Top Ten Tuesday - Eight Reasons I Love Cozy Mysteries + Two Recommendations

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is Ten Things I Love About any book.  Since I couldn't think of 10 things for any particular book I'm taking a whole genre and adding a couple of recommendations.  Here are 8 reasons I love cozy mysteries and 2 recommendations.

1.  The Community Feel - Almost every cozy mystery involves a community setting.  A lot are set in small towns but even series that are set in cities - like Leslie Budewitz's Spice Shop series set in Seattle - involve a small area or group to provide a nice community.

2.  Not Too Violent or Dark, but Still a Murder to Solve - I love mysteries because the whole plot of the book is characters solving a puzzle of some kind but in some mysteries things get a bit too dark or violent for my escapist reading preferences.  However, cozies have all the mystery solving without ever making me want to double check the locks or have nightmares.

3.  The Variety of Hobbies or Jobs - If you're interesed in sewing, baking, organizing, genealogy, books, home decor, hiking or just about anything else there is a cozy mystery main character who either works in that field or is also interested in it.

4.  The Animal Sidekicks - Cozy mysteries win for the variety of dogs and cats with the occasional bird, turtle, lizard and even an armadillo that are present in the books to help the main characters figure out just who the bad guy is.

5.  The Humor - Not all cozies are funny but there are so many that have a lot of humor.  Some lean hard into the hilarious chaos that so many cozies do so well and some give me a laugh as the main character has just the right amount of snark.

6.  The Variety of Types - Want a nice historical English village murder?  Want something a bit more paranormal?  Want a nice beach setting?  How about the exact opposite and want a mystery that takes place in a snowed in hotel?  Whatever you're looking for cozies have you covered.

7.  The Seasons - I'm not the biggest seasonal reader but sometimes it's fun to read something that takes place during the Christmas season with all the holidy goodness or a book full of all the fun of Halloween.  Cozies excel at this kind of seasonal reading.

8.  All Series - When I finish a book that I've really enjoyed I'm always a bit sad to say goodbye to the characters but pretty much every cozy is part of a series so when you can always revisit communities and characters you love.

Recommendations

9.  The Meg Langslow series by Donna Andrews - Meg is a blacksmith which is one of the more unusual jobs in the cozy universe.  As well she has a large family that always has some kind of crazy chaos happening.  The books are funny and the mysteries are usually very solid.  This a long running series so start with the first book and you have a LOT of reading fun ahead of you.

10.  The Bakeshop Mysteries by Ellie Alexander - I've really enjoyed everything I've read by Ellie Alexander but the bakeshop series is a long running series with a lovely community feel, a fabulous setting, family connections, mouth watering food descriptions and interesting mysteries.  I also really enjoy her Sloan Kraus series about a brewer in Leavenworth, Washington.  

Middle Grade Monday - The Body Under the Piano

Goodreads: The Body Under the Piano (Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen #1) by Marthe Jocelyn

Rating: Really Liked It! (4.5 Stars)
Source:   Library

Description:  Aggie Morton lives in a small town on the coast of England in 1902. Adventurous and imaginative but deeply shy, Aggie hasn't got much to do since the death of her beloved father . . . until the fateful day when she crosses paths with twelve-year-old Belgian immigrant Hector Perot and discovers a dead body on the floor of the Mermaid Dance Room! As the number of suspects grows and the murder threatens to tear the town apart, Aggie and her new friend will need every tool at their disposal -- including their insatiable curiosity, deductive skills and not a little help from their friends -- to solve the case before Aggie's beloved dance instructor is charged with a crime Aggie is sure she didn't commit.

Genre: Mystery - Middle Grade

Why I Picked This Book:  This is a middle grade mystery series heavily inspired by Agatha Christie's childhood.  How could I not read it?

My Impression: This was fun! Aggie is loosely based on Agatha Christie and lives in a world heavily inspired by her books - including Aggie's new friend, a Belgian immigrant with a love for shiny shoes and a passion for exactness.  When a rather dreadful woman is found dead under the piano at the Mermaid Dance Room Aggie springs into action to make sure her beloved dance teacher is not framed for the murder.  

