This collection includes story-starters for several cozy mystery novels--Not the entire novel nor even a complete short story, but the first chapter or two of a novel. Many of them are intriguing but some of the excerpts are mostly backstory. In the best of them, the action starts quickly, and you are interested enough to go buy the book to see what happens. In some, the build-up is slow, and the excerpt ends before you get hooked. I can't say I was thrilled with this selection as a whole--mainly because I thought I was getting a bunch of cozy mystery stories instead of just the first few chapters of a selection of novels. The chapters themselves varied with some getting off to a great start and others mired down in backstory. Overall, I give it a 3 for content--not for the fact that I was unhappy about the format. I would not choose a sampler such as this one again.

I always enjoy reading some advance work from my favorite mystery authors. These volumes give me an idea of what to expect from the full length novels when they are published. Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for this advance copy.

This was a great cozy sampler. I enjoyed getting to read early chapters from various books and authors. I especially liked the chapters from Ellie Alexander and Rhys Bowen because I am familiar with their series, but I would read all of the books that I got to sample.

I would really like a sampler like this that focused exclusively on debut cozy mystery authors so that I could sample the first three chapters from books in a new series. I don't particularly like starting books in the middle of a series.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I’ll love the sneak peek at upcoming cozy mysteries that range from the contemporary to the historical. The mysteries range from a bookstore in Scotland, bakeries, a pizzeria and a magician who could give Houdini a run for his money.. I wish more cozy mystery publishers would issue a sample book.

Not really fan of reading samples of books but I do love reading cozy mysteries. I was only familiar with one author in this entire collection. The stories are good but I would’ve loved for some of the stories to have at least a beginning and an ending. If you’re a fan of authors writing samples of books to get to know them this is a good collection to read.

I received an ARC via NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

I love cozies, so of course when I can get multiple stories in one book I snatch it up. I was mostly excited for Jennifer J. Chow's story but I loved all of them. I have so many cozy authors to read now!

Book Review:
Stars: 4 x 5
Cozy Case Files, Volume 20
Ellie Alexander; Rhys Bowen; Clare Broyles; Olivia Blacke; Jennifer J. Chow; Anastasia Hastings; Olivia Matthews; Gigi Pandian; Mindy Quigley; Paige Shelton
Publisher: Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

This book is a sampling of nine different mysteries. Each sampler is about 30-40 pages long. Essentially, a preview synopsis of each mystery. Cozy Mysteries are a genre of crime fiction and amateur sleuths. There are nine titles by

Ellie Alexander;
Rhys Bowen;
Clare Broyles;
Olivia Blacke;
Jennifer J. Chow;
Anastasia Hastings;
Olivia Matthews;
Gigi Pandian;
Mindy Quigley;
Paige Shelton

This was a great idea to get the reader a sampling of all these authors and their blooks. A few author I have read and love. I will be getting to know some new authors soon.

Great introduction to new texts in various series. I definitely will be checking them out over the next few months.

There are a total of 9 cozies featured and filed in this book consisting of only a few chapters each, not to be confused with a compilation of short stories but rather a sneak-preview of sorts. It is a great way to sample each story beforehand and helps introduce new authors to cozy fans out there. I enjoyed sampling A Midnight Puzzle, Coconut Drop Dead, ILL-Fated Fortune, and A Smoking Bun just to name a few. What an ingenious way to market and help me decide on my next read!

Thank you to all the authors, Netgalley, and St. Martin’s Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this collection.

Okay this is not what I was expecting at all but such a fun and unique idea!!! I feel like this would be really fun to cozy up with during christmas time or just around the holidays in general. As each story is only about 30-50 pages it's so easy to binge! Really fun!

I liked the few chapters of each book It gave me an opportunity to find new authors. I look forward to the actual books.

Thank you to the authors, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

In case you are not familiar with the cozy subgenre of crime fiction, here are some of the standard characteristics. Cozy mysteries are a sub-genre of crime fiction with a lighter tone and many comforting elements thrown in. Amateur sleuths in cozy mysteries generally add an easy identification that isn't available with a police officer or a private eye. Themes like community, friendship, trust, and culinary delights make my experience as a reader consistently satisfying. Thanks to St. Martin's Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing the ARC for my use in providing this Cozy Case Files v 20. My review is my own opinion.

I'm starting my 2024 reading list with Mindy Quigley's third book in the Deep Dish Mystery Series is titled "Public Anchovy #1." One of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin, is Bluff Point, home to the Delilah & Son pizzeria. Around midnight, a violent storm fell on the celebration, trapping all the guests on the estate with the killer. The Friends of the Library are hosting the event as a fundraiser. The event's theme is classic deep-dish pizzas and Prohibition-era beverages. Geneva Bay's social elite dress to impress in their finest gangster and moll outfits. The novel tells the story of a couple of murder mysteries in a million-dollar home that belongs to Butterball the cat. I really enjoyed learning how that came to be. Delilah's sort of boyfriend, Detective Calvin Capone, is on the scene to assist in the investigation of the murder. Delila has feelings for Capone, but she needs to know if he feels the same way.
The author makes readers want to read on by using turns and twists to solve the brilliant "locked room" mystery. The book has a terrific atmosphere. The recipes in the book are delicious; one is for a gluten-free crust. I heartily suggest this book to everyone in need of a relaxing evening.

These were the first 20 or 30 pages – a chapter or three, from nine different mystery novels by nine different authors or collaborations between authors. Some of these books are part of a series.

