I love reading great novels and literature but sometimes I crave a fun escape story. My preferred method of literary escape is reading cozies. For those not familiar with cozies, they are a sub-genre of mysteries. Cozies feature amateur detectives, usually women, who live in small towns. Deaths are usually non-violent like poison or falling down the steps.
Even though the cozies can be fairly predictable, that’s not why I read them. I like the characters. The detectives lead a fun life, such as running a bed and breakfast or tea shop. They have a circle of friends who not only support their sleuthing, but even join her to solve the mystery.
Most cozies are long running series, so I’ll always have my sleuth nearby. Here are some cozy series that I like:
Tea Shop Mysteries by Laura Childs. Theodosia Browning owns a lovely tea shop in historic Charleston, South Carolina. Not only does she design a line spa tea products, she snoops around town to solve murders.
Goldy Schulz Mysteries by Diane Mott Davidson. Obviously I have a weakness for food-related cozies. Goldy Schulz is a singe mother and caterer that happens to find a lot of dead bodies in her small town. Of course she has to find out whodunit.
The Cat Who Series by Lilian Jackson Braun . This series actually features a man, Jim Qwilleran a journalist in a small town who owns a Koko, a Siamese. His cat leads him to clues to help solve his mysteries.
Do you enjoy cozies or do you prefer a meatier book? Share your favorite literary sleuths in the comments!
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