So, I decided to walk downtown today and as I strolled, cautiously watching for ice and mud on the sidewalks, I thought of cozy mysteries. You might ask, why were you thinking about cozy mysteries? Well, I stopped and took a gander at the books in the little free library. There may have been a cozy mystery in that mix of books, I really don’t remember, which would have started my thought processes moving in the direction of mysteries. I’m also reading a cozy mystery, at the present time, so that might be the reason I was thinking of these fun stories as I meandered downtown.
Cozy Mysteries seem to be so incredibly popular right now. Every time I go to the book store, I wander to the mystery section and the shelves are loaded with cozy mysteries. I decided to do some checking to discover the definition of a cozy mystery. Certainly, not all mystery writer’s write cozy mysteries! I discovered, and this is my opinion, based upon research and my own experience, a cozy mystery is a fun, quick, light hearted mystery story, laced with humor. The sleuth is an amateur and is usually female. I have noticed that there is usually at least one character in the mystery who is eccentric. These mysteries have very little, if any profanity, and one can certainly cozy up on the sofa or squishy chair with a steaming hot drink in the winter or a refreshing icy cold drink in the summer and immerse oneself in these enjoyable books.
There are so many good authors who write cozy mysteries, way to many to list, however, my personal favorite cozy mysteries are the Gertie Johnson mysteries by Deb Baker. Gertie Johnson lives in the Upper Peninsula, Michigan and with her two faithful friends, they solve murder mysteries. Gertie is in her sixties and she is a piece of work. I laugh out loud every time I read a Gertie Johnson mystery. Deb Baker has written some highly entertaining mysteries. I’m not sure I have even solved any of these murder mysteries. I’m going to list the Gertie Johnson Mysteries and I will do my best to list them in the order they were published.
1.) Murder Passes the Buck
2.) Murder Grins and Bears It
3. Murder Talks Turkey
4.) Murder Trims the Tree
5.) Murder Bites the Bullet
6.) Murder Comes in Threes
7. Murder Begins at Home
Enjoy!