Assault and Buttery by Kristi Abbot

I was sent Assault and Buttery to read and review and I loved it. It was brilliant. Not at all what I had expected having read the last two books and this one was innovative and I found it very exciting to read. The twists from the start roped me in and kept me grounded! A fun and exciting 3rd book in a great cozy mystery series! Loved it!

With her poodle, Sprocket, popcorn entrepreneur Rebecca Anderson must bag a killer in the latest Popcorn Shop Mystery from the author of Pop Goes the Murder.Repairs are under way at Rebecca Anderson’s gourmet popcorn shop. With production of her tasty treats on hold, Rebecca has plenty of time to read the old diary she discovered hidden in the shop’s walls. It’s a fun peek into her town’s history…until the diary’s abrupt ending leaves Rebecca wondering whether she’s actually stumbled upon a cold case.Unfortunately for Rebecca, mysteries are popping up right and left. When local busybody Lloyd McLaughlin is found dead, the police suspect he was poisoned by Rebecca’s popcorn. But Rebecca has only made one batch of popcorn recently, and it wasn’t intended for Lloyd. Nothing about Lloyd’s death makes sense—until Rebecca discovers a startling connection between the missing diary-writer and the murdered man.Now, with her reputation on the line, Rebecca must discover who’s been cooking up murder—both in the past and in the present.

This one is out now and you can find it on Amazon.com by clicking here.
I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

A Panicked Premonition by Victoria Laurie

Saturday I started and finished A Panicked Premonition by Victoria Laurie. This is the 15th book in the series and I am truly amazed by her ability to write books I simply can not put down. She has a wonderful way of writing not only characters but intense scenes that are so easy to picture that you feel so involved in the story. While these are paranormal cozy mystery books they also have an element of suspense that you do not often find in cozies. I know these would make amazing movies as the words are so vibrant on the page they seem to jump out at you and play like a movie in my head. This story was about panic rooms, but it was also about relationships, goals, leaving your comfort zone, taking chances and having an enormous amount of faith. One of the best series out there, long running and after the first book you will see why.  This book is out now and is a book and series I can highly recommend.

Professional psychic and FBI consultant Abby Cooper has used her inner visions to get her out of many a scrape—and solve many a crime—but she’s about to face a murder scene that will put all her powers to the test. Abby’s husband Dutch has a side business providing security and building panic rooms for wealthy clients. One morning, one of Dutch’s partners, Dave, goes missing on his way to meet a client. Abby’s intuition tells her something terrible has happened to him.Then two of Dutch’s clients are found brutally murdered...inside their brand new panic room, and most of the evidence points to Dave as the killer.  With the authorities racing to find and arrest him, Abby's got to use all her intuitive prowess to get to Dave first, discover the real killer, and save her husband's business. This is one case where Abby is positive there’s far more to this mystery than meets her inner eye…

You can find A Panicked Premonition out now on Amazon by clicking here. 

Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery I would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com

Grandma Bertha Solving Murders By Matt Ferraz

I was asked to read and review Matt Ferraz upcoming May release Grandma Bertha Solving Murders, The Convenient Cadaver. I read this last night and I really enjoyed it. Cozy yes, funny and a great message. While no one seems to have any use for Grandma Bertha, not even Grandma Bertha herself, the discovery of a body in the back alley behind her shead, gives Grandma Bertha a new life and purpose. I found it delightful, different and refreshing.

When Grandma Bertha moved to her son’s place, she brought along three dogs, several cases of beer and many, many horror film DVDs. While her daughter-in-law insists on the idea of sending Grandma Bertha to a retirement home, a dead girl appears near the house, shot three times in the back. Many years ago, Grandma Bertha let a murderer escape for not trusting in her own detective abilities. Now, armed with her wit and wisdom, she decides to solve that crime before the police. Could this crazy dog lady be a threat to a cold-blooded killer? And for how long can the family stand that situation?

Out in May you can pre order it on Amazon by clicking here. 
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery review. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmial.com

A Spotlight on Author Lea Wait and her new book Tightening the Threads

Today I am sharing Lea Wait's Tightening the Threads a Mainely Needle Point Mystery. This is book 5 of 6 and it came out on March 28th. I really like the cover don't you?

