Cozy Christmas Mysteries for 2012

December 19, 2012

I thought it might be fun to update last year’s blog on cozy mysteries for the holiday season. I confessed last year to my addiction to the cozy mystery genre. Nothing has changed, and I particularly look forward to the holiday cozy.

I’m waiting for Cleo Coyle’s Holiday Buzz, this year’s holiday book in her coffeehouse series. While I’m waiting for that, I’m reading Mary and Carol Higgins Clark’s Christmas books featuring Regan Reilly and Alvirah Meehan. Regan is a detective in Carol Higgins Clark’s mystery series, and Alvirah was first featured in Mary Higgins Clark’s book, Weep No More My Lady. Alvirah has gone from rags to riches and is quite the amateur sleuth. She’s also hilarious. The books are Deck the Halls, The Christmas Thief, Santa Cruise: A Holiday at Sea Mystery, and Dashing Through the Snow. I started Joana Carl’s chocoholic mystery series this summer, and the second in the series is a holiday entry, The Chocolate Bear Burglary.

A holiday story with chocolate as the theme is hard to beat. I don’t always like short stories, even by my favorite authors, but make an exception for holiday themed anthologies. Ginger Bread Cookie Murder is the story by Joanne Fluke who writes the Hannah Swenson series, one of my favorites. The other authors are Leslie Meier and Laura Levin, both great cozy mystery authors. I think I’ll wrap up with Six Geese A-Slaying by Donna Andrews. This is a great series that I have to admit might be too campy for everyone but one I enjoy. I am not sure what that says about my reading habits.

Linda O
North Oak Branch