Aggie and Hector form a partnership to figure out just who had the motive to want the victim dead - and out of all those people who actually was the one who killed her.   Aggie and Hector have different strengths and it was fun watching them work together.    While this is a Middle Grade mystery and it is a book I would be perfectly comfortable with my kids reading from about 8 or 9 and up.  While there is a murder and the characters occasionally are in danger it isn't bloody or violent.  This is a fun mystery with a solid amateur sleuth team that I think all mystery readers will enjoy!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely!  I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more of this series.  

Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy mysteries and are an Agatha Christie fan I think you will really enjoy this book. 

And Then There Were None - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads:  And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Rating: Loved It! (5 Stars)
Source:   Purchased

Description:  "Ten . . ."
Ten strangers are lured to an isolated island mansion off the Devon coast by a mysterious "U.N. Owen."

"Nine . . ."
At dinner a recorded message accuses each of them in turn of having a guilty secret, and by the end of the night one of the guests is dead.

"Eight . . ."
Stranded by a violent storm, and haunted by a nursery rhyme counting down one by one . . . one by one they begin to die.

"Seven . . ."
Who among them is the killer and will any of them survive?

Genre: Mystery - Classic

Why I Picked This Book:  This was the June read for the Read Christie Challenge this year.  I'm pretty sure next month's is Taken at the Flood.

My Impression:   This is one of my favorite Christie mysteries and everytime I reread it I'm pleasantly reminded of why.  Christie is spot on here with complex characters, an isolated setting, and lots of twists and turns.  I remember the end and yet it never fails to give me a little thrill at the end.

Like Murder on the Orient Express, I feel like I notice something a little different or pick up on a new clue everytime I read this mystery.  Each character has some serious baggage and there is just enough of their backstory to flesh them out without getting confusing or overdone.  

This is a quick entertaining read that I always thoroughly enjoy and I enjoy it everytime I pick up the book.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Of course!  I'm already looking forward to July's Read Christie Challenge book.

Would I Recommend this Book? Yes!  If you've never read Christie this is a fantastic book to start with.

Friday Fives - Five States I Haven't "Visited" Yet

I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random fve lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much. Every year I keep track of all the states and countries I've visited through my reading.  This week I'm looking at 5 states I haven't "visited" yet and books that I'm thinking about picking up to help my traveling.  These are5 states I usually visit pretty early in the year and for whatever reason I just haven't gotten there yet.

1.  Alabama - The Lights of Sugarberry Cove by Heather Webber

2.  Louisiana - The Shop on Royal Street by Karen White

3.  Idaho - Then Came You by Jill Shalvis

4.  Colorado - Take the Honey and Run by Jennie Marts

5.  Rhode Island - A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams

Any suggestions for books that take place in any of these states? What states or countries do you usually "visit" regularly but haven't made it there yet?

Books from the Backlog - The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill

Today I'm linking up with Carole from Carole's Random Life of Books for Books from the Backlog.  I really enjoy the chance to feature a book that's been hiding in the piles of books for far too long!

Goodreads:  The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill by Rowenna Miller

Blurb:  In the early 1900s, two sisters must navigate the magic and the dangers of the Fae in this enchanting and cozy historical fantasy about sisterhood and self-discovery.
There is no magic on Prospect Hill—or anywhere else, for that matter. But just on the other side of the veil is the world of the Fae. Generations ago, the first farmers on Prospect Hill learned to bargain small trades to make their lives a little easier—a bit of glass to find something lost, a cup of milk for better layers in the chicken coop.

Much of that old wisdom was lost as the riverboats gave way to the rail lines and the farmers took work at mills and factories. Alaine Fairborn’s family, however, was always superstitious, and she still hums the rhymes to find a lost shoe and to ensure dry weather on her sister’s wedding day.

