We’re just about at the end of July, so it’s time to discuss our favorite Cozies that we’ve 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 Lynn Cahoon’s Farm to Fork 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 July? 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 during July 2021 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): Book Retreat Mystery Series
Christin Brecher: Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery Series (first entry Murder’s no Votive Confidence)
Simon Brett: Fethering Mystery Series
Lynn Cahoon: Farm to Fork Mystery Series
Kate Carlisle: Bibliophile Mystery Series
Agatha Christie: Hercule Poirot Mystery Series AND Miss Marple Mystery Series
Kate Collins: Flower Shop Mystery Series
Elizabeth Craig (aka Riley Adams & Elizabeth Spann Craig): Southern Quilting Mystery Series
Hannah Dennison: Island Sisters Mystery Series
Maria DiRico (aka Ellen Byron): Catering Hall Mystery Series
Christy Fifield (aka Christy Evans): Haunted Souvenir Shop Mystery Series
Dianne Freeman: Countess of Harleigh Mystery Series (first entry A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder)
Tracy Gardner: Avery Ayers Mystery Series (first entry Ruby Red Herring)
John Gaspard: Eli Marks Mystery Series (first entry The Ambitious Card)
Anna Gerard (aka Diane A.S. Stuckart and Ali Brandon): Georgia B&B Mystery Series
Daryl Wood Gerber (aka Avery Aames): Fairy Garden Mystery Series
Elly Griffiths: Dr, Ruth Galloway Mystery Series (first entry The Crossing Places)
Diane Kelly: Paw Enforcement Mystery Series AND Southern Homebrew Mystery Series
Jenn McKinlay (aka Josie Belle & Lucy Lawrence): Hat Shop Mystery Series
Louise Penny: Chief Inspector Gamache Mystery Series
Allie Pleiter: Riverbank Knitting Mystery Series (first entry On Skein of Death)
David Rosenfelt: Andy Carpenter Mystery Series
Sara Rosett: High Society Lady Detective Mystery Series
Laura Jensen Walker: Bookish Baker Mystery Series (first entry Murder Most Sweet)
Kirsten Weiss: Witches of Doyle Mystery Series
Kate Young: Jane Doe Book Club Mystery Series (first entry On Borrowed Crime)
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.
Kimberley C says
I read the first two books in Anna Gerard aka Diane A.S. Stuckart’s Georgia B&B series. Fun reads, appealing characters, and interesting whodunits! About to start book 3.
Also, read the first 3 books in John Gaspard’s Eli Marks magician series. Good stuff!
Dee Falkinburg says
Just finished the first two Louise Penny 3 Pines books. Not considered cozy really but not far off ( The concern a police detective and there’s a bit of swearing). I will say the mysteries were very interesting and most of the characters are both believable and relatable.
Rickee Dozier says
I’ve just found Haywood Smith (a woman) and her hysterical family. I like that there’s a lot of Christian input but there’s a lot of crazy family stuff, too. Queen Bee Goes Home Again is the one I borrowed from a friend and couldn’t stop laughing. I was thrilled to find out that there are a bunch of these books, so I’ll look at the library now that it’s open again.
I also found one of my favorite authors at the library, DAvid Rosenfelt. He writes about a lawyer who doesn’t want to take cases, his love of dogs (which I love), and very interesting characters, and investigations into criminals. There are about 20 books in this series, and he just spun off some of his characters into a new series. There’s a tiny bit of ‘language’ but it’s sparse.
Dover Whitecliff says
I’m in the middle of who moved my goat cheese and am thoroughly enjoying it. Also read Unbound by Kirsten Weiss’. It’s a crossover of their of her other cozies and I loved it!
Marianne Kotch says
I highly recommend The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths. It’s #13 in the Ruth Galloway series and just as good as the previous books. Amateurs stumble upon Bronze Age artifacts next to a dead body, and then an apparent murder-suicide is also found in the neighborhood.
MJ says
July Recommendations – 2021
Little Black Book — Kate Carlisle
Need I say more? I always LOVE every addition to this series and this is no exception. I repeat what I say for every one of these books. This author has a GREAT talent of including the protagonist’s boyfriend, fiancé, and now husband in the story with wit, collaboration, and respect. This takes talent. Oftentimes other authors send the significant other off on a trip to do something else and their presence in the story is not noticeable. This is the 15th book in the series.