In the coastal town of Haven Harbor, blood runs thicker than water—and just as freely . . .Antique dealer Sarah Byrne has never unspooled the truth about her past to anyone—not even friend and fellow Mainely Needlepointer Angie Curtis. But the enigmatic Aussie finally has the one thing she’s searched for all her life—family. And now she and long-lost half-brother, Ted Lawrence, a wealthy old artist and gallery owner in town, are ready to reveal their secret connection . . .Ted’s adult children are suspicious of their newfound aunt Sarah—especially after Ted, in declining health, announces plans to leave her his museum-worthy heirloom paintings. So when Ted is poisoned to death during a lobster bake, everyone assumes she’s guilty. If Sarah and Angie can’t track down the real murderer in time, Sarah’s bound to learn how delicate—and deadly—family dynamics can truly be . . .

Learn more about Lea Wait and her work by visiting her website here. 
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

When the Grits Hit The Fan by Maddie Day

I finished When The Grits Hit The Fan by Maddie Day last night. This was a Country Store Mystery. I found this to be an interesting story, mystery and cast of characters. Robbie is a very strong main character who despite her age has pretty much got her life figured out at 27, her own restaurant and shop, the ability and skill to renovate the apartment above her store to turn it in to a bed and breakfast as well as a lovely boyfriend, things seem to be going very well until she finds herself needed to investigate and clear her friend of suspicion. This is book three in the series, lots to build on in this mystery series. Out March 28th, keep this one in mind.

Before she started hosting dinners for Indiana University’s Sociology Department at Pans ‘N Pancakes, Robbie never imagined scholarly meetings could be so hostile. It’s all due to Professor Charles Stilton, who seems to thrive on heated exchanges with his peers and underlings, and tensions flare one night after he disrespects Robbie’s friend, graduate student Lou. So when Robbie and Lou go snowshoeing the next morning and find the contentious academic frozen under ice, police suspect Lou might have killed him after their public tiff. To prove her friend’s innocence, Robbie is absorbing local gossip about Professor Stilton’s past and developing her own thesis on the homicide—even if that means stirring up terrible danger for herself along the way . . .

To order your own copy of When the Grits Hit The Fan please click here.
Learn more about Maddie Day (Edith Maxwell) by clicking here.
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery review. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Murder is Uncooperative by Merrilee Robson

Last week I was sent Merrilee Robson's Murder is Uncooperative to review. I am was thrilled to be asked to do so as this is a cozy that is set right here in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. Reading through Murder is Uncooperative I was surprised and impressed with just how cozy author Merrilee Robson made a neighborhood of East Vancouver become. What struck me most about the setting is that while yes Vancouver is a large city with many pocket communities, Merrilee managed to capture that community spirit and cozy feeling that we find and have come to expect in great cozies set in coastal communities along the East Coast of the USA. The characters and their struggles felt very real, gritty and plausible. Main character Rebecca is very easy to like and get behind. The struggles she faces in the book caring for her disabled father, being a divorced single mother as well as trying to work from home, highlights situations many readers will find easy to relate to. The lack of affordable housing and how communities work and come together is explored and celebrated in this book. The mystery in this book is a great tangled web and made it a very interesting read. I very much enjoyed Murder is Uncooperative and I hope you will too.

All Rebecca Butler wants is a good home for her young son and disabled father. At first, Waterview Housing Co-op seems perfect. But then she finds the body of the building’s manager. When Rebecca discovers that another murder happened in the building twenty years ago, she begins to suspect that the two deaths might be related. And that one of her neighbors is hiding a secret that will put Rebecca and her family at risk.

Find Murder is Uncooperative by Merrilee Robson on Amazon by clicking here.
Learn more about Merrilee Robson by clicking here
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery review I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

War and Peach by Susan Furlong

It is release day for War and Peach the third book in the Georgia Peach Mystery Series by Susan Furlong. I enjoy this series for the family loyalty, the struggles that the family faces which are not superficial and reflective of the struggle of farmers everywhere. I also enjoy the relationship between main character Nola Mae and her family, friends and customers. The main mystery in this story had me guessing until the big reveal and I was actually caught up and enjoying the political twist in this book. I love the dog Roscoe as well! I hope this series continues beyond this third book and I can not wait to try the peach cookie recipe in the back of the book. 

