Month: May 2023

Punny Mysteries

Enjoy a good laugh when you see pun-filled titles? Here’s a list of cozy mysteries with very punny titles that will give you a giggle. Cozy mysteries are usually light-hearted mysteries, so curl up and get cozy with this list of cozies. 

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The Good, the Bad, and the Emus: A Meg Langslow Mystery by Donna Andrews

This is one of many Meg Langslow mysteries, but they can each be stand-alone novels—no need to read them all in order! This mystery follows Meg helping her long-lost grandfather find her grandmother; some murder ensues, and the gang must solve it! 

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Tart of Darkness by Denise Swanson

This is the first of a cozy mystery series taking place in a small college town. Culinary cozies are warm and fuzzy and include food you are just dying to try.

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Careless Whiskers by Miranda James

Librarians love cats, and you just can’t make a list of cozy mysteries without including a few cats. This book series is about a librarian and his cat sidekick that solve crimes. To make it even more library-centric, the author is also a librarian (and probably has a cat because we all do, it’s almost like a requirement of our jobs). Put all those things together with a title that’s a pun on a George Michael song and you have a masterpiece! 

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Dead as a Door Knocker by Diane Kelly

Have you ever done work on a house? The workload to flip a whole house is killer. This cozy series is about a house flipper and her cat that have to solve a crime. It doesn’t get much cozier than that. 

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The Fast and the Furriest by Sofie Ryan

If you’re looking for yet another unique career-cozy mystery look no further, because this book is about a thrift store owner! She and her cat must solve the mystery of the death of an out-of-towner in this small Maine town. 

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Purl Up and Die by Maggie Sefton

Does your local knitting gang like solving crime? Maggie Sefton’s knitting group does! And Sefton is a Northern Colorado local, so if you love this book, you can make the hike to visit the real-life yarn store it’s based on in Fort Collins! 

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Mean and Shellfish by Tamar Myers

We might be in a land-locked state, but if you’re craving seafood and a mystery, pick up this punny title! Magdalena Yoder must solve a murder during the Billy Goat Gruff festival, but is she also a target?

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Cheddar off Dead by Julia Buckley

If you can imagine a theme, any theme at all, there is probably a cozy mystery with that theme. Look no further to find your cheese-themed mystery! Yes this might also be Christmas themed, but crime can happen any time of the year and even if it’s Christmas, your local cheese-monger might still need to solve a mystery with their dog companion. 

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Dim Sum of all Fears by Vivien Chien

If you love Chinese food and need a book to pair with your take-out night—this book is it! Lana Lee is back at solving crime while working at her parent’s restaurant. This book will make you hungry, so come prepared with food! 

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The Stars Are Out Tonight

What makes celebrity autobiographies and memoirs so compellingPerhaps it’s because, despite their star status, celebrities ultimately emerge as people just like us, with ordinary joys and sorrows, daily challenges, and triumphsCheck out this diverse selection of autobiographies and memoirs by some celebrities who overcame some of life’s obstacles with humor, insight, and grit. 

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A Life in Parts by Bryan Cranston

All of us have a story to tell but Cranston’s reflections on life and acting are especially revealingA rising child star, his life took a major detour following the shocking disappearance of his fatherChanneling these life experiences into his craft enabled him to take a deep dive into the psyches of his screen characters, particularly his character in Breaking Bad. 

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Finding Me by Viola Davis

Overcoming a litany of horrific childhood experiences, Viola Davis went on to become not only an award-winning actress but an overall inspiration to othersIn addition to being a brilliant actress, she’s also a talented writer. Listening to her audio narration is highly recommended, further intensifying her very personal, gut-wrenching story. 

Book / Large Print / CD Audiobook

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Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, and Hollywood by Danny Trejo

If struggling with heroin addiction, followed by stints in some of the most notorious state prisons—including San Quentin and Folsom—wasn’t enough for Danny Trejo, his career as an actor includes being the resident baddie who has been killed over 100 times in a variety of ways, in a variety of filmsHis life itself reads like a suspenseful Hollywood crime dramaHis road to sobriety is brutally honest and redemptive. 

