Ladies in fringed dresses dancing the Charleston, Jelly Roll Morton filling the world with jazz, and secret speakeasies serving up gin. When I think of the Roaring 20s, I think of millions of people worldwide trying to escape the fears and stresses of the day in a never-ending party. But the truth is, there was much to fear. The world had just engaged in a war like no other before it, the Great Depression bankrupted millions of people, and social change swept through entire n

Few fictional detectives have stood the test of time like Hercule Poirot and Nero Wolfe. Created by two masters of mystery fiction—Agatha Christie and Rex Stout—these sleuths helped define the classic detective genre. They also happen to be two of my favorites. At first glance, they might appear surprisingly similar. Both are brilliant, eccentric, highly confident in their abilities, and far more interested in thinking than chasing criminals through dark alleys. Yet beneath t

Ah, beach reads. What do you think of when you hear that term? For me, it's a book that's light, entertaining, and fun—the very definition of a cozy mystery. With an eye toward enjoying a few beach reads this summer, I decided to put together a list of beach-themed cozies that mix coastal settings and plenty of sunshine with suspense. I haven't read all of these personally, but all of them have been rated four stars or higher on Amazon This post contains affiliate links. As a

Where have I been?! For generations of mystery lovers, M. C. Beaton has been synonymous with comfort reading, quirky detectives, and delightfully entertaining murders. I, however, have only just discovered her work, so I decided to look into her mystery series and do a little digging to find the data on which of her books are the most popular. This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made through these links at no extra cost

Sometimes the words on the page of your cozy mystery look impossibly small, don’t they? Or maybe that just means we need a little boost from a pair of reading glasses. Particularly if we’re—ahem—of a certain age. This post contains affiliate links throughout. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. I was looking at readers today, and I thought I would share what I found. First, reading glasses, or "cheaters" a