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Cozy

Review

The Quilt Whisperer Investigates

by Danise Hoover

A lovely New England village, a charming, successful local museum, and the prospect of the loan of a historic quilt from a leading citizen; what could go wrong? Alas, the brunch meeting that museum curator Caroline Platte has with said leading citizen goes about as wrong as possible, with the discovery of the donor’s dead body and a missing quilt. Our lovely village is fraught with undercurrents of classism, real estate greed, and. of course, sexual misconduct. The morning coffeeshop coterie discusses and gossips hoping for clues, but it is our intrepid curator Caroline and her stalwart landlady Libby who face dangers to find the solution. Unfortunate arrests, false leads, and personal masks abound and lead our duo in fruitless directions. Like the best of cozies, this ends not with a recipe, but there’s a quilt pattern as well. Solid character development, a well-crafted plot with history and art pointing the way, and a heartwarming side-story make this a satisfying and enjoyable read.—Danise Hoover

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Review

Shrink Solves Murder

by Danise Hoover

Book of the Week May 7, 2026

Patricia Phillips, formerly a Lawyer and now a psychotherapist, revels in her status as village curmudgeon. She lives on the Sussex Downs, swims in the cold English Channel daily, and lays down the law to tourists who venture too close to the edge of the cliff and people with their dogs off-leash. One of her patients is found washed up at the bottom of the cliff and is swiftly declared a suicide by the local incurious police department. Pat loudly and vehemently disagrees but has no success in getting the case reopened. She, of course, sets out to solve it, with the assistance of her friend Prichard. While she feels that her training will give her insights and make her readily able point out the killer, there are holes in her assumptions. She must face the changing local population (swingers and boho golf club planners) in addition to her own errors in thinking and lack of internet know-how. Pat is an extraordinary character, equally cranky and loveable, and the ending of her tale leaves open the chance for another installment. Readers can only hope.—Danise Hoover

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Review

Savvy Summers and the Po’Boy Perils

by Brian Kenney

There’s a lot going on in Jackson-Opoku’s latest book, the successor to her debut, Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes. But one topic is totally overwhelming, and that’s food. A longtime chef, Savvy owns a cafe in Chicago that draws plenty of patrons seeking her delectable, comfortable soul food. But Savvy is a bit restless, and when a long-term friend hires her to cater a company luncheon featuring Creole classics (po’boys, bread pudding…I just can’t stop) at a nearby office, the chef takes the job, only to find someone dead in the company’s conference room. Once again, Savvy has to manage her role as murder investigator while still keeping her cafe afloat. What’s really fun about Jackson-Opoku’s books is the richness of detail—with references to poetry, fiction, and song scattered throughout the text—as well as reports from friends and family. We’re fortunate to have a great new series to enjoy.—Brian Kenney

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Review

Dungeons and Danger

by Danise Hoover

Hotelier and herbalist Nora Althorp lives and works in Ravensea, the family castle, outside of York. It has been occupied by members of her family for around one thousand years. As such, the ghosts that also reside in the castle are well known to the family and regularly communicate. This week is a busy one. A scholar is making a deal with Nora’s father to hunt for a Viking hoard on the property, proceeds to be split of course; a group of TV wanna-bees are on site to film the ghosts, with the hopes of commercial success; and Nora’s brother has set up a Viking fest for the weekend, complete with roast ox and burning dragon ship. The ghosts perform beautifully, leading people to clues, though not everyone behaves within honorable strictures as far as the treasure is concerned. There is a lot of skulking about, minor poisonings, and eventually a murder. Nora outdoes the police but readily shares what she learns. A very comfy cozy with friendly supernatural additions that is a nice easy read.—Danise Hoover

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Review

Murder at the Spirit Lounge

by Danise Hoover

It’s December in the beach town of Gore-on-Sea, and Nora Breen, recently a cloistered Carmelite nun, is drawn into the intrigue of a séance by friend and Detective Inspector Rideout. She is not invited to attend, but Rideout is. The medium, Mrs. Chimes, dies during the séance, murdered as we later find out, and all who were present seem marked for strange and dreadful deaths of their own. The connection is discovered only after much sleuthing, and Nora, with her sharp intelligence and easy manner, is able to uncover the striking details needed to unravel this. There is, however, so much more to this book than its complex mystery. The richly drawn characters, quirky situations of life in this odd town, and spectacularly inventive and colorful descriptive prose used by the author (portraits “rendered in gravy-brown paint”) make this captivating to read. As it is the second in a series, readers can only hope for number three.—Danise Hoover

