April is almost over, so it’s time to discuss our favorite Cozies that we read this month!
If you read a Cozy mystery this month and want to recommend it to the rest of us, be sure to post it here! For this month, I read the first entry of Ellery Adams’s Secret, Book & Scone Society Mystery Series. For the reasons I want to recommend it, be sure to check out the blog entry!
So, what have you been reading that you can recommend in April? Please be sure to tell us why you liked these Cozies so much. I know we’re all always on the lookout for more particularly good Cozy Mystery authors! (If you have a lot of Cozies you think are great, please post the ones you like the most at the top of the list.)
As always, please do not tell us about the Cozy Mysteries you did not like.
What really good Cozy Mystery did you read April 2024 that you want the rest of us to know about, and why did you enjoy it?
Ellery Adams (aka J. B. Stanley, Jennifer Stanley, & 1/2 of Lucy Arlington): Secret, Book & Scone Society Mystery Series
Juneau Black: Shady Hollow Mystery Series (first entry Shady Hollow)
V.M. Burns: Mystery Bookshop Mystery Series
Laura Childs (aka Gerry Schmitt): Tea Shop Mystery Series
Jennifer J. Chow: LA Night Market Mystery Series (first entry Death by Bubble Tea)
Nancy Coco (aka Nancy J. Parra and Nell Hampton): Candy-Coated Mystery Series
Maya Corrigan: Five-Ingredient Mystery Series
Elizabeth Spann Craig (aka Riley Adams & Elizabeth Craig): Sunset Ridge Mystery Series
Vicki Delany (aka Eva Gates): Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery Series
Maria DiRico (aka Ellen Byron): Catering Hall Mystery Series
Lauren Elliott: Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery Series
Amanda Flower (aka Isabella Alan): Piper and Porter Mystery Series AND Farm to Table Mystery Series
Emily George: Cannabis Cafe Mystery Series (first entry A Half-Baked Murder)
Roberta Isleib (aka Lucy Burdette): Golf Lovers’ Mystery Series
Clara McKenna: Stella and Lyndy Mystery Series (first entry Murder at Morrington Hall)
Sue Minix: Bookstore Mystery Series (first entry Murder at the Bookstore)
Ian Moore: Follet Valley Mystery Series (first entry Death and Croissants)
Erica Ruth Neubauer: Jane Wunderly Mystery Series (first entry Murder at the Mena House)
Amy Pershing: Cape Cod Foodie Mystery Series
Spencer Quinn (aka Peter Abrahams): Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge
Barbara Ross: Maine Clambake Mystery Series
Connie Shelton: Samantha Sweet Mystery Series
Nina Simon: Mother-Daughter Murder Night
Robert Thorogood: Marlow Murder Club Mystery Series (first entry The Marlow Murder Club)
Victoria Thompson: Gaslight Mystery Series
Diana Xarissa: Isle of Man Cozy Mystery Series (first entry Aunt Bessie Assumes)
I will list the authors and series that have been recommended, but I urge you to read the comments below so you can see the reasons other Cozy Mystery readers thought these were their best reads of the month.
♦To access more Cozy Mystery Books Recommendations, click on this link♦
P.S. I usually don’t comment on your recommendations since they speak for themselves.
Betty Olson says
I’m reading Victoria Thompson Murder in Rose Hill. I love her books
JoAnn says
I have been thoroughly enjoying Connie Shelton! Smart characters doing reasonable things. Very interesting books! The settings for the stories are based in New Mexico USA, but side stories have other settings. Some have a little magic involved.
Sue says
I’ve been reading an author you don’t list. Diana Xarissa. They are books set on the Isle of Man with lead character Aunt Bessie, probably 70 or 80 although she claims late middle age.. She solves the murders with the help of the local police inspector, constable and a good friend. They discuss the cases while eating dinner in her kitchen. The series starts with Aunt Bessie Assumes and works through the alphabet.
Marianne says
I read the whole Aunt Bessie alphabet last year and am now on her cold case files. Love this bunch of amateur investigators!
