Category: Cozy mystery

  • A barista on the case

    Paul O’Connor recommends a debut mystery novel that should  go well with your morning (or any time of day) cup of coffee. He hopes the author will keep writing. Reviewed by Paul T. O’Connor THE REGULARS OF AMANDA LEXIE. By J.J. Hanna. Torchflame Books. 161 pages. $16.99, softcover.   Amanda Lexie is the star barista…

  • Jane Austen, with a mysterious twist

    Did you ever have the pleasure of reading Jane Austen’s novels? Although I was an English major in college, journalism courses accounted for many of my English hours. Otherwise, I took the usual Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, etc., and then studied as much American literature as I could. It was a few years later, when I…

  • A cozy mystery, with extras

    Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson THE PRIMROSE MURDER SOCIETY. By Stacy Hackney. William Morrow. 339 pages. $15.20, paperback. Until recently, Stacy Hackney has been a lawyer who also wrote two well-received books for children ages about 8-12. These days, she’s taken on more of a challenge, and those of us who love a good, light…

  • Police work – and so much more

    Bob Moyer and I are both fans of Martin Walker’s Bruno, Chief of Police novels, but lately he always manages to get the new one first. Here he reviews the 2025 addition to the series – No. 18. There’s already a 2026 book in the works. One of us will keep you posted. As Bob…

  • A murder mystery with much to discover

    Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson DETECTIVE AUNTY. By Uzma Jalaluddin. Harper Perennial. 324 pages. $17.99, trade paperback original. Uzma Jalaluddin’s debut murder mystery is both familiar and different, a well plotted and well written whodunit that should appeal both to mystery fans and to readers who have enjoyed Jalaluddin’s earlier novels, which are generally considered…