The Cozy Mystery List Blog

Laura Childs : Tea Shop Mystery Series

January 20, 2015

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.

Death In Paradise – Fun Cozy Mystery TV

January 18, 2015

I recently discovered the British TV mystery series, Death in Paradise. This is currently one of my favorite TV shows and one of the few that falls well within the bounds of the Cozy Mystery genre.

The show is set in the fictional tropical island of Saint-Marie which is a British possession and filmed on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. The setup of the first episode is that a murder has occurred on the island, and because the murder is that of the local British detective, a new detective from London is brought in to investigate.

The London detective, Detective Inspector Richard Poole, played wonderfully by Ben Miller, is not happy to be sent to the island. His character is very much a “fish out of water” type character, much in the mold of the Doc in Doc Martin. The London detective refuses to adopt the casual island clothing, for example. He goes everywhere in a suit and tie despite the tropical heat (which bothers him quite a bit.) And, for some reason, he always carries a briefcase no matter where he goes. I like that the character is quirky, but not over-the-top zany.

Other characters include a few members of the local police force. The refreshing thing about the additional characters is that they are all intelligent, and they all provide great help to the main detective in gathering the facts for each episode’s mystery. They make a great team both in the stories and with their great chemistry on the screen.

Besides the characters and the settings (which are beautiful, by the way), I really like that the mysteries are well plotted. All the clues that are necessary to solve the crime are actually presented to the viewer. One of my pet peeves is when the writer of a mystery saves one important clue for the detective to disclose during the final scene’s “reveal”. I always feel cheated when the clues remain hidden until after the sleuth has solved the case. One of the fun things I like about good Cozy Mysteries is that they provide a puzzle to solve. Holding back a clue until the end strikes me the same as keeping some of the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle off the table. Frustrating — and not fun!

I have not yet finished watching seasons one and two, but I understand (from Ian) that something big happens during the first episode of season three. Hmmm… I hope it’s something good! I can’t attest to the quality of the later seasons (yet), but I have really enjoyed what I have seen so far. And (again, from Ian) they are currently watching season 4 across the pond, so good news for us!

(Note – this show is not based on the Robert B. Parker Jesse Stone novel Death in Paradise nor is it related to the mystery novel of the same name by Carolyn Hart. Death in Paradise is a popular title among mystery writers!)

P.S. Thank you so much, Ian, for all the Death In Paradise information, including this fun fact:

Ian:

(Fun fact – Ben Miller found it so hot that whenever his feet were out of shot he took his shoes off, and his shirt was only a front and cuffs).

Bird Feeder Rant & Rave: Nyjer Thistle and Seed Hoops

January 15, 2015

bird111111111ohhk;rgk;kd I’m not sure whether I’m in a ranting or raving mood right now! (Oh, and I want to warn you, this has absolutely nothing to do with Cozy Mysteries.)

I just got back from the grocery store where I found out they no longer carry my Goldfinch nyjer thistle. Doggone it! I hate it when my grocery store just stops carrying items. We have a grocery store monopoly (of sorts) down here in San Antonio. Good grief, I’m not happy about this! (And by “this” I mean the grocery store monopoly as well as the discontinuance of the thistle!)

Those of you who have been with me for a few years know that after our beloved 16 1/2 year old puppy left us, I was pretty sad. When she left, it was sort of a changing of eras for me. Sprite had grown up with our children. She had seen them from elementary school all the way through college. She was an integral part of our family.

We decided not to rush out and get a new puppy, and just see how things went. I have to admit that we didn’t miss taking her on daily walks in +/- 100° with high humidity, finding new methods of trying to get her to keep down her medicine, or having to get home after being out four hours. Long story >>> short, I ended up moving my computer so that I can look out on our back yard and I put up bird feeders and a big bird bath. Obviously, watching birds didn’t take Sprite’s place, but I truly enjoyed all of the daily shows the birds put on for me.

Unfortunately, we also ended up attracting squirrels, which were attracted to the seeds and water, but seemed to prefer our house’s wood. We had to repair our house four times. Four times was the charm: I got rid of the seeds and the water. (Many of our neighbors were feeding the birds, which helped alleviate my guilt.)

I missed the daily bird shows, especially when they brought their fledglings and taught them how to take off, land, and eat on their own. Sometimes there would be dozens of the little fledglings hip-hopping all over the ground under the feeders. They certainly didn’t take the place of a puppy, but they had been fun to watch, and I missed that.

A few months ago, someone commented (right here) about something called seed hoops. I decided to put up a Goldfinch feeder with a 16″ seed hoop and see if it worked. We already had squirrel-proof poles so I just attached the seed hoop to the hanger. And guess what >>> they work! They totally keep the seeds off of the ground!

Now I get to watch the little Goldfinches bicker with each other over which of them will get a perch. Every once in a while a squirrel will pass through our yard, but we no longer have them nesting here. Ya-hoo!

So I guess I’m ranting about our grocery store dropping the nyger thistle (which I just bought on line) and I’m raving about these seed hoops. (I’m also wondering why on earth I didn’t come up with something as practical and totally obvious as a seed hoop!)

Judith Arnold, Alice Boatwright, Elissa D. Grodin, & Dani Pettrey: Four New Cozy Authors on the Cozy Mystery Site

January 14, 2015

So, I’ve finally gotten another batch of your Cozy Mystery author suggestions… This time I’m adding four, all with only a single series each and no pseudonyms >>> yet!

Judith Arnold Originally a playwright, Judith Arnold has also written in a number of other areas, including Cozy Mysteries! Arnold’s Lainie Lovett Still Kicking Mystery Series stars Lainie Lovett, grade-school teacher and member of the local soccer team, the Colonielles. (Dead Ball is the first in the Lainie Lovett Still Kicking Mystery Series.)

Alice Boatwright Alice Boatwright has spent significant time in England, likely one of the primary reasons she made the detective of her new series, the Ellie Kent Mystery Series, an American professor living in the English Cotswolds with her husband, an English vicar. (Under an English Heaven is the first in the Ellie Kent Mystery Series.)

Elissa D. Grodin Elissa D. Grodin began her writing with journalism, but she has also written children’s books and now has begun Cozy Mysteries. Grodin’s series is the Edwina Goodman Mystery Series, set in an Ivy League School in New Guilford, New England. Elissa and her husband, actor Charles Grodin, live in New York and Connecticut. (Physics Can Be Fatal is the first in the Edwina Goodman Mystery Series.)

Dani Pettrey A homeschool teacher in Maryland, Dani Pettrey considers faith an important part of her life, and it shows in her Alaskan Courage Mystery Series. Starring the McKenna family, the Alaskan Courage Series takes place in the town of Yancey, Alaska. (Submerged is the first in the Alaskan Courage Mystery Series.)

« Previous Page