When Delphine confides her new husband is not the man she thought he was, Alaine will stop at nothing to help her sister escape him. Small bargains buy them time, but a major one is needed. Yet, the price for true freedom may be more than they’re willing to pay.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  This has kind of a cozy fantasy feel and the blurb definitely caught my eye.  It sounds like a good summer read!

The Confidence Game - Mystery Review

Goodreads:  The Confidence Games by Tess Amy

Rating: Really LIked It (4 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Two female con artists must pull off the ultimate heist in this rollicking caper from a dazzling new voice.

Emma Oxley and Nellie Yarrow have been inseparable their whole lives. Ever since they reinvented themselves, changing their names and wiping clean their digital footprints, they have made a game of following wherever the next adventure leads and challenging themselves to thefts, street cons, and mind games.

Adhering to only two rules—they will only swindle men, and only ones who deserve it—Emma and Nellie are secure in their reputation as the most trustworthy swindlers on the European black market. Until suddenly, they must play to save their own lives.

Blackmailed into stealing a priceless bracelet from a high-security exhibit, Emma will reexamine everything she believed to be true. This heist takes her far beyond her comfort zone...and she and Nellie will need allies among the glitzy bejeweled gathering in London in order to survive. Will they be able to do the right thing before it’s too late?

Genre: Mystery 

Why I Picked This Book:  The blurb sounded fun.  I'm fascinated by cons and scams so a mystery focused on that sounded like perfect reading.

My Impression:  This was such a fun read!  The two main characters, Emma and Nellie, were a bit older than I expected from the cover and have a bit more life experience and history.  There skills compliment each other well and they've found a mission that gives their conning a focus.   They're also intelligent and sympathetic characters.  I loved the Emma and Nellie's friendship and especially loved seeing them work together when the stakes become high.

The story hooked me from the beginning and the pace really took off a chapter or two in when the heist gets underway.  I was rooting for the characters and holding my breath a bit to see just how everything would play out.  Emma and Nellie pick up a few characters along the way and it definitely enriched the book and I could not have loved the ending more.  

If you're looking for a fast summer reading with likable characters that's a bit different from the usual mystery this would be a perfect choice!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely!  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will keep an eye out for anything from this author.

Would I Recommend this Book? I would!  If you're looking for a fun read with likable characters and a fast paced plot this is a great choice.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Series I Want to Catch Up On

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is a throwback and I'm picking 10 Series That I Want to Catch Up On.

1.  Secret, Book, and Scone Society by Ellery Adams - I really enjoyed the first two books of this series but for some reason it hasn't been a series I keep up with.  I need to fix that.

2.  Sebastian St. Cyr by C.S. Harris - I have really loved the most recent books but feel like I'm missing a little by not reading the first few books.

3.  Gaslight Mysteries by Victoria Thompson - Basically ditto above.

4.  Wescott Series by Mary Balogh - I picked up the first in this historical romance series and absolutely loved it and really want to continue with the rest of the books.

5.  Lady Darby Mysteries by Anna Lee Huber - I've loved the past few books but never read the earlier books.  There aren't that many that I've missed so I need to fix that.

6.  Rockton/Casey Duncan Series by Kelley Armstrong - I loved the first book that I read earlier this year and it's been on my mind so I need to pick up book 2.

7.  Bookmobile Cat Mystery Series by Laurie Cass - I've read one book and enjoyed it and we aren't going to talk about how many books in this series I own.  Now I just need to read them!

8.  Amish Candy Shop Mysteries by Amanda Flowers - I really enjoyed another series by this cozy mystery author and I enjoyed the first book in the series so I need to continue it.

9.  Wrexford and Sloane Mysteries by Andrea Penrose - I liked the first book and am loving the second book that I'm currently listening to.  I waited over a year between book one and two and don't want to wait nearly as long between two and three.  

10. Krewe of Hunters series by Heather Graham - I've read most of the books in this series and always really enjoy them but there are a handful that I haven't gotten around to so I need to finish them up - especially as the series seems to have come to an end or is at least slowing down.