Chapter 1 - It Was a Dark and Stormy Day

Looks like it is going to be a gray and rainy day here at the beach. Even so, the sky and sea are beautiful in their monochromes. If you've ever wondered why battleships are painted gray, you only need to look at the ocean to know you'd probably not see one sitting out there on a day like today.

A rainy day calls for books full of mystery but not too scary. A rainy day likes a book that can be read in one sitting. So, pull up a chair, get a big cup of tea, and settle in with one of these quick and cozy mysteries.

The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry - The first of Anne Perry's Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series, this book will take you back to the gloomy days of Victorian England. Family secrets, infidelities, rogue husbands, sanctimonious vicars and long suffering wives are all part of the mix.

Catering to Nobody by Diana Mott Davidson - While catering a wake, Goldy Bear's ex-father-in-law is struck down and Goldy is accused of adding poison to the menu. Unwilling to wait until the police track down the culprit, Goldy takes matters into her own hands. This is a delectable culinary whodunit!

Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen - Thirty-fourth in line for the throne, Lady Georgiana is struggling to make ends meet in 1930's England. Given her limited opportunities for work, Georgie finds herself in the midst of mayhem and murder.

Real Murders by Charlaine Harris - Aurora Teagarden, the town librarian, is a member of the Real Murders club which meets once a month to analyze real murder cases. One night she finds a member killed in a way that oddly mimics the case the club was going to discuss. A tamer read than Harris' vampire series but as compelling.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie - A list of cozy mysteries, however short, is incomplete without at least one Agatha Christie in it. This first adventure for Hercule Poirot is a classic and will leave you longing for more.

Let me know some of your favorite cozy mysteries that you pick up when skies are gray!