The next book that I have read in my effort to read (or reread) the most popular and recommended Cozy Mysteries that are listed on the site is “The Cold Light of Mourning“, the first in the Penny Brannigan Mystery Series by Elizabeth J. Duncan.

In this, the first of eight books in the series (so far), we are introduced to Penny Brannigan and her new friend, Victoria Hopkirk. Penny and her friend live in a small town in North Wales, Llanelen. Penny is a 50 something Canadian who stopped in Llanelen while backpacking across Wales when in her 20s. She found the town so welcoming and picturesque, that she stopped there for the night and never left. Penny is a manicurist and a part time artist (thus the beautiful Welsh town and countryside are especially attractive to her.) Victoria is a harpist who recently relocated from London after a divorce. Both of the (amateur) sleuths are in their early 50s.

The mystery opens with the death of Emma Teasdale, the elderly friend of Penny who Penny first encountered on that fateful day when Penny was looking for a place to stay for one night. Emma was a long-time school teacher, and she and Penny became great friends during  the 25 years or so after Penny arrived in Llanelen.

At the same time as Emma’s funeral is being planned, anticipation runs high in the small town for the imminent wedding of the local rich landowner’s son, Emyr, to a self-made beauty, Meg Wynne. When Meg Wynne goes missing on the day of her wedding, the mystery really begins.

Of course, there are several people who had a reason to wish Meg Wynne dead. And, Penny gets involved in the case because she was apparently the last person to see Meg Wynne before she disappeared. Also, Penny notices something wrong at her friend Emma’s funeral.

The police inspector in charge of the case is in his 50s and is also single – as is Penny. (Hmmm… Does this mean there will be an almost inevitable romance?) Victoria, of course, helps solve the case. More surprisingly, Emma also helps solve the case (I won’t give away the details of how except to mention that the mystery does not contain paranormal elements.)

This book is a great start to the mystery series. I can understand why this book was nominated for the Agatha Award for best best first novel. Penny, Victoria, Chief Inspector Gareth Davies and his Sergeant, Bethan Morgan, are all terrific Cozy Mystery characters. The small town setting is extremely well suited to the Cozy Mystery genre. And the mystery plays out in a very enjoyable way. After reading “The Cold Light of Mourning”, I felt as though I had found new friends to visit when I feel in the mood for a new Cozy!

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In my continuing quest to reread (or in some rarer cases, read for the first time) the most recommended Cozy Mysteries listed on the site, I’ve recently taken the time to reread the first book in Victoria Abbott‘s Book Collector Mystery Series, “The Christie Curse“.

This is one of the books on my “most recommended” lists that I actually read relatively recently >>> because it was only released in 2013. It still has a reputation that indicates it is likely to reach “modern Cozy Classic” series, and I think that the reputation in this case is justified.

Jordan Bingham is a recent college graduate returning home to Harrison Falls, located in scenic upstate New York, and needs to find a job quickly. With a Master’s Degree in English and experience handling rare manuscripts, hunting down rare and elusive manuscripts for noted local recluse Vera Van Alst might seem like a dream job, though her potential employer’s cantankerous nature and questionable reputation give her some pause. Still, graduate school caused some serious debt, and living off of her uncles’ charity indefinitely might be possible, but certainly not desirable.

Naturally, the situation becomes much worse very quickly. It turns out Jordan’s predecessor died under mysterious circumstances while hunting down a supposed lost Agatha Christie play. When people he might have interacted with are attacked, it doesn’t take long to realize there’s likely a connection.

One of the most interesting things about this series is Jordan’s family background. Her family, the Kellys (her father was a Bingham, but her Bingham side doesn’t come into play in this entry in the series) are skilled local criminals. Jordan herself has never stepped outside the law (well, not without a good reason). However, with this family connection she has access to a not only a potential pool of confidantes who will help her out but who also have a skill set to perform the breaking and entering and minor swiping of clues that Cozy Mystery sleuths so frequently need.

Another interesting element of this (and further installments) is that each focuses on a classic mystery author. Not all of these are Cozies – but this entry focuses on Agatha Christie, perhaps the most definitive Cozy Mystery author of all time. Details on the classic author’s life are interspersed through the novel as the mystery (and Jordan’s own research, as she’s hardly an expert on mystery novels) progress.

One interesting tidbit is that author “Victoria Abbott” is actually two individuals – Mary Jane Maffini and her daughter, Victoria Maffini. I haven’t read any Mary Jane Maffini books, but considering how strong this series is, I do intend to when I can finally find the time (my “to be read” pile has become truly huge).

It’s sometimes hard to peg what will withstand the test of time when it is originally released, but I certainly hope that this popular series continues for many more entries!

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PS: For those who might have the scales tipped by this sort of detail, there is a recipe included at the end of the book!

Next in my series of posts looking at some of the most popular and recommended cozy mystery series is Nancy Atherton’s Aunt Dimity’s Death, the first of her much beloved Aunt Dimity books.

I first read this book not long after it first came out way back in the 90s. Upon re-reading it recently, I have to say I learned that I gave it way too little credit back then.

The book, and the series for that matter, is quite unusual for the Cozy Mystery genre. There are lots of differences from the standard Cozy. One is that the books are mostly shorter than the norm for today. Aunt Dimity’s Death is listed at 196 pages. I know we have discussed the length of modern Cozies before (see here and here for a couple of our earlier discussions) — with many of you suggesting that you want the books to be longer – in the 300 page or longer vicinity. However, I find this book to be refreshingly short.

Oddly enough, even though the book is short, the pacing is leisurely. This is not a Cozy for those of you who want the murder to be in the first two chapters! In fact, although there are mysterious goings on in the first half of the book, I don’t think the real mystery that needs to be resolved is revealed until somewhere approaching half-way into the book!

Another difference is that the series has a number of books where there is no murder at all to solve. I don’t think I am giving too much away to suggest that in this first book of the series, the mystery is not a murder but rather is one of love and separation, and guilt and regret.

I understand now why this series is so often recommended and is so beloved by its fans. The series began in 1992 and the newest book, number 22 of the series, will be released this year. Nancy Atherton only releases about one book a year – another unusual fact for a modern Cozy author!

The book is charming; it tells a beguiling story of a little girl now grown up, a friendship that was sustained only by letters for decades, a woman who had lost everything including her faith in humanity, a haunted English cottage, and the spirit of “Aunt” Dimity who was filled with regret and guilt but whose love for her friend’s daughter leads to both her and the daughter learning again the power of love, friendship and laughter.

Yes, there is a paranormal aspect to this series. However, in re-reading Aunt Dimity’s Death I was surprised by what a relatively small role the paranormal played in the story. Normally, I am not one for paranormal mysteries, but, to me, in this book the paranormal was both literally and figuratively “magical”.

If you are in the mood for a charming and whimsical mystery with a touch of paranormal and a large dose of heart, I heartily recommend Aunt Dimity’s Death.

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