Cruisin' thru Cosies Reading Challenge
I originally tried for Investigator: 7-12 books - Completed
I'm now aiming for Super Sleuth at 13+
Definition: most cozies take place in a small town or village, generally considered "gentle" books, and the sleuth is usually an amateur.
I have concluded a couple of things
- While I enjoy Agatha Christie, I don't much like any other "vintage" cozies.
- It takes a really good, and possibly unusual, cozy story to get over 4.5 from me
- More modern, 21st century, cozy writers do stretch the boundaries of the definition and often contain elements that make you wonder whether you should list it as a cozy. For example, they often have partnerships between an amateur sleuth and a policeman or detective.
- My reading has made me question whether I really understand how to define a cozy. (you might like to leave a comment about modern cozies or writers to look for)
Titles read so far
- 3.5, STIFF UPPER LIP, JEEVES, P.G. Wodehouse
- 4.3, A GRAVE IN THE COTSWOLDS, Rebecca Tope
- 4.4, THE SALTON KILLINGS, Sally Spencer
- 4.2, THE VANISHING OF KATHARINA LINDEN, Helen Grant
- 4.6, THE JANUS STONE, Elly Griffiths
- 4.0, LATE, LATE IN THE EVENING, Gladys Mitchell
- 4.3, MURDER IN PARADISE, Ann Cleeves
- 4.2, DARK WATER, Georgia Blain
- 4.0, MRS POLLIFAX, INNOCENT TOURIST, Dorothy Gilman
- 3.8, MONSIEUR PAMPLEMOUSSE TAKES THE CURE, Michael Bond
- 4.8, THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE, Alan Bradley
- 4.4, CANDIED CRIME, Dorte Jakobsen
- 4.4, A COTSWOLD KILLING, Rebecca Tope
- 4.4, THE PERICLES COMMISSION, Gary Corby
- 4.4, IN THE TEETH OF THE EVIDENCE, Dorothy L. Sayers
4 comments:
Here are a few modern 'cozy' writers you might like, Kerrie. Though a couple of them set their books in early in the 20th century.
And the definition of 'cozy' is flexible, I think.
The Miss Zukas library mysteries by Jo Dereske.
The Echo Falls Mysteries by Peter Abrahams.
Murder At Mansfield Park by Lynn Shepherd
In the Shadow of Gotham by Stephanie Pintorr.
Murder At Bertram's Bower by Cynthia Peale
The Aggie Sloan-Wilcox mysteries by Emilie Richards
Death of A Cozy Writer by G.M. Malliet
The Writing CLass by Jincy Willett
The books of Jeffrey Cohen
The Gideon Oliver books by Aaron Elkins.
The Dr. Nightingale mysteries by Lydia Adamson.
The Poetic Death Mysteries by Diana Killian.
...just a few titles, Kerrie. You did ask. :)
That should be:
In the Shadow of Gotham by Stephanie Pintoff
I like cozies, too, but I agree with you that it does take something a little extra special for a cozy to stand out. I think sometimes the historical fiction ones work best because that matches the traditional/ village feel, and embedding the story in a an accurate historical context takes it up a notch.
I like the occasional cosy, and to me the main point IS cosy - meaning they are not gory or really scary. And most of them are suitable for young readers (no explicit sex scenes) or anyone else who are afraid of scarier stuff.
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