The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Barchester Chronicles miniseries…

Although, technically, the Barchester Chronicles miniseries is not a mystery, it certainly qualifies as “cozy.” This miniseries is a favorite of ours— not only because of its terrific plot, or because it stars some wonderful actors (Geraldine McEwan, Nigel Hawthorne, Alan Rickman, Donald Pleasence, Clive Swift, Susan Hampshire, ETC) but also because the scenery is absolutely and wonderfully British.

The BBC production is based on two of Anthony Trollope’s novels (Barchester Towers and the Warden), and deals with the power struggles between those who are truly good people and those who only have the appearance of being good because of their chosen professions. (This is quite a brief summary of the plot!) I first saw the production years ago when it originally aired on Masterpiece Theatre. You cannot imagine how excited I was when I discovered that it was available now on DVD. I lost absolutely no time in getting it so that my family could enjoy it. And, they have!

One thing to remember, though, is that the Barchester Chronicles was made in 1982, and was meant to air on television. So, although the settings are beautiful, and the plot is delightfully “cozy” – it does not have the appearance of today’s productions. But,  even without today’s razzle-dazzle special effects and the multi-million dollar salaries spent to procure “major stars,” it is one of our very favorite shows.

If you would like to see more TV and Movies suggestions, click here.

*****I wrote this review way back in 2006, but we still think it’s a terrific series. If you are a member of Netflix, they have the DVDs. Also, your library might just carry the DVDs. It truly is an exceptional British television mystery series. May 2014

Cozy Mystery Readers Like Different Books……..

I previously wrote about one friend of mine who has almost the same/exact taste for cozy mystery books that I have. I have yet another friend who has a somewhat different taste for cozy mystery books, with her preference sometimes going for the more "hard-boiled" mysteries, but at the same time, she likes one particular "funny" author who I just don’t like at all. This author is a huge best seller, so there are obviously many other readers who think she is tops in the cozy mystery book field. I, on the other hand, find that the particular author "tries too hard" to be funny. I am not going to name the author, and, since there are so many authors who really and truly are funny, it will probably be difficult to guess who I am referring to…

This friend of mine, with the somewhat different taste in cozy mystery books, has "turned me on to" some authors who I never would have tried. And, I have added many of those authors to my "favorite author" list. I never would have guessed that I would like Jeffery Deaver, Michael Connelly, Harlan Coben, but, I DO!

I guess that the moral of this blogging story is that sometimes you have to go outside the box (or should I say "book"?) and try different authors. Who knows, you may surprise yourself and enjoy someone who you had absolutely no intention of ever trying.

Similar Cozy Mystery Book Preferences…

I have one friend in particular who shares the same likes and dislikes as I do when it comes to cozy mystery books and authors. When she recommends a cozy mystery author or cozy mystery series to me, I am 99% sure that I will share her opinion of the author or series. There have been very few times that I have tried one of "her" authors or series that I didn’t end up adding to my "favorites" list.

This particular friend has told me about many authors who I now follow. She also shares my enjoyment for reading seasonal/holiday cozy mysteries. I know that I can safely add an unknown (to me) recommended author to my Amazon wish list. I hope that I have been able to supply her with at least half of the author/series ideas that she has shared with me.  I am always in quest of a good cozy mystery book to read, and enjoy getting her suggestions.

 

Different mystery reading groups for different mystery reading tastes….

It’s funny how we can sometimes have the exact same likes and dislikes as other people, isn’t it? When I first started using the Internet, I became a member of five different mystery reading groups. I belonged to one mystery reading group that was based around culinary mysteries, one group that was more of a "hard-core" mystery group that had a lot of graphic details, one group that was really pretty silly and almost totally forgettable, and two groups that consisted of (mostly) women who had very similar "cozy mystery book" preferences.  (I say "women" since I believe we only had one man in either group during all of the years that I belonged.)

My favorite mystery reading groups were those two "cozy mystery book" reading groups, and I was very sorry when they disbanded. I am still very good friends with two of the members, and we have been through many changes throughout the years. The Internet allowed us to meet and exchange our views on books and authors, and also provided us with  fast and efficient methods of communication (sending e-mails and IMing each other). Making good friends through the mystery reading groups was as easy at it used to be to make neighborhood friends in the coffee klatches of yesteryear, before everybody felt the need to put up six foot fences around their yards.

The really great thing about the reading groups on the Internet is that they enable us to find other people who have similar tastes in books, and from there we are able to forge ahead and make lasting friendships. Having something in common, like reading mysteries, is a great starting point for friendships. I treasure both of the women I found through my cozy mystery reading groups.

 

MENU