Brooklyn Wainwright and Derek Stone start out in SF, then go to Dharma (my favorite location in this series). This story begins when a rare book is sent to Derek anonymously. This initiates the ‘mystery’, and ends up with an adventure to Scotland. New characters are introduced, yet some of the recurring characters are still in the story. In Scotland they are looking for a friend’s (Claire Quinn) missing aunt. Of course, foul play is suspected (for a variety of reasons).
I enjoyed the intrigue in this well paced plot, written with several surprises.
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Murder Most Sweet – Laura Jensen Walker
This is a new-to-me author. The book is the first in her series – Bookish Baker Street Mystery. It’s set in Lake Potawatomi, just outside of Racine (the kringle capital of the world — YUM!). As an aside — if you’re near a Trader Joe’s get one of the seasonal kringles they offer 5 times a year. You won’t be sorry — my favorites are the pecan and the almond! Although, I’m looking forward to their fall selection – pumpkin caramel. Ironically, these kringles at Trader Joe’s are made in Racine!
OK — back to the task at hand. Theodora (Teddie) St. John is a mystery writer who recently recovered from breast cancer. Her friend, Char, owns a bookstore where famous author Tavish Bentley is there for a book signing. His ex-fiancee is found murdered in the alley behind the bookstore.
Teddie is developed with MUCH depth, intellect, and smarts. It’s an interesting mystery with various twists and turns. I actually figured out who the culprit was about half way through the book. However, the story itself with the character interactions is so engrossing, it keeps the reader engaged page after page until the end.
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On Skein of Death – Allie Pleiter
Pleiter is also new author to me. This is the first book in the Riverbank Knitting Mystery series. Set in MD, Libby Beckett has returned to her hometown to open a yarn shop. She invites a famous Norwegian knit designer to her store. A murder occurs. There are several suspects.
The relationship of the characters makes this a pleasant read. It’s a well written story and moves along swiftly. Libby is an introspective, positive, and generous character. Crafters will especially like this book
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Murder’s No Votive Confidence, Murder Makes Scents — Christin Brecher
ANOTHER new-to-me author. These are the first two books of her Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery series. It appears to be her first foray into this genre.
Stella Wright opens a candle making shop in Nantucket. She has a lot of family in this community which makes for some hilarious situations. Brecher adds wit and humor to her stories.
In the first book she is providing candles for a wedding ceremony and reception. The bride’s uncle is murdered. The weapon is a candle designed for the ceremony. Thus, Stella begins losing customers. There are some convoluted twisting background stories with the characters. As these stories unfold, more suspects come to the forefront.
I just finished the second book (Murder Makes Scents). This story has an international flavor with spies and intrigue. Stella witnesses a murder while in Paris. It happens to be a US secret agent. As she and her mother (Millie) return to Nantucket they are followed by some ‘spies’ from Paris because the murder victim put a vial in Millie’s bag.
Stella is a very independent character. A well-paced plot with many developments is intertwined in the story. It’s a real page turner. It was 10:00pm, then 11:00pm, then midnight, then 1:00 — I finally forced myself to put it down so I could sleep!
Nichole says
I have started the Hat Shop Mystery series by Jenn Mckinlay. I am on the second in the series. This is a great series. So funny and wonderful characters. And it’s in England! I really like all of Jenn’s series.
MJ says
Nichole,
I LOVE this series…………….so a thumbs up and a ‘second’ to your recommendation.
I enjoy all of Mckinlay’s series, but this is my favorite.
Greenway says
Hat Shop Mystery BURIED TO THE BRIM has the added attraction of centering on a charming (of course!) Pembroke Corgi comPETitor in a nonstandard dog show: They allow hats!
If you aren’t already addicted to images searches of “adorable (animals of your choice)”, supplement your reading this one with pictures of this breed of cheerful little dog (videos, too). If you’re politically progressive–or, even if you’re not, Daily Kos usually has a darlin’ animal section, no politics, cruelty, creepy, etc. allowed; it’s a respite from that stuff. be sure to scroll down past the featured article, itself (BTW, this is NOT for people who can’t stand “lolspeak” and its misspellings)~ the pictures and video bits readers send in can be even better than the article. Cuteness overload is a healthy thing! And our hat shop heroine and her fella are going to adopt a feisty mite of a Corgi puppy, so the AWWW factor is sure to continue. I’m sure intrepid Corgi Tee Tucker, of Rita Mae and Sneaky Pie Brown’s Mrs. Murphy Mysteries, will send her stub-tailed blessings!
