One of the things I was determined to do, when I made my return to fiction writing, was to learn everything I could about the cozy mystery genre. The best way to educate yourself is to read. I chose this series based off the number of reviews. Agatha Frost is a successful cozy mystery author!
Here is the cozy mystery series: Book 1 of 10: Claire’s Candles Cozy Mystery. These books are all around novella length. The books are available on Amazon.com and KU:
amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0855K5BWC
I love British mysteries and this series has entertained me for the past couple of months. Each book builds off the next, so start at the first book and indulge yourself in the village of Northash, and meet Claire Harris. You’ll love her and her messy/interesting life as much as I did.
From the Author:
“Claire Harris, daughter of a retired detective inspector, runs her dream candle shop in a quaint British village. Surrounded by gossiping villagers, tight-knit friends, and loyal family, Claire, in her mid-thirties, can’t help sleuthing when strange things happen on her doorstep.”
Vanilla Bean Vengeance: A cozy murder mystery packed with twists (Claire’s Candles Cozy Mystery Book 1)
My Recommendation:
In the first book in the series, we meet Claire Harris. Her biggest dream is to have her own candle shop. But currently, she works in the candle factory in her village. One day at work, she is present when the owner of the candle factory is murdered. Northash depends on the candle factory for jobs.
Claire feels like she must solve this murder in order for everyone to keep their jobs. Luckily, her father is a retired detective. Between the two of them, they uncover the ugly secrets and lies. You will be shocked at who the murder is! I was!!
There are some great twists and turns in this mystery. I couldn’t put the book down. The series builds off of this book, so make sure you start here.
My Recommendation:
This next book in the series begins with Claire renting the space that was Jane’s Tea Shop for her candle shop. As Claire’s family and friends help her move into the shop, they discover a powerful smell coming from the attic. Claire discovers Jane’s body! It turns out the older woman was killed in the attic and never left town to move to France.
Claire starts to investigate and meets Jane’s daughter, Em, who is a yoga teacher with tattoos. You can imagine what Claire’s mother has to say about that!
The mystery deepens as Claire pokes deeper into Jane’s life. She works hard to unravel all the secrets. Em is convinced Jane (her mother) killed her father. There are plenty of twists and turns, and the ending is a real surprise.
An old friend, Ryan, suddenly reappears with his two children after living abroad in Spain. The two grew up together, and he was the love of Claire’s life. Unfortunately, Ryan is still married!
Jane’s family keeps things hopping. I’m enjoying the characters. Her mother and grandmothers will remind of you people you know in your own family. This is an excellent series, and it’s great watching the characters change and grow.
Coconut Milk Casualty: A cozy murder mystery packed with twists (Claire’s Candles Cozy Mystery Book 3)
My Recommendation:
The third book delves into the opening of the shop, Claire’s Candles. The shelves are stocked and Claire can’t wait to be Northash’s newest shopkeeper.
The evening before her grand opening, someone spray paints a nasty message on her door. Of course there is a murder, and this time the evidence points to her Uncle Pat, even though he’s behind bars. It’s time for Claire and her family to come to grips with the evil her uncle manufactured.
Old friendships and secrets emerge. Can Claire figure out this complicating crime before it’s too late?
These books could be standalone reads, but each novel reveals more of the family and the quaint British village of Northash. I kept wondering if Claire and Ryan ever become a couple… you’ll have to read to find out!
Rose Petal Revenge (Claire’s Candles Cozy Mystery Book 4)
My Recommendation:
In Rose Petal Revenge, we finally get to see the romance building between Claire and Ryan. This book also carries the theme of living your dream, as Claire settles into her candle shop.
The characters are so well-developed in this series. Claire and her retired detective father have such a great relationship. I’ve had plenty of laughs over Claire and her mom, Janet’s antics. Plus, Claire’s friends are all different and unique, making the story more exciting.
This mystery revolves around Claire and her friend, Damon, whose birthday wish was to celebrate at a science fiction convention.
Claire goes along to the convention. Things get dicey when one of Damon’s friends gets knifed. Now, Claire must solve the mystery before anyone else gets hurt.
I literally can’t wait to find out what happens next. On to the next book!!
Fresh Linen Fraud: A cozy murder mystery packed with twists (Claire’s Candles Cozy Mystery Book 5)
My Recommendation:
This was a fabulous mystery involving Clair’s mother, Janet, who’s been working at the local post office for forty years. The night of her celebration party, Janet has a discussion with her boss. At the last minute she calls off her party, leaving everyone wondering what’s going on.
By the next morning, the rumor mill starts to churn out the usual nastiness. Even worse, Janet’s boss is killed in what appears to be a random burglary. Janet is implicated, and things get interesting quickly! Clair works hard to prove her mother couldn’t be a murder.
What I like most about this book was how Clair and Janet’s relationship changed for the better. It’s great to see the characters grow in these mysteries. This was one of my favorite books of the series.
Toffee Apple Torment (Claire’s Candles Cozy Mystery Book 6)
My Recommendation:
Claire Harris loves Halloween and her latest candle creation showcased in her shop is called, “Toffee-Apple.” It’s perfect for autumn.
