Some of my favorite authors and a fun group of short mysteries but I felt like they were too short and quickly resolved! With that said, I loved the variety of characters, locations, and fun mystery solving! It was also nice to be exposed to a few new authors I've never read to get a quick intro to their work.

What do you get when you take a half dozen dynamic writers and set them free with the task of writing novellas about controlling family members, nosy neighbors, vengeful coworkers, and internet stars? That would be the Busybodies collection of short stories that combine mystery, humor, revenge, karma, and people with too much time on their hands.

In Staged, Elle Cosimano (writer of the popular Finlay Donovan series) tells the story of a real estate agent who is trying to gain some traction at her office by putting in some extra work on her latest house for sale. Lyda enlists the help of her best friend and some local contractors to fix up the Victorian she’s trying to sell, but when her landscaper ends up dead in the bedroom, Lyda will have to do some fast detective work to find the killer and earn her commission.

Jesse Q. Sutanto keeps it all in the family, when Josephine Ying hosts her first Chinese New Year get-together for The Reunion Dinner. She had been wanting to host the dinner for years, so this year is special, especially when her son announces he has a big surprise. Josephine is dreaming of something sparkly for her, as his Wall Street job is just down the street from Tiffany’s, but instead he shows up with a fiancée. And when she turns up dead, Josephine finds out that the family has far more suspects than she thought.

When a very expensive necklace goes missing during a fashion photography shoot, it’s the closet assistant who has to figure out what happened in Emma Rosenblum’s Crime of Fashion. Nellie is an OCD wannabe writer working for Elle in the fashion closet, organizing all the clothes and accessories that designers lean them. But when a $3 million necklace goes missing during a cover shoot, Nellie knows that she will be the one to lose her job if it doesn’t show up. She has to plan out her investigation with the same sort of system she has for keeping the closet in perfect shape, if she wants to save the day and keep her job.

Nita Prose (author of The Maid) goes to Florida in The Nosy Neighbor, where Madge spends her days looking out the window and talking to her husband. Meanwhile, across the street Doris is living her life. She’s trying out tai chi and painting live models. She even insists her husband join her in flamenco lessons. Her husband Bob is less enthusiastic about her hobbies. He’s in his mid-70s also, asthmatic and exhausted. But he takes the dance classes with Doris, and even joins her on a trip to Spain. Doris asks Marge to look after their house while they’re gone, and water the new flowers in the back. But Marge starts to wonder just what is under those flowers, and she goes a little crazy.

In Kellye Garrett’s One Lucky Subscriber, Kidd, a guy with ten million followers online hosts a giant game of hide-and-seek in a mall after hours. There is $50,000 on the line, and most of the ten contestants have been in his games before. They were chosen by his audience through comments on their videos. But then there is Kennedy, the one lucky subscriber, who got chosen at the last minute. She has sole custody of her little brother, so that money would really come in handy. But she has to survive the night, and an attempt on Kidd’s life, to try to win that golden briefcase.

And lastly, in Alicia Thompson’s A Classic Case, a quiet woman spends her Wednesday afternoons in a classic movie rental shop. Audrey has a little bit of a crush on the owner Grant, but she is intrigued by Mr. Hoffman. He is a retired man who comes into the shop every week at the exact same time and rents the same movie every week, She Who Laughs Last, starring Katia Kelly. But when Mr. Hoffman doesn’t show up one Wednesday, Audrey gets concerned. Grant shrugs it off, but he has also has a suspicious bandage on his hand. Audrey finds Mr. Hoffman’s address and heads to his house to see if he’s okay, but what she finds there only brings up more questions.

These six stories are all about similar themes, but they couldn’t be more different. They are smart and intriguing, and they all have twists you can’t see coming. I enjoyed reading them all, and I loved getting a small glimpse into all these authors’ minds. If you’re not interested in all of them, you can buy only the stories that you are drawn to, but for me, I’m glad I read the whole collection. I wanted to read some because I am a big fan of Cosimano, Sutanto, and Prose. And now that I’ve read the stories by Garrett, Thompson, and Rosenblum also, I’m a fan of theirs too. These are tasty appetizers, and now I want to read more.

