Most Popular and Recommended Mystery Series

Louise Penny: Chief Inspector Gamache Mystery Series

January 16, 2018

Recently I’ve read one of the most frequently recommended non-Cozy mystery series that site readers have been mentioning for quite some time now, Louise Penny‘s Chief Inspector Gamache Mystery Series. Specifically, I read the first book in the series, Still Life.

I’m going to stress again that this is most definitely not a Cozy Mystery, though it does share some elements with the Cozy sub-genre. That said, if your interest in mysteries extends past Cozies and into police procedurals with Cozy elements, I definitely “second” the many recommendations site visitors have already made. There is some swearing, so if you are particular about that, do beware! (Including what seems to be some non-conventional French Canadian swearing…?)

Turning to the murder, the death in Still Life begins with the death of elderly Jane Neal, former beloved local spinster and former schoolteacher. Naturally, she was one of the keepers of the community secrets, and naturally it seems like everyone might have had a reason to kill her, some recent and obvious, others ancient and obscure. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is the man sent to solve the crime, along with his specially picked team, including his right hand, Inspector Jean-Guy Beauvoir. Gamache is a kind, insightful man, with a very intuitive investigation style and a reputation for mentoring his people well, and is balanced by Beauvoir’s more analytical approach to policing and slightly more cynical viewpoint.

Still Life introduces us to not only Chief Inspector Gamache, the head of the Surêté du Québec (police of Quebec) homicide department, but also the scenic, rural, remote village of Three Pines, the iconic setting for the remainder of this series. Three Pines is definitely the element that feels the “Coziest” to me, as it is an out-of-the way community that harbors a wide cast of interesting characters, some native and some transplants, all of whom seem to know each other’s most – except of course the one reason that murder has been committed! That said, Three Pines does depart a bit from many more conventional Cozy settings >>>> as a village in French-Canadian Quebec but not far from the border to the United States, the village is a curious and interesting intersection between the “francophones” and the “anglophones” of Quebec, the division being whether any individual considers French or English their first language.

It feels unfair to keep harping on the fact that this really isn’t a Cozy, but I do want to stress that it’s definitely a well-written, enjoyable police procedural that I have no hesitation suggesting to anyone who is comfortable with a bit more police competence in their mystery reading than the standard Cozy, as well as a tolerance (or interest) in slightly darker “real-world” themes that Cozies sometimes have a tendency to shy away from.

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Laura Bradford: Emergency Dessert Squad Mystery Series

December 27, 2017

I’ve just finished reading the first book in the Emergency Dessert Squad Mystery Series, Éclair and Present Danger, by Laura Bradford (aka Elizabeth Lynn Casey). This is the next book of the Most Popular and Recommended Series list that I have been compiling.

Laura Bradford is a new-to-me author, but she has been writing Cozies as Elizabeth Lynn Casey since 2009. She has five series listed on the site, and after having read Éclair and Present Danger, I believe that I must make time to try her other series!

Winnie Johnson is having a very bad day as the book begins. She discovers that her neighbor who recently died left her a cat (who doesn’t like Winnie) and an old ambulance. Winnie was hoping that she was being left some money or at least something of great value since this is also the last day her dream bakery is open. She is being forced to close because of an increase on the rent which she cannot pay and still keep the bakery a going concern. Her bad day gets worse by far when she discovers another elderly neighbor dead — murdered.

Of course, being a Cozy series, Winnie takes it upon herself to find the killer of her neighbor. And, it turns out that there are a number of people with ample motive to want him dead. Winnie, her friend Renee and her other elderly neighbors Bridget O’Keefe and Parker Nelson (Mr. Nelson lives in the other apartment in her house) all lend a hand (to varying degrees) in the sleuthing to find the killer.

And, Winnie has the brilliant idea to turn her old ambulance into a mobile delivery van for her new idea >> the “Emergency Dessert Squad” bakery business. With Renee as her helper, Winnie uses her own home to bake the goodies with each having emergency-related names. And, then she delivers them using the ambulance. The names of the baked goods are along the lines of “You Are One Smart Cookie, Cookie”, and “Don’t-Be-Blue Berry Pie”. The business quickly becomes a great success with Bridget’s help >> Bridget writes a column in the local paper.

There are several potential romantic interests in the book for Winnie. Her friends are quite keen to see her find someone and settle down. Winnie is not so much in a hurry, but in the first book she does find someone who she likes a lot.

I enjoyed Éclair and Present Danger, and I am quite tempted to read the first book in Laura Bradford’s Amish Mystery Series soon (if I can find the time to squeeze in even more reading time!

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PS: There are a bunch of recipes included at the end of the book!

Ellen Byron: Cajun Country Mystery Series

October 27, 2017

Today I’ll be writing about one of the more popular Cozy Mystery series in recent years, Ellen Byron‘s Cajun Country Mystery Series, and specifically the first entry, Plantation Shudders.

