Here is the latest identity question for you all to tackle. This one was submitted by Lisa:
Hope someone can help – I’m trying to remember the title of a mystery set in Amsterdam during WWII. A dead Nazi soldier is left on the lawn of a Dutch family and they are arrested. The teen-age son is the only survivor and he spends the rest of the book trying to find out why his family was targeted in this way. It was a great book and I want to get my book club to read it, but I haven’t a clue about the title or the author!
If any of you think you might know the identity of either the author or the mystery, would you please post a comment for Lisa. Thank you!
… Lately, I’ve found many of the cozies with a gimmick (cozies built around a hobby, special interest etc) to be really problematic. It seems the mystery plot is sacrificed for the sake of the hobby. So everything stops while we have a little lesson on quilting, or coffee making or something. The gimmick needs to move the plot along or enhance our understanding of the characters. The movement of the plot shouldn’t stop for a lecture.
Not what you asked but it’s annoying me lately! And that’s my new YUCK category.
Maria responded:
Gail, I’ve seen this a lot lately too. A little bit of instruction or hobby is okay–cooking four meals and two desserts in the first 30 pages…well, I think I better go eat something instead of read…
The balance has to be there. And it’s probably easier to take after I love the characters. Sort of like watching grandma bake (or quilt or whatever). If I already like the characters I can enjoy the atmosphere, but if it’s just some gal named Sophie discussing the pros and cons of dark brown sugar versus molasses versus white sugar there better be arsenic in the white sugar that kills the guest! (okay that was kind of mean, but you know what I’m getting at. I hope!)
I have to admit to trying a few Cozy Mystery series just because they revolved around a particular interest of mine. One of those themed series was the Needlecraft Mystery Series by Monica Ferris. Because I enjoy needlework so much, I thought I might enjoy this particular series, and I was right! Monica Ferris is now on my “favorite authors” list. The needlework theme is what caught my interest, but the actual series is what has made me a Monica Ferris fan. (Also, I don’t remember Ferris ever actually devoting pages in these Cozy Mysteries on “how to” types of instruction.)
Do you all have opinions on special interest themes?
If you enjoy a particular theme, say paranormal, do you read every paranormal author you can get your hands on?
Do you think that some authors are using gimmicks to get us to read their books by getting on the bandwagon of a popular theme? (I do! Certainly not all authors, but I think that many do!)