who lives on her own in a mansion, drinking whiskey and setting crosswords for The Times newspaper. She recruits a mismatched group of women to help her solve a mystery.

One evening, Judith is out swimming in the Thames when she witnesses a murder. Well, she hears yelling and a gunshot. Desperate for answers, Judith talks to the police. They don’t believe her story however, so she decides to investigate for herself. In the midst of her digging, Judith recruits Suzie, a local dog walker, and Becks, the prim and proper wife of the local Vicar. The three women form the Marlow Murder Club. Unsure of what their sleuthing will bring about, they are shocked when another person dies. Thinking that there may be a serial killer running around Marlow, they realize that this puzzle they are trying to solve may instead be a trap with deadly implications for the Marlow Murder Club.

This book is also available in the following format:

OverDrive eBook

Marlow Murder Club series

The Marlow Murder Club (2021)
Death Comes to Marlow (2023)

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Tag: cozy mystery