Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge discussion
2024 Level Four (Sleuth Extra)
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Arow 2024 Cozie Challenge - Level 4
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Arow
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Dec 28, 2023 12:21PM
Here we go...looking forward to 2024's reading list. I am going to go with Option A again - 40 Cozy's of my choice.
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Yvonne wrote: "Enjoy the challenge! I hope you read many great cozies!"Thank you as always! I appreciate everyone running these groups.
I might actually try for Option B this year as well (we shall see what happens) !
Categories (if I do option B)- culinary (anything dealing with food: restaurants, baked goods, etc.)
- animal related (cats, dogs, birds, etc.)
- craft related (any kind of hobbies - knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking, etc.)
- paranormal (witches, vampires, etc.)
- cozy mysteries based outside the US (example: Belinda Lawrence series (British))
- career-based cozy mystery (housekeeping, wedding planner, etc.)
- holiday based (set during any holiday - Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentines, etc.)
- travel mystery (character could be on a cruise, touring another area, etc.)
- historical mystery (any mystery not set in the present)
- your choice! (freebie!)
Okay here it goes; I am going to track books as I go so I might move some around depending on what else comes up lol My summaries of each book below will show all the categories they fit for other people's reference. 40 of 40
Culinary
Book 1: A Bagged Body
Book 2: Pink Lemonade Cake Murder
Animal Related
Book 1: The Fear and Meow
Book 2: Dastardly Ducks
Craft
Book 1: Purramid Scheme
Book 2: Murder, She Knit
Paranormal
Book 1: Wolves of Wisteria
Book 2: Wisteria Wrinkle
Based outside the US
Book 1: Frosted Plum Fears
Book 2: Double Espresso Deception
Career-based
Book 1: A Whisker of Danger
Book 2: The Quilt Ripper
Holiday based
Book 1: Stormy Stars
Book 2: The Firework Frenzy
Travel
Book 1: The Sleuthing Game: A Cozy Mystery
Book 2: Sangria and Secrets
Historical
Book 1: Mistletoe Murder
Book 2: Tippy Toe Murder
Freebie!
Book 1: Baffling Bachelorettes
Book 2: Bamboozled Brides
Freebie!
Book 1: A Bad Feline
Book 2: A Staged Corpse
Book 3: Secret in the Storm
Book 4: A Body in 3B
Book 5: Gear, Grills, & Guns
Book 6: Eggnog, Extortion, & Evergreens
Book 7: Ropes, Riddles, & Robberies
Book 8: Paddlers, Promises & Poison
Book 9: Insects, Ivy, & Investigations
Book 10:Outdoors, Oars, & Oaths
Book 11: Wildlife, Warrants, & Weapons
Book 12: Blossoms, Barbeque, & Blackmail
Book 13: Lanterns, Lakes, & Larceny
Book 14: Jackets, Jack-O-Lantern, & Justice
Book 15: Santa, Sunrises, & Suspicions
Book 16: Vistas, Vices, & Valentines
Book 17: Adventure, Abduction, & Arrest
Book 18: Clue in the Cottage
Book 19: Message in the Manuscript
Book 20: Dangerous Infurmation
Book 1: Frosted Plum Fears by Agatha Frost4 Stars
Categories
Based outside the US - takes place in England
Career-based - main character owns her own candle shop
Holiday based - takes place at Christmas and New Years
I love this series and most of what Agatha Frost writes in the cozy world. I can't wait for the next installment of this series.
Book 2: Purramid Scheme by Eryn Scott4 Stars
Animal related (cats, dogs, birds, etc.) - main character's supports a cat shelter & rescue
Craft - there is a quilting convention in town and storyline revolves around it
Career-based cozy mystery - main character owns a bookshop
Book 3: The Fear and Meow by Eryn Scott4 stars
Animal related (cats, dogs, birds, etc.) - main character's supports a cat shelter & rescue
Career-based cozy mystery - main character owns a bookshop
Book 4: A Bagged Body by Eryn Scott4 Stars
Culinary - main character owns a jam shop
Animal related - rescuing of cat plays a part in the story
Book 5: A Whisker of Danger by Eryn Scott4 stars
Career-based cozy mystery - main character owns a bookshop
Animal related - bookshop is also a cat rescue
Book 6: Murder, She Knit by Peggy Ehrhart3 Stars
Animal related - main character spends the novel trying to befriend a stray cat
Craft related - knitting themed
Career-based - main character edits for a knitting magazine
Holiday based - American Thanksgiving
Book 7: Pink Lemonade Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke2 Stars (really 1.5)
Culinary - main character owns a cookie shop
I don't even know why I tried to go back to this series. The repetitive dialogue between characters is just garbage and the actual mystery was an after thought. The most exciting part of the book happened on the last page and even that was poorly done.
