The Cozy Mystery List Blog

Cozy Mystery (and Other Favorite) Books, Movies, and TV

Donna Andrews: Meg Langslow Mystery Series

February 8, 2016

Murder With Peacocks (Meg Langslow Mysteries Book 1) I’ve been trying to go back and revisit some of the most popular Cozy (and sometimes semi-Cozy) mystery series. Some of the previous posts on these sort of topics were my post on Spencer Quinn’s Chet & Bernie Mystery Series and Laura Childs’s Tea Shop Mystery Series. The most recent classic Cozy Series I’ve revisited is Donna Andrews‘ hit series, the Meg Langslow Mystery Series, specifically the first book in the series, Murder with Peacocks.

In Murder with Peacocks, we are introduced to Meg Langslow, a blacksmith by trade, who earns her living by creating metal sculptures. Meg is definitely a bit of an odd one out in her family >>> everyone else in her family runs the gamut from absentminded to eccentric, while Meg herself definitely seems the “sensible and reliable” sort. She’s also a very different body type from the rest of her family, not only large for a woman but also in decent shape due to the physical demands of her work.

Perhaps this is why Meg ends up planning not one but three weddings for her close family and friends. It should give you what sort of demands they present when I mention that one of these weddings intends to include the title peacocks. This does give us an idea of how demanding Meg’s family can be >>> Meg (unfortunately!) seems very pliable to end up managing three weddings in quick succession, all at the same time. But let’s face it, almost every family has one member who is always there to pick up the slack when the others don’t want to do something. And in this case, Meg doesn’t even seem to get much help from the actual brides!

As in most Cozies, someone dies. In this case a talkative newcomer to the small Virginia town who seems to already know all the secrets of the town and seems equally intent on sharing them around a bit. 

I have to admit that normally I’m a bit hesitant when I hear that the characters in a book are zany, wacky, or kooky. When overplayed, eccentric characters can often become annoying. Fortunately Donna Andrews is a deft hand when doling out the oddball characters, and none of them really pass the barrier between interesting and annoying. Some of you may be a little irritated that the mystery itself often takes a back seat to the wedding subplots. However, Meg Langslow’s Murder with Peacocks is an interesting start to one of the very popular modern classic Cozy Mystery series.

P.S. If want to read some of the other entries about highly recommended Cozy Mystery series, you can see them on the Most Recommended Cozy Mystery Series page on my site.

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X

34 Comments - Click Here to Read the Comments or to Add Another

Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swensen Mystery Series

January 15, 2016

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (Hannah Swensen series Book 1) The Hannah Swensen Mystery Series (sometimes called the Cookie Jar Mystery Series) by Joanne Fluke is another of the most recommended series by Cozy Mystery site readers on the monthly Cozy recommendation lists. The Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (published in 2000), is the first in what now extends to more than 20 mystery novels and novellas.

These mysteries are so popular with Cozy readers for good reasons, which is why the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel chose to feature Hannah in their rotating series of mystery movies. Hannah is a classic Cozy Mystery character. Hannah is an (almost) thirty-ish woman who moved back to her hometown, Lake Eden, after her father who had owned the town’s hardware store passed away. Hannah came back to Lake Eden at the request of her younger and more glamorous sister, Andrea, who along with her even younger sister Michelle, could not cope with their mother who was a “basket case” when their father died. Moving back to town was okay with Hannah since she was tired of pursuing her PhD in English (maybe because of at least one failed romance!).

Lake Eden is a small town in Minnesota which borders on Eden Lake. The distinction between Lake Eden and Eden Lake confuses visitors to the town, and there are a lot of visitors because the lake is a vacation draw in the summer. The town swells in the summer months to nearly four times its normal population of 3000.

All of the elements of a great modern Cozy series are here. After Hannah moved back to town, she opened a bakery/coffee shop at the suggestion of her sister, Andrea. Andrea is conveniently married to a police officer (hopefully soon to be a detective), Bill. With her frizzy red hair, ultra casual dressing style, and 20 pounds or so to lose, Hannah considers herself frumpy and unsophisticated next to her glamorous sister (who sells real estate); and yet, the eligible men in Lake Eden seem to circle around Hannah like bees around flowers.  To Hannah’s annoyance, her mother frequently interferes in Hannah’s life. Her mother is especially concerned with what her mother considers Hannah’s lack of a love life. And, Hannah has a half-blind 25 pound tomcat, Moishe, who features prominently in her home life.