One evening, while visiting her parents, Claire finds herself assisting her elderly neighbor, Mrs. Beaton who appears to be suffering from Alzheimer’s. When Mrs. Beaton is found wandering the neighborhood in her nightie, she tells Claire there’s a woman in her garden. After a careful search of the garden, Claire stumbles upon a freshly dug grave containing the body of a previous resident of the town, Valerie Skelton. Dark secrets are revealed and the small town of Northash will never be the same.
This was a fabulous mystery! Mrs. Beaton has a story to share as well. Her character also shows growth through the series, and figures into future books. This is one thing that sticks with me about the series. The characters aren’t stagnant. They come across as real people. Bravo to this author!
Candy Cane Conspiracies (Claire’s Candles Cozy Mystery Book 7)
My Recommendation:
There’s another mystery brewing in Northash, and this time Clair’s invited to sell her candles at a Christmas craft fair, held at the historic, Starfall House.
Janet wrangled an invitation for Claire, and when she meets the sponsor of the craft fair, the woman is quite rude. Before long, Claire realizes that she’s not the only person selling homemade candles.
To make matters worse, Claire finds the woman murdered, and one of her candles was the murder weapon. She becomes the prime suspect.
There is added strife when Claire’s boyfriend’s long-lost wife finally shows up. You know she’s there to cause trouble. How will Ryan deal with his ex, and his feelings for Claire?
Claire and Ryan’s love story adds so much to this series. I literally can’t wait to see what happens next!
Wildflower Worries (Claire’s Candles Cozy Mystery Book 8)
My Recommendation:
When the local beekeeper, Nigella Turner, turns up dead, the village of Northash is stunned. Claire’s new scent, “Honey Wild Flower” was made from the wax of Nigella’s bees! Her candles start flying off the shelves when the town’s folk realize the candles are made from the wax of Nigella’s final honey harvest. Even worse, it appears that Nigella was poisoned.
Claire’s father, Alan, is working part-time at the local garden center where the murder occurred. Between the two, they work hard to solve the murder.
This was another good mystery. The characters propel the plot forward. Claire and Ryan’s relationship, along with Sally and Damon’s add a touch of realism to these books.
Frosted Plum Fears (Claire’s Candles Cozy Mystery Book 9)
My Recommendation:
Northash is in for a treat when a local chef decides to create a giant plum pudding in order to break an old plum pudding record from decades ago! Claire stumbles onto the chef’s dead body and finds him stabbed in the back. She always seems to be in the thick of things. She’s a magnet for murder!
This time, the character’s secrets shock the quaint townspeople. It appears there’s a killer on the loose and Claire, along with her father, help to solve the murder.
The detective in this series is kind of a buffoon. Even his name is funny: Ramsbottom. He took over Claire’s father’s position after he was forced to medically retire. He often consults with her, as if his instincts are flawed. Interestingly, Claire doesn’t mind helping him and they form a team, happy to solve the murder together.
I love this series. It keeps you glued to the page and I can’t wait to see what happens next!
Double Espresso Deception (Claire’s Candles Cozy Mystery Book 10)
My Recommendation:
In this book, Claire, Ryan, and Granny Greta, along with her friend, travel to the village of Peridale for a bowls tournament. Claire makes a new friend in Julia, of Julia’s Cafe. She dreams up a new candle called “Double Espresso” which captures the essence of the cafe.
They meet up with the bowls captain and he’s quite a nasty guy. Granny Greta gets into an agrument with him. Not long after, the captain is murdered. Now, Granny Greta is the prime suspect.
Thank goodness, Claire and Ryan are there to help figure out who killed the captain. When it comes out that the man was poisoned, the leads take Claire into the midst of the town’s dark secrets.
There are some sweet moments between Mrs. Beaton and Claire when she visits her in the elderly residential home. The themes of good vs. evil, kindness counts, and friendships are golden all figure prominently into this series.
This book leads us into the Peridale Cafe Cozy Mystery Series, which is currently listed as 33 books long!
Spiced Orange Suspicion (Claire’s Candles Cozy Mystery Book 11) is available on Pre-Order.
About the Author:
Agatha lives in the North West English county of Lancashire with her two cuddly beagles and one cat.
When Agatha isn’t writing, she loves reading head-scratching mysteries and thrillers, coffee, baking, and exploring her local countryside on long dog walks.
From a young age, Agatha devoured the great British murder mystery books and television shows, ample inspiration for her Peridale Café and Claire’s Candles series. She loves writing about family women who juggle their ordinary village lives with the challenges of amateur sleuthing.
Add in some good food, close friends and family, cute pets, and plenty of twists and turns, and you have a classic Agatha Frost mystery.
WANT TO STAY UP TO DATE? Agatha tries to publish often so you’re never waiting too long for the next instalment in a series, so sign up to her FREE newsletter at: AgathaFrost.com.
🪻 Colleen Chesebro, Author & Poet 🪻 
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