Cozy Hazards

I have my ins and outs with cozy mysteries. The ins and outs—my waistline. Concentrating on the mystery is problematic when the main character thinks about the salient facts of the case while baking delicious treats. After eating a twelve-course dinner, described in mouth-watering detail, the marvelous “Miss Marple” returns home to stir up a pot of rich homemade cocoa along with a fudge torte for her friends who gather round the kitchen table to ponder whodunit. At least some of the authors admit to their main characters’ minor weight issues, but not enough to stop the MCs from eating whatever they desire. Isn’t fiction wonderful?

I’m unsure of the author who started this craze, but I’ll blame it on Diane Mott Davidson. Main character, Goldy, will die of a stroke before the series ends. Her best friend already has had a heart attack so no one can claim the series doesn’t have an element of reality. Goldie’s pantry ingredients would kill even the hardiest pig—pecans, butter, toffee bits, pine nuts, blue cheese, whipping cream, cream cheese…. It’s like a culinary Pandora’s Box.

Krista Davis’s The Diva Frosts a Cupcake solves a murder of a cupcake baker. I never knew the term, cupcakery, for a bakery devoted to cupcakes. It’s a longer read than I expected. If I don’t finish the book soon, I’ll whip up a batch of “Coco Loco Cupcakes.” Unfortunately, like most food cozies, the author supplies recipes. When I read Krista’s new series, I thought my waistline was safe. It’s “A Paws & Claws” mystery set at a gourmet bed and breakfast unfortunately called the Sugar Maple Inn. I’m a maple cream devotee. Luckily, there were no recipes featuring this maple delight (but perhaps I’ve given Krista ideas). I craved Cherry Strudel while reading Murder, She Barked. Both series feature recipes for humans and pets. Even the pet recipes looked good enough to eat. I’ll borrow my neighbor’s golden doodle, Berry, who will appreciate them.

Leslie Budewitz’s Death Al Dente, “A Food Lovers’ Village Mystery” features the family owned and run Mercantile, a store selling Montana-made food from huckleberry chocolates to yes, pasta. While the main character, Erin, manages the store and catches killers, her mother provides cooking demonstrations and products sold in the Merc. Leslie provides recipes for appetizers to desserts. As a carboholic, Spaghetti Carbonara, Pasta Primavera and Fettuccine à La Fresca were tempting. Lucky for me, huckleberries aren’t prevalent on the East Coast.

As a beach bum, reading Barbara Ross’s Clammed Up, “a Maine Clambake Mystery” appealed to me with her seafood recipes and coastal desserts. How could I fail to read the book and not make a batch of Clam Chowder followed by Blueberry Grunt?

Avery Aames’s new “Cheese Shop Mystery,” Days of Wine and Roquefort will be released next month. I can’t imagine the calories it will contain. Perhaps cozies should come with a calorie rating by page. 

I’m interviewing Lucy Burdette for WWK in February and increasing my gym time in the meantime. Her newest “Key West Food Critic Mystery” title is Murder with Ganache. Let me remind you that semisweet chocolate and cream are the main ingredients of ganache. Forget Valentine’s Day, eat your way through these books.

 I’m thankful to read other mystery subgenres—police procedurals, paranormal, traditional, and suspense. If there were only cozies, I’d be the size of a whale.

Is there a favorite recipe you found in a cozy?

Does anyone else encounter the cozy hazard?