The author of Rest in Peach serves up another bite of Southern charm in the latest Georgia Peach mystery.
 
Nola Mae Harper is too busy restocking the jars of preserves and chutney flying off the shelves of her shop, Peachy Keen, to keep up with all the gossip about the upcoming mayoral election, but she does know the debate is sure to be a real barn burner.  Local farmer Clem Rogers claims he has a bombshell that could take small business owner Margie Price out of the running. But before Clem can reveal his juicy secret at the debate, his actual barn goes up in flames—with him inside of it. The town casts its vote against Margie, but Nola isn’t convinced the hardworking woman is capable of murder. Now to clear Margie's name Nola will have to work fast under pressure, before Margie gets taken in by the fuzz...

To order your own copy of War and Peach from Amazon please click here.

I love this series and was thrilled to find my quote about it printed in War and Peach. Learn more about the Georgia Peach Mystery Series by clicking here.
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery review. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Spiced and Iced by Jenny Kales

This is how I spent my rainy Saturday night, curled up on the couch with a great book, a large cup of tea and far too many snowball shortbread cookies! I finished Spiced and Iced by Jenny Kales, the second in her Callie's Kitchen Mystery Series. This book is out on Amazon December 5th!  I so enjoyed this mystery! Holiday themed, exciting small town murder and a twist of romance. Perfect for a holiday evening in and I would love to see this on the small screen! Main character Callie is a strong willed, single mom who has a knack for cooking and baking with a Greek flair and some amazing sleuthing skills too. A quirky family and a bit of bad news don't slow her down. Callie is definatly someone who keeps getting knocked down but always gets up on her own two feet. I did not have it figured out until the reveal and I never saw it coming. Lots of fun in this mystery too. I particularly enjoyed a new character in the book as well, but wont spoil it for you! The food mentions and the recipes included had my attention for sure, I can not wait to make each of them. I may have already made one though, shameful plug there is a recipe of mine at the end of this book too!

The season is bright when Calliope “Callie” Costas agrees to contribute her Greek snowball cookies to a December bridal shower at The English Country Inn in the scenic waterfront town of Crystal Bay, WI. But when Callie finds a colleague dead, she's sucked into another murder investigation -- all while juggling her growing business and staggering holiday workload. As she reluctantly agrees to help the Inn’s owner track the killer, Callie is soon up to her spiced Greek biscotti in difficulties. For one thing, the hotel staff is freezing her out as she tries to uncover information, helped by her feisty Grandma Viv and her sweet but nosy aunt who’s visiting from Greece. And then there’s her deepening relationship with the suave and mysterious Detective Sands, a British expat now living in Wisconsin, who seems to have a few secrets of his own.The icing on the cake is a host of simultaneous family mayhem including her father's surprising fixation on a real estate agent and her ex’s plans to move back to Crystal Bay. As the Inn’s annual Christmas Tea approaches, things are heating up in Callie’s Kitchen, but she’s on thin ice! Will Christmas be a festive celebration this year – or will it be murder?Turn to the end of the book for six delicious recipes, including Greek cookies and savories, plus traditional Midwestern holiday favorites!

To learn more about author Jenny Kales please click here.
To order your own copy of Spiced and Iced from Amazon please click here.
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery review. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Costume Catastrophe by Kathi Daley

Kathi Daley's books are delightful. I was thrilled to receive and read Costume Catastrophe on Friday. Start to finish in under 2 hours, speed reading I was not, but on an adventure I was. Kathi writes such fun characters and this one I did not figure out the mystery until she beautifully reviled it. I loved the way this mystery unfolded, the way I was not able to figure it out until the end and how much I enjoyed my time with all the familiar characters in this picturesque Hamlet! Main character Zoe has an unlimited supply of love and support for her family and family of friends. Energy that is unmatched and sleuthing abilities that are like a sixth sense.

It's Halloween in Ashton Falls and that means Haunted Hamlet and the annual haunted house. Zoe is determined not to have her plans for this annual event ruined this year especially since it is also the weekend of the big game and a lot of old friends are in town. Things look as if they are on track for a spooktacular good time, until Zoe receives a message from an anonymous source predicting a death. At first Zoe and the gang think the note is a prank until one of the friends Zoe went to high school with actually turns up dead. Once Zoe realizes the note might not be a prank, she sets out on a race against time before someone else dies.