Karen N says
I’ve been reading the Paw Enforcement series by Diane Kelly about a rookie policewoman, Megan Luz, and her K9 partner Bridget. The plots and characters are typical cozy but her writing style is unusual. Each chapter alternates being told by Megan, Bridget, and that book’s criminal. I especially enjoy Bridget’s chapters where she comments on dumb humans and how easy they are to train.
Fortney, Sally says
I read Death at High Tide, the first in a new series by Hannah Dennison. Two sisters go to a hotel on one of the Scilly Islands of of England because they think the one sister may own the hotel through her dead husband. It’s a lovely setting with a mixed group of people on the island. I’m anxious to read the next in the series.
Rob J says
Danna et all: I have been reading Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple as well as the Book Retreat mysteries by Ellery Adams, and Elizabeth Sprann’s Quilt mysteries this month. Loved them all but am partial to Agatha’s books. However, the others held my interest and attention as well. If you try one of these works, you will not be disappointed. Hope all is well with you and family, Danna and also for the readers out there.
Tammy says
I have been enjoying Ann Granger’s books this summer. I must admit I am partial to British Cozies!
Deb B says
I’ve read the Dianne Freeman books – Countess of Harleigh Mysteries. I’m sad that there are only three of them but glad the fourth is just out. They are funny, easy reads and take place just before the turn of the 20th century in London. Highly recommend them.
Hanna says
I discovered Sara Rosett and her Olive Belgrave heroine. A bit like Carola Dunn’s Daisy Dalrymple: a young woman in London 100 years ago, when there is a shortage of men after World War I. Both young women choose not to stay at home but to go to London to try to earn a living. To the dismay of family and friends. Olive has no skills, but her aunt and cousin want her to look at the fiance of the younger daughter who just came from nowhere and nothing is known about him. In “Murder in Archly Manor” Olive and the older cousin join others at a weekend at the Archly Manor where the fiance is murdered. When Olive’s young cousin is the chief suspect, Olive is going to find the real culprit and is being rewarded with a nice payment by her relatives. This prompts her to start advertising herself as an investigator and in the second book: “Murder at Blackburn Manor” Olive is asked by an owner of a publishing company to find the whereabouts of a popular writer and an overdue manuscript. Olive stays at a small village and after a second murder is committed, she has to quickly solve both before a warrant is issued for her arrest.
I also started on Simon Brett’s the Fethering Mystery series. I have read all his Charles Paris books so decided to look at the other series. Fethering is a small village catering to retired people and to tourists. Carole Seddon is a very prompt former civil servant who even got a dog so that she would be able to walk on the beach without raising eyebrows. In “The Body on the Beach” she finds a body during one of these walks but by the time the police is summoned, the body is gone. At the same time, a new neighbor, a free spirit Jude is exactly the opposite of Carole and get her to the local pub where she is introduced to the pub owner and to other residents. Jude insists on both of them solving the puzzle and they do.
In “Death on the Downs” Carole, again, while walking, finds old bones. And again she and Jude are going to solve the puzzle at great personal threats in a neighboring village where all the characters are related by family ties and by nefarious activities
PamB says
I also enjoy the Sara Rosett Olive Belgrade series and always preorder the new releases as can’t wait to read what Olive is involved in next.
Greenway says
If you love P.G. Wodehouse, you’ll probably love Simon Brett’s BLOTTO, TWINKS AND THE_________ Series. Not mysteries, usually, nor conventionally cozy, but rollicking comedy adventures of a gorgeous aristo brother and sister pair in indeterminate Downton Abbey-ish times. She has no end of brains (and, apparently, survival equipment in her little silvery reticule). He has only the barest minimum of brains, but pan-athletic skills and Herculean strength. They also have (a wild extreme parody of) the typical Omnicompetent Loyal Servant. These fear nothing but the pair’s horrible basilisk family-power- obsessed mother. Sometimes their unique dialect of (made up by Brett) Public School slang takes some figuring out, but their adventures are a total hoot. Wonderful stuff!
Pat R says
I read the first two books in the Catering Hall Mystery series by Maria DiRico, a pseudonym used by Ellen Bryon. Loved the series and can’t wait for the 3rd one due out in October. It is a Christmas theme one.
Pam Walker says
I just read the first in a new series by Kate Young called “On Borrowed Crime”. It is the Jane Doe Bookclub series. I thought it was really good and was able to get an ARC of the second one on my Kindle.
