Summer is coming. I promise. It’s right around the corner. If you’re anything like me, summer means the beach. And the beach means getting in some uninterrupted reading. That’s a luxury for most of us. One year, I took a beach vacation with just a girlfriend and myself, with no children and husbands—it was complete heaven. We ate when we wanted, slept when we wanted, and read uninterrupted. At one point I turned to my friend and said, “The only thing that would make this beach better is a bookstore.” Voila! My Beach Reads series was born.
The third book in my series A Killer Romance, takes place during the off-season. Have you ever wondered what becomes of those little towns when the tourists aren’t around? Well, in my fictional St. Brigid, they create events to continue to draw people in like the Romance by the Sea Valentine’s week event. A big-time romance author visits the bookstore to read from her new book. Brigid’s Bakery crafts special Valentine’s-themed baked goods, like honey cakes, they only make once a year. And let’s not forget about the new chocolate shop, holding a chocolate and wine tasting evening. (My character Summer was the first one to buy a ticket for that!)
Of course with all this celebration romance and love, nobody expects a murder. This is one of the curious facets to any cozy mystery, most of them taking place in charming small towns, places you’d never really imagine something like a murder taking place. Murders only happen in big cities, right? Nope. I have a list. Quaint small towns. Charming rural areas. And yes, lovely little beach towns.
Granted, reading about the beach is not as much fun as being at the beach. But I’ve found that in the cold and dark days, reading a light-filled cozy mystery can help to warm your bones. Here some of my favorite cozies with beaches in them.
The Maine Clam Bake Series by Barbara Ross. Even though this is not the kind of beach a lot of people think about when thinking beach mystery, you can’t get better in terms of the sharp, witty writing and slice of Maine culture though out this series. It offers a different kind of beach vibe. I adore this series main character, Julia Snowden, who is a woman after my own heart. At the last count I had, there are 11 books in this series, so you better get started now.
An oldie but a goodie for me is the Books by the Bay series by Ellery Adams. It’s one to the first cozy mystery series I became addicted to. Full of fleshed-out characters, interesting mysteries, and a slow-burn romance, I couldn’t stop reading this series and eagerly awaited each new book. Judging from the success of this series and author, I think it’s safe to say I’m not the only one.
Since my series is a bookstore on the beach, I’ve taken a keen interest in other businesses set on the beach in the cozy mystery world. One of my favorites is Tara Lush’s Coffee Lover’s Mysteries, set at a coffee shop on an island off the coast of Florida. The series is full of Florida quirkiness. Lush lives in the state and she knows it well, after working as a reporter there for many years. This is a fun and well-written series that will make you long for just one more cup of coffee.
For a slice of another kind of beach business, check out prolific Kathi Daley’s Resort at Castaway Bay Mystery Series, where the main character, Sydney Whitmore, is a forensic psychologist, returned back to Shipwreck island to help run the family business—a resort. The series manages to ooze charm through some twisty, serious mysteries.
Another charming series is the Enchanted Bay series by Esme Addison. If you like a more than a little mystical woo-woo, combined with lyrical writing, then this is your beach series. Think mermaids, legends, and herbal healing combined with murder and family drama. Set in a coastal town in North Carolina, the series offers another kind of beach vibe.
Whether you’re into mermaids, clambakes, or bookstores, beachy cozy mysteries might just be your answer in the middle of long cold winter. After all, when the snow is piling up outside, who couldn’t use a little slice of beach?
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