Cozy Mystery – Page 37 – Carol's Notebook

Deadly Cargo by Matthew Costello and Neil Richards

September 3, 2021September 2, 2021 by Carol2 Comments

American Kat Reilly and Brit Sir Harry Mortimer are settling into married life together in Mydworth. Kat no longer works in interesting ways for the American government, but Harry still works and has connections in Whitehall. Together, they have investigated some interesting cases, which they love doing. This time around, a local companies delivery trucks are being stopped and their contents, radios, stolen with some regularity. Kat and Harry use their training and intelligence to get to the bottom of the mystery. We've got some twists, turns, red herrings, and a glimpse at how technology was changing at the time. The story moves quickly, without any dull moments, and I was surprised by the whodunnit. It's always fun to spend time with Kat and Harry....

Sinners and Saints by Helena Marchmont

August 19, 2021August 18, 2021 by Carol2 Comments

Sinners and Saints was a fun addition to the series. And do read them in order. They are short and you get to know the colorful cast better that way. Here we get to know a bit more about the vicar, Philip, who has been a good friend to Alfie, but has a pretty big secret. This time around the crime is a theft and vandalism, and while Philip is a suspect, Alfie and the crew can't quite believe it. I don't understand why Harold Wilson is still a police sergeant, he's worse than incompetent. Yes, cozies often need bumbling police, but Wilson is a little over the edge. Thankfully, this series relies more on characters than plot. I was disappointed that the culprit didn't show up at all until the very end. He walks into the scene, admits he did it, and Emma takes care of the situation. Sorry for the spoiler, but you knew the vicar didn't do it....

Deadlier than Fiction by Helena Marchmont

August 14, 2021August 11, 2021 by CarolNo Comments

This time around much of the action is center on the new Bunburry public library Alfie has helped set up. It's in the massive home of Mrs. Radford-Jones, who is a wonderful character, caring and proper and rich. A widow comes to the "Bunberry Triangle" convinced her husband was frightened to death, so scared of something that he had a heart attack. Turns out the man was the second member of a book club to die. The story is good and I love the new characters. Alfie doesn't actually do much investigating, more stumbles onto things. And really should stop worrying about Betty, who has still not come back or communicated with him. Liz and Marge have very little to do this time around either. While I loved the new characters, the plot was a bit lacking. There was too much "we just happened to be talking about this yesterday," and "I just happened to wander past her empty cottage." Really...

Sheep Secrets by Helena Marchmont

August 12, 2021August 11, 2021 by CarolNo Comments

In Sheep Secrets, Emma convinces Alfie to join an outdoor survival class in order to help save a friend's good name. A man who was taking the course was found dead at the bottom of a quarry, presumably an accident, but still a threat to the business. I kind of wish Alfie's love life, or lack thereof, were left out of the books. Should he date Emma? Should he hope Betty comes back? I don't really care honestly. The characters and setting are fun and quirky enough that I don't think it needs Alfie brooding about women. I know a budding romance is a feature in most cozy mysteries, but it's also the part that is most likely to annoy me. Oscar gets to help out a bit in this mystery. The dead man had co-workers in London, so Oscar does a bit of talking and digging, which makes a nice addition to the investigation in Bunburry. The mystery was...

Sweet Revenge by Helena Marchmont

August 11, 2021August 10, 2021 by CarolNo Comments

I enjoy these Bunburry novellas. This time I listened to three back-to-back. I've been listening to the series in order. There's no reason not to, each is so short, and they do build on each other rather well. Alfie returns to London, which is good, but it's because Liz and Marge need his help.is in London and miserable after the disastrous movie wrap party in book 6 and called back to Bunburry to help Liz and Marge. Their famous Bunburry fudge is part of a police investigation. The guests of a society wedding became ill during the reception and of course the fudge was part of the spread. Liz and Marge risk losing the fudge business if Alfie and Emma can't clear their name. This is such a cozy mystery - no one even dies in this one, although it's close. The characters are fun and quirky and caring. The clues are presented without being overly obvious. It's just a light, enjoyable...

Scandal at the Salty Dog by Josh Lanyon

July 19, 2021July 20, 2021 by CarolNo Comments

I'm thoroughly enjoying this series. It's light and fun with just enough tension thrown in. Of course, it does have everything a cozy should have - an amateur detective, a bookstore, a dog, a quaint town, quirky secondary characters, and a sexy love interest. And of course, Ellery finds himself in danger on a semi-regular basis. This is a series best read in order. While the mystery is confined to this book, you'll understand the characters' backgrounds and relationships better if you start from the beginning. This time around Ellery finds himself in the middle of two mysteries. First, someone's breaking into the Salty Dog pub and stealing food. Second, Mrs. Blackwell is being haunted, well, maybe not haunted - Ellery doesn't believe in ghosts, but someone uninvited has definitely been in her house. Of course, the two are connected, but it takes a bit to figure out how. Ellery and Jack are finally kinda dating in this one, which is nice....