There's too much chaos and uncertainty in the world right now, and I'm having trouble focusing on anything serious while also worrying about the COVID-19 pandemic. While I'm stuck at home for the foreseeable future, all I want are some comfort reads. So, cozies!
Here are a few that I've read in the last year that I would recommend. If you have suggestions for others to add to the list, let me know in the comments.
Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders by Tessa Arlen*
This is the very definition of a cozy mystery. Poppy Redfern is a plucky (sorry, there's no other word for her) young air raid warden during WWII who's responsible for making sure that her fellow villagers in Little Buffenden remember their blackout curtains. She patrols every night in the dark on her own until a young woman is strangled and her grandparents insist that she is accompanied by the aggravating Sid. Poppy decides to investigate what becomes a series of attacks and spends much of the novel ferreting information out of her fellow villagers - at least, when she's not hanging out with (or arguing with) an American airman who has been stationed in Little Buffenden. You won't be all that surprised by the ending, but it's an enjoyable read nevertheless.
I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
I am really excited about this series. Bowen's protagonist, Lady Georgiana Rannoch, has such a vivid voice, and you're immediately on her side from the beginning. A member of the royal family, but very far down in the line of succession, Georgie is penniless and considered an encumbrance to her brother and his wife. Determined not to be married off to a prince she refers to as "fishface," Georgie flees to London where she decides to earn her living by doing light housework for rich families. Georgie bounces between identities and tries to make sure that her royal relatives don't find out about her work and ship her off as companion to some boring titled lady in the country. This all becomes more complicated when the Queen asks her to do her a little favor....
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and plan to read the entire series.
The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey
I discovered this series wandering in my local independent bookstore, and I'm really glad that I did. Perveen Mistry is based on India's first woman lawyer, and Massey has created a compelling world in which she is challenged by sexism from her classmates, teachers, and almost everyone else she comes across. Perveen meets underestimation from those around her with competence and intelligence. The mystery is interwoven with flashbacks to Perveen's first unsuccessful try at law school and first marriage (I won't spoil anything with details), and by the end it is clear how the two chronologies fit together. I expect that some of the threads that are introduced in the flashbacks will reappear in the later novels, and I'm looking forward to reading them. The ending felt a little rushed, but otherwise this was an absorbing read.
Twelve Angry Librarians by Miranda James
My colleagues and I came across this series while searching for cat memes to add to a slide deck (as one does), and I had to read it. It's an enjoyable read, even though you know who the murder victim is going to be from about page one. If you're in for leaning into the librarian-y-ness of this series (the protagonist goes to a conference and attends panels on managing electronic resources and the liaison model, for Pete's sake), and the protagonist's obsession with his pampered Maine Coon (for whom he gets a babysitter whenever he has to leave it alone), it's enjoyable. It's definitely a Cozy and should be taken in that spirit.
Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancy Atherton
This book has the most convoluted premise you can imagine. If you’re willing to just ride with it, though, the world of Lori Shepherd and Dimity Westwood is a delight. Seriously, this book is like curling up with a cup of hot cocoa. The mystery is equal parts ghost story and secrets from the past, and it all (kind of) makes sense by the end. I will definitely be working my way through this series of cozies whenever I need some comfort reading.
The Mitford Murders by Jessica Fellowes
Usually when I read mysteries, it’s more for the characters and setting than for the mystery itself (which is often pretty forgettable). Reading this book, I was completely caught up in the mystery, and I thought the solution was completely satisfying.
Centering the book around the Mitfords feels a little beside the point, but an author interview that I read made it clear that many of the details were crafted in advance by the marketing department. Even knowing that, and feeling that the pacing was very influenced by television plotting for Downton Abbey, I still enjoyed this and look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaver
This book took a while to get started, but I stuck with it and it picked up momentum after the first murder occurred. I listened to it partly as an audiobook, and the reader is really unfortunate in the way that she tries to mimic British accents. The cadence is completely off.
The mystery itself is interesting enough, but, as is usually the case with cozies like this, what's more interesting is the drama between characters. Most of the characters in Amory's circle at the hotel are forgettable, but the love triangle between Gil, Milo, and Amory is enjoyable. On her own, Amory is a likable character, and her persistence in investigating this case is delightfully annoying to the inspector assigned to it. The solution was a surprise, and it made sense. I am looking forward to reading the next installment in the series.
