Cozy (Paperback)

by Parnell Hall (Author) "I MISS HIM already..." (more)
Key Phrases: family with the little girl, woman with the dog, bloody gloves, Christine Cobb, Lars Heinrick, Champney Falls (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Ingenious plotting and a hefty dose of humor offset an underlying silliness in Edgar and Shamus-nominee Hall's 14th novel featuring his New York City PI, Stanley Hastings (Detective; Murder; Blackmail; etc.). Stanley and his henpecking wife, Alice, slip away for a week's vacation in the New Hampshire mountains while their son, Tommie, goes off to his first sleep-away camp in Vermont. Unfortunately, after all his tiring hiking and less than romantic nights at the Blue Frogs Inn with its paper-thin walls, Stanley finds himself on a busman's holiday when two guests at the B and B are murdered. The first victim, gorgeous blonde Christine, is poisoned in the middle of the cocktail hour while sharing a booth with lean, handsome Lars her boyfriend (or is it husband?). Just a day or two later a nosy tourist, Mrs. McInnerny, is found in her room with a kitchen knife sticking out of her chest. Since Pinehurst, the local police chief, is incompetent, Stanley must take over the investigation. Eventually, a frisky dog and a dour cat come into the picture, not to mention blue frogs of every nature, particularly those on the guest-room doors. The coziness often verges on gooeyness, while the author makes no effort to convey the beauty of the mountain setting. The book's real strength is its plot, which has a certain crazed logic that will keep most readers turning the pages. The B and B chef's yummy recipes are also a plus.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal
In his 14th outing, Stanley Hastings (Movie) and wife Alice vacation in New England but find themselves suspect when someone begins killing guests at their bed-and-breakfast. Caught without his usual New York police support group, Hastings must deal with the local chief. A good choice for most libraries.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Orion (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd ) (October 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0752842781
• ISBN-13: 978-0752842783
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,089,239 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cozy, December 2, 2001

By	Lauren Thornton (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cozy: A Stanley Hastings Mystery (Hardcover)

A fascinating story of murder and mystery among strangers.

Parnell Hall has written another well-loved Stanley Hastings mystery. Private detective Stanley Hastings and his wife, Alice, have just taken a vacation to relax when strange things begin to happen. On a hiking trip Stanley meets lots of new people who all turn out to stay in the same inn where he's vacationing. This seems strange to Stanley, but he doesn't mind until someone begins killing the guests one by one, bringing his vacation plans to an end. The officer investigating the murders suspects everyone, even Stanley, until all clues lead to the arrest of one of the other guests. Believing the guest to be innocent, the Hastings try to find the real murderer.

If you are looking for a book that will keep you guessing and that has a twisting plot, this is the book for you. It has interesting characters and a surprise ending that will make you unable to put this book down. So settle in for an evening of mystery.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Beg Your Pardon?, September 17, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Cozy: A Stanley Hastings Mystery (Hardcover)

Each time someone in the book asks, "I beg your pardon?" I tumble into hysterics. This is the result of cleverly built up dialogue that becomes funnier with each fragment of repartee.
Who cares about the plot? This author is a genius who could solve all the problems of the world with his wonderfully optimistic and forgiving attitude, and a humor that is on the par with the very best comedy writers (even exceeding them). I had to stop reading at times to prevent myself from strangling on my own convulsive laughter. Have mercy, Parnell. If you had been any funnier, I'd have gladly died laughing.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Parnell Hall Has a Style All His Own, June 28, 2001

By	Kent Braithwaite (Palm Desert, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cozy: A Stanley Hastings Mystery (Hardcover)

As a mystery writer with a book in its initial release, I have long admired Parnell Hall's work because of his unique approach to the mystery genre. His style and voice are entirely his own. COZY, his new Stanley Hastings outing, perfectly illustrates what I admire about Hall and his writing. Hastings and his wife travel to a New Hampshire bed and breakfast where a series of homicides immediately begin to occur. The local police, in the manner of the long history of cozies, mishandle every clue. Hastings finds that he must solve the crimes in this well-plotted mystery. COZY is a solid work by a solid writer who keeps his tone light and his approach, in this book, breezy. I recommend COZY highly.