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder is a fun read. Hannah gets involved in solving the murder mystery because she discovers the body (who was eating one of her chocolate chip cookies when he died) and to help her brother-in-law, Bill, who is trying to make detective. Between her coffee shop, the Cookie Jar, and her catering refreshments to every club, group or meeting in Lake Eden, Hannah has ample opportunity to gather information by talking to what seems like nearly everyone in Lake Eden.

The mystery is the type I especially enjoy because it is fair to the reader; all the clues are given to the reader who has an equal chance with Hannah to solve the case. The main characters are interesting and the setting has the charm of a small town. Finally, the icing on the cake (yes, pun intended!) are the many detailed recipes (cookies and candy in the first book) scattered around the books.

The Kindle edition currently includes a Christmas novella, Candy for Christmas, which is a cute little Cozy Mystery that does not include a murder. I guess the novella is really the icing on the icing!

I know we have lots of other Hannah Swensen readers, so if you’d like to add something to this entry, please post a comment. (Please try not to give away too many things from future Hannah Swensen books >>> since some people will be starting the series.) Thanks!

P.S. If you’re interested in other entries about some highly recommended Cozy Mystery series, you can see them on the Most Recommended Cozy Mystery Series page on my site.

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X

35 Comments - Click Here to Read the Comments or to Add Another

Carola Dunn’s Daisy Dalrymple Mystery Series

January 5, 2016

Death At Wentwater Court: The First Daisy Dalrymple Mystery (Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries Book 1) I know it’s been a while since I last did one of these, but I thought I’d take the time to discuss another of the most recommended Cozy Mystery series that people really love >>> and for good reason! (I’m amongst the people who love it.)

This time I’ll be discussing a delightful period piece mystery series set in England during the 1920s, the Daisy Dalrymple Mystery Series by Carola Dunn. Daisy Dalrymple is a young upper-class woman who could be living in her family’s estate supported by relatives. Instead she works for a living, as a journalist >>> at least partially because she doesn’t want to be taking money from said relatives.

Still, she isn’t too proud to trade on her family name to help ensure at least a moderate amount of success >>> as she does in the first book in the series, Death at Wentwater Court, where she uses her family name to arrange an opportunity to begin a series of articles on country manor houses, beginning with a Christmas visit to Wentwater.

Of course, she isn’t the only guest for the holidays – the thoroughly unpleasant Lord Stephen Astwick also makes a surprise visit, half-invited by one of the sons of the household. As with any unlikable guest in a Cozy Mystery, it quickly develops that almost everyone in the house has a reason to dislike Lord Astwick >>> so it’s no surprise when he turns up dead in a tragic early morning skating accident. Of course, not all is as it seems, and when young Chief Inspector Alec Fletching turns up, Daisy is quick to point out that this just might not have been an accident at all.

One thing I particularly like about this series (beyond the setting – I’m partial to British Cozies, regardless of their time period) is that the relationship doesn’t seem particularly forced between Daisy and Alec. Death at Wentwater Court in particular does a fairly good job of working Daisy and Alec into a somewhat believable relationship, where Daisy’s involvement in the case seems to develop almost organically, without her necessarily pushing forward. Instead, pressed by a lack of manpower due to the holiday season and presented with a fellow “outsider” who seems reliable, the pair are forced to work together in a relatively natural fashion.

Since Carola Dunn’s Daisy Dalrymple Mystery Series is one of the most recommended Cozies in our monthly recommendations, I know there are lots of other Daisy Dalrymple-readers. If you’d like to add something to this entry, please post a comment. (I know it’s difficult to not add spoilers, but since some people will be starting the series, please try to not give away any of the future books’ action.) Thanks!

P.S. If you’re interested in other entries about some highly recommended Cozy Mystery series, you can see them on the Most Recommended Cozy Mystery Series page on my site.