I think I am actually done forever with this series. Its the series that got me into cozy's which is why I keep coming back but it is over. I just can't do it any more :-)
Book 8: Wolves of Wisteria by Angela Pepper3 stars
Paranormal - main character is a witch
Career-based cozy - main character works at the permits office
Book 9: Wisteria Wrinkle by Angela Pepper3 stars
Paranormal - main character is a witch
Career-based cozy - main character works at the permits office
Book 10: Dastardly Ducks by Mildred Abbott4 stars
Culinary - main character owns a bookstore/coffee shop combo
Animal related - Watson is the corgi sidekick + the mystery is tied to the annual rubber duck race in the towns river
Career-based - main character owns a bookstore/coffee shop combo
Book 11: Stormy Stars by Mildred Abbott4 stars
Culinary - main character owns a bookstore/coffee shop combo
Animal related - Watson is the corgi sidekick
Career-based - main character owns a bookstore/coffee shop combo
Holiday based - Independence Day - July 4th
Book 12: Baffling Bachelorettes by Mildred Abbott4 stars
Culinary - main character owns a bookstore/coffee shop combo
Animal related - Watson is the corgi sidekick
Career-based - main character owns a bookstore/coffee shop combo
Book 13: Bamboozled Brides by Mildred Abbott4 stars
Culinary - main character owns a bookstore/coffee shop combo
Animal related - Watson is the corgi sidekick
Career-based - main character owns a bookstore/coffee shop combo
Book 14: The Quilt Ripper by Mary Devlin Lynch4 stars
Craft - entire book is tied to quilting
Career-based - main character is a librarian
What I really enjoyed was this was about a mystery vs a murder. I loved the characters and I do think I will be reading the rest.
Book 15: A Bad Feline by Eryn Scott4 stars
Career-based cozy mystery - main character owns a bookshop
Animal related - bookshop is also a cat rescue
Holiday - Valentines Day
Book 17; Secret in the Storm by Kathi Daley4 stars
Categories
animal related - the animals at the inn are always part of the story
paranormal - the group visiting the inn are tapping into the paranormal throughout their visit
career-based - main character owns an inn
Book 18: The Sleuthing Game: A Cozy Mystery by Kathi Daley3 stars
Categories
Travel mystery - the main character travels to Lake Tahoe for a conference
Book 19: Sangria and Secrets by Agatha Frost3 stars
Categories
Based outside the US - takes place in England
Travel mystery - the main character travels to Spain
Book 20: A Body in 3B by Eryn Scott4 stars
Categories
Paranormal - the main character can see ghosts and talk to them
Book 21: Double Espresso Deception by Agatha Frost4 stars
Categories
Based outside the US - takes place in England
Travel mystery - the main character travels to the English countryside
Career-based - main character owns candle shop
I do the same as you, go for "A" and see where the "Bs" fall. I see you have the same problem I have with historical! :o)I see you read the first two books from Agatha Frost's Claire's Candle series -- Frosted Plum Fears and Double Espresso Deception -- for "Based outside the US," another category i have trouble wtth. What did you think? I have her series TBRed, but could move this series up the list...
I'm loving your list of books. Thanks!
Karen wrote: "I do the same as you, go for "A" and see where the "Bs" fall. I see you have the same problem I have with historical! :o)I see you read the first two books from Agatha Frost's Claire's Candle se..."
I really love the Claire's Candle series. It was a nice change from her other books. I hope you enjoy them!