Hanna says
I enjoyed Spencer Quinn’s Mrs. Plansky’s revenge. No murders but still entertaining. It starts with elderly Mrs. Plansky getting a call in the middle of the night from her “grandson” being arrested for DUI needing $10,000. But the way to get the money, she is told is to provide the account number and password. We know the result, her account is wiped clean. But from an unguarded comment by an FBI agent the source is a small town in Romania. She embarked on a travel to retrieve her funds. Interesting characters that move the story along.
Another book Robert Thorogood’s The Marlow Murder Club. Three women are embarking in solving three baffling murders in a small town of Marlow. Thorogood is the creator of the TV program Death in Paradise and PBS will air the this story in June.
The last, Amy Pershing’s A Side of Murder. A familiar story of a successful professional woman who, after love went wrong leaves New York for her childhood home in Cape Code. She is offered a job reviewing restaurants and stumbles upon a body in the water. An accident? She does not think so, and works hard to convince the authorities. We meet a group of her new and old friends and a lovable big puppy all participate in finding the murderer. Detailed description of sailing and the vegetation along the path which for me was too much but all in all an interesting story and interesting characters.
Mrs. Ainee C. Beland says
This month has been a slow reading month for me. I did get through on very long read that took most of April and I was able to read and finish Prologue To Murder by Lauren Elliott which was more enjoyable than my long read and for this, I can say it was good reading.
Book description:
Addie Greyborne is back in her seaside New England hometown—where, unfortunately, murder is not so rare . . .
Gossip columnists love a bold-faced name—but “Miss Newsy” at Greyborne Harbor’s local paper seems to specialize in bald-faced lies. She’s pointed a finger of suspicion at Addie after librarian June Winslow never makes it home from a book club meeting. And when June’s found at the bottom of a steep flight of stairs, Addie’s not only dealing with a busybody but a dead body.
It’s a good thing the guy she’s dating is the police chief. But both the case and her love life get more complicated when a lanky blonde reporter from Los Angeles shows up. She’s trying her hardest to drive a wedge between the couple . . . as if Addie doesn’t have enough problems dealing with angry townspeople.
Despite all the rumors, Addie doesn’t know a thing about the murder—but she plans to find out. And the key may lie in a book about pirate legends that June published. Now she just has to hunt down the clues before she becomes a buried treasure herself.
Fortney, Sally says
I read Murder on Tour by VM Burns. This series is my favorite of her because I love the current mystery and the historical one in every book.
I was able to find older books by Roberta Isleib AKA Lucy Burdette and read some of the golf ones included A Buried Lie. Wishing I could have shared them with my deceased brother who was very fond of golf.
Loved the new series by Elizabeth Spann Craig. The first book is The Type-A Guide to Solving Murders. I make lists but I admire how efficient she was at getting things done. Also, there is a huge twist!
MJ says
I thoroughly enjoyed Isleib’s golf series. And, I don’t even care about golf!! She’s a psychologist and writes with so much intelligence. 🙂
Her intelligence is also quite obvious in her Food Critic’s series
MendoGirl says
For April I would like to recommend two books, the first book is Death and Fromage by Ian Moore. This is the second book that comes to us from the Val de Follet (the first being Death and Croissants).
Richard is a middle-aged Englishman who runs a B&B in the Val de Follet. It’s quiet and kind of boring, just the way Richard likes it. Until, in the nearby town of Saint-Sauver, a restaurant loses a Michelin star and the leading goat cheese supplier drowns himself in one of his own pasteurization tanks. Or maybe he had some help.
To add to the excitement, Richard’s friend, Valerie d’Orcay and her chihuahua Passepartout, arrive “house hunting”. Valerie is sure it’s murder and soon has Richard playing detective.
This series is so much fun, the characters are well written and the mystery well thought out. If you do read this, I strongly suggest reading it in order or you may be a little lost as to whose who.