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X

26 Comments - Click Here to Read the Comments or to Add Another

Laura Childs : Tea Shop Mystery Series

January 20, 2015

Death by Darjeeling (Tea Shop Mysteries Book 1) Recently I’ve been re-visiting a lot of the Cozy (and almost-Cozy) series that I’ve enjoyed over the years. I have written previous posts talking about these books: Spencer Quinn’s Chet and Bernie Mystery Series and “Jessica Fletcher” & Donald Bain: Murder She Wrote Mysteries are two such examples. My most recent re-visit is Death by Darjeeling, the first book in Laura Childs‘ Tea Shop Mystery Series.

The Tea Shop Mystery Series stars Theodosia Browning, former advertising executive and current owner/manager of Charleston’s Indigo Tea Shop. When a customer of a local tour dies suspiciously after having a drink of Theo’s special tea blend, her business begins to suffer. To make things worse, the investigator in charge seems to think that Theo’s part time worker might be responsible… or maybe even Theo herself!

Aside from Theo herself, the Indigo Tea Shop staff includes, Drayton, somewhat fussy but nevertheless loveable master tea taster, and Haley, a part-time college students who serves as both the clerk and the baker for the shop. Also of particular note is Earl Grey, Theo’s darling adopted dog. The series also has a regular cast of backup characters such as Delaine Dish, local gossip, and Jory Davis, lawyer and love interest.

One of the great things about local based Cozies like the Tea Shop mysteries is that they give a strong sense of location. Childs works hard to make Charleston almost a character in and of itself. Childs sprinkles in plenty of verifiable facts, such as the ownership of the Charleston Tea Plantation, that quickly give her an air of authority about Charleston, helping the reader feel like they are truly immersing themselves in the location.

Overall, I would say that the one word that most summarizes the Tea Shop mysteries is charm. The Tea Shop mysteries excel because of the rich and vibrant portrayal of both the characters and the setting as well as the mysteries themselves.

P.S. If you’re interested in other entries about some highly recommended Cozy Mystery series, you can see them on the Most Recommended Cozy Mystery Series page on my site.

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X

35 Comments - Click Here to Read the Comments or to Add Another

« Previous Page
Next Page »

Subscribe to Blog Post Email Alerts

  • Cozy Mystery Blog Home
  • Cozy Mystery Site
  • Soon to be Released Mysteries
  • Cozies by Themes
  • New Mystery Releases
  • New Mystery Series
  • Cozy Mystery Recommendations
  • Most Popular and Recommended Cozy Mystery Series
  • Holiday Mystery Book Lists
  • What Is a Cozy?
  • TV and Movies
  • Author Interviews
  • Cozy-Mystery.com on Facebook

Recent Posts

  • Emmie Caldwell (Mary Ellen Hughes): Craft Fair Knitters Mystery Series
  • June 9 to June 29
  • TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES CHANNEL MYSTERY MOVIES – July 2025
  • May 19 to June 8
  • Cozy Mystery Book Recommendations – May 2025

Recent Comments

  • Danna - cozy mystery list on June 9 to June 29
  • Dawn n on Bed & Breakfast Mystery Series, Hotel Mystery Series and Boarding House Mystery Series:
  • Harold on J.C. Eaton: Sophie Kimball Mystery Series
  • Sherry on Mystery Books that Take Place in Alaska…
  • Susy S on June 9 to June 29

Cozy Mystery List Home | Affiliate Disclosure | Cozy Mystery Blog Home  | Cozy Mystery Blog Sitemap | Privacy Policy  | Contact Me   | About |

Copyright © 2006-2025, Cozy-Mystery.Com, All rights reserved.
A Guide to Cozy Mystery Books, Movies, and TV


MENU
  • Cozy Mystery Blog Home
  • Cozy Mystery Site
  • Soon to be Released Mysteries
  • Cozies by Themes
  • New Mystery Releases
  • New Mystery Series
  • Cozy Mystery Recommendations
  • Most Popular and Recommended Cozy Mystery Series
  • Holiday Mystery Book Lists
  • What Is a Cozy?
  • TV and Movies
  • Author Interviews
  • Cozy-Mystery.com on Facebook