 If you are new to cozies or if you have loved them forever check out Kathi Daley's Zoe Donovan Mystery Series. 

Click here to get your own copy of Costume Catastrophie by Kathi Daley from Amazon

Learn more about all the wonderful books Kathi writes by visiting her website when you click here.

Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery review. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com 

Ghostly Paws By Leighann Dobbs Was A Ghostly Great Read!

I finished Ghostly Paws by Leighann Dobbs on Saturday night. There was so much to love about this first in series. The setting, the mystery and all the cats! I truly enjoyed that main character Willa was north of 40 and that her friend Pepper had a tea shop, and stopped by with tea. I could easily picture their relationship and felt like a friend on the couch visiting with them. There were some truly funny moments in this cozy as well as endearing. The mystery was a good one and I did not have it figured out until the murder was revealed. I think the name of the town Mystic Notch was a brilliant choice and the feral cat colony a lovely spin! I am so happy to have found and bought Ghostly Paws to read and review. I also love the cover! *Spoiler alert the ability to see the green mist was truly an exciting part of this book and I hope series in the books to come!

Middle age can be murder ...

At least that’s how it seems to former crime journalist, Wilhelmina Chance, whose near-fatal accident has given her a strange side effect ... she sees ghosts.

After a messy divorce sends her fleeing back to her hometown of Mystic Notch, nestled in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Willa finds herself haunted by the tenacious ghost of the town librarian who insists Willa solve her murder.

Luckily, she has lots of help, including a quirky cast of small-town characters, the cat she’s inherited from her grandmother, and her best friend, Pepper, who claims her herbal teas can work magic.

But just when Willa thinks she’s discovered who the killer is, she finds out that things are not what they seem in Mystic Notch, and the case takes a strange turn that has Willa adding even some of her long-time friends to her suspect list.

Can Willa find the real killer in time to keep the magical balance in Mystic Notch on the side of good, or will evil prevail?

To order your own copy like I did from Amazon please click here.

Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery review! I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com 

Murder At Lambswool Farm, Final Review For May.

Another day and the newest Sally Goldenbaum Cozy to share. Murder at Lambswook Farm has yet another beautiful cover, a perfectly set table, farm just behind it and a light house all the way to the right, yes I think I could hop right into the cover don't you? Readers of the Seaside Knitters Mystery are in for a delightful treat with the 11th book in the series Murder at Lambswool.  So many characters, a very interesting plot, readers are sure to delight in Murder at Lambswool Farm.

Seaside Knitter Birdie Favazza has long loved knitting, but lately she’s taken on a new challenge—making a family farm operational again. With help from friends, Lambswool Farm is now up and running, with thriving crops and grazing sheep.  In addition, the farm will host rustic, six-course prix fixe dinners plated by local chefs and served on a gorgeous restored harvest table, decorated to perfection with colorful knitted vegetables crafted by Izzy Chambers Perry, her aunt Nell, and the other Seaside Knitters.  But on the night of the first meal, everything spins out of control when one of the guests, Seaside Harbor’s family physician, becomes fatally ill. It seems that behind Dr. Alan Hamilton’s friendly bedside manner was a man with enemies and secrets. Soon the town is gossiping and pointing fingers at all possible suspects—including the women at Lambswool Farm. Now the Seaside Knitters must join together to uncover the truth in Dr. Hamilton’s complicated past—and restore peace to town and country alike.

To order your own cop of Murder at Lambswool or to learn more about this series please click here. 
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Gem Hunter By Vicki Vass First In A New Series, On My Table And Close To My Heart!

I was sent two books by Vicki Vass to read and review recently, 

Gem Hunter An Alex Kustodia Mystery by Vicki Vass was a truly amazing adventure cozy. First in a new series this cozy series I felt really excited learning that the mystery of the story revolved around the Romanoff Dynasty, a part of history I find quite interesting. The main character Alexandra is more then no nonsense, she is pretty "bad ass" for lack of a better term, one of the strongest characters I have read in a long time. As an arm chair travel adventure cozy this is one of the best I have ever read. I held my breath in many places and pulled my hair out in others. I liked the escape this story provided and I could easily see this being turned into a movie or series, that I would watch and perhaps start a fan club for, yes I thought it was that good! This book was so much more then a cozy mystery and has great "cozy pet" companions, family, heart, soul and amazing gems and jewelry.

