Southern Cozies are a favorite of mine at least in part because I live in the south. For the purpose of this post I am using the Census Bureau's definition of the south-- South Atlantic: Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, amd Delaware East South Central: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee West South Central: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas.
What makes a southern cozy? It takes place in the South. The dialogue is generally polite, but can be sharp (Bless her heart.) There is usually nothing overtly graphic in the way of violence, gore, or sex. The murderer is always caught and brought to justice and harmony restored. The main investigator is usually a likable, female character. And the villain is despicable.
I like the easy, light reading of the southern cozy. The banter is usually good. Settings for the most part are pleasant. I found when I was out of town for an extended period, that the southern cozies helped with my homesickness.
Murder on a Girls' Night Out is the first in the Southern Sisters mysteries by Anne George. This is one of my all time favorite series. The books take place in Birmingham, Alabama. Patricia Anne (aka Mouse) and Mary Alice (aka Sister) are the sleuths. There is a lot of humor to the writing as well. There are 8 books in the series.
Another humorous series is the Cherry Tucker series that takes place in Halo, Georgia. Cherry Tucker is a talented artist who ends up having a skill for finding trouble as well. She has 6 novels and 2 novellas according to Goodreads. Portrait of a Dead Guy by Larissa Reinhart is the first book in the series.
Another humorous southern cozy is The Liz Talbot series by Susan Boyer. It starts with Lowcountry Boil. I love the description of the plot of the first book on Goodreads. There are 11 novels and one novella. The novels take place in South Carolina. "Private Investigator Liz Talbot is a modern Southern belle: she blesses hearts and takes names."
Some other humorous southern cozies include: The Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano (Virginia), The Miss Fortune series by Jana DeLeon (Louisiana), The Southern Ghost Hunter series by Angie Fox (Tennessee), The Claire Malloy series and The Arly Hanks series by Joan Hess (Arkansas).
Two series that I have on my TBR list, but haven't gotten to yet are The Sarah Booth Delaney series by Carolyn Haines (Mississippi) and The China Bayles series by Susan Wittig Albert (Texas).
Do you have a favorite southern cozy series? Or does one of these appeal to you? Share in the comments. Happy Reading!
(All links open in new tabs and come from Goodreads.)
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