Hello Peoples! Every year, I join the Cozy Mystery Challenge. There are four Levels one can join in this fun challenge. The past couple of years I have been signing up for level 1, however, for 2021 I decided to join level 2.
Level 1 ~ (Snoop) The reader will read 10 cozy mysteries.
Level 2 ~ (Investigator) The reader will read 20 cozy mysteries.
Level 3 ~ (Super Sleuth) The reader will read 30 cozy mysteries.
Level 4 ~ (Sleuth Extraordinaire) The reader will read 40 cozy mysteries.
In each level the reader has the choice of reader the mysteries of their own choosing or read cozies in the sub-genres listed on goodreads. For more info, the link to goodreads is above. You can also hop on your Vespa😉📚 and scoot🛵 on over to Socrates Book Review Blog.
I just looked at the list of cozies I read for the 2020 challenge. I wanted to choose my favorite. HA! 😀😉 I have a few favorites! I decided to list the five ***** star cozies I read for the challenge, in no particular order. I read 13 cozies for the challenge. And! I did read cozies that I didn’t include in the challenge. Those mysteries aren’t on this list.
As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles by Leslie BudewitzMimi Lee Gets A Clue by Jennifer J. ChowDeath With A Dark Red Rose by Julia BuckleyGone With the Whisker by Laurie CassApple Cider Slaying by Julie Anne LindseyAnd Then There Were Crumbs by Eve CalderFinal Roasting Place by Devon DelaneyHome of The Braised by Julie HyzyA Call For Kelp by Bree Baker
I’m looking forward to the New Year and all the books I will be reading.
Hello Peoples! Monday is the last day in November! Can you believe it??? I know! We had a pleasant Thanksgiving. We ate food, watched movies, laughed and enjoyed the day. I don’t eat meat, so I didn’t gobble😉 the turkey, however, I love stuffing. I ate a considerable amount of stuffing. We ordered the pumpkin pie from my favorite bakery and it was great! YUMMY! How was your Thanksgiving? What is your favorite Thanksgiving food? Do you have a favorite Thanksgiving memory, past or present? Please share it.
Full House 1987-1995
Favorite Book in November ~
In the Shadow of Vesuvius by Tasha Alexander
Your favorites at the cottage in November ~
November 18, 2020 ~ The Small Joys Tag
November 17, 2020 ~ Mimi Lee Reads Between the Lines by Jennifer J. Chow
November 19, 2020 ~ November Ramblings
Right now I’m reading, Mint Julep Murder by Carolyn Hart.
Let me warn you, the Death On Demand Mysteries are addictive. Max and Annie Darling are a great fictional couple! 😃📚
Hello Peoples! Yesterday Rick and I were out and about, going here, going there. Rick found two Hallmark movies/mysteries he thought I would enjoy, so he picked them up for me. I was surprised he found them! They are rare up here. The library has a few. I’m not sure if the bookstore has any. We don’t have cable, in fact, we don’t watch TV. We watch movies. 🙂📽🎬🎥
A Bone To Pick ~ An Aurora Teagarden Mystery(2015)
Aurora Teagarden (Candice Cameron Bure) belongs to a Real Murders Group. The members of the group get together to discuss and solve real murders. These are cold cases, very cold cases. It has been recorded, some of these cases went to trial and a person was convicted, other times the accused was found “not guilty” by the jury. Well! A member of said group unexpectedly dies and Aurora aka Roe surprisingly inherits everything. Roe soon discovers a human skull in the home she has inherited. Roe begins to investigate to discover the identity of the poor victim and to learn who killed the victim.
Roe is charming. She’s cute, smart and has a considerable amount of tenacity. Her best friend Sally (Lexa Doig) is entertaining. When Roe informs Sally she isn’t going to give the skull to the police, Sally protests! She is against Roe investigating a murder. She wants the police to handle the investigation. Spouting her objections along the way, Sally is by Roe’s side during her investigation of said murder.