Alexandra Kustodia searches for rare gems in the most remote areas of the world. Descended from a long line of Russian jewelers, her family’s fate is tied into the legacy of the imperial family. Secrets from the past haunt her dreams as a killer hunts her. With her beloved borzoi, Hunter, by her side, Alexandra travels to Russia to unlock the secrets that hold the answers to her fate. Like her mother before her, Alexandra has the gift to touch gems and get a glimpse into the lives of the people who owned them. She walks the line between her visions and reality. Alexandra is the gem hunter. 

To order your own copy of Gem Hunter for your Kindle app or in paper back from Amazon please click here.

To order with free delivery from The Book Depository please click here, 

Learn more about Vicki Vass and the series she writes by clicking here.
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Laugh Out Loud, Cozy Mystery By Auralee Wallace, Skinny Dipping With Murder

I was sent Skinny Dipping With Murder by Auralle Wallace early last week and I finished it on Thursday night. This was the funniest book I have read in a long time. It made me forget in parts that it was indeed a cozy mystery. It was well written, truly a great beach/cabin/weekend get away read that will have you laughing out loud. Murder mystery yes but amazing story of coming home, lost love, fab best friend and mother/daughter relationships and a crazy cat!

When Erica Bloom left Otter Lake for college over six years ago, she was determined to never come back - not after the horrifying practical joke that left her standing half-naked in the middle of the town's annual Raspberry Social. But when she gets a call from her lovable, but dippy, mother claiming her business - a spiritual retreat for women is in trouble, Erica is left with no other choice but to return and help. Within moments of stepping onto the docks, things start to go wrong...dead wrong. Somebody is killing off Otter Lake's locals - the very same locals who pulled off the infamous prank six years ago and it's looking like Erica is the prime suspect. Erica needs to clear her name, and fast or she might be stuck in Otter Lake...50 years to life!

I love the colors in this cover and it really does set the tone for the book. I was delighted to read this mystery, it was light, comedic and it was fun...the mystery was good too!
To order your own copy of Auralee Wallace's Skinny Dipping with Murder please click here. 
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Super Sweet Start To Your Week Mixed Berry And Oatmeal Scones

Monday Morning, new week, new season and a new cozy on my kindle app. This morning I decided to throw a bunch of things in the bowl and made some mixed berry and oatmeal scones. Pre heat your oven to 400F

2 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of quick oats
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup of butter
1/2 cup of apple sauce
1/2 cup of milk
1 egg
1 tsp of baking powder
1/2 cup blue berries
1/2 cup frozen raspberries

In a large bowl place your flour, quick oats, sugars and baking powder. Add the butter and use a pastry blender to cut the butter into your mix. Add apple sauce, milk and egg. Mix until just combined. add your frozen fruit,fold in and then spoon on to a parchment lined baking sheet. I made 12 coffee shop sized scones but you can make them smaller and get 24. Bake until edges and tops are golden brown serve with a pat of butter or with Devonshire cream.

Serve with a healthy dose of cozy mystery or your favorite poetry and a great cup of strong Irish Breakfast tea.
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea a cozy mystery and a scone recipe.
I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

I love White Christmas, it is my most favorite holiday movie of all time. I have now watched it at least twice a day since December 1st. I have it on for the background noise and find it so very peaceful.

 That had me thinking about a tea I had last year called White Christmas. Stash has a White Christmas White tea that I enjoyed and have yet to find this season...

I also came across Harney & Son's White Christmas Tea and isn't the tin fantastic? I have not seen this in store either but you can get a great deal on line right now! For this and their Christmas Blend for $24.95 by clicking here.

Not living in the USA I miss the Yankee Candle store and this set would be a delight to have on my table as well. I could do an entire themed tea party based on White Christmas, the gowns, the dance moves and the music! So much to love.

Beautiful White Christmas Stockings hung by the chimney! These are made by SouthHouseBoutique click here to see them in shop.

