Hi there! Misty Simon at your service bringing you the Mysteries on Monday! I’ve guest blogged here before and loved it. So, when they were looking for someone to do a monthly check in with recommendations, I was thrilled to get a chance to talk with you all on a more regular basis!
Let me introduce myself a bit.
From the beginning of my writing journey in 2000, I have always written sassier sleuths and spunky main characters. As Misty Simon I started with Ivy Morris, who was working hard to not be a door mat in the Ivy Morris Mysteries. Then I moved on to Mel Hargrove, who was making peace with the path her life was on, while corralling a junkyard full of ghosts in Adventures in Ghostsitting. Next came my big break at Kensington with Tallie Graver, who is looking for a second chance while making amends for her past in the Tallie Graver Mysteries. Moving back into paranormal too, I wrote The Magically Suspicious Mysteries, where we ride along with Verla Faeth and her friends at a Ren Faire where no one can do what they thought they were destined to do. Then in walks her ex-husband with a slew of issues, including a dog that is not quite what he seems. As Gabby Allan, I wrote the Whit and Whiskers Mysteries starring Whitney Dagner, who is finally where she belongs. I recently put out a slow burn Victorian Steampunk Mystery (say that three times fast) and started a new series called The Sunny Side Up Mysteries set at a diner.
All my girls are full of spunk and sass and fighting every day to not only figure out life in the present, but also deal with the past, all while solving murders and mysteries, and navigating relationships, oh my!
So, today’s list is all about that sass and spunk, those main characters in the cozies (or rom cozies as I call mine, since they inevitably have both a murder and a budding romance with someone who is helping my heroine) that not only make you snicker in the right places, but also sigh when they’re over, you close the book, and hold it to your heart hoping the next is coming soon.
My first introduction to reading these types of mysteries came from devouring Bubbles Yablonsky’s adventures as a hairdresser and spunk-filled sleuth by Sarah Strohmeyer. One of my favorite things to do is be caught off guard by a character’s antics or be so involved in the mystery and the life of the character that I forget I should probably eat dinner.
Characters and authors who can do that for me are my go-to way to have downtime and that escape from whatever is going on around me. I adore being so caught up in a good story and along for the ride as the sleuths muddle their way through obstacles, clues, questions, red herrings, false clues, and the usual suspects.
Life is rarely without issues, but these wonderful people are not only doing their best to navigate what their current circumstances are, but also chasing murderers, righting wrongs, and helping to bring about justice, one murder at a time.
To give you a taste of what you’ve possibly been missing out there in the wide world of sassy and spunky cozy mysteries, I present to you my list of authors who are doing it in spades…
Oh, and if you need a pass to be able to read whenever you want without guilt, I also have a Reading Pass (much like the old hall passes from back in the day) as a get out of jail free card. ENJOY!
FLARED STIFF by Julie Anne Lindsey
First up is Julie Anne Lindsey’s Bonnie and Clyde series. The laughs, the hijinks, the relationships, and solved murders. It’s all a recipe for me to be pulled right into this series and away from anything I’m actually supposed to be doing. I love the setting, the charm, and the way that the author gives us such a view right into the living room of Bonnie and her cat Clyde so that I want to go see if she’s available for a quick dinner! After she finds the killer, of course.
CROUCHING BUZZARD, LEAPING LOON by Donna Andrews
Donna Andrews is next with her delightful Meg Langslow Mysteries. CROUCHING BUZZARD, LEAPING LOON was the first book I read in this series and then I had to go back and start from the beginning and wait (im)patiently between each release for the next one. I love the way Meg handles things and how she puts the pieces together. I often finish the books in this series and think “I could have figured it out if I hadn’t been snickering so much!”
WHEN SHE GETS HOT by Miriam Allenson
When She Gets Hot: A Feisty Female Sleuth Novel (The Tootsie Goldberg Mysteries) by Miriam Allenson
I mean, who doesn’t love a book with the tagline: When she gets pushed too far, even her hot flashes won't hold her back. If you like women of a certain age, you will be highly entertained by Tootsie and her entourage. They get into some of the hottest water and hilarious situations. I love the way the community is building and the things the author chooses to highlight to make these books very hard to get away from until after you’re done and gone.
A DRESS TO DIE FOR by Kimberley O’Malley
A DRESS TO DIE FOR by Kimberley O’Malley has Addie as one of my favorite characters! With her spunk and her sass, she gets the job done, even when the going is seriously rough! I love the premise and the pets in this one as much as I love Addie. Make sure you’re prepared to not be able to put it down as we run from one thing to the next to a satisfying conclusion that I did not see coming because my eyes were squinted in laughter!
MIMI LEE CRACKS THE CODE by Jennifer J. Chow
Last, but certainly not least, I can’t have a list of sass and spunk without mentioning a cat with both! Jennifer J. Chow’s A Sassy Cat Mystery, MIMI LEE CRACKS THE CODE is not only highly entertaining, it also takes place on Catalina Island where my very own Whit and Whiskers live. I wonder what they’d do if they met each other? I laughed and then I sighed and then I laughed some more at this book. It’s a delightful tale with twists and turns that I absolutely loved. And that cat is quite the character!
I hope you enjoyed my rundown of sassy and spunky mysteries! I look forward to seeing you again next month!
Misty Simon always wanted to be a storyteller - preferably behind a Muppet. Animal was number one, followed closely by Sherlock Hemlock. Since that dream didn’t come true, she began writing stories to share her world with readers, one laugh at a time.
Touching people’s hearts and funny bones are two of her favorite things, and she hopes everyone at least snickers in the right places when reading her books. She lives with her husband in Central Pennsylvania where she is hard at work on her next novel or three. She loves to hear from readers so drop her a line via email.
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