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If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t) by Betty White

For those of us still missing Betty White’s funny, candid take on a whole range of subjects from celebrity, TV, fans, aging, to her love of animals, this is Betty at her best. Spanning her seven-decade Hollywood career, there are stories sure to entertain OFs (Original Fans) and newbie fans alikeBetty, you’re forever in our hearts. 

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Love, Pamela: A Memoir of Prose, Poetry, and Truth by Pamela Anderson

For fans of the Netflix documentary, Pamela: A Love Story and Hulu’s Pamela and Tommy, this memoir is a wonderful companion to bothA shy child, she became emblematic of 90s Hollywood glamor. Soon becoming tabloid fodder that relished seeing her life unravel at the seams, she eventually rebounded to reclaim her life and her narrativeA mixture of incisive prose and snippets of poetry, this is a highly readable memoir. 

Book / eBook 

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Unprotected: A Memoir by Billy Porter

Growing up gay and Black in America comes with a particular set of challengesBut the Grammy, Emmy and Tony award-winner Billy Porter embraced those challenges with undeniable verve and aplomb. Like the other memoirs shared here on this book list, Porter survived a precarious childhood to tell an especially poignant story of triumph over trauma. 

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Mysteries Around the World

Read a mystery set anywhere outside of the USA. No passport or tickets necessary – Why spend money and stress on travel when you can go anywhere in the world with a good story?! And if you are a fan of the mystery genre you are in luck. Many talented authors have written whodunnit page-turners set in a wide variety of locations. Pick a country, pick a mystery, and be transported.  

 

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The Dry by Jane Harper

Australia. Let’s start down under. Australian author Harper kicks off her Aaron Falk Series with this engaging mystery. Set in the farming town of Kiewarra during a drought, investigator Falk is forced to review a crime from the past and face a community that turned their backs on him 20 years ago.  

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Still Life by Louise Penny

Canada. This first book of the Three Pines Series introduces you to a rural town of quirky characters and the popular series hero, Armand Gamache.

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The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

England. The first book in a bestselling mystery series set in a cozy retirement village. When a developer is found dead, a group of residents are on the case, whether the local police appreciate it or not! Charming and engaging this series has captured the hearts of mystery readers, young and old.

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The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen (translated by Lisa Hartford)

Denmark. Our introduction to detective Carl Mørck finds him recovering from a life-threatening case and leading Department Q, the less-than-prestigious dept that deals with cold cases. If you like strong settings and a flawed hero with quirky side characters this series will appeal to you

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Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon

Italy. This first title in the long-running bestselling mystery series highlights Guido Brunetti, the vice-commissario of Venice, as he solves the poisoning of a famous conductor.

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In the Woods by Tana French

Ireland. If you like gritty crime with complex and flawed characters then you can join the numerous fans of this wildly popular series by Tana French. This first book in the ‘Dublin Murder Squad Series’ introduces detective Rob Ryan and his partner Cassie Maddox as they investigate the murder of a 12-year-old girl.

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The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey

India. Our heroine, Perveen Mistry, is a lawyer seeking to protect women’s legal rights in Bombay 1920s. When she helps write the Will of a wealthy man she is suspicious of the intentions. As tensions escalate to murder, Perveen steps in to help. This story is special because it is partly inspired by the real-life first female lawyer in India.  

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Malice by Keigo Higashino (translated by Alexander O. Smith)

Japan. Police detective Kyochiro Kaga must solve the “who” and the “why” of an author’s death. This twist on the “locked room” mystery will show you why this is an international bestselling series. 

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My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Lagos, Nigeria. This debut smash hit has a clever, dark humor mixed with a bunch of twisty thrills. Korede, the older sister, has always cleaned up her younger sister’s messes. But now it would seem that includes the bloody mess of murders. Plural. With a strong setting and fresh voice, this book has captured the heart of many mystery readers. 

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