Each sample is basically the set-up for a much longer story in the book. There are links to get the full book at the end of each sample. I found myself wanting to read more at the end of these samples, but, alas, I don’t have the budget to purchase all of these books. I could put it on a set of requests or on my “to read” list which I’ll look for in my local library, but, alas, I’ll often find my interest has waned by the time I can get to such a book – unless I were to impulse-buy the ebook.

That being said, it’s the way of reading to read the setup for the story before deciding whether to put it down or not. I seldom set a book aside, so, in short, I don’t think these “samplers” are the correct book for me. As they are popular, others might enjoy this book, and others in the series, immensely.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

This book is the reading version of a sample platter full of delicious foods that leaves you wanting more. Never having read a cozy case files book before, I wasn't sure what to expect. I had thought maybe the book was going to be short mysteries with an ending to introduce a new author. Turns out I was half right, I was introduced to many new authors while reading this book but I did not get any stories with ending.
Each story beginning with Coconut Drop Dead setup a good story, introduced or reintroduced the characters of the story and then promptly dropped you leaving you scrambling the find the full book so you can keep reading.
The second book in the series was the same, you absolutely knew from the description that something was coming but the story just dropped away. Each subsequent book proceeded the same way and yes, I followed the links to see some of the books.
The free compilations of book excerpts is a cute marketing idea and a great way to introduce new authors. my suggestion if you read this to not read the entire sampler together. If you find a story you like jump to it and back to the sampler.

These St. Martin's Press excerpts of upcoming releases are a wonderful introduction to their latest cozy mystery offerings. Each one is unique and interesting.
Olivia Matthew's latest outing in 'Coconut Drop Dead' takes us to Brooklyn and the latest endeavors of the Murrays, who own and operate the Spice Isle Bakery. If you've not encountered this series yet, it's one of my favorites.
While Mindy Quigley's series is also about food, this series features pizza chef and restaurant owner, Delilah O'Leary. This is a modern version of a country house mystery, complete with snowstorm and lots of suspects.
Jennifer Chow's first in series book combines magic and mystery (and fortune cookies!) for Felicity Jin and her family's bakery in California.
Ellie Alexander's new book set in Oregon has one of the most unique ways for the victim to die that I've read lately.
Rhythm and Clues by Olivia Blacke returns us to the Sip and Spin in the tiny town of Cedar River, Texas. The three Jessup sisters are a match for all comers and enjoyable to read in this third book in the series.
Gigi Pandian returns us to her astonishing locked room mysteries featuring Tempest Raj. This book brims with lots of characters and plots and subplots, as Ms. Pandian ties up the series overarching mystery of about the deaths of Tempest's Aunt and Mother in separate stage accidents.
Paige Shelton returns us to The Cracked Spine bookstore in Edinburgh, Scotland, with transplant Delaney Nichols. This time, the action is outside town at the estate of a friend of Delaney's boss.
Clare Broyles, working with her mother, Rhys Bowen, continue the Molly Murphy series. This time, Molly and her son are in upstate NY for the summer as typhoid is sweeping through parts of New York City. Unfortunately, Molly's husband can't readily get away so Molly's quite happy to join two of her best friends as a break from staying with her mother-in-law. And then there's the mystery to solve.
Half-sisters Violet and Sephora, completely opposite in personality and income levels, are both bored, particularly after solving a previous murder mystery. When Violet encounters a local cult that's ensnared a friend of Sephora's, the two sisters join forces once again to tackle the mysteries surrounding the cult and its followers.
All the stories are interesting and this is a great way to be introduced to either new-to-you authors or learn what your favorite authors have coming soon. Enjoy!

Title: "Lost Interest in Cozy Case Files"

I found Cozy Case Files initially appealing due to its family vibe. I could imagine the bakery/diner with family and the neighborhood coming through in the morning. I was even interested to learn about the festival and the culture’s significance. I can appreciate the history and explanation about it to help me learn what I wasn’t familiar with. Unfortunately , the slow pacing left me disengaged. The book lacked the momentum to keep me interested, making it challenging to stay connected with the narrative.

This book is a wonderful way to sample multiple different series and writing styles, though I have to mention that it’s the first three chapters of different books and not short stories from the authors. I say this not because it’s a problem, but because I want to ensure people are aware of what you’re getting.

I enjoyed the book and have added some authors to my list to try their full books and see if they can stick the landings - but I also wish we could have read until the first death within the book instead of strictly just the first three chapters. Without that bigger moment, ultimately I think this book is forgettable unless you act upon the authors you want to read more from right away.

I have only read a handful of cozy mystery books but these samples didn't fail to entertain me and have placed a couple of these reads on my TBR pile (Olivia Matthew's Coconut Drop Dead and Jennifer Chow's Ill-fated Fortune). The language of these books were easily digestible and engaging that I just couldn't get enough of. Thank you so much Netgalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for the opportunity to read these Cozy samples.

While I read all. Of these series, I love a little taste of what’s to come. Yet if you haven’t read all of these authors yet, this is a great way to try them out. I promise you’ll be ordering the full version, because they’re great cozies!

I love cozy samplers and Cozy Case Files, Volume 20, did not disappoint. I loved reading samples of Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles, as well as Olivia Matthews and Mindy Quigley, authors I am already familiar with. I look forward to reading more from the other authors, this sampler introduced to me new authors whose work I look can't wait to catch up on.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the opporunity to read this ARC.