“After a long day, there's nothing better than some cozy slippers.” –Carly Pearce
“Cozy crime novels offer the perfect escape, blending suspense with comfort, where villains always get their comeuppance and the only thing to fear is running out of snacks.”
Last weekend, Rachel and I were among some folks who like to get away. Why you ask? We were in a Nashville state of mind. Mouth-watering tacos, late-night convos, and gripping books were consumed. It shouldn’t surprise anyone who knows us that we spent time in Ann Patchett’s Parnassus Books. The Green Hill’s bookstore was quiet and quaint. It had the literary luminary’s fingerprints all over it. (Hints of Nemo’s presence lingered too.) It’s safe to say, that Parnassus Books felt like a cozy haven. And while I’m not here to debate with the Grammy-winning country singer, comfy slippers can’t compete with a cozy read in a clean, well-lighted place.
I know because I just finished a cozy crime novel that I absolutely loved. (Yes, that is a real subgenre of mystery fiction.) The year is 1910. Haley’s Comet is set to make an up-close and personal appearance in our cosmic backyard, including the small tidal island off the Cornish coastline named World’s End. Lord Conrad Stockingham-Welt, the pompous Viscount of Tithe Hall, believes it is the end of times. And for him it is. He’s found murdered in his sealed study. I can’t wait for you to meet the most unlikely amateur detective duo in second footman, the unlucky but loveable Stephen Pike, and the brilliant, brash, science-minded Great-Aunt Decima. (She cracks me up. And while she does drop F-bombs, they’re merely emphatic, I promise.) This page turner supplied twists and turns and laughs out loud. I’m with the reviewer who gushed, “I was immediately charmed by the unexpected crime-solving duo at its core, and I’ll happily follow foul-mouthed Miss Decima and steadfast Stephen Pike through many more mysteries; their dynamic is utterly delightful.”
P.S. This one is definitely worth a listen—theatre-trained Joe Jameson did a fantastic job of bringing Montgomery’s memorable characters to life. He’s one of my new favorite narrators.