Melanie says
Of the books I read this month, I’m recommending the following:
Flower Shop Mystery Series by Kate Collins
– I finally decided to dive into one of the longer-running series on my wish list. So far, I’ve read the first four books (the rest are waiting on my TBR pile, while I read some other books that I want to get through this summer). So far, I really like the large, eclectic group of characters, the setting, and the mysteries. I can see why this series is on the “most recommended” list.
Fairy Garden Mystery Series by Daryl Wood Gerber
– I read the second release, “A Glimmer of a Clue”. This is a fun, magical series. The mystery was fantastic…I had my suspicions, and I wasn’t quite certain, but I ended-up being correct…it was great nonetheless! As with the first book, the fairies in this one help solve the murder, and they add a large dose of whimsy to this enchanting series.
Haunted Souvenir Shop Mystery Series by Christy Fifield
– I read all four books in this series… unfortunately, since the last one was released in 2015, future books seem highly unlikely. Glory Martine runs a souvenir shop in the Florida panhandle, which she inherited (along with her obnoxious cousin, who luckily lives 100 miles away) from her late great-uncle, Louis. Glory also inherited Louis’ pet parrot, Bluebeard, the store’s honorary mascot. Louis occasionally uses Bluebeard in a limited capacity to communicate with Glory. The mysteries play a big part of the stories, but there’s also a strong focus on the friendships between the characters. This is a fun series with a likeable main character, a fantastic group of supporting characters.
Christina York says
Glory will be back next week! MURDER BUYS A LEMON will launch on Kickstarter next week!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1240359929/haunted-souvenir-shop-mysteries
MJ says
Moonshine Shack Mystery — Diane Kelly
I just finished this enjoyable and witty book today, so wanted to share it on this month’s recommendation list. I’m so excited about it, I couldn’t wait until next month.
This is a new series (Sothern Homebrew Mystery series) by Diane Kelly and well worth reading. First of all she is a first rate story teller, as several on this blog have recommended her Paw Enforcement series over the years (see Karen’s recommendation above). I also enjoy her House-Flipper Mystery series.
Hattie Hayes is opening a Moonshine Shop in her hometown of Chattanooga, TN. Hattie’s family has been making moonshine for decades – mostly illegal. 🙂 Just before her grand opening she meets hunky police officer Landers as he is riding his horse (Charlotte) through town. Their paths cross quite often when a nearby business owner is murdered on the steps of Hattie’s shop.
Unbelievable characters! The intelligent Hattie has an amusing and witty personality. Her grandfather is a hoot with a quirky personality. Many other characters are quite unique as well. The interaction of the characters is entertaining and SO WELL WRITTEN!
There is an abundance of suspects, several of which are ruled out one by one. It’s a well-paced story (I wouldn’t expect anything less from this author). Kudos to Kelly for another delightful read and a creative concept for a series. Can hardly wait for the second book!
Janice G says
I read the first book in a new series Ruby Red Herring by Tracy Gardner. The main character Avery Ames is still dealing with the car accident that killed her parents and injured both Avery and her younger sister. She has started to work at her parents business, appraising antiques. The current job involves a large ruby that might be the missing eye from a Chinese dragon medallion – the last piece that her parents had evaluated at the Museum of Art. After a break-in and receiving some strange messages, Avery teams up with a guard from the museum to figure out how this all connects. The book reminds me of the Josie Prescott mysteries and I look forward to a second book.
I also enjoyed A Fatal Footnote, the second book in a series by Margaret Loudon who also writes as Peg Cochran. Penelope, writer in residence at a bookstore in Upper Chumley-on-Stoke, is attending the wedding of her friend and fellow writer Charlotte to the Duke when a guest is murdered. Since the victim -dubbed the Loo Paper Heiress by the tabloids – is a former girlfriend of the Duke, Charlotte asks Pen for help. The local policeman Maguire is upset that a detective is sent from London because of the high profile of the case encourages Pen to share information with him as he runs his own investigation. This series features a lot of interesting characters in a charming small town.
I second MJ’s recommendation of Little Black Book by Kate Carlisle. It’s amazing what Derek can accomplish with just one phone call – private jets, helicopters, or intense levels of security. I also join in the recommendation of The Night Hawks by Ellie Griffiths. Not quite a cozy but an absolutely wonderful series.