Egalleys for The Busybodies Collection were provided by Amazon Original Stories through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Loved this collection of short stories! I will say that it was a tough challenge to do mystery short stories, so individually they weren't the best, but as a whole it was a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

The Busybodies collection is a compilation of mystery novellas written by various authors, some are long-time favorites of mine and others are new to me. These stories are perfect if you are in need of a quick cozy mystery. I love that Amazon is publishing this mini-series and others like it. This collection is filled with fun hijinks, amateur mystery-solving, and a dash of romance. I love that this is a simple way to sample new author’s work before jumping into their backlog of novels.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

These short stories are adorable.
Because they are short stories, the plots do feel a little hurried and there isn't very much character development. But each of the stories was interesting, and I found them fun to read.

This was a fun collection just in time for Spooky Season! I love these short little stories from some of my favorite mysteries and learning about new authors. Than you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC.

Growing up as an avid watcher of Murder, She Wrote, this collection was right up my alley. I don't read as many short story collections as I maybe should, but when I saw rhe lineup of authors, I knew I had to check this out.

Each story is a completely standalone tale. My favourites were the first 3 stories, Staged, The Reunion Dinner, and Crime of Fashion. I felt like The Nosy Neighbor fell right in the middle. Unfortunately, I felt like One Lucky Subscriber and A Classic Case fell a bit short. I felt like the authors' voice came out more in the first 3 stories and that I got to know the characters a bit better in the short amount of time. The mysteries in the final 2 stories also weren't as compelling to me, but they were still very readable, just not my preference.

I'd recommend this collection to anyone who is a fan of Mirder, She Wrote or any one (or more) of the contributing authors.

Cute fun and quirky and a good introduction to some of the authors I have not read. These short stories are perfect to read over my lunch break and while I was in the waiting room at the doctor's office. I recommend.

Staged book- It was cute. I liked the real estate part of it. I wished it was longer.
The reunion dinner was not as good but still shocking near the end.
Crime of fashion wasn’t good.
The nosey neighbor was funny. What a crazy ending, loved it!
One lucky subscriber was hard to follow.
A classic case was so good!! Loved the pen pals, very cute story. I want to read more by Alicia Thompson.

Staged- 5 stars- Super easy mystery read! I loved the staging aspect! It was different and fun! Quick mystery and I was way off on who I thought done it!

One lucky subscriber- 3 stars - This was ok, it wasn't anything shocking. It was different. The twist was an easily guessed. It was all very nice. Not exactly what l was thinking when I think of busy bodies.

Crime of fashion- 5 stars- Fun fashion forward mystery! Thought it was fun and kept good pace. Good mystery! Really enjoyed this.

The Nosey neighbor- 5 stars- Too funny, it was a perfect mystery! Completely embracing the busybodies series. It's one of my favorite from the collection!

A classic case- 5 stars-This one was a cute mystery! I loved it so much! Super easy and fun! Completely never would have guessed that!

The Reunion Dinner-4 stars- This one was interesting and definitely hard to guess who done it! I like how it involved so many people and made it a really good mystery.

I've been loving the collections of short stories that Amazon puts out. It's been fun to get a teaser for authors that I already love and authors that I haven't read before. These mysteries were great! I enjoyed The Nosy Neighbor by Nita Prose best.

Thank you to Netgalley, Amazon Original Stories and the many authors for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a fun collection! I already loved Elle Cosimano and Alicia Thompson so this was a great intro to some to new to me authors. :)

Often, I find short stories lacking but, with this list of authors, how could you not take a chance? This collection is a fun group of cozy mysteries by some of the best in the business.

