OK, I know that most of us don’t like this particular subject matter… Who likes to clean? Isn’t it nice that it is possible to pay someone to do the cleaning for you? Not everyone has a cleaning service, but I am guessing that all of us would like one. (I know that I would love to have someone who came in and did all of the chores I don’t particularly like doing… We can all dream, though, can’t we?!?)
Here is a list of sleuths who work in the cleaning arena:
Christy Barritt: Squeaky Clean Mystery Series… Gabby St. Claire has almost completed her college degree in forensic science. Since she is the owner of a crime scene cleaning service, she has opportunities to look at the evidence first-hand.
C.C. Benison: Her Majesty Investigates Mystery Series… Jane Bee is a Canadian housemaid who works at Buckingham Palace in London, and sleuths with Her Majesty.
Emily Brightwell: Mrs. Jeffries Mystery Series… Mrs. Jeffries works as the housekeeper for Inspector Witherspoon in Victorian London.
Barry S. Brown: Mrs. Hudson of Baker Street Mystery Series… Yes, the housekeeper of Sherlock Holmes!
Fiona Buckley: Ursula Blanchard Mystery Series… In this historical mystery series, Ursula happens to be a Lady-in-Waiting for Queen Elizabeth I.
Susanna Calkins: Lucy Campion Mystery Series… Lucy is a chambermaid in 17th century London.
Dorothy Cannell: Florence Norris Mystery Series… Florence is the housekeeper of the Stodmarch family in their country house during the 1930s.
Barbara Colley: Charlotte LaRue Mystery Series… Charlotte runs a maid service in New Orleans and is kept busy cleaning and solving.
Jeanne M. Dams: Hilda Johansson Mystery Series… In this historical mystery series, Hilda moves from Sweden and becomes a maid in Indiana during the early 1900s.
Celina Grace: Miss Hart and Miss Hunter Investigate Mystery Series – Set in the 1930s and features the head kitchen maid and the lady’s maid at an estate.
Charlaine Harris: Lily Bard Mystery Series… Lily is a house cleaner who works in different houses while sleuthing in Shakespeare, Arkansas.
Susan S. James: Solace Glen Mystery Series… Flip (Felicity Ann) Paxton is a cleaning lady in Maryland who sleuths while cleaning.
Dolores Johnson: Mandy Dyer Mystery Series… Mandy owns a dry cleaning business in Denver.
Kate Kingsbury: WW II Manor House Mystery Series… Lady Elizabeth Compton owns the manor and is in charge of making sure that all of the housekeeping is done, while she solves mysteries.
Barbara Neely: Blanche White Mystery Series: Blanche is a housekeeper in North Carolina.
Suzanne Price: Grime Solvers Mystery Series… Sky Taylor is the cleaning lady to book if you have a mystery that needs to be solved.
Ann Purser: Days of the Week Mystery Series… Lois Meade cleans houses in her English village every day of the week.
Ann Purser: Lois Meade Mystery Series… Lois owns a cleaning service and solves mysteries in her English Village.
Cyndy Salzman: Friday Afternoon Club Mystery Series… a group of stay-at-home mothers who are good friends ar also great sleuths! (Salzmann bases her novels on her Christian faith.)
Sharon Short: Stain-Busting Mystery Series… Josie Toadfern owns a laundromat in Ohio and sleuths between the cycles.
Kathy Hogan Trocheck: Julia Callahan Garrity Mystery Series… Julia owns the House Mouse cleaning service in Atlanta, and she does a great job ferreting out solutions to mysteries.
If there are any other Cozy Mystery Authors from the site who you think belong on this list, please let me know.
♦To access more Cozy Mysteries by Theme click on this link.♦
Larraine says
Re: Kate Kingsbury. This is an Edwardian series which makes prior to WWI. Setting is the Pennyfoot Hotel. Character is Cecil and she is not titled. I think someone got confused.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Hi Larraine,
I added Kate Kingsbury’s World War II Manor House Series to this list, not her Pennyfoot Hotel Mystery Series.
Sue says
I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but I picked up a copy of “Blanche Among the Talented Tenth” at a used book sale. The main character, Blanche White, is a domestic worker. The author is Barbara Neely.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thanks, Sue, for telling us about Blanche Among the Talented Tenth. Please let us know if you like it… (Blanche on the Lam is actually the first in the series.)
Misti says
Thank you so much for all your hard work on this site. It is ever so helpful to me. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Welcome to the site, Misti! I’m glad you enjoy it.
AND
Thanks for the kind words!
Anne says
Great list! I just finished Dorothy Cannell’s ‘The Importance of Being Ernestine’ an Ellie Haskell mystery. Ellie is a young wife and mother in England who solves mysteries with the help of her cleaning lady, Mrs. Malloy. I was going to write a blog post about the book and also Ann Purser’s ‘Tragedy at Two’ so I hope you don’t mind if I link to this post?
Danna - cozy mystery list says
That would be great, Anne. I’ll be visiting to read your entries SOON!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Anne, thank you for linking to my site. I loved your review! Makes me want to read Cozies that feature House Keepers RATHER than actually do the house keeping!
Allison says
Wendy Roberts has a crime scene clean-up series, Ghost Dusters Mysteries.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thanks, Allison, for telling us about Wendy Roberts’ Ghost Dusters Mystery Series.