Our celebration of the release of Bluffing is Murder, the second Lauren Rousseau Mystery by Tace Baker goes on. This Wicked Wednesday, we’re talking about what we like about the series.
Barb: The Lauren Rousseau books are like cozies, in the sense that Lauren is an amateur sleuth, but they’re edgier. They’re not afraid to look at illegal drug use and other social issues. In that sense, Ashford is like a real New England town, not an idealized one, and I like that.
Liz: I really like that Lauren is a strong, independent woman, not afraid to speak her mind and make her own choices. She is definitely her own woman, and that makes going along for adventures with her exciting.
Jessie: I like that Edith brings so much of her own personal interests to these books. It is interesting to see the variety of tones and topics Edith takes on in her work.
Sherry: Lauren isn’t perfect. She makes mistakes like we all do. I find that interesting and it gives Lauren depth.
Julie: I like that Lauren is a complicated, intelligent woman. Edith gets to use her background in linguistics, which adds really interesting layers to the books. Really looking forward to this next one!
Readers, what do you like about the Lauren Rousseau books?
I agree with Barb. As I was reading the second, I was thinking about how the tone of this series is darker than the cozies I normally read without trying being dark. Just a shade of gray. Yet that gives the book and characters a bit more depth.
I also like that Lauren is a Quaker. It adds another layer to her character we don’t often see in cozies.
I like that Mark–a shade of gray. (Just the one–not 50.)
Thank you both! Yes, these are traditional mysteries, not cozies. Not a craft in or recipe in sight… ;^)