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Reading adventures, redux: Molten Death in Maui
It is early in the year to be traveling – but I’m lucky enough to have a trip already under my belt this year. We took one look at the grey skies and early sunsets of the Bay and decided it was time to head for more tropical climes. And thus, we set out for…
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The rise of cozy reading: mystery, fantasy, and more
The idea of “cozy” fiction seems to have spiked in the last few years. Cozy mysteries, cozy fantasies – shelves are overflowing with authors insistent of making you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. (Google Trends seems to agree with me on this. Searches for cozy mystery, cozy reading, and cozy fantasy grew 2-10x since…
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Wit, Intrigue, and Warmth: My Favorite Mysteries in 2024
It’s the time of year for reading roundups and top-n lists, and this blog is no exception. I’ve read 180(!) books this year, some better than others, and I Have Some Thoughts on those I loved best and why. We’ll start with the mysteries, which were far and away the genre I spent the most…
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Advent of Mystery, 2024: Some thoughts on the Christmas crime genre
Merry Christmas, my reading friends! I hope you have enjoyed this year’s Advent of Mystery at least as much as I have. I’ve certainly learned a ton about what it takes to manage a Christmas mystery story that still feels festive. As usual, we’ll keep it quick – starting with a roundup of all the…
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Advent of Mystery, Day 10: A Lively Midwinter Murder
Our last day of book reviews brings us to A Lively Midwinter Murder, a continuation of the cozy Dahlia Lively series. For those unfamiliar, this series follows three actresses who have played three generations of the same female detective. They’re drawn together by this commonality – and when murders occur around them, of course they…
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Advent of Mystery 2024, Day 8: Death Comes at Christmas
Continuing the theme of short and sweet, next on our list is Death Comes at Christmas. This collection of short stories aggregates new writing by some of the most exciting modern crime writers. The promise is a compendium of Christmas crime stories that explores the spirit of the season, while providing intriguing puzzles from today’s…
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Advent of Mystery 2024, Day 7: Murder Under the Mistletoe
Sometimes, you’re looking for something short and sweet that immerses you in the familiar traditions of the holiday season. The Reverend Richard Coles’s Murder Under the Mistletoe does just that, taking the readers to an English country parish. This novella continues the story of Canon Clement and his family in the days leading up to…
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Advent of Mystery 2024, Day 4: The Case of the Ghost of Christmas Morning
Last year, just as I was wrapping up the final Advent of Mystery post, a recommendation from crossexaminingcrime landed in my inbox. Not only that – a comedic Christmas mystery with a strong rating from a blogger who cares just as much (if not more) about the puzzles! Despite having just binged several Christmas crime…
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Advent of Mystery 2024, Day 3: The Mistletoe Mystery
For day 3 we’ve got a short and sweet novella that continues the Maid series by Nita Prose. The Mistletoe Mystery catches us up with Molly the maid and her cinnamon roll boyfriend Juan as they celebrate the holidays together. This one is really tiny, clocking in at just 128 pages. (I’ve also seen a…
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Advent of Mystery 2024, Day 1: Everyone this Christmas Has a Secret
Every year, I tell myself that this is my last year with the Advent of Mystery. And every year, new Christmas mysteries pop up on my radar that I feel I have to read. And if I’m already reading them, why not share my thoughts with y’all? Two years ago, we did Golden Age murder…