In some ways, it might be a bit surprising to hear that Ellen Byron is one of the more recommended authors in the recent Cozy Mystery recommendations posts. After all, she only has a single series, and it has only had three books released, one per year since the first entry came out Many authors nowadays are putting out three (or more!) books a year, often several different series at the same time, at a pace that personally I can find a bit overwhelming – there’s only so much time in a day after all!

So it can be very refreshing when a quality author is obviously spending their time to “get it right”, releasing one well-written, carefully crafted book per year rather than releasing an endless stream of new series in a hope that something will stick. Looking at Byron’s writing credits, it’s easy to see why she’s gotten so popular so quickly. She might be relatively new to Cozies, but she’s certainly no stranger to comedic writing, with credits to episodes from popular sitcoms such as Wings and Just Shoot Me!.

With that in mind, it shouldn’t be any surprise that Plantation Shudders is far more polished than the average debut novel has any right to be. Most authors take a bit of time to really get their stride and discover their writing voice, but the Cajun Country Mystery Series started strong, and it isn’t any surprise that the debut novel (and other entries since) have had multiple award nominations. Indeed, Body on the Bayou, the second entry, won a Lefty for Best Humorous Mystery Novel in 2017.

In addition to being one of the better written Cozies that has come out in recent years, Plantation Shudders also benefits from having a great setting in Pelican, a small town in Louisiana, and the Crozat family plantation, now converted into a bed and breakfast. Pelican and the Crozat plantation both give a feeling of the civil gentility of the old south, but the novel doesn’t shy away from addressing some of the darker elements of the old south, which can be a refreshing change from some settings in Cozies that seem to be entirely positive portrayals. (Aside from the surprising murder rates of course!)

The Crozat family, including the sleuth herself, Maggie Crozat, are also enjoyable and likable without becoming “over the top” or “zany” in inappropriate places. For example, Maggie’s Gran is portrayed as a fiesty older woman with plenty of spirit left in her – but she’s also an older woman, and it’s clear that the events of the novel make her more tired than normal, which is a surprisingly realistic and sympathetic reaction to such high stress situations as murder investigations (well, at least to someone else who is finding herself slowing down a bit in recent years…).

If you’re looking for a strong, well-written, modern Cozy with a great setting and interesting characters, I highly recommend giving the Cajun Country Mystery Series by Ellen Byron a try!

PS: For those looking for interesting looking Cajun-inspired recipes, be sure to check out the end of the book, as it has several great looking recipes!

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Wendy Sand Eckel: Rosalie Hart Mystery Series

August 24, 2017

I have been reading (or sometimes re-reading) the first book from some of the most popular and recommended mystery series. I am trying to post at least one of these mini-reviews once every month. This month is one of the ones where I have met and exceeded my goal since this book is the second I am discussing this month!

Wendy Sand Eckel‘s Rosalie Hart Mystery Series is a relative newcomer to the Cozy Mystery site. The series so far only has two books, one from 2015 and one from 2016. Murder at Barclay Meadow begins the series with a bang, I think.

(Click on this link to see the entire list of Wendy Sand Eckel’s books on my site.)

Rosalie Hart, a recently separated 40 something housewife has just moved to an old house on the Eastern Shore area of Maryland she inherited from her aunt Charlotte. The house came with some prime farmland and sits on the banks of a river near a small town. Just after settling in to the old house, Rosalie discovers the body of a student, Megan, in the marsh on the edge of the river that borders Rosalie’s property.

Rosalie begins her investigation into what happened to Megan when the Sheriff inexplicably closes his case. Rosalie, and the new friends she meets in a creative writing class, become more and more convinced that Megan was murdered as they uncover details about Megan’s life and her last few days alive. The Sheriff remains uninterested and actually tries to intimidate Rosalie into stopping her snooping. But Rosalie, in the long tradition of mystery sleuths, will not be dissuaded and she (and her friends) persevere to find the truth.

As is not unusual in modern Cozies, there is a bit of strong language in the book (not too much, just a bit) and the description of Megan’s body is probably a bit more graphic than would have been in an Agatha Christie book.

Nevertheless, Murder at Barclay Meadow has many modern Cozy features such as the small town setting, a policeman who (definitely!) needs the sleuth’s help, a small group of good friends trying to help solve the mystery, and several potential romantic interests – which in Rosalie’s case include a handsome professor and a rugged farmer/handyman. Rosalie and her friends also use the Internet, especially Facebook, a great deal both in communicating with each other and in pursuing clues about Megan’s fate.

The book also contains a good amount of non-mystery related material and especially covers Rosalie’s emotional state regarding her husband’s recently discovered infidelity and her separation from him. And, it deals somewhat extensively with Rosalie’s relationship with her daughter, Annie, who attends college away from both Rosalie and her husband. Annie, like Rosalie, is having a hard time dealing with Rosalie’s split from her husband.

The novel is a delightful introduction to Rosalie, her new home, her small town and her small group of friends. There were enough suspects to keep me (mostly) unsure until very near the end of the book. And, Rosalie and her friends are given enough detail that they could well be real people. I hope there will be many more Rosalie Hart Mysteries. I am looking forward to visiting with her and her friends again!

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