I am starting this post with a rant. I have read two books now that claim to be cozies, they say so right on the cover, and yet, both started with a graphic, violent scene. Not they were not good mysteries, they were, both of them, but ... to my mind, and according to the definitions I found, they are NOT cozies! Cozy mysteries are considered gentle books, set in a small town. There is no graphic violence, no profanity, no explicit sex, and the crime usually takes place somewhere else. When I tried to find a definition of 'cozy thriller' (a term I heard a few months back now) the hits were the same as above, with one site adding that a cozy thriller was a contradiction in terms! (I agree).

My reading friends and I are aware that a cozy mystery is a hot item at the moment so publishers, authors, marketers are trying to cash in on that, but maybe there needs to be a new term? A small town mystery, perhaps?

The second book I've read that has done this is Can't Spell Treason Without Tea, by Rebecca Thorne. This is so not a cozy in the traditional format! There is violence, foul language, sex ... however, it is an excellent read and one of my favorite books of the year! I love the characters, and the writing, and the setting ... the two main characters, Reyna and Kianthe each leave jobs that, well, without spoiling anything, they shouldn't and head for a small, remote town to open up a book and tea shop. How that happens makes for a grand adventure that should keep you reading far into the night. This is a fantasy mystery, too, there are dragons, and a griffon, and magic ... :-) This is the first in the Tomes & Tea series and I will be looking for the second.

Reading Hermit With Dog