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Article

The Author Weekend

by Chris Kahn

Book of the Week April 9, 2026

Faye Wader, NYT bestselling author of the Kitty Howe mystery series, finally makes the plunge with the encouragement of her assistant, Jade, and hosts her first ever author event. On Misery Island, a place of nostalgic fun and hijinks for Faye, the 50 attendees will be able to attend Pre- Post- or Peri-Menopausal Mermaid Meditation; Publishing Confidential: Inside the Book Business, with Faye’s editor and agent; a Kitty Howe-themed Clambake, and more. The swag bags include plenty of kitsch, including signature Kitty Aviators, binoculars, and a lobster bib, along with copies of her last, and newest, title. And never mind that Faye’s number-one fan and critic, Peggy Mercer, will be there, surely with news of a misplaced comma or incorrect tense – all those other loyal adoring Kitty loyalists will lift Faye above that. The arrival of Faye’s franchise series rival, though not a complete surprise, ups the competition for attendees’ attention, as well as that of her editor, Merry, and her agent, Hal. Distracted by concerns with her forthcoming manuscript and lack of feedback from Hatchet, her publisher, Faye slips up on a plot point detail, which Peggy recognizes as a lie in Faye’s own backstory. Meanwhile Xoey, a social media maven who’s crippled without her phone, is desperate to tell the “author weekend story.” Feeling trapped by a prescribed wardrobe and envy, Faye begins to spiral. Before long, the bodies start to pile up. Readers will delight in discovering who ends up on the top of the heap, both literally and figuratively. A sharp, gossipy, and hilarious satire of the publishing business.—Dodie Ownes

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Review

Murder on Charity Lane

by Brian Kenney

This series is wonderfully reminiscent of Armistead Maupin’s series Tales of the City, Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club series, and Only Murders in the Building—all of which have a wonderful sense of community, an abundance of love, and a good dollop of eccentricity. It’s six months or so after the first murder solved by Mrs. B., the Marigold Cottages’ eccentric proprietor, who follows the lives of her tenants by keeping the cottages very quiet—too quiet, she is beginning to think. So she invites a friend, Elsa, to occupy one of the empty homes well located in Santa Barbara. But when a tragic death occurs, and several of the residents have reason to believe that Elsa is the protagonist, Mrs. B. has no choice except to call together the members of the Murder Collective to figure out who is responsible, and why. Then there is another death, with Elsa again the suspect. Can the collective free Elsa from their many doubts?—Brian Kenney

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Review

Murder at First Slice

by Brian Kenney

Book of the Week March 26, 2026

Dogs and drama, detectives and divas. There is a whole lot going on in this, the fifth in Burns’s Baker Street series. But despite all the balls she has in the air, it looks like the wedding of Maddy (bride-to-be, social media queen, beloved daughter, full-time baker, dog parent to an adored 200 lb. English mastiff) and veterinarian Michael will go off without a hitch. Scores of people are arriving in New Bison, Michigan to celebrate the event, although a few participants have come just to complain about or to one another. This would include two cousins who always clash, Dorothy (pure negativity) and Hannah (whom most people believe is incapable of killing). But then Dorothy is found dead, her body left outside the bakery. And Hannah is discovered standing over her, the alleged murder weapon, a bloodied rolling pin, in hand. What is going on here? To get to the bottom of it all, Maddy calls in the Baker Street Irregulars, a group of non-professionals who excel at helping the police solve crimes. A fun, high-energy narrative that does a brilliant job of illuminating life in small-town America.—Brian Kenney

 

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Review

The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts

by Brian Kenney

This latest work of the Marlow Murder Club, one of the most popular cozy crime series, is the fifth, with a major TV presence as well. Yet as cozy as this volume might be, it’s the darkest of the books to date, with blackmail, murder, and scandal all playing a major role. The murder of two of Marlow’s best known celebrities—soccer-player Gary Wise and thriller-writer Tony Sexton—galvanizes our three amateur female detectives, who travel all about the town to discover the killer, an endeavor both serious and hugely comic. But what’s changed? DI Malik, who always assisted the women in their previous searches, has now been suspended from duty; it’s a huge loss. And Judith, who has always been at the center of any investigation, shows up only to shortly disappear and then repeat again. Where is she going? Aficionados of the Marlow Murder Club can only worry that the three brave women may not survive and make it through to the other side.—Brian Kenney

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Review

Murder Like Clockwork

by Dodie Ownes

Full of twists and turns and characters whom readers will both love and hate, Murder Like Clockwork is the second title in Whyte’s 10 Marchfield Square series—and if you didn’t read the first, don’t worry! You can still drop right into this delightful mystery that’s set in the Belgravia area of London, overseen by grande dame Celeste. Audrey is a housecleaner, and Anton Petrov’s apartment is a special case. She cannot arrive early, or leave late. And then there are the dozens of antique clocks that must be wound every week. And, it never seems like anyone has been there between her weekly visits. One frigid day, she arrives early and discovers a body neatly placed on a plastic sheet. When the police finally get there, they go inside to find…nothing. No body, no blood. When Audrey consults with co-sleuth Lewis, who hates his job as a recruiter and would rather be a mystery writer, the hunt to find the murderer takes off. Whyte delights readers with characters eccentric and homey, willingly ignorant and intensely involved. Was it revenge? A contract kill? A money grab? Audrey and Lewis slowly but surely unravel the mystery and offer a completely satisfying wrap-up. Here’s hoping that Whyte keeps this recruiter and cleaner and their clever banter busy for many more titles.—Dodie Ownes

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