July News for A Cozy Death Book Club
Oh what fun we had with Misty Simon, author of many cozy mysteries/series, last month. Misty told us how she crafts her novels, what makes her feel close to her characters, and how she develops the setting for her plots. The best were the stories she told about where she lives and about the towns nearby. I loved her New Year’s Eve stories and almost wished that I could move back to Pennsylvania. My biggest regret is that I messed up the recording of the meeting and can’t upload it to our website. I promise to do a better job the next time we interview an author!
This month we’re meeting on the 27th at 2:00 pm PDT (3:00 pm Mountain, 4:00 pm Central, 5:00 pm Eastern, 10:00 pm BST) on Zoom. We’re reading Murder by the Sea by Danielle Collins. It’s the first cozy novel we've read as a group that takes place in Kenya. This is the first of a two volume series. We'll play our icon dice game when we’ve finished discussing the novel..
Tahlia and I are about to send out a survey for our book selections for next year. Please watch for it and send your selections back to us. We want your input.
You probably saw our announcement that the July meeting will be the last meeting through Meetup. Meetup has gotten more and more expensive and we meet on Zoom anyway. If you join us on the website www.acozydeath.com you’ll be part of our group that receives meeting announcements, the book reviews, games, interviews with authors, and the monthly calendar. Join us, join us! We’ll send out more information about our change throughout July. Watch for the announcements. You’ll also find us on Instagram at acozydeath.
Books I’m Reading
Agatha Christie’s A Caribbean Mystery is wonderful. I started reading it and then remembered that both television adaptations are on Britbox. I can’t decide which adaptation I like better, but the book wins out. Christie’s skill in her use of red herrings is very apparent in the novel. Her description of Mr. Rafiel is wonderful. As I read it I could see in my mind’s eye the curmudgeon in his wheelchair with his secretary ignoring his bad temper. The attendant, Mr. Jackson is used to emphasize the class distinctions prevalent among the resort’s guests and staff. It’s very clever and truly a delicious read.
I’m also reading Death in Sunset Grove: The Lavender Ladies Detective Agency by Minna Lindgren. I wish this book was as fun a read as the Christie book, but alas it is not. Still, the novel is well-written and has a very interesting premise. The ladies are all in their late 80’s and 90’s and talk about dying in a very clinical manner. The book is translated from the original Finnish and takes place in a senior citizens’ retirement facility. The women can be catty one moment and caring the next moment. Residents graduate from independent living apartments to assisted living or to memory care living situations. No one wants to end up in the memory care facility. It’s talked about in a similar fashion to the way no one would say Voldemort in the Harry Potter series. I find reading the novel very interesting in that there are very real differences between Finnish customs and American customs.
Last but not least, I’m reading Sue Minix’s Murder at the Bookstore. What a fun book! The main characters are young, single, and not adverse to falling in love with someone hunky. The boat explosion that killed the main character’s friend is what starts off the mystery ‘who killed Alicia?’ The ins and outs of the mystery are interrupted with making dinner for a new love interest and inheriting a bookstore. It’s all appropriate for a Hallmark mystery series. It’s a good summer read. Enjoy!
TBR
I have so many books on my Kindle waiting patiently to be read. I’m embarrassed to list them all, but a sample of the “endless list” include:
Danger Cove Mystery: A Death in the Flower Garden by Gin Jones and Elizabeth Ashby
The Burning Stones by Anti Tuomainen
Murder under the Sun by Faith Martin
Murder in the Tuscan Hills by T. A. Williams
The Bookshop of Secrets by Kerry Barrett
he Summer Guests by Tess Gerritsen
It’s a personal contest now. I have to read quickly and move these from TBR to Already Read!
Join us July 27th for a fun hour! Whether you’ve read the book or not, it’s fun to meet with people in our group.