Cozy Reads for Chilly Weather

 By Abigail Hardison Rowan Public Library

Fall is the season where we enjoy feeling the chills every once in a while. The hot and seemingly endless summer has passed, and it’s not so cold yet that we remember why we hated winter. This is the perfect time to dig out thick socks and sweatpants, put on a pot of tea, and curl up with a fun story that will keep you interested, but won’t necessarily keep you up with nightmares. The genre of cozy mysteries is very popular. They have all the compelling intrigue of a police procedural, but you can be reasonably assured that everything will be mostly ok at the end, and you’ll meet some amusing and memorable characters along the way.

Cozy mysteries are known for having non-traditional sleuths, and Sherlock Holmes and Miss Marple are among the inspirations for the genre, though Mr. Holmes was certainly more official in his investigative duties by working with the police. Often they are average folks: retired busy-bodies, small town bakers, precocious adolescents, or friendly booksellers; normal people who find themselves confronted with the vagaries of life and death, and the desire to see justice done.

One of the popular trends in cozy mysteries is the exploration of these non-traditional sleuths throughout history. Author Deanna Raybourn has written more than one series in this vein, and introduced her latest heroine, Veronica Speedwell, a Victorian adventuress and butterfly collector, in the 2015 title “A Curious Beginning”. If you like an established series with lots of titles, then you can sink your teeth into Victoria Thompson’s Gaslight Mystery Series set in Gilded Age New York City with her midwife sleuth Sarah Brandt. Another curious lady dedicated to uncovering the truth is author Peter Tremayne’s Sister Fidelma, a seventh century nun in Ireland.

Unconventional ladies aren’t the only ones catching the killer red-handed. Rowan Public Library has four titles in Ruth Downie’s Medicus Investigation series which follows down-on-his-luck Roman Army doctor in ancient Britain. The long-running Brother Cadfael series by Ellis Peters features a medieval monk who uses his life experiences in the Crusades to solve murders. Another popular yet unlikely gumshoe is Shirley Rousseau Murphy’s Joe Grey, who is, believe it or not, a cat.

Whether you want your cozy mystery with a side of history, a side of humor, or a side of…side dishes (many food-themed cozy mystery series include recipes), we have you covered at RPL. You will be looking forward to those dreary and damp fall days so you can cozy up to a crackling fireplace and enjoy the season from the comfort of your favorite chair.