The second book I would like to recommend is A Half-Baked Murder by Emily George (A Cannabis Cafe Mystery). This is the first book in a new series.
Chloe Barnes is a formally trained pastry chef whose life in Paris just blew up. Her hot fiancée cheated on her and got his mistress pregnant, she receives a scathing review from a food critic, and finds out her beloved grandmother has cancer. All of this sends her running home to Azalea Bay, California. There, we meet Grandma Rose and Aunt Dawn.
Not quite knowing what to do with her life, Aunt Dawn has an idea – use Chloe’s culinary prowess to open a cannabis cafe. At first, Chloe doesn’t know what to think. But, as she warms up to the idea, life throws her another curveball in the form of a dead body.
A dead body that turns out to be a person nobody really liked. So why is Aunt Dawn the number one suspect?
This was a fun read. Despite it being a cannabis mystery, nobody is ever high and seeing things that don’t exist. The mystery is well written, the characters are well thought out.
Oh, Aunt Dawn has an unusual hobby, she takes part in synchronized dog dancing. I learned a lot reading this book.
I will be reading more from both of these authors.
Michelle Mooney says
I recently read Juneau Black’s Shady Hollow, and immediately read the next three books in the series. The series is set in Shady Hollow–an isolated forest community–which is populated with animal characters who run the bookstore, coffee shop, police department, and the local newspaper. Vera Vixen, a fox with a nose for news, works at the paper and investigates the murder of an irascible toad. The tone of the series is not at all twee. The mystery is a solid one and the characters are engaging.
Mez says
Michelle,
Thanks for the recommendation of Shady Hollow. I just finished that book and will be reading the entire series. It’s great!
Christine says
Hello. I read Clare McKenna’s Murder on Mistletoe Lane. There is a series of 6 books about Stella, a Gilded Age heiress who married into a titled English family. She and her husband, Lindy, end up solving mysteries in each book. Enjoyable cozy series – looking forward to reading all of the books.
MJ says
April Recommendations – 2024
Witless Protection Program — Maria DiRico
I don’t want to give any spoiler alerts, but it’s my guess that what readers ‘expected to happen’ finally happened. I KNOW this sounds a bit cryptic.
This author seems to create this story a bit differently than what we expect from her in her other books. This is a very character driven story. The emphasis isn’t necessarily on the murder.
AND, I will say the surprise in the last chapter (which has nothing to do with the revelation of the culprit), will allow this author to take this series in a variety of different story directions.
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Dead-End Detective – Amanda Flower
This is the first book in a new series by this author. I’ve read most of her cozy series and have recommended them. I like Flower’s story telling abilities.
This story involves the Two Girls detective agency. One of the partners is murdered. This is an engaging story with character depth (an attribute this author always achieves). The victim’s nephew arrives in town after a long absence. The remaining partner and he form an alliance to solve this murder. The culprit is a total surprise. It’s a well-paced page turner and a quick read.
There is a second book to this series which was written in 2022. Since there doesn’t seem to be any other books on the horizon, I fear this may be only a two book series.
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Three Fudges and a Baby — Nancy Coco
The books in this particular series are always a winner and this one is no exception.
This story centers around Allie’s best friend, Jenn, and her pregnancy. Her doula is a murder suspect. Allie wants to find the culprit before Jenn has her baby.
Several twists and turns keeps the reader glued to the pages. As normal for this series, other story lines are also entertaining, including Allie’s mother trying to arrange a romance with an old boyfriend. Whereas, Allie is quite happy with her detective boyfriend.
This series is best read starting with book one to follow the characters and their interactions.
Always a plus — yummy recipes!! 🙂
A Chapter on Murder – Sue Minix
I don’t know if I’ve previously mentioned this series. I do enjoy it and the characters. This author writes with humor. The main character (Jen) is a mystery author who owns a bookstore in a small town. It’s set at Christmas time. A man is found dead at the back door of her book shop.
