Even though it's still in the upper 90s here in Arizona, I'm all about the cozy Fall vibes right now. After a weekend that was rough on members of my Latter-day Saint faith, my heart is longing for all things warm (weather excluded), soft, and comforting. Considering all the divisiveness, intolerance, hate, conflict, and general terribleness that is happening right now in the U.S. and beyond, I doubt I'm the only one who could use some heart warming and soul soothing.  

This week's TTT topic is perfect: Top Ten Book Covers That Give Off Fall Vibes. Since nothing was coming right to mind for this topic and since I'm going to be out of town next week, I'm going to combine this week's prompt with next week's—Top Ten Satisfying Book Series—to create a list of cozy mystery series (that I hope will be satisfying), specifically ones that I want to start sometime soon. 

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

1. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen—Set in 1930s London, this series stars Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, a penniless cousin of King George V. She's trying to survive as an ordinary citizen with little success. Then, she's asked to spy for Her Majesty the Queen. Suddenly, Georgie's life is anything but common. 

2. The Pennsylvania Dutch Murders by Tamar Myers—Magdalena Yoder, owner of the PennDutch Inn is the star of this series. When murders occur at her place of business, she can't help but investigate.

3. Cranberry Cove by Peg Cochran—Monica Albertson returns to her hometown on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan to help her brother with his cranberry farm. Murder and mayhem ensue.

4. Hungarian Tea House Mysteries by Julia Buckley—Maggie's Tea House is run by Hana Keller and her family. They're known for serving traditional European-style tea services, enhanced by Hana's grandmother's fortune telling. Hana becomes an amateur sleuth when mysteries continue to plague the tea house.

5. The Country Club Murders by Julie Mulhern—With a 1970s setting, this series offers a nostalgic take on crime among the crème de la crème.

6. Miss Marple by Agatha Christie—I've read a handful of Hercules Poirot mysteries, but I've never read a Miss Marple one. Nosy Jane Marple is an amateur consulting detective in a small English village. 

7. The Relatively Dead series by Sheila Connolly—Having just moved to New England, Abby Kimball is already feeling unsettled. Then, she has a couple encounters which convince her she has the dubious "gift" of being able to see ghosts. Leaning into her ability, she uses her otherworldly knowledge to solve mysteries.

8. Year Round Christmas Mysteries by Vicki Delany—It's Christmas every day in the festive town of Rudolph, New York. Merry Wilkinson is the owner of Mrs. Claus's Treasures and an amateur sleuth whose talents are being called on a little too often in a town that's supposed to be full of 24/7 holiday cheer.

9. The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood—When 77-year-old Judith Potts witnesses a murder and unwittingly becomes a suspect, she determines to solve the crime herself. With the aid of two friends, she forms the titular club, which solves crimes in Marlow, England.

10. A Lady & Lady's Maid Mysteries by Alyssa Maxwell—Maxwell's Gilded Newport Mystery series is one of my favorites, so I'm interested to see how this other series compares. Set in post World War I England, it stars Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her maid, who work together to solve mysteries.

There you are, ten cozy mystery series I'm hoping to start soon. Have you read any of them? Which cozy reads are your favorite? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Whew, January was a long year month! With all the chaos going on in the U.S. and the world, I hope you were able to relax with some good reads, some of which were bookish books. I read three in January, all of which were cozy mysteries:

She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke—This new release is supposed to be a rom-com/cozy mystery mashup. It's too much of the former (and spicy at hat) and too little of the latter. Even though the premise is fun (a bestselling mystery writer and her irritating editor must play nice long enough to solve a mystery at a destination wedding), I was disappointed in this one and found it to be only an average read for me.

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

With a population of less than 10,000 people, Trafalgar, B.C. is not exactly a hub of criminal activity.  Yes, the town's divided over the issue of whether or not to build a community peace garden honoring the area's Vietnam War draft dodgers.  The conflict has caused tension in the bucolic community, sure, but it's not like someone would kill over it.  Or would they?  When Reg Montgomery—an overbearing developer who's bent on building a large resort on the community garden land—is murdered, it looks like tempers over the polarizing issue have finally blown up. 

Because she knows Trafalgar, 26-year-old Moonlight "Molly" Smith is assigned to the case.  A constable who's only been with the police department for six months, she's ecstatic about this fortuitous opportunity to prove herself.  John Winters, a seasoned detective sergeant from Vancouver, is not exactly thrilled with his new partner.  Molly's green, overeager, and not exactly objective, considering her mother is the peace garden's most ardent supporter.  

As the duo investigates Montgomery's murder, they must dig deep into the town's secrets, which produces some shocking—and nasty—surprises.  The more they nose around, the more dangerous the situation becomes.  Can Smith and Montgomery find the killer before one, or both of them, become the next victim(s)?  

Mystery series set in small towns are my very favorite kind.  I always love to see what these quaint little communities are hiding, the secrets they keep hidden behind their peaceful facades.  Naturally, then, I found the setting of In the Shadow of the Glacier by Vicki Delany, appealing.  Unfortunately, that's about all I liked about this book.  Not only are the characters flat and clichéd, but they're just not likable.  Most of the men are, quite simply, jerks.  The novel's plot offers nothing new, which makes it both predictable and dull.  Add a whole lot of typos/errors, bland prose, sloppy story construction, stiff dialogue and, yeah, you can see where I'm going with this.  I only paid a couple bucks to get In the Shadow of the Glacier on my Kindle, but man, what a waste of 200 pennies.  

(Readalikes:  The setting reminds me of Louise Penny's Armand Gamache series—definitely read that one instead of this one.)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for strong language, violence, and blood/gore

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of In the Shadow of the Glacier with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.