I liked Sally’s Uncle John (Bruce Dawson). He’s funny and enthusiastic about sleuthing. He likes Aida Teagarden (Marilu Henner), which is amusing. When Aida learns her daughter has discovered a real human skull, she is appalled, to say the least! A fun movie! A grisly murder!
Real Murders: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery (2015)
Oh my! My my my. A friend has been brutally murdered. Robin Daniels (Robin Dunne) is scheduled to speak at the Real Murders club. Robin is an author, Roe’s favorite author. However, when the police show up at the meeting, said meeting is canceled because a friend has been murdered in her home. Once again, our charming sleuth (Candace Cameron Bure) is on the case, determined to discover the identity of the killer. And! She soon learns the killer has copied a murder from years gone by. Robin Daniels is eager to assist her in any way he can and Sally (Lexa Doig) is once again howling her objections along the way! Uncle John is back and charming as ever along with Roe’s mother (Marilu Henner).
The Detective (Miranda Frigon) does not like Roe, to say the least, so there is friction between the two women, in both movies.
I recommend both movies. I solved A Bone to Pick. I didn’t solve Real Murders though.
First I would like to say, I love the title of this book, In the Shadow of Vesuvius! It has a certain attraction. Lady Emily, Colin and Jeremy, the colorful Duke are back in another mystery where the author transports the reader to Pompeii. In 1902, while enjoying their time in this ancient city and scouring the archeological site, Colin and Lady Emily discover the remains of man who is not ancient. The poor guy has only been dead a month. So! Colin and Lady Emily find themselves embroiled in another mystery. I thought the investigation of this murder mystery was difficult, to say the least. With all the activity, visitors, archeologists and comings and goings on the site, to solve a mystery would be a challenge. The author describes it well. I thought the entire book was well-researched and well-written. And! This is a time slip novel, the chapters gracefully take us from 1902 to AD 79. In AD 79, Kassandra is a slave and companion to Lepia. The conclusion comes together nicely! Highly recommend!
Hello Peoples! Yesterday Rick and I drove to a used bookstore in small town about 45 minutes from our house. Rick likes antique shops, so we stopped at a very unorganized antique shop first. What a mess! The shop did have a wide variety of merchandise though. They had a suit of armor I named, Don Quixote, several taxidermy items, a variety of unique artifacts from WWI and WWII. They had a huge number of books just tossed on shelves in no particular order. After some digging, I discovered three books by Phyllis A. Whitney, which I purchased.
We had lunch at a little restaurant in a humble building. It didn’t look like much, but the food was great and the service was friendly. I had a grilled cheese sandwich and great French fries. Rick had a BLT and French fries. He had hot coffee and I had a cuppa hot tea.
After we left the restaurant, we went to the used bookstore. I bought 4 books I had been searching for and Rick looked at vintage comic books/graphic novels.
Hello Peoples! Mimi Lee, our favorite pet groomer, is back in another fun mystery. This time a teacher is murdered! Mimi’s sister Alice, is a teacher at the same school where Helen Reed, the victim, was discovered dead. The detective, working the case, has his sights set on Alice as his primary suspect. How rude! While Mimi is investigating and working at her pet grooming business, she’s also concerned about her parents relationship. Never a dull moment for our female protagonist!
“Mimi Lee Reads Between the Lines” by Jennifer J. Chow is the second book in “A Sassy Cat Mystery.” And! Marshmallow is one sassy cat. I might just add, it’s always interesting and quirky when Mimi and Marshmallow communicate with one another. Mmmm. Then we have a new kitten added to the mix in this cozy mystery. Such a cutie!
It’s great to have, Mimi’s boyfriend Josh back in the story. He’s always busy with the law firm, but their relationship is progressing forward.
I didn’t solve this mystery. However, when that person with nefarious motives was revealed, I wasn’t surprised. Cute story!
Hello Peoples! It’s time for another spin! Below is my book list of twenty books. On Sunday, November 22, 2020, the Classics Club will announce the spin number and I will read the book with that number by January 30, 2021. HAPPY READING!
katiescottagebooks 