The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

When Is Too Much Romance Not a Good Thing?

loveA little while ago, Donna wrote me a letter asking me about romance in our Cozy Mystery series. Hmmm… I know there is some romance in most of the series I read, but note, I said some. I find that in the series I follow, there may be a possibility of a romance evolving (usually between the sleuth and a person who is in a law enforcement line of work – sheriff, detective, lawyer, judge, ETC.) However, in some of my series there is a definite couple. But the series I read don’t dwell a lot on the couple or the courting/possibility. Let me get to Donna’s question.

Donna:

I would love to know if any of the other readers enjoy when there is romance involved with the main characters. I have been reading one series for several years but the last book I read I felt like I was reading a romance book. In fact, I forgot someone had been murdered. The theme seemed to be more on if the main character and her boyfriend were going to get back together and if they had sex yet. Needless to say as much as I enjoyed the series at the beginning I will most likely not continue with it. There is another series I read and the focus seems to be more on their relationship instead of the mystery. Does anyone else feel this way?

So, what do you all think? Do you like your Cozies to have a lot of romance in them? Or is too much romance not at all appealing in your Cozy Mysteries?

If You Missed the Cozy-Mystery Information, Here’s What I Suggest You Do

I posted some information about an upcoming mystery movie on the Turner Classic Movies channel the other day, and unfortunately not everyone on Facebook got the notice early enough to either watch the movie live or to set up their DVRs to tape the movie. Here is a comment I received:

Lynn:

Ohhh, FB is so awful about showing posts in a timely manner that I missed this posts and the second movie is over! Do you know if they will re-broadcast the first two?

Here is my response:

Danna (Cozy-Mystery):

Lynn, I posted the entry yesterday on my website, so that everyone would have time to set up their DVRs. I’m sorry you missed the notice. I would suggest that you go to my website’s blog area and sign up for the emails. Everything (all new Cozy Mystery authors, new Cozy Mystery themes, the free and cheap Kindle/Nook lists, the monthly mystery movies on television, etc.), everything I add to the Cozy-Mystery.com site comes out in my entry emails. That way, you’ll be ahead of the game! I do a monthly list of the television mystery movies that I post, so if these two Nancy Drew movies are on again, I will be posting them. (Again, I’m sorry you missed them.)

We have a lot of different Cozy Mystery readers who come to the blog and post comments, which are very informative and interesting to read.

And, for those of you who are reading this entry on the actual Cozy Mystery blog, thank you for all your terrific, informative comments. (I wish I could say “terrifically” – but I doubt that’s a word. It just feels like it’s grander than “terrific” – which is how I feel about your participation in, as well as your additions to – the blog!) You ALL are a wonderful source of interesting conversation, as well as a whole lot of great Cozy Mystery information.

Thank you ALL, again!

Most of Us Started with Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, Right?

I have got to tell you, I am so happy I did this month’s Upcoming Television Mystery list! I wonder if I would have watched the 1938 movie called Nancy Drew… Detective if we hadn’t had the comments about how good these movies are!

Thank you, Patti S and Pamela, for telling us how much you enjoyed these Nancy Drew movies with Bonita Granville. I was in the same boat as Sheila, who told us she hadn’t watched these particular movies. Sheila mentioned that she was looking forward to seeing them, and after reading the comments, so was I!

On July 5th, they aired the first of these movies Nancy Drew, Detective. This week, on a day when I didn’t feel like doing much, I decided to watch it. I had read my older sister’s Nancy Drew mysteries when I was little, so wasn’t quite sure how they would hold up for me now that I’m “not so little”!

Let me just say déjà vu (!), and I loved it! I immediately loved Bonita Granville’s depiction of Nancy, and I thought Ted (Frankie Thomas) and her dad (John Litel) were perfect, as well.

I want to hurry up and get this entry posted, since I see that tomorrow morning, at 9:45 (Central time zone) they will be airing the 1939 Nancy Drew, Reporter. Then, next week (Saturday, July 19) they will be airing the 1939 Nancy Drew… Trouble Shooter at 9:45 AM (Central time zone). The following Saturday (July 26) they’ll be airing the 1939 Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase at the same time.

I just looked Bonita Granville up, and it looks like TCM is going to be showing all of the Nancy Drew movies in which she starred. There are only four.

Well, if you decide to watch these movies, you may find yourself going back, some of us going back farther than others! Enjoy!

Rough Diamond (USA) Diamond Geezer (UK) Television Series

It has been a few years since I watched this British television series, however I remember it as a fun show to watch. I had seen every one of the A Touch of Frost episodes, and at the time, I was searching to see if David Jason (Jack Frost) had any other mystery shows I could watch. I was delighted to find Rough Diamond (2008) but wasn’t very happy to see that it only aired one year. (This is not a mystery show. It is more like Mission Impossible, only with thieves.)

The premise of Rough Diamond is this: Des (David Jason) is an “older” (thus the UK’s title Diamond Geezer) Mastermind thief who we first encounter in prison. He seems to have worked his way up the prison’s hierarchical ladder, as he is now in charge of taking around the tea cart. Of course, we hope that his prison time has rehabilitated him!

Upon his “release”, however, Des isn’t content with serving tea. He decides to go back to his old ways >>> since he truly never left them.

The production crew of Rough Diamond must have had great fun coming up with the different disguises Jason donned. David Jason is able to pull off all of the disguises with boyish glee.

I have to admit that this series is pretty zany. I mean, how realistic is it that a 60+ year old man would be able to lead his cohorts on the criminal escapades they go on? It is still a delightful show to me. Even if I had trouble buying that these older men were zipping around, pulling off dangerous capers with the precise punctuality they required, I had a good time watching them. (If television viewers can buy CSI’s and Law & Order’s 60 second DNA test results, then why can’t television viewers equally buy a sixty plus year old cat burglar?!?)

If you decide to watch this British import, suspend your belief, get comfortable, kick your shoes off, and enjoy David Jason >>> again!

P.S. It is available on Netflix.

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