Thanks to Mark Baker for sending his list of Favorite Books read in 2024. We don’t talk about it during the year, but I always like to point out Mark’s own blog when we do this annual feature. If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries, you might want to check out Carstairs Considers, https://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/. Mark’s reviews of cozy mysteries are comprehensive. And, on Sundays he throws in reviews of his favorite TV shows. It’s a fun site to check out.

Thank you, Mark!

Here are my favorites for 2024. As always, these are the books I read for the first time in the
year. I found it interesting that my list is split down the middle; it’s half and half books that were
released in 2024 and books released in previous years.

A few of these are authors who have made my list in years past. And there are a couple of new
to me authors on here or authors that I’ve read in the past but hadn’t made my list before.

The Raven Thief by Gigi Pandian

I caught up on this series this year. This is book two (which came out in 2023). The series features a retired stage magician who is now helping her family’s speciality construction company. And each entry features an impossible crime/locked room mystery. This book features a crime with four impossibilities. Yet in the end, the crime was satisfactorily solved. I couldn’t put this book down as I read it.

The Case of the Canterfell Codicil by P.J. Fitzsimmons

Self-described as what happens when you mix P.G. Wodehouse and Dorothy L. Sayers, it is set
in England in the 1920’s. I was laughing the entire way through it while also trying to figure out
how this locked room mystery was going to be solved. This is the first in the series, and I
enjoyed book two as well. I have more to catch up on, and I’m looking forward to it.

Torn Asunder by Barbara Ross

Author Barbara Ross is making one last appearance on my list. Sadly, she decided to end her
Maine Clambake series, which has made many appearances on my list over the years. But she
ended it well, and the series’ many fans will be satisfied. And it’s hard to complain when we got
twelve great books in the series.

Murder on Devil’s Pond by Ayla Rose

From a final book in a series to a first in series. Ayla Rose is a new penname for Wendy Tyson,
who has made my list before. This new series surrounds a bed and breakfast. As usual for this
author, the plot is a little more serious than the typical cozy I enjoy, but it is still a cozy. I
enjoyed meeting these characters and hope to read more about them soon.

Joshua Tree by Sandy Dengler

This is book seven in a series about a National Parks ranger who travels to various parks to solve
bigger issues they are facing. This book finds him sent in to rubber stamp a case that everyone
says was already solved. And yet, he doesn’t feel comfortable with the conclusions. The way
this book unfolded and wrapped up really entertained me. Plus, I love the author’s use of
language.

A Very Woodsy Murder by Ellen Byron

Ellen (and her alter ego Maria di Rico) had three books come out this year, and I’m picking this
one. It’s the start of a new series featuring a former sitcom writer opening an inn in the Sierra
Nevada Mountains. I laughed all the way through it and really enjoyed meeting the new
characters. I’m looking forward to the sequel, coming this summer.

Public Anchovy #1 by Mindy Quigley

I worked on catching up on the Deep Dish Mysteries this year, reading three of them. This book
takes place most in one long night as the characters get trapped by a storm after a catering gig.
And yes, there’s a killer in the group somewhere. Books that take place in a compressed time
period can drag for me in the wrong hands, but that wasn’t the case here. Plus, we had some nice
character growth.

Til Death by Annette Dashofy

Each time I pick up one of Annette’s books, I’m pulled in from page one. This book finds the
series’ protagonists getting ready for their wedding. As long as murder doesn’t keep one of both
of them from walking down the aisle. Fans of the series will absolutely love this book. It does
wrap up several storylines, so those new to the series won’t appreciate it quite as much, but you
won’t regret starting this series.

Comedy Can Be Deadly by Ryan Rivers

This series continues to amaze me with how it mixes laugh out loud comedy with serious topics
and meaningful character growth. The story finds our protagonists acting in a local theater
production of a Shakespeare comedy when murder rears its ugly head. The climax is over the
top in a fun way that absolutely works.

Fondue or Die by Korina Moss

The latest Cheese Shop Mystery is another winner. I love spending time with the characters, and
the mystery kept me guessing. The setting was out of town, but we still saw many of the
regulars, and the growth in some of the characters was great.

Here’s to another great year of reading in 2025.