Review: A Really Cozy "Cozy"
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 20, 2012
The Cozy mystery, in its purer forms, is intended for the reader who has had a grinding day, insoluble problems weighing heavily, yet is sufficiently addicted to reading as to seek some solace in a book. Even within this sub-genre, there exists a range of possibilities, which is why I specify that one might seek this rather purer specimen than most if, at the same time as one is "feelin' mighty low" (see The Jimmy Durante Radio Show, ca 1947), one is also not in the mood to be at the coroners side when she has the victim's heart in her hands trying to discover the reason why it has been smashed to the consistency of Jello while the rest of the  body is in perfectly sound condition, You might also seek a Cozy when, for the moment, you have had a sufficiency of erect nipples and the kind of tingling down below which means that the heroine is about to engage, for the tenth time in only fifty pages, with the hot number who sends her body to the moon with his perfect love-making. No need to go on, you know what I mean. There are times when you want comfortably to settle down in the lounge chair or (alone) in bed and read about nice people doing nice things in decent ways, save for the victim and one or two law enforcement officials, who are not so much vicious as numb-skulls.Died on the Vine is a quite acceptable choice for such occasions. It is well-written, the leading characters are decent and intelligent, the victim, while a liar and a cheat, is not guilty of imposing great bodily harm on his victims, and those who did him in, are....well, that I cannot tell you. The action takes place in Virginia, but not in one of those practically-part-of-DC sections (though, in no way, as rural as where I worked in Virginia; daily I had to make my way through a herd of massive, evil-eyed, terrifying cows, before I could get to my place of business). The setting is a typical, more or less, small town in which everyone knows everybody and the stranger sticks out a mile (more or less). Like the town, the action is mostly at a subdued level, the suspense is barely perceptible, and the issue not really in doubt. One may quarrel with the handling of the denouement, but you should still enjoy a visit with these folks, if it IS a cozy you really want.Oh, yes, in the interest of full disclosure, I was one of those contacted by the author to solicit a review of the book. I was happy to know such a book existed, since I was in a mood for it, but purchased my copy through Kindle, paying for it, with my usual credit card. It doesn't appear to me that my having been contacted influenced in any manner my review: however, I thought you should know about it.