This is a well-developed story with several twists to keep the reader ‘guessing’. Jen’s boyfriend (Eric) is a local detective (ahh…no surprise there!!) who arrests the wrong person. Oftentimes taking center stage is Jen’s dog, Savannah. Enjoyable characters, entertaining story, thus a good read!
Georgia says
I’ve been making my way through several series and discovered a couple new-to-me authors as well as the latest of others. Just a couple to mention for each:
the Jane Wunderly mystery series by Erica Ruth Neubauer, beginning with Murder at Mena House (it won an Agatha). The series is set in post WWI and has mystery with a bit of romance. The very latest is on hold at my library and I can’t wait to read!
New-to-me author Jennifer Chow’s books–first her LA Night Market mystery series (3 books) and the first of her new series, Ill-Fated Fortune.
Amanda Flower’s latest Farm to Table mystery, Crime and Cherry Pits. I have enjoyed all of her books no matter the series!
Also the latest May Corrigan 5-ingredient mystery, A Parfait Crime.
I’ve read many more, but this will do for a start! I’m looking forward to the books coming out in May.
MJ says
April Recommendation – 2024 (continued)
It’s still April and I just finished Torn Asunder by Barbara Ross. I had to include it on this list because it tops the list of the books I read this month (perhaps even this year!). I didn’t want to wait until May to mention it.
It’s sooooooo good and extremely well written. Julia is planning a wedding on the island for her best friend. A murder occurs during the rehearsal dinner. It is resolved within 48 hours. The story is very complex/complicated. The new characters have extensive background depth, developed astutely by Ross. The reader must pay attention to extensive detail to keep up with the story. It’s extremely fast paced with unbelievable numerous twists and turns.
There is absolutely no way you’ll figure out the culprit before it’s revealed.
That’s all the positives of this particular exciting book.
HOWEVER, there is a very SAD part, too. Chapter 28 is “five years later” and we all know what that means!! Goodbye Snowden Clambakes!! 🙁
In the acknowledgements, Ross lets the readers know this is the last book in the series. I’m sooooooo sad to hear this even though the series ends happily.
Many, many kudos to an excellent and creative author — Barbara Ross
Read this series, you won’t be sorry. But start with the first book.
Danielle says
I’m not sure if it’s considered a “cozy” mystery, but Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon was one of my favorite reads this past month.
The storyline follows Beth Rubicon, teenage daughter Jacqueline “Jack,” and Beth’s ostentatious mother, Lana Rubicon, who, after a cancer diagnoses, leaves the hustle of Los Angeles real estate to stay with them in her old house in Salinas, CA.
Their story starts out with Jack leading a kayak tour and finding a body of a young man who is soon identified as a local land trust employee stuck in the mud at the end of a creek wash. Detectives are looking at the kayaking business that Jack works for, since the body was found wearing one of the tour’s life jackets.
Beth, a nurse at Bay Oaks, the local nursing home, goes into work the following Monday morning to find that one of her favorite patients has died over the weekend that she was away trying to keep Jack from being arrested for his murder.
Lana, meanwhile, has been living with them for several months, decides that she can solve this mystery with the help of Beth and Jack. Her big-city tycoon attitude propels her to start asking questions around town, and with her real estate experience, soon finds out that the murder and the death of Beth’s patient could be tied together.
Thats all I’ll say about it, except that this book was so good, I literally couldn’t put it down. It went all over the house with me until I was finished. Well written with lots of twists and turns, it was exciting. I gave it 5 stars. I hope you enjoy it as well.
Jill Sirignano says
One of my all time favorites is Laura Childs Tea Shop series love the characters and the plot I wish the tea shop was real and close to me would love to go there!
Jill S
Regina Williams says
A Body on the Doorstep by Marty Wingate was such a great book. I really liked that it was set in the 1920s and Mabel Canning is a 30 something young woman who has recently moved to London to be an independent woman working for the Useful Women agency. This was a fun mystery.
Joppy says
The local branch of “The Works” (a kind of discount craft, stationery, jigsaw, book shop) recently had a paperback sale of 3 for £6. I picked up three authors new to me that looked like cozy crime.
