Cozy Mystery (and Other Favorite) Books, Movies, and TV
Lynn Cahoon: Hospitality and Homicide (This will be the 8th in the Tourist Trap Mystery Series.)
Carolyn Haines: Sticks and Bones (This will be the 18th in the Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery Series. This will be a New Year’s Eve mystery.)
Karen Machinery: Mother’s Little Helper (This will be the 3rd in the Margie Peterson Mystery Series.)
And if you happen to be interested in reading some Mother’s Day themed Cozies, (awkward transition, I know, but thought I should say something a bit more “on topic” for a Cozy Mystery blog…) perhaps you should check out some of the Mother’s Day themed Cozies on the site’s theme page for this holiday?
![Mr. Holmes [DVD + Digital]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/511WglwbuxL._SL500_.jpg "Mr. Holmes [DVD + Digital]")
My husband and I watched the movie, “Mr. Holmes” a little while ago. This is a terrific story about Sherlock Holmes living in retirement. To me, at least, this movie seems like it could be a continuation of the British Sherlock Holmes television series starring Jeremy Brett. The movie is based on “A Slight Trick of Mind” (the novel is by Mitch Cullin) and is directed by Bill Condon.
There are three main characters in the movie – all three superbly played. Sherlock (Ian McKellen), his housekeeper Mrs. Munro (Laura Linney), and the housekeeper’s little boy (Milo Parker). Whereas Poirot retired to the county to raise “tubers” this Sherlock has retired to become a beekeeper in the country. The housekeeper’s young son becomes a fan of Sherlock’s – both in the criminal and the beekeeping arenas.
Sherlock has decided to write his own version of this last case – which took place some thirty years ago. Dr. Watson wrote about the case – unsatisfactorily >>> anyway that’s what Sherlock thinks! Unfortunately, Sherlock is having a difficult time remembering all the details of this particular case which convinced him it was time to retire.
I’m not going to say anything more about the plot because I strongly urge you to see the movie. I will warn you, though, that if you’re looking for car chases or lots of computer-generated action, this movie isn’t for you.
I will tell you, though, that the acting, costumes, makeup, scenery, and ambiance are absolutely terrific.
For more Cozy viewing ideas, click on my Cozy Mystery TV & Movies page.
The series centers around a Ft. Lauderdale retirement community where Gladdy Gold is the 75 year old primary sleuth. She works with a group of similarly elderly friends – almost all women. I use the term “works with” loosely since sometimes it seems the other women are (unintentionally) working against Gladdy in their well meaning but often befuddled way.
In the first book of the series, Gladdy finds herself trying to find a serial killer of several of the residents of the retirement community. Gladdy recognizes that there is something fishy with the way some of her old friends are dropping dead seemingly from natural causes. Of course, the police detective whom Gladdy goes to report her suspicions does not take her seriously >> at least at first. However, when another death occurs, though, it becomes all too clear to Gladdy that she is onto something. Soon Gladdy and her friends form a murder-detection group called “Gladdy’s Gladiators”.
This book has a refreshingly slow pace with the murders not really dominating the story telling until well into the last half of the book. Rather, the author introduces us to many of the condo complexes residents while slowly providing the clues necessary for the reader to try to solve the mystery. This Cozy community really comes to life and the book is sprinkled with gentle humor about the foibles of people and aging. And, for those of you who enjoy some romance in your Cozies, there is one here too!
I’ve written about Rita Lakin before (back in March of 2015), and I have to say that what I said then still applies upon me re-reading this first book of the series. The relationship between Gladdy and her friends really makes the book enjoyable.
Rita Lakin has a background in TV as a writer, creator and producer. (She wrote a memoir about her life in TV, The Only Woman in the Room: Episodes in My Life and Career as a Television Writer which I have not yet read >>> but I am very tempted to do so soon!) Her writing is top-notch and what she has created here is what I think is a fine example of a modern Cozy. If you like your sleuths with a bit of seasoning behind them, I highly recommend Rita Lakin’s Getting Old Is Murder.
P.S. If you’d like to see more highlights of some of the most recommended or popular Cozy Mystery authors/series, visit the Most Popular & Recommended Cozy Mystery Series page on my site.
