This month for my regular series highlighting some of the most popular and recommended Cozy Mystery Series, I decided to try a “new to me” author I’ve been meaning to get around to for a while, Victoria Hamilton, largely because she’s been recommended by site visitors multiple times. Since her Merry Muffin Mystery Series is what has been recommended more often than not lately, I decided to start with the first entry in that series, Bran New Death. As always when something is repeatedly recommended, I wasn’t disappointed.
Bran New Death is firmly in the new style of Cozy Mysteries that has proliferated so much in the last decade – a woman no longer happy with her big city career, going back to somewhere from her past, to take up a long beloved hobby on a more professional basis. That said, it does distance itself somewhat from this formula through many minor variations that help to make it a bit more distinctive than the average modern Cozy. First, the sleuth, Merry Wynter, isn’t going back to her hometown – instead, she’s going to the family’s hereditary castle in upstate New York that she only visited once, now bequeathed to her upon the death of her estranged uncle. She also isn’t coming off of a bad breakup with a cheating spouse, either – instead, she is a widower, one who loved her spouse very dearly and has had trouble moving on since his accidental death several years earlier. Finally, she’s not originally intending to settle in Autumn Vale permanently, at least at the beginning of the novel – rather, she’s just hoping to clean up the castle enough to sell it, as she has recently been fired by a demanding and erratic employer.
These sorts of little touches help show that the author is willing to variate from the standard formula for modern Cozies, which can be very appreciated. What Victoria Hamilton doesn’t skip out on is the eccentric characters who populate small town Autumn Vale. Supporting cast is vitally important in a series like this, as they serve both as recurring characters and the original set of potential victims and criminals, and it’s always a pleasure when the characters walk that fine line between being interesting and being “wacky”. Fortunately, that is the case here – none of the supporting cast verged into the more cringe-worthy “zaniness” that can sometimes be found in Cozies, but at the same time are well characterized and interesting enough that you want to learn a bit more about them.
All told, if you’re looking for something well written and interesting in the “modern” Cozy style, the Merry Muffin Mystery Series is probably worth checking out.
Victoria Hamilton also writes the Vintage Kitchen Mystery Series, and has also written under several different names before this – she is the author of the Teapot Collector Mystery Series under the name Amanda Cooper, and the Lady Anne Addison Mystery Series under the name Donna Lea Simpson.
PS: For those who are swayed by such (and you know who you are!), this mystery does contain several recipes at the end – two for muffins, obviously, but also one for a chowder soup that sounds quite interesting as well.
Sharon in MD says
Thanks for very informative review, Danna. Victoria Hamilton is a new author to me, and her cozy mystery series sound delightful. I just ordered her Bran New Death and A Gentlewoman’s Guide to Murder.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Sharon, you’re welcome! I hope you enjoy them both.
Ginger (Bronx) says
I’ve read the first few of the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries, and her mystery style with them is similar. Her characters are individuals rather than types; her set-ups nice variants; murder victims die for unusual reasons. Lead character self-reflective, curious, worth knowing, especially if one likes to cook.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ginger, it’s good to hear that the other series are up to the standards set in this one!
Mary says
Looking forward to reading this book !
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Mary, I hope you enjoy it!
Pat D says
Thank you so much for this blog. I check it out several times every day cause of there’s anything I enjoy as much as reading cozy mysteries, it’s reading ABOUT cozy mysteries! I always get lots of great info about new-to-me authors from you and your other readers.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Pat, you’re very welcome! I’m always glad to hear that people are finding the blog helpful in picking out their reading material.
Susy S says
I have read both the Vintage Kitchen and the Teapot Collector series and enjoyed the very much. I have not started the Muffin series yet, but it is sitting in my TBR bookcase (actually several bookcases – they tell me it isn’t hoarding if it is books).
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Susy, it’s definitely worth starting! It was on my own TBR pile for quite some time as well.
Denise W. says
Love this series. Hopefully a book number 6 in this series will be coming.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Denise, I certainly hope so as well!
TXRed says
I tried a sample of Bran New Death on my Kindle last night and it hooked me so I bought it and was up late into the night reading. Victoria Hamilton seems to write the kind of intelligent cozy with a credible, likeable main character and setting that I enjoy. Thanks for suggesting this book and author!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
TXRed, you’re very welcome! I’m glad you’re enjoying it.
Carol says
Thanks! I’ve been meaning to check this series out for a while. And I do love a good muffin recipe!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Carol, I hope this gives you the incentive to finally get around to trying it then!
katie says
It seems the ‘modern’ style cozy is the only one I’m familiar with. What is the not-modern style, and what are some examples? Thank you!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Katie, depending on how far back you go, there are other types of Cozy mysteries that were a bit different… for one example, you could look to something like Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, or Charlotte MacLeod’s Peter Shandy, just to give a few examples of very Cozy style books that have sleuths somewhat different than most of the sleuths you would see now.
RDaggle says
“she is a widower […] since his accidental death”
Accidental?
..hmm.. off in the distance, I think I see the plot of book 6 😉
Danna - cozy mystery list says
RDaggle, I wouldn’t be surprised!