Guest Blogger: Duffy Brown

COZY CRAZY

Cozy Mysteries are everywhere, just look around. Oh, they may not be labeled cozies but they are. A cozy mystery is the mystery without the blood, guts and gore. It’s Sherlock Holmes, Murder She Wrote, White Collar. It’s Castle and not Criminal Minds or those CSI shows.

Why are so many viewers and readers into the cozy thing? I think it’s a rebellion to all the violence around us that just weighs us down. When we turn on TV or read a book we want to escape. A lot of shows out there just scare the crap out of us and we are already scared. Just pick up a news paper.

That doesn’t mean we want mindless trivia, we still want to be surprised, we just don’t want to be shocked and disgusted and saddened. Bring on the cozies. No whack ‘em and hack ‘em stories with blood guts and gore everywhere but some fun. Remember that? When was the last time you laughed out loud over a book? Couldn’t wait to pick up a book to get back to the fun.

Who doesn’t love seeing Becket and Castle together solving crimes? Or the new BBC’s new Sherlock. That Sherlock is young and sexy and Dr. Watson is to die for. Then again I have a crush on Sherlock so I give him credit for everything mystery. Cozies deal with BFFs and getting the job done. White Collar has Peter and Neal. I love male friendships, the no man left behind attitude.

Cozy books deal with jobs we all want. There are books where the characters quilt, knit, make wine, cheese, wedding dresses, bake pies, dream up recipes and make fudge for everyone.

And then there’s the settings. Who would not want to live in Cabot Cove? Most mysteries are set in small towns and if they aren’t they’re set in the small area of a big city. Stephanie Plum is in the burg of New Jersey. I set my Consignment Shop Mysteries in Savannah. It’s like a character in the book. Settings matter.

I think my love of cozies started back in the day with Nancy Drew. I read The Secret of the Old Clock in the sixth grade, not exactly Mad Men era but close. I loved that Nancy Drew was smart and caring. I really loved that she was smarter than the guys. I wanted to be Nancy! Reading Nancy Drew was great for mystery and the ego. Nancy was self-sufficient and took charge of her destiny. It planted a seed that took root in enjoying mysteries and life.

So there you have it…why everyone is snapping up cozy mysteries or watching them on TV. Have you read one lately? Watched one? The new Sherlock? White Collar? Elementary? Let’s talk mysteries and why we love ‘em. Whats your new cozy mystery?

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Series: A Consignment Shop Mystery, #3
Publisher: Berkley (Prime Crime)
Released: March 4, 2014

It’s election time in Savannah, Georgia, and Judge Guillotine Gloria—aka Reagan Summerside’s mom—is neck and neck in the polls with Kip “Scummy” Seymour. But the already dirty campaign is about to get downright filthy—with one candidate getting buried six feet under…

With her strong opinions and knack for getting into trouble, Reagan is not an ideal volunteer for her mother’s alderman campaign. Plus, she’d rather be running her consignment shop, the Prissy Fox, and eating doughnuts with her dog, Bruce Willis. But when her mother’s opponent, Kip, is found poisoned and her mother is pegged as a suspect, Reagan nominates herself as lead murder investigator.

Reagan is intent on finding Kip’s killer and clearing her mother’s good name, but she soon finds herself on the bad side of Kip’s enemies-turned-suspects. This time, no amount of costumes and makeup can keep her inconspicuous and out of danger. Because the closer Reagan gets to the truth, the hotter things get…

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Book Review: PEARLS AND POISON by Duffy Brown

Series: A Consignment Shop Mystery, #3
Publisher: Berkley
Released: March 4, 2014
Source: Review copy from the publisher

It’s election time in Savannah, Georgia, and Judge Guillotine Gloria—aka Reagan Summerside’s mom—is neck and neck in the polls with Kip “Scummy” Seymour. But the already dirty campaign is about to get downright filthy—with one candidate getting buried six feet under….

With her strong opinions and knack for getting into trouble, Reagan is not an ideal volunteer for her mother’s alderman campaign. Plus, she’d rather be running her consignment shop, the Prissy Fox, and eating doughnuts with her dog, Bruce Willis. But when her mother’s opponent, Kip, is found poisoned and her mother is pegged as a suspect, Reagan nominates herself as lead murder investigator.