The Busybodies - Amazon Original Stories

By Elle Cosimano - Jesse Q. Sutanto - Emma Rosenblum - Nita Prose - Kellye Garrett - Alicia Thompson

✔️ The Staged by Elle Cosimano
Oh my! She just needed to sell the house, but a dead body? I don’t know if that’s going to make it! Maybe the staging will work!
✔️ The Reunion Dinner Jesse Q. Sutanto
After all, it was going to be the perfect reunion! She was going to prove herself as the perfect host! But, surprise! My fiancée, mom… And that’s when the reunion dinner really started!
✔️ Crime of Fashion by Emma Rosenblum
How I enjoyed this story! Not everting is what it seems and sometimes you need to look the other way to get what you really want from life! So well played!
✔️ The Nosy Neighbor by Nita Prose
Hilarious! This one was bittersweet but all too real. We’ve had that neighbor, the one who “wears purple” and we don’t quite understand. But the thing is, we need to be careful as you really never know what people are capable of…
✔️ One Lucky Subscriber by Kellye Garrett
Social media, followers and subscribers; a whole new world! Oh I’d definitely want to win so much money just by simply hiding! But this time, the game was different. What if it’s not about the money? What if something else happens? Stay tuned and hit the bell!
✔️ A Classic Case by Alicia Thompson
What’s not to love about old movies? Rent, watch and return. This used to be the Mr Hoffman’s routine up until Audrey noticed he didn’t come back to return his movie. Where is he? Did something bad happen? Audrey will set herself in a journey to discover the truth. However, this may be simply, a classic case!

I loved each one of the stories and it got me thinking of how many little details we keep in our minds about everything that surrounds us! We know so much about the others and the other way round! It’s impressive to realize how nosy we really are! Such a great collection of short stories!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The “Busybodies Collection”, a series of short stories written by Elle Cosimano, Jesse Q. Sutanto, Emma Rosenblum, Nita Prose, Kellye Garrett, and Alicia Thompson.
I’m not generally a fan of short stories, as I find them lacking in detail and character development, but these were entertaining if you like a good quick mystery. They are each short enough to read in one sitting.
Staged - I love a good Elle Cosimano story, and this one had a similar vibe to her other books. This was probably my favourite in the collection. 4 stars
The Reunion Dinner – This one was good, kept me guessing until the end. 3.5 stars
A Crime of Fashion – I couldn’t really get into this one, maybe it was the setting (fashion magazine) or the writing style, but I guessed the ending at the beginning and it didn’t hold my attention. 2 stars
The Nosy Neighbor – I also liked this this one, unreliable narrator and a twist at the end that I didn’t see coming! 4 stars
One Lucky Subscriber – This was my least favourite, I found it had a lack of description and setup at the beginning and I was just confused through most of it. 2 stars
A Classic Case – This story was cute, it turned out to be more of a lighter storyline but it could have gone darker and I didn’t foresee the ending. 3 stars
Overall 4 stars for the collection!

I love a good short story collection.

Particularly, when there’s a good theme throughout.

While I don’t think that’s how anaphylaxis works, The Nosy Neighbour by Nita Prose was tight, funny, and DARK.

I generally have a No Murders rule, when it comes to friends, I’d definitely have got along better with Doris, over Marge.

A Crime of Fashion had some good points. I liked the whodunnit vibe, the quirky main character, and the twisty bit at the end. I didn’t love the casual use of OCD, or the False Accusation plotline.

Family Reunion Dinner does well with the whole, Everybody’s A Suspect! Thing. Is it the jilted business partner? Or the jilted lover? Or the OTHER jilted lover? I also loved the Chinese New Year dinner setting. It’s amazing what a good writer can do with only 50 pages.

A Classic Case – Love a good grumpy-sunshine trope. There was just enough mystery and just enough romance to make this a satisfying read.

One Lucky Subscriber was the most ‘modern’ of the short stories. Influencers, YouTubers, and Views. I was expecting more of a twist at the end, but I still enjoyed it.

