Happy Sunday!
Today I want to talk about my favorite cozy mysteries read this year! I have two big favorites for you today.
The Maid by Nita Prose

“Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it is not the end.”
You know that feeling that you get when finishing a book that you think was such a breeze of fresh air in the bookish world? A novelty? Something with a unique character of writing?
Well that’s the feeling I experienced with “The Maid” and I already am on the lookout for Nita’s next book!
I adored that audiobook narrated to a state of perfection by Lauren Ambrose. No narrator could have been a better choice for Molly the maid.
This was a delightful story. Smart, moving, peculiar and hiding some well-hidden twists.
The biggest asset of that story is obviously Molly the maid.
Molly’s character was built to perfection! Told from a single point of view, that choice was the best choice to have us grasp the uniqueness of our heroine.
Nita made me fall for her character, that brave, honest and often socially clueless woman with a big heart that nearly everyone overlooked or looked like you would a little mouse.
I laughed, shed some tears and held my breath while listening to that story. What is certain is that this book had my rapt attention and I ended up with a huge smile on my face, a Cheshire smile even because… you’ll see why!
Finlay Donovan Knocks ’em Dead by Elle Cosimano

This has become one of my favorite series!
I adore Finlay’s inner monologue and sarcasm and her cynical banter with her nanny/accountant/friend Vero! These two are a force to be reckoned with!
As the synopsis said, it began with a dead fish and a contract on Finlay’s ex- husband’s head. Finlay will try to keep Steven alive all while attempting to unmask the contractor and the killer! But every attempt will be thwarted and easy solutions killed very fast! It also doesn’t help that Finlay and Vero are trying to keep Finlay’s cop sister and the hot detective Nick Anthony ignorant of their plot.
If some book said “I didn’t want war, my enemies brought war to me” we could say that Finlay “didn’t want complication and impossible situations but fate brought it to her anyway”!
Finlay is still immensely relatable as a struggling single mom and desperately broke writer. Making her heroine so relatable was half the reason for the success of this series because if we relate, if we think that “it could be us”, we are also wondering how we would react in Finlay’s shoes and…we trudge alongside her.
I was in for the whole ride and I now need the next instalment!
Thanks for reading!
Sophie

I saw lots of raves for The Maid this year. Glad it was such a hit for you!
I need more Tanya!
Those were my favorite cozy reads this year too! 🙂
I have never read a cozy mystery I don’t think lol but I do love a good mystery. I have seen lots of love for The Maid though, so I am glad that one was such a win for you.
I enjoyed both of these too. I really like the Finlay Donovan series–Vero is such a great character. I hope we learn more about her as the series continues.
The Maid sounds like something I could try someday, especially as an audiobook! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
It has been a while since I have tried this genre! You have my interest piqued to give Finlay Donovan a try! She sounds like a fantastic character! 🙂
The Maid made my best of list (debuts). It definitely had those warm and cozy feels
And it also was chosen on Goodreads!
Glad you loved this! I’ve got this on reserve at my library so can’t wait to read it now!
I hope you’ll love it too Caro!