What fun it would be to set up a White Christmas Tea Party. Perhaps next year I shall host one and I hope you will stop by! If you are looking for a Christmas Themed Cozy to read this holiday season I stumbled on this wonderful list from Cozy-Mystery.Com Click her for their alphabetized list of wonderful Christmas Cozies! I am off to pick my next cozy to read! 
Thank you for joining me for A Cup of Tea and A White Christmas and List of Cozy Mysteries! I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

The White Magic Five And Dime

I ordered The White Magic Five and Dime from The Book Depository a few weeks back after I did a Pinterest search for paranormal cozy mysteries.

 I loved the cover so much and it was as though it was calling me from computer screen and then the table and screaming that I should read it first! The story was intriguing and the main character was flawed and sarcastic as well as emotionally scared. It was a very interesting character and you really got to see how her mind worked and why she acted the way that she did. I really grew to like the character, flaws and all. The mystery was a bonus and the twists were unusual and believable.

Is it a true cozy or a paranormal? I am not quite sold on it as a cozy mystery or totally paranormal but I loved it just the same. It reads much differently from a traditional cozy, darker and tragic but in a good way. Though set in a small town it was anything but picturesque, most cozies I love I want to drop everything and move into town. Still there is something about this book and how from beginning to end it draws you in. I liked the mystery and the story it's self but it had a few elements I am not overly comfortable with in a true cozy, their is much less swearing, much less graphic back story but I will say this was a very good read and I would read another in this series for sure.
I found The White Magic Five and Dime on The Book Depository on sale and with free shipping for $11.48 US. It was money well spent!
Sometimes you gamble on a cover and score big time and sometimes you loose, I feel like this one was a winner!
Thank you for joining me for A Cup of Tea and A Cozy Mystery. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Why You Should Be Reading A Cozy Mystery Right Now

I have been asked many times while reading out in public what I am reading and when I explain I am reading a Cozy Mystery I am often met with a quizzical stare. While wildly popular this genre of writing doesn't always get the nod it deserves.

  I found Cozy Mysteries quite by accident and very serendipitously in my mid twenties. This wonderful style of writing was exactly what I needed and I quickly realized this was the genre I had been waiting for my entire life.

So what is a Cozy Mystery anyway? I am often asked why I read them, what draws me to them and what makes them so great.

A Cozy Mystery is a mystery story usually based in a small town, with a strong "age appropriate" (30's-60's) *female main character who is very easy to relate too and who almost always has a pet that adds charm and relevance to the story. *There are a few wonderful cozies where the main character is a man but not many. Charlie from The Cat in the Stacks Mysteries is one of my favorites. See the photo below of The Cat In The Stacks Mysteries by Miranda James.

The cozy mystery story has adventure, charm along with great friends, a fun setting and of course a mystery to solve. There is often a love interest or two along the way and even with the most heinous of crimes a happy ending.

What draws me too them time and time again? The stories, the relationships and the characters who are so relate-able they could be your best friend, your sister and you may even find a bit of yourself in each of the story leads.

But what are they about anyway? Well they are all different as much as they are the same. There is a cozy mystery series written about just about anything you desire. From period based cozies, knitting, crochet, cooking, baking, pie making, scrap-booking, coffee loving, tea drinking, teapot collecting, book store owning and so many more. They also have paranormal cozies about witches, vampires, ghost hunters, etc. They are among some of my favorites too.

How to find them you ask? At  your local library and ask for the "cozy mystery section" if they don't have one you still may find them amongst the crime and mystery section. They often have the most wonderful covers that draw you in and catchy titles to match. Personally I go to the racks at my local library, spin them and grab the titles and covers that most "speak to me"  then I check them out and take them home.  ANYONE WHO SAYS LIBRARIES DON'T HELP AUTHORS SELL BOOKS has never been in my living room. Every single cozy author I found I did so from my local library. Every book on my shelves is a result of a visit to the library and a luck of the draw spin. I have bought and pre ordered countless additions to series I found and fell in love with at my library.

I have also found that most of the cozy authors I love I can find easily and interact with on social media. They are some of the most gracious and creative people you will ever meet.

If you have not found cozy mysteries already you should start reading them. Cozy mysteries like life are about personal strength, growth, great friends, adventure, relationships, the feeling of belonging and of course mystery.

You should be reading a cozy mystery right now because you deserve a fun escape, a great adventure and a new best friend.

Oh and cozy mysteries look great on my table or on my Ipad. They also pair wonderfully with a cup of tea.


As with all my post I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com