Poison at the village show, by Catherine Coles, about Martha Miller living in a small village in 1947. No friends in the village as the locals are convinced she murdered her husband and buried him in her potato patch. He’s actually run off with another woman but they don’t believe that. The book involves a death at the village show, and when Marthas homemade plum gin is suspect she just has to clear her name.
There are two other books in the series, with another on the way.
Murder at the manor, by Catherine Coles again. I’ve not started this one yet but it stars Tommy and Evelyn Christie. Four more titles listed.
Murder on the menu, by Alex Coombs. Charlie Hunters dream is to open a resteraunt in a little village in the Chilterns. The Old Forge seems just the place. Unfortunately a local builder is found dead and she is the likliest candidate. As the local police seem to favour her for it she has to become sleuth to clear her name. First in a series yet to come.
Kazzy says
For April, in addition to continuing my ongoing series, I went the way of paranormal cozy mysteries (maybe April Fools took hold of me).
One of my all-time favorite ongoing series Miss Fortune series by Jana DeLeon (first book “Louisiana Longshot”) came out with the latest book “Swamp Spies”. The series is about a CIA agent forced into hiding when a contract is put on her head, her boss knows there is a mole in the organization, the same person who outed her on her mission, so he hides her without using CIA resources. He sends her to a small bayou town where she feels completely off kilter, she meets new friends including a couple old ladies who turn things on end for her. This series came up on google as a recommendation for people who like the Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum series and, in my opinion, surpassed it and then some. Swamp Spies is the 26th book in the series with more to come; as I don’t want to spoil the series, I won’t say too much on the one I just read. I will say if you like fun books with wily old ladies who tend to get into trouble, you should enjoy this series.
Paranormal Cozies (all cute simple reads):
Due to library limitations, I have been slowly reading The Mitzi Moon Mysteries by Trixie Silvertale (first book “Fries and Alibis”). This month I read “Tracks and Flashbacks”, which is the book where Mitzi investigates her mother’s death. The series itself starts with Mitzi, who grew up in foster care; one day a man shows up and tells her that her grandmother (whom she never met or knew existed) died and left her a bookstore. When she gets to the bookstore she is startled to find/meet her ghost of a grandmother (who she likes to call “ghost ma” and her grandmother’s caracal cat Pyewacket. She arrives one evening and the next morning she lets Pyewacket outside and he finds a dead man who later turns out to be her biological grandfather. Through the series Mitzi learns that she has other gifts beyond seeing ghosts that help her solve mysteries.
I also read the first 5 books in the Witch Way Librarian series by Angela M Sanders (first book “Bait and Witch”). This series is about a librarian who witnesses some corruption in DC and while waiting for the FBI to build the case and try the participants, decides to go into hiding working at a small library in Oregon. While she is flying across country, she feels something odd about halfway through the trip. While she is at the new job, she starts having magical things happen to her. She arrives late the first night and goes to bed. The next evening, she goes for a walk following the library’s cat and discovers a dead body. Each book continues both her learning to be a witch while solving mysteries working in this small-town library.
The other series I just started and am on third book now is “Southern Ghost Hunter” by Angie Fox (first book Southern Spirits). It starts with the main character Verity Long having to sell off most of her belongings. One thing she couldn’t sell was an old odd-looking vase left by her ex fiancé, so she decides to clean it up. She washes out most of the contents with a hose in her rose garden. Later she learns it was an urn not a vase and that she now has trapped a ghost on her estate, her ex-fiancé’s late uncle (back a couple generations). She had never seen a ghost before but having his urn with some ashes still inside allow her to see him. He then helps her see other ghosts. She mentions this to someone who asks for her help with ghosts on his property and each book so far is someone else asking for help.
TLC says
Just finished Gretchen Rue’s first tea mystery Steeped to Death which I don’t find listed on this site. Excellent cast of characters and good plot that kept me guessing to the end. Already ordered her 2nd book and hope she keeps adding to the series.