Reagan is intent on finding Kip’s killer and clearing her mother’s good name, but she soon finds herself on the bad side of Kip’s enemies-turned-suspects. This time, no amount of costumes and makeup can keep her inconspicuous and out of danger. Because the closer Reagan gets to the truth, the hotter things get….

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PEARLS AND POISON is a hoot & a half! Duffy Brown’s third book in her Consignment Shop Mystery series is a witty and well-crafted whodunit that kept me guessing and giggling until the end.

Reagan Summerside is one of my favorite amateur sleuths. She’s likable, funny, and someone I could see being friends with. She’s a recent divorcee struggling to make ends meet by running a consignment shop called the Prissy Fox. She often strolls the streets of Savannah with her dog (Bruce Willis) and her giant yellow purse (Old Yeller), daydreaming of being able to pay the water bill. Even though times are tough, Reagan manages to keep her head above water and a smile on her face…but, she also has a knack for ending up in the middle of murder investigations.

This time around, Reagan’s mama is in big trouble. Judge “Guillotine Gloria” Summerside is running for city council, and her main opponent ends up dead under suspicious circumstances not long after they have an ugly public altercation. The victim had an enemy list a mile long, so Reagan has her work cut out for her.

Reagan is supported by a cast of memorable secondary characters who add warmth, humor, and intrigue to the story, including her beloved and quirky Aunt KiKi, her best friend Chantilly, a few Seventeenth Street gang members, and the handsome lawyer/potential love interest, Walker Boone. I enjoyed the romantic tension between Walker and Reagan, and after their rocky beginning, I can’t wait to see where their relationship goes. It was also wonderful to get to know more about Reagan’s mom, including her connection to Walker.

PEARLS AND POISON was a delightful cozy mystery with wonderful characters and a charming Southern setting. Looking forward to my next trip to the Prissy Fox.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: KILLER IN CRINOLINES by Duffy Brown

 

Series: A Consignment Shop Mystery, #2
Publisher: Berkley
Released: May 7, 2013
Source: Review copy from the publisher

It’s August in Savannah, Georgia—hardly the season for a traditional Southern wedding with hoopskirts and crinolines. One could die from the heat—or from a cake knife in the back…

Reagan Summerside should be devoting all her energy to her consignment shop the Prissy Fox. But when her dear friend Chantilly Parker is arrested for murder, Reagan vows to clear her name. The victim is Simon Ambrose, who’s found lying in his own wedding cake with a knife in his back.

Chantilly has motive (Simon broke her heart to marry wealthy Waynetta Waverly) and opportunity (crashing the wedding in her UPS delivery truck). And she has cake on her face, and the stolen bridesmaid dress the killer wore is in her truck. But

Chantilly would never wear crinoline to kill a man! With the help of her flamboyant auntie, KiKi, and vexing but attractive attorney Walker Boone, Reagan is determined to save her friend—before she’s forced to turn in her brown uniform for an orange jumpsuit…

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KILLER IN CRINOLINES was such a fun read! It had all the elements of a great cozy mystery: a gusty heroine, a cast of quirky supporting characters, a puzzling murder mystery, and plenty of viable suspects. And, I can’t forget the perfect setting – sultry Savannah, Georgia, in August.

Recently divorced Reagan Summerside owns a consignment shop called The Prissy Fox. (Love that name!) She kind of crashes a wedding, only to find the groom stabbed and face down in the cake. Evidence points to her very good friend Chantilly, who got dumped by the dead groom. Let me tell you, Chantilly was a mess! Some of her antics had me shaking my head.

Luckily, Chantilly had Reagan to help prove her innocence, but it wasn’t easy. The deceased was a low-down snake, and there was a list of people who had motive and opportunity to kill him. With some help from her feisty Aunt Kiki and a handsome yet aggravating lawyer name Walker Boone, Reagan is able to solve the mystery. Yep, there’s a little spark between Boone and Reagan, but can she get over the fact that he was her ex-husband’s divorce lawyer? Awkward! Though, I have to grin at their budding relationship.

I enjoyed how this mystery played out, and it was not an easy one to solve. From angry alligators, to cemetery voodoo, to gangs in the hood, Reagan had her hands full. Cozy mystery fans looking for a witty and clever read will love KILLER IN CRINOLINES.

Rating: 4 Stars

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.