In The Bleak Midwinter...

My last post on Christmas romances brought about a few requests from you all asking for some Christmas mystery recommendations. While I am always thrilled that you think enough of my taste in books to make those sorts of requests, this one made me slightly queasy. It's truth time folks, while I am an avid reader of mysteries of all sorts, I don't really like Christmas mysteries. There.  I said it. Or rather, I wrote it, but you get the drift.

Perhaps it is just too difficult to mix murder and mayhem and making merry! Christmas is a time when we want to think about what is good and right with the world and crime and punishment do not happily blend with those sentiments. Another issue with holiday mysteries is that most tend to be found in cozy series and that is, frankly, my least favorite sub-genre. Oh, I read cozies, but I think we have established that I read almost everything including cereal boxes, so that alone doesn't mean much. Having stated the fact that I don't really care much for holiday mysteries, never let it be said that I can't offer up a few suggestions when I have loyal blog readers looking to mix some murder in with their holiday cheer.

In The Bleak Midwinter - Julia Spencer-Fleming
Rev. Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries 
The first book in this amazing series and it just happens to be set at Christmas!  I've raved about this series before and it is well-deserved. If someone had told me that one of my favorites would involve the exploits of a female, ex-chopper pilot, episcopal priest and an ex MP, current police chief in a small upstate NY town, I'd have been doubtful to say the least. Thanks to Ms. Spencer-Fleming's talent, I fell in love with these characters. The series is a strange mix of cozy elements with much more bleak and hard-boiled plotlines. The chemistry between the two main characters is off the charts and the setting in a small upstate New York town certainly provides plenty of winter charm!  If you have not tried this series, you really must, it is one of my favorites.

The Thin Man -Dashiell Hammett

Nick and Nora Charles

There are worse ways to spend Christmas than hanging with the ever urbane and witty Nick and Nora Charles in NYC. One of my favorite classic mysteries and even though the Christmas setting isn't a major component, you really can't lose with this one.  

Midnight Clear - Kathy Hogan Trocheck

Callahan Garrity series

Before she hit it big writing hilarious southern chick lit mysteries Mary Kay Andrews was Kathy Hogan Trocheck and she wrote a couple of really excellent mystery series including the Callahan Garrity books.  The House Mouse mysteries featured an ex Atlanta cop turned house cleaning service owner. Callahan was a charming and capable woman and I loved the secondary characters in the books as well.  It pains me that this series is no more, I miss Callahan and the gang at the House Mouse.  Oddly enough, some of the books in this series don't seem to be in print, but others, including Midnight Clear are available on kindle and in print.  Take advantage of the ones that you can find, you won't be sorry.

The Body in the Sleigh - Katherine Hall Page

Faith Fairchild series

While I haven't read all of the books in this cozy series set in Massachusetts, I've enjoyed the ones that I have read including The Body in the Sleigh. This book finds the Fairchild family taking a holiday vacation in Maine and I love Maine almost as much as I love mysteries, so this really worked for me. I like the characters in this series and I really need to get back to it and get caught up.

So, my dears, there you have it. A few suggestions for those who wish to lose themselves in a mystery during their holiday break. I hope you enjoy them and I also beg of you to leave your suggestions in the comments area.  I'd love to hear about your favorite holiday book, no matter the genre, so c'mon, it's the season for giving...

Christmas Time is Here...

I've been in sort of a reading slump lately.  I'm sure this happens to you guys, you keep picking up new books and they are OK or not so great and you find nothing to get excited about in anything you are reading. Unfortunately, the stuff I've been reading lately has not inspired me to want to get on the blog and rave about it, unless it is to complain. This weekend I finally picked up a book that I enjoyed enough to want to get on here and crow about it and wouldn't you know, it's a Carla Kelly book!

For those who may not be familiar with Kelly, she has been writing truly amazing historical romances for a zillion years. Her specialty is Regencies and she is one of the best when it comes to telling an interesting story and staying true to the historical period. When I am asked to recommend a regency romance, you can bet one of Kelly's will be at the top of the list. Unlike many historical romance writers, Kelly isn't afraid to step outside the rarified world of the nobility and make her heroes working men, often military. Her heroes are strong, steady, smart and witty.  Her heroines are also strong and smart and I have yet to apply the TSTL acronym to a Carla Kelly character.  There is a down-to-earth realism to Kelly's books that makes the reader feel as if they are getting a true glimpse into the lives of her characters.  Even the sexual relationships are presented with an earthy quality that makes them feel very intimate, very realistic and very, very sexy.

One of the things Kelly does well is the always popular Christmas story. Her work has appeared in various anthologies and I suggest that you get a hold of as many of these as you can, because they are all vastly superior to much of the typical stuff that is out there. As a nifty gift this Christmas, Harlequin has published a book with three new Christmas romances by Kelly. The stories span a time period from 1812 through 1877 and once again, we meet up with Kelly's amazing military heroes and their strong, capable heroines. Christmas and all of the best spirit of the season certainly serves as a nice backdrop here, but these stories would hold up without the holiday elements.

So for those of you who haven't experienced the wonder of a Carla Kelly romance, do yourself a favor and get this book.  It is an excellent introduction to her style and I am willing to bet, that after reading it, you will spend a lot of time tracking down her backlist and glomming everything you can find. I suggest you start with Marrying the Captain, which remains one of my top 5 favorite regencies of all time! I have re-read that book so many times I practically have it memorized and every time I read it I find something new to love about it.  Kelly is one of the few writers left on an ever diminishing auto buy list for me, because, frankly, even her lesser efforts are better than most.

So grab this wonderfully romantic book and settle down with a nice cup of tea and some christmas cookies and enjoy the work of a master!