The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Cozy Mystery Books with Just TOOO Much Romance…

A few days ago, Patricia posted this comment on the blog:

“I know this may seem a bit of a rant but I would like to have the views of other readers on this. For many years I have been reading murder mystery cozies and thoroughly enjoyed and devoured them, but I am finding with some of the authors in the past year in particular that perhaps they are writing a romance rather than a murder mystery cozy. On several occasions lately I have picked up their latest paperback, eager to read it, and half way through I start to wonder if the murder mystery is still relevant as I am sidetracked onto the existing romance/or new one and have to go a few chapters before getting back to the plot. On a few occasions this year I have put the book down, not wishing to continue as it has been driving me round the bend.

Sorry for this but I am just wondering if other recipients to your website are finding the same problem.”

Well, Patricia, I have to admit to not having that happen in the Cozy Mystery books that I try. I know that even Agatha Christie would throw a little romantic side-line into her novels a lot of the time. Sometimes she would simply have a young, level-headed working woman (a private secretary, or a terrific housekeeper, you know… something of that sort) who would meet a young man from a “good family” who didn’t care about social class stereotypes. But, she always kept those plot lines as very secondary.

How about you all, what do you think of the romance genre possibly moving into the Cozy Mystery genre? Please post your comments, and thank you!

Welcome Home!

I sometimes write an entry for my blog the day before it posts, and then post-date it. That is what I am doing today. Usually it doesn’t matter, since my entries aren’t time-sensitive. However, today it is… or rather yesterday, it was.

My daughter is flying back today from Washington,DC, where she has spent the first part of her summer interning. She stayed in the same women’s dorm at which she resided for her last summer’s internship. The dorm is right downtown, which has worked out fabulously for her. Both this summer and last, she was able to walk directly to work, passing through one of the most beautiful places in the USA>>> the Washington, DC mall, with all of its incredible monuments.  She has been able to walk to the wonderful, historical, and phenomenally beautiful Union Station during her leisure time. (Those are my descriptions, not hers!) Can you imagine using Union Station as the place you send your packages? It doesn’t get much better than that! (And, from what she tells me, there is actually less of a wait at that Union Station USPS office than my local one!)

She will be spending more time with us this summer than she has during her past few summers. Her school will be starting pretty late this year, so she has another internship lined up downtown, which she is really looking forward to. We are happy that she was able to get this internship, an added bonus for us being that she will be able to stay with us.

The only sad note about her coming home is that I know she will miss Sprite. Sprite spent a lot of time with my daughter while she was in school, and even on her college breaks. If Sprite wasn’t with me, I knew I could find her with my daughter.

I am SO looking forward to having my daughter right here with us. But, I guess I should really be saying: I’m glad she arrived safely YESTERDAY!

Mystery Books, One Eyed Jacks, Walleyed Pike, & Jake…

Man, you guys are good about coming up with the correct answers for fellow Cozy Mystery site readers! So good, in fact, that here is the next one…

Wanda would like to know:

…” I have read some good mystery books that have titles something like “One Eyed Jacks” and “Walleyed Pike”
Cannot find out the author. The main man is a somewhat burned out middle aged man named Jake – I think….”

Please post a comment if you think you might know who Wanda is looking for. Thank you!

PS>>> I just tried to look up the title “One-Eyed Jacks” and found a whole lot of  books by that title, written by several different authors. I couldn’t find one with a “Jake” as the sleuth…

Southern Girl Marries a Scottish Man, Queen’s Audience, Disappearance at Sea…

Wow! That last Mystery Author’s Mystery Identity was fast! I hope you all are on a streak! My next question is from Annette:

…” Can you help me find this author?
 
First book, as I remember it, plot is that a southern girl marries a Scottish man and they have an audience with the Queen.  In a subsequent book, the girl returns to the states as her husband has disappeared from a research vessel in the Atlantic Ocean; she returns and I remember her brother is a character in the book.  If it rings a bell, please let me know.
 
Thanks so much”…

Again, if you think you know the identity of this author, please post a comment for Annette. Thank you!

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