Staged was my least favourite of the bunch, which is weird, as I love Elle Cosimano’s stuff. I didn’t find the romance interesting, and the two main characters were strangely ambivalent over their friend’s death.

Thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Original Stories, and Brilliance Publishing for this collection.

A collection of short mystery stories from Elle Cosimano, Jesse Sutanto, Emma Rosenblum, Nita Prose, Kellye Garrett, and Alicia Thompson. Each of these stories follows a fun female main character and has a cozy, humorous vibe. My thoughts on the collection as a whole: Absolutely worth the read, a great collection to pick up in between longer novels to mix things up. It is the perfect season to give these a go and you might find a new author to explore (I definitely did!)

Detailed reviews below :)

Staged by Elle Cosimano 4
Exactly the kind of story you would expect from Cosimano but still unique. Funny and fun, a great addition.

The Reunion Dinner by Jesse Q. Sutanto 3.75
Great representation (as Sutanto always has) and a classic character for her! I really enjoyed the concept and how the mystery played out.

Crime of Fashion by Emma Rosenblum 2.75
I didn't love the writing style here and just felt like it was a bit lacking compared to other works in the collection.

The Nosy Neighbor by Nita Prose 2.5
Another one where the writing style and concept didn't really speak to me.

One Lucky Subscriber by Kellye Garrett 3.5
A very original concept and a fun one to watch play out.

A Classic Case by Alicia Thompson 4.25
I absolutely loved this one. Definitely more romantic and silly than the others but I appreciate that!

Busybodies Collection

I may not love each story in the short story collections that Amazon puts out, but I do love the concept and often find new authors because of them.

Staged by Elle Cosimano

What I love about Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan series is the relationship between Vera and Finlay and the ridiculousness that ensues when they are together. Staged lacked the loveability you find in Finlay, and I never cared about what was happening.

The Reunion Dinner by Jesse Q. Sutano
I had so much fun with this one. I know readers complained that there were too many characters, but I loved it. The ending shocked me a bit. I was pleasantly surprised.

Crime of Fashion by Emma Rosenblum
This was fine. I typically do not care for stories that involve badly behaving rich people. So this is more of a me issue.

The Nosy Neighbor by Nita Prose
I love Nita Prose and her quirky characters. I enjoyed how the main characters played off each other. The ending was fantastic.

One Lucky Subscriber by Kellye Garrett
Unfortunately, this was my least favorite of the collection. The beginning was compelling, but by the end, I was bored. The ending was a letdown.

A Classic Case by Alicia Thompson
This story was my favorite from the collection. While I know the mystery is lacking, I found the characters interesting and sweet, and the blossoming romance was cute. It made me swoon a little.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

The “Busybodies Collection” is a series of short stories written by Elle Cosimano, Jesse Q. Sutanto, Emma Rosenblum, Nita Prose, Kellye Garrett, and Alicia Thompson. These six hilarious Amazon Original short stories about amateur sleuths are coming to Prime, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible on October 15, 2024.

There’s just nothing better than a cozy mystery—unless there are six of them! Of the six featured authors in this collection, I have read and loved four of them, so I was excited to get to sample the writings of two new-to-me authors. Ranging in length from 24 to 45 pages, these stories are still able to pack a punch. Each author delivered a clever mystery with enjoyable plots and surprising twists. I loved that each story was completely different from the next, but they still felt like a cohesive collection. These cozy mysteries were so fun and the perfect fall reads. Highly recommend all of them!

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this series of short stories! I am a huge fan of a few of the authors. But I was excited to discover new ones to follow and check out their other books!

I can’t really break down each synopsis of each short story. But let me tell you, they may be short but they pack a punch. I was thoroughly entertained through each story. I was shocked by how many twists there were in each short read. A few of them even had me laughing out loud. These were so fun and I couldn’t put the read down. I can’t wait to re-read this when they are published.

5 stars out of 5! Thank you Netgalley for the review!!