A Couple of Cozies

I've heard about the "cozy mystery" genre but only recently gave a few a try -- I thought they would make good vacation reads!

I started with the first in a new series by Diana Orgain -- "Maternal Instincts Mysteries" -- called Bundle of Trouble about a new mom who stumbles into private detecting as an alternative to going back to work full-time after her maternity leave is over. In addition to the new-mom details (resulting in some comedy), I thought the mystery was pretty good. All in all, an entertaining read (thanks for the recommendation, Ruth Ann!), and I'll definitely read the sequel.

I snagged the second one at an independent bookstore while I was on vacation -- the title was clever, and the sleuth sounded like a fun character -- another first-time mom, but this one a Mennonite who owns an inn. And recipes were included! Unfortunately, I wasn't too impressed by Tamar Myers' Batter Off Dead. There were no details at all about running an inn, Magdalena Yoder's main method of sleuthing seems to be talking at suspects until they snap, and the mystery itself was pretty dull. I probably shouldn't have jumped in in the middle of a series ("Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery" series), but I don't think I'll read any the others since I found Magdalena too over-the-top and, frankly, not very likeable.

Now I'm reading another cozy I got at the library, the first in another new series about two friends who open a cupcake bakery, called Sprinkle with Murder by Jenn McKinley. So far it promises to be a fun read. And who can resist a book that includes cupcake recipes?

What about you? Are there any good "cozies" that you've read? Tell me about them in the comments!