Book 22: Gear, Grills, & Guns by Tonya Kappes3 stars
Categories
Career-based - main character owns a campground
Book 23: Eggnog, Extortion, & Evergreens by Tonya Kappes4 stars
Categories
Career-based - main character owns a campground
Holiday based - Christmas
Book 24: Ropes, Riddles, & Robberies by Tonya Kappes4 stars
Categories
Travel mystery - the group heads to Mae's home town to figure out her past
Career-based - main character owns a campground
Book 25: Paddlers, Promises & Poison by Tonya Kappes3 Stars
Categories
Career-based - main character owns a campground
Arow wrote: "Book 25: Paddlers, Promises & Poison by Tonya Kappes... main character owns a campground"I have a love/dislike relationship with Kappes work. She writes so many series and books! I loved her Magical Cures series and I'm liking her Holiday series. which is a spin-off of the one you're working your way through, Campers & Criminals. However, her Killer Coffee series annoys me with it's continuity and other editing errors. (Doesn't stop me from reading new ones as they come, though.)
I picked up the Vacation series before I realized it was a spin-off. How are you finding the Camper series? I know you're reading it, so you like it, but...
Karen wrote: "Arow wrote: "Book 25: Paddlers, Promises & Poison by Tonya Kappes... main character owns a campground"I have a love/dislike relationship with Kappes work. She wr..."
Interesting! I actually hadn't looked yet to see what else she has written. I would most likely read others from her.
For the Campers & Criminals - its alright, I find I like ever 2-3 book more. I dislike the repetitiveness that comes with reading cozy's sometimes. Like I don't need to keep reading about how your story started and the entire history of everyone lol
I also do an alphabet challenge, so I find this series is helping me tick off a few of the remaining Letters I am trying to fill :-)
Book 26: Insects, Ivy, & Investigations by Tonya Kappes3 Stars
Categories
Career-based - main character owns a campground
Book 27: Outdoors, Oars, & Oaths by Tonya Kappes3 Stars
Categories
Career-based - main character owns a campground
Travel - trip to NY City
Book 28: Wildlife, Warrants, & Weapons by Tonya Kappes3 Stars
Categories
Career-based - main character owns a campground
Book 29: Blossoms, Barbeque, & Blackmail by Tonya Kappes3 Stars
Categories
Career-based - main character owns a campground
Book 30: Lanterns, Lakes, & Larceny by Tonya Kappes3 Stars
Categories
Career-based - main character owns a campground
Book 31: Jackets, Jack-O-Lantern, & Justice by Tonya Kappes3 Stars
Categories
Career-based - main character owns a campground
Holiday - Halloween
Book 32: Santa, Sunrises, & Suspicions by Tonya Kappes3 stars
Categories
Career-based - main character owns a campground
Holiday - Christmas
Book 33: Vistas, Vices, & Valentines by Tonya Kappes3 stars
Categories
Career-based - main character owns a campground
Holiday - Valentines
Book 34: Adventure, Abduction, & Arrest by Tonya Kappes3 stars
Categories
Career-based - main character owns a campground
Travel - trip to Forest Bathing spa/retreat
Book 35: Mistletoe Murder by Leslie Meier3 Stars
Categories
Holiday based - Christmas / New Years
Historical mystery - written in 1993
I made a fairly specific decision when I got introduced to cozy's to not read the Lucy Stone Mysteries. There was something about the write-ups that just didn't draw me in. I have read the 3rd book in the series which is unusual for me as I tend to read things in order (no matter what).
Saying that, always struggle with the "Historical" category and really I am not sure why. Anyways, I decided to give in and give Lucy Stone a try. I enjoyed it enough and I was definitely transported to a different time even if it was only 1993. The technology advances we have made in North America in the 90's into the 2000's really come through when you go back and read certain genres.
Book 37: The Firework Frenzy by Kathi Daley3 stars
Categories
Animal related - main character owns and operates a Animal shelter and her dog Tilly is always with her solving mysteries
Holiday based - July 4th (Independence Day)
Career-based - main character owns and operates a Animal shelter
Book 40: Dangerous Infurmation by Eryn Scott4 stars
Animal related - main character owns a bookstore/cat rescue
Career-based - main character owns a bookstore/cat rescue
I think this is the earliest I have completed a challenge before! I don't think I will be able to read another 40 books prior to end of the year but I think I may try for a lower tier.
Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Kathi Daley (other topics)
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