Ursina's Shelf - Cozy mysteries
Issue 66
Hi Readers,
I am once again itching to write about mysteries, which I previously covered in Mystery Edition (link), Seeking a thrill(er) (link), and Mystery Repeating (link).
This time around I would like to spotlight three easy-read mysteries including an all-time classic, a top childrens book, and a beloved 21st-century bestseller.
The Sign Of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1890)
Description: Mary Morsten approaches the famous Sherlock Holmes and his side-kick and biographer John Watson to find her anonymous benefactor. Together they stumble on a frightened friend, a treasure story and map, and a murder. There is a bit of love and a very suspenseful chase on the Thames too.
My take: Holmes and Watson are household names and have inspired many books and films. This year I set out to spend more time with them through the regular (and free) Letters From Watson (link) newsletter, sharing all the Holmes short stories over the year. The newsletter inspired me to re-listen to The Hound of Baskerville and The Sign of Four, which has a particularly intriguing main mystery plot and the love story in the side plot. It’s my favorite Holmes-and-Watson novel. A disclaimer here is that this book does include unfortunate colonial and racist perspectives, characteristic of the Victorian age. (Buy here).
Fun fact: This book and Oscar Wide’s The Picture of Dorian Gray were commissioned at the same dinner, after which Conan Doyle became a great supporter of Wilde, even as the public decried him.
Bonus tip: The audio version read by Stephen Fry with his own foreword is sublime (and where I learned that fun fact above).
The Westin Game by Ellen Raskin (1978)
Description: This Newberry Medal Winner is described as a puzzle mystery. While its part of most school curricula, it is well worth revisiting this Agatha Christie-style mystery with the carefully chosen inhabitants of a luxury apartment building suddenly confronted with the murder of their wealthy neighbor Westing, who leaves behind a set of instructions by which those inhabitants must solve the mystery to inherit his vast fortune.
My take: Unaware of its status as a classic, I discovered my anniversary edition on a recommendations shelf at the Book Soup shop in West Hollywood. I delighted in getting to know the cast of characters and being surprised by the twist. It was also great fun discussing it with the many of you who had read it in middle school. (Buy here).
Fun fact: Raskin was also the illustrator of the original jacket cover for A Wrinkle In Time.
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (2020)
Description: This popular bestseller is centered around a group of friends who investigate cases in their retirement home in the English countryside. The marvelous cast is solving a real murder, using all of their skills and mastery, while the author delights us with the best of British humor in every short chapter.
My take: This book has been vehemently recommended by about half the readers of this newsletter (I am only exaggerating slightly) and I can only agree: I was enchanted and can recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading a mystery built around a loveable set of characters with plenty of light-hearted and heartwarming moments mixed in. I am very much looking forward to reading the second and third book in the series. (Buy here).
Currently listening to: The Valley of Fear by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (buy here).
What cozy mysteries should I add to my list?
Also did you like this newsletter? Do you have any reactions? A comment is much appreciated!
Have a great weekend!