The Cozy Mystery List Blog

Hmmm… How do I broach this subject without sounding like I think I’m the end-all to all… plus a little more?!? (Which, by the way, is not at all the case!)

Several times a month I receive offers of free mystery books. Yes! FREE mystery books!!! Sometimes these offers come from the mystery book authors, and sometimes the offers come from their publishers. Either way, they are very generous offers… and believe me, I would LOVE to accept every one of the offered books!

But, I don’t!

I just “flat-out” have a policy of not accepting free mystery books. I think that this policy comes from my very ingrained “guilt complex” >>> which, if you have, then you know what I mean!!! I know that with my guilt complex, I would end up feeling “obligated” to write a good review.

I must be honest and disclose that I did (once upon a time) accept two free books from authors/publishers. I don’t know what possessed me to think that I could be fair-minded in my reviews… but let me just say that one of the books I loved, and the other I didn’t finish.

So, I decided not to review either book. One would clearly have gotten a 5 star rating, the other would have gotten a … Yup! That’s when the guilt complex comes in! I couldn’t give that free book less than 3 stars, which, since I didn’t get past page 50 (my cut-off for books that I literally make myself stay with!) would have been a sham.

Me and my guilt complex!!! I’d rather spend the $6.99 and not “have to finish” a book I’m not enjoying, than stay with a book I don’t like just so that I can try to find nice things to write about in a review. (Thumper’s mom would be proud of me!)

PS>>> I’m using the “five-star” rating system as my example since it seems to be the most prevalent…

My daughter just left (yesterday) to intern for ten weeks. I’m a little bummed, but I am also “a little” used to it. Since she finished the ninth grade, her summers have been spent either attending school programs or working >>> always outside of Texas. She did, however, take one summer off to sort of “chill out” (I’m not sure if that is the current term for what used to be “take time to smell the roses” or even “take it easy”>>> but I’m sure you can get my drift…) That was the summer that she and I managed to get on a bus tour through Canada.

We have never visited our daughter during any of her summer programs/jobs, but this summer we are planning on going to see her for five days. We know the area, so it should be a nice time… reminiscing for my husband and me… seeing places she used to visit regularly as a little girl… the different Smithsonian museums, the Baltimore zoo and aquarium, and perhaps even the two houses we lived in.  

Each time she leaves, she makes a point of saying goodbye to Sprite (our 15 1/2 year old puppy)… Unfortunately, Sprite is at a time in her life where she doesn’t realize that our daughter no longer lives with us. She used to hip-hop all over (Sprite, that is!) when our daughter walked in the door for the first time, but this last visit, Sprite just wanted to be fed!

Anyway, my daughter just left yesterday, and already I miss her and am counting the days until we go out and visit. As for Sprite, she is keeping on with keeping on… and “chilling out” whenever possible!