Community Chat

[Winkk]

I am a die hard mystery/thriller reader but I need a change of pace. I know there are lot of good cozy books but I don't know who the best authors are. The cozies I have read in the past seem as though they were geared for elementary school reading.

I am looking for some good books w/o a lot of violence and s@x but sill has a good story. Any suggestions? Thanks.

[dawg lover]

Hi Wink, I bumped up two previous threads on this topic for you. They have lots of great suggestions. Happy Reading!

[Winkk]

Thanks.

[BornToShop]

Wink, I too am a mystery/psychological thriller book lover. I totally understand the need to lighten it up at times! I highly recommend Robyn Carr & her Virgin River Series. There's about 15 books in this series & I am currently on #6. You won't be disappointed.

[bigreader]

I have loved Robyn Carr books since her earliest romance books. Glad she has progressed to these types of story lines now. She is always a guaranteed good read.

You didn't mention who you have read and enjoyed, or who you aren't happy with. It would be easier to make suggestions if we had that information. So many great books yet to read !

Have you discovered the website "What Should I Read Next?.com" You can type in an author's name or a title of any book you have enjoyed and it will print out similar reads. Very good information.

I can suggest authors also if you like, but need to know who you like and don't.

Happy hunting !

[mewsmomtoo]

For mysteries, I really like the Richard Jury series by Martha Grimes - good stories filled with fun recurring characters. The first one is "I Am The Only Running Footman". For stories of romance and friendship and family, just about any book by Maeve Binchy especially "Circle of Friends". "Evening Class" and "The Lilac Bus". I'm don't think they qualify as cozies since they are not mysteries but they are wonderful stories.

Bigreader: thanks for the website tip, I've never heard of it. I am going to give it a try for sure!

[Winkk]

I appreciate all this information. I'm going to check out some of these authors. I don't have a favorite author, it's just whether or not I like the story line. I don't like any of these sappy romance mysteries or where the hero comes into town (tall, dark and handsome) and within the first chapter has the most beautiful girl in the town in bed with him. Ugh!

I do go into Goodreads quite a lot and get reviews and/or suggestions on books. Actually, that's how I find most of the books I've read. I guess after awhile if you read the same author it's not so much the book but you get used to their writing style and want to make a change.

That's how I feel now. You gave me a lot of authors to check out. Thanks.

[redtabby]

I should add, the 44 Scotland and Corduroy Mansions are not mysteries, just really well written books.

[Honeybit]

Wink, I saw the recommendation for Martha Grimes -- I like her books a lot, and they are about Character (and characters!) as much as they are about plot. (Her odd titles are all the names of British pubs.) I also recommend author Dana Stabenow's "Kate Shugak" mysteries (set in today's Alaska) and Craig Johnson's "Longmire" mysteries (a modern Western set in Wyoming near the Cheyenne reservation). Like Grimes, the characters and setting of both sets are something special, although they may not be strictly "cozies" they aren't "blood and guts" hard mysteries either. My favorite "cozy" author is Susan Wittig Albert who writes about Pecan Springs, Texas; her lead character "China Bayles" runs a herb shop there -- this series includes recipes.

[Tinkrbl44]

On 4/24/2014 BornToShop said: Wink, I too am a mystery/psychological thriller book lover. I totally understand the need to lighten it up at times! I highly recommend Robyn Carr & her Virgin River Series. There's about 15 books in this series & I am currently on #6. You won't be disappointed.

Sounds interesting, and I'm looking for a new author, too .... do you need to read them in order?