Cozy-mystery genre--who knew? For some time now I cannot handle thrillers or even "real" murder mysteries, and stumbled on these cozies here in the public library. A Cozy Mystery is set in a lovely place, among good people, and has to do with more mystery than murder. There are bad guys, but lots of good guys and delicious dinners, too. The detectives are usually women, but not always, Hamish Macbeth is a delightful exception, and so is Inspector 'Reg' Wexford of the Ruth Rendell cozies. Understanding 3-dimensional human nature and believing in the best of others is a cornerstone. Nothing hard-boiled. If anyone had ever told me I'd be devouring these sorts of books I would have snorted. No longer. The psyche craves cotton wool! But I did get The Echo Maker, by Richard Powers, at the library yesterday, too. Epigraph: To find the soul it is necessary to lose it.--A. R. Luria A novel about an accident, and the injured man's ending up with a rare condition called "Capgras syndrome," when the person remembers events but not emotional connections. How the brain works after injury is the real thesis, and because of so many things around me, including The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, this is an intriguing read. The first page and a half is a blindingly beautiful description of sandhill cranes gathering in late February on the Platte, when suddenly into their midst a truck corkscrews and lands. I read these opening pages twice before going on. You can read them, too, on Amazon--just click 'Excerpt.' Stay tuned......
Meanwhile, there's a cozy mystery right here in this house; when I got up at 4, there was a lamp lit in the back room! Eerie, because the photo looks light from the flash, but the place was pitch dark except for the lit lamp! I don't use anything but the closet on the near wall and had never been close to that side of the room! I didn't go turn it off, wondering if whatever poltergeist turned it on would turn it off again, but no. Wish Hamish Macbeth were in the neighborhood!Aha! Cozy mystery solved! When I went to turn off the lamp this morning, I couldn't find the switch, but as I fumbled around the lamp went to brighter, then off--a touch-sensitive lamp! So I bet Piha was exploring and touched it!
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Speaking of cozy mysteries...one of the coziest series has to be Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen series in small town Lake Eden, Minnesota. Hannah has a big family, cookie store, and recipes in the books. For sheer FUN, try Linsey Davis' Marcus Falco series, set in Vespasian Rome and its hinterlands, is FUNNY. Great character and easy to learn about Roman culture in those days. British friend suggested them; said she went to a panel discussion between Janet Evanovitch and Linsey Davis on how to keep the books coming in a series. Do try a Falco, is you haven't already. Cozies have their place.
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