I remember the moment I fell in love with reading. Through a classroom book exchange initiated by my second-grade teacher Mrs. Sawyer, I borrowed a Nancy Drew book from a tall, brown-haired girl named Erin who sat a few seats behind me. The book, “The Clue of the Broken Locket” by Carolyn Keene, was the first mystery I discovered on my own. As the clues were set out before me and I tried to guess what was going to happen next, I was hooked – and never looked back.
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Much later as an adult, I found that participating in book clubs (both in-person and online via social media) reinvigorated my love of reading simply for pleasure. While living through a personal health mystery for the past two years, cozy mysteries – mysteries without overt violence, bad language, or explicit romantic details – especially have offered a fun escape from “real life.” And, they have kept me pondering the ever-present conundrum: “whodunit?”
Here are a few of my favorite “cozies” perfect for your next book club or just a night in!
“Cinnamon Twisted” by Ginger Bolton
While mystery stories often evoke thoughts of dark and stormy nights in remote countryside mansions, a la the undisputed literary queen of the genre, Agatha Christie, Ginger Bolton flips the script. In her cozy series, a small-town doughnut shop-slash-coffeeshop called Deputy Donut is the centerpiece. Residing in fictional Fallingbrook, Wisconsin, the core cast of characters embody midwestern charm. But, that doesn’t mean that visitors to this small town don’t bring with them secrets. A lost earring, a mysterious letter, and an old photograph of a familiar scene all set the stage for the mystery in “Cinnamon Twisted” to unwind.
The vivid scenes and well-written plot drew me into a world that – even amidst mystery and intrigue – seems quaint. People in this small town live simpler lives than I’ve ever had. I found myself almost envious of a kind of life where challenges can be neatly resolved. I don’t think that will ever be my personal fate, but it was comforting to feel like I could step into another life and take a break from focusing on the difficulties in my own.
“Time of Fog and Fire” by Rhys Bowen
Rhys Bowen’s engaging Molly Murphy series features a 20-something Irish immigrant in the early 1900s making a life for herself in New York City. In “Time of Fog and Fire,” Molly travels to San Francisco where she experiences the infamous 1906 earthquake that destroyed parts of the city. Blending elements of actual historical events and famous figures with fiction, Bowen weaves a captivating tale that takes readers not merely to another place, but to another time.
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I was reminded of when I traveled to San Francisco in my mid-20s with my younger brother. It was the first big trip that I took across the country without my parents. And, like Molly, I ended up alone in unfamiliar parts of the city unexpectedly and had to figure out how to navigate my way back to where I was staying. It was fun to remember the famous sights and the interesting things I did – like riding a cable car and visiting Fisherman’s Wharf. The trip was one of my first tastes of adult independence in a new city where I had to rely solely on myself.
“Mischief Nights Are Murder” by Libby Klein
A strong yet imperfect female protagonist who’s trying to make her way in the world? Check. Adorable furry friend? Double check. Quirky cast of characters? Absolutely. “Mischief Nights Are Murder” has all of the elements cozy mysteries typically have, but Libby Klein’s use of language is what brings her characters to life. They’re accessible and yearn for love, career success, and peace, but somehow, they keep getting themselves tangled up in mysteries. Such is the case for New Jersey native Poppy McAllister who’s returned to Cape May to run a small bed and breakfast.
When I was a kid, my extended – and some might say quirky – family spent a week at the beach each summer. While our greatest mysteries were who took the last clean beach towel and who swiped the last bag of chips, I related to the affection and exasperation Poppy felt. And, this book reminded me that even when you find yourself in formidable situations, it helps to have family to turn to.
Other notable cozy mystery series include Lauren Elliott’s “Beyond the Page” series, which features Addie Geryborne’s adventures after inheriting both money and a large collection of rare books from her aunt in a coastal New England town and Eve Calder’s “A Cookie House” series featuring a baker who moves to Coral Cay, FL only to find herself wrapped up in misadventures.
As a kid, I hid under the covers with a flashlight to stay up late to read just one more page. As an adult, I’ve all too often done the modern cell phone version of the same by reading e-books. But, one thing has remained constant: I enjoy trying to guess who did what and why, and I take comfort in knowing that, on the page and unlike in real life, mysteries are always solved. Paradoxically, this has allowed me to accept that even while living with things I’ll never understand, I can still move forward and turn the page to a new chapter – step by step, word by word.