Cozy Mysteries discussion

Our featured author for this May is Sue Minix. Sue is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and the Crime Writer's Association. When not writing, she enjoys reading, watching old movies, or hiking the New Mexico desert.

Visit her online: https://www.sueminixauthor.com/


BOOKSTORE series

1. Murder at the Bookstore (May 2023)
2. The Murderous Type
3. A Chapter on Murder
4. A Cover for Murder
5. Sentenced to Murder (May 23, 2024)
6. A Murderous Plot (Aug 29, 2024)

This was a new to me author and I just finished listening to Murder at the Bookstore. I really enjoyed it. The story was good, the characters were fun and the narration was done well.

I’m glad you liked book one, Linda. I read it last December, and immediately picked up the next two in the series. I’m currently about 35 percent in book two, The Murderous Type.

Heather L wrote: "I’m glad you liked book one, Linda. I read it last December, and immediately picked up the next two in the series. I’m currently about 35 percent in book two, The Murderous Type."

I did look up book 2 at my library right away. If they had it on audio, I would be tempted to listen to it later this month, but they only have e-book copies and both were checked out.

I finished The Murderous Type last night. Another good mystery. I have book three, but doubt I will be able to get to it this month.

It seems that I've had the first one on the tbr since early last year. 🙄 I hope to get to it before May ends -- my May tbr list is crammed! If not, it will be on my summer list.

I tried reading Murder at the Bookstore but could not get into it. The book seemed kind of bland. Didn't like characters or setting.

I finished Murder in the Bookstore. I like the fact that the main character writes a mystery book while investigaging murder. I enjoyed this book and want to read next book in the serie later.

Oh dear. I'm going to be an outlier again. I gave Murder at the Bookstore a go. (view spoiler)[And that was a misleadingly named book, if ever there was one, given the murder was nowhere near the bookstore. Along with the cat on the cover - when there isn't a cat anywhere in the book. (hide spoiler)]

It started off okay, but as it progressed, it became blatently obvious - to me, anyway - who the murderer was, and I had a good idea why, and yet the MC just kept on hanging with them and asking for their help, despite supposedly being a mystery writer with half a clue. As a result, I gritted my teeth through the last third of the book.

It's a pity, as I liked a lot of the secondary characters (although it took me most of the book to warm to Olinski), and thought the murderee was a total waste of a character with potential, but the MC...no. Two stars at best.

Trish,

No worries, we’re all allowed our opinions and not every author will resonate with every reader. There’s an author I stopped reading after book three, due to her propensity to latch on to a motif and beat it to death, but others love that series. As for your spoiler, I agree — definitely misnamed. While I had some issues with the first book, I’m glad I gave book two a go, as I thought it much better than the first.

Heather L wrote: "As for your spoiler, I agree — definitely misnamed. While I had some issues with the first book, I’m glad I gave book two a go, as I thought it much better than the first."

Okay, that sounds hopeful. I normally really like books set around bookshops and writers, but I've had a couple of duff ones lately.

(view spoiler)[I swear, it's not only the title, but the cover. A cat. A book with a dagger through it. It's like she went to Cozy Mysteries Covers are Us and got one she liked, whether or not it was anything to do with the book she'd actually written. (hide spoiler)]

I ended up not finishing this one. I wasn't enjoying it. I do enjoy trying new authors, because sometimes I find ones that I love.