So, you say you want “REAL PEOPLE” mixed into your mysteries! I went through the authors on the site to find the authors who have incorporated “real people” into their mysteries. Since this is the Cozy Mystery Site… most of the authors write cozies…. (By the way, I am writing the descriptions in present tense… even though in some cases… the author is no longer with us…)
Please remember that I only include authors who are on the Cozy Mystery site…
Susan Wittig Albert: The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter take place in England during the early 1900s, with Beatrix Potter and her menagerie of animals.
Bruce Alexander (aka Bruce Cook) writes the Sir John Fielding Mystery Series which features Sir John, who along with his older brother Henry, established the first British criminal records and police department.
Steve Allen writes the (comedian) Steve Allen Mystery Series.
Robert Barnard… as Bernard Bastable he writes the (composer) Amadeus Mozart Mystery Series.
Stephanie Barron (aka Francine Mathews) writes the (author) Jane Austen Mystery Series.
George Baxt writes the Celebrity Sleuth Mystery Series featuring such celebrities as Greta Garbo, Alfred Hitchcock, Marlene Dietrich, Bette Davis, Clark Gable, etc.
Caleb Carr: John Schuyler Moore Mystery Series
Ron Goulart writes the Groucho Marx Mystery Series which features this 1930s Hollywood actor/comedian.
Barbara Hamilton pens the Abigail Adams Mystery Series which is set in colonial Boston.
Stuart Kaminsky writes the Toby Peters Mystery Series, which features Toby sleuthing to help Hollywood movie stars from the 1940s.
Peter King writes the (author) Jack London Mystery Series.
Deryn Lake writes the John Rawlings Mystery Series which features Sir John Fielding (the blind British magistrate who started the Bow Street Runners – the first British police force) along with John Rawlings, a young apothecary..
Anna Maclean (aka Jeanne MacKin) writes the (author) Louisa May Alcott Mystery Series..
J. J. Murphy writes the Algonquin Round Table Mystery Series which features poet/writer Dorothy Parker.
Elliot Roosevelt writes the (first lady) Eleanor Roosevelt Mystery Series..
Rosemary Stevens (aka Rosemary Martin) writes the (Regency England’s fashion expert) Beau Brummel Mystery Series..
Nicola Upson: The Josephine Tey Mystery Series is based on the “real life” author of Scotland Yard’s Alan Grant Mystery Series.
Nancy Means Wright: The Mary Wollstonecraft Mystery Series features Mary, an English governess in 18th Century Ireland. (Mary was a real person.)
***To access more Cozy Mysteries by Theme click on this link.***
Susan Wittig Albert says
Hi–Please add Beatrix Potter to your list. I have incorporated her into my Cottage Tales mysteries, which span the years 1905-1913 of Potter’s life. There are currently four books in the series, with the fifth (The Tale of Briar Bank) to be published in October. Altogether, there will be eight tales.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Hi Susan…
I do not know how I skipped the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter Mystery Series in this list! I think that when I was dividing all of "my authors" into piles… I inadvertently put the Cottage Tales into the historical mystery pile only, instead of putting the series into both of these themes. Thank you for reminding me.
Kell says
You might want to add Peter J. Heck’s series of Mark Twain mysteries to this list, too. Not quite citified enough to be properly cozy, but still a lot of fun.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thanks, Kell, for telling us about Peter J. Heck’s Mark Twain series. They sound interesting…
Dave says
Ron Goulart has written a very good series with Groucho Marx as the Sleuth. As you can imagine these stories are filled with humor , but are actually very good mysteries.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thanks, Dave, for telling us about Ron Goulart’s series. I will try to take a look at them soon… They sound like fun…
Carol says
I just read the first book by Nicola Upson, An Expert in Murder. It features Josephine Tey (the mystery writer). Since Josephine Tey was a pseudonym, I’m not sure exactly where this book fits, but it was really a fun read. I am getting ready to read the second in the series, Angel with Two Faces.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Carol,
Thanks for letting us know about Nicola Upson’s An Expert in Murder… featuring the mystery author Josephine Tey. The series sounds intriguing…
Rochelle says
Lol Lol Lol you’ll never believe this, but there’s an Elvis Presley one too lol. I can’t remember the Author’s name but some of the titles are as follows.
Kill Me Tender
Blue Suede Clues
I don’t remember the rest but I know there’s at least 3 others.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Rochelle,
I just looked him up… The author is Daniel Klein. His main character is, indeed, Elvis Presley, a young, singing sleuth.
Kill Me Tender
Blue Suede Clues
Viva Las Vengeance
Such Vicious Minds
Thanks for telling us about Daniel Klein!
Mary says
I stumbled across this list and I am fully overwhelmed! which is a good thing
I have to look at this list before I do put authors in here.
I will get back to this later.
But thanks for an enjoyable link!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Welcome to the site, Mary! Hope you are able to find a new author… or two…
Tessa says
Roberta Rogow has a Rev Dodgson AKA Lewis Carroll series I think Conan Doyle shows up in it too.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thanks, Tessa, for telling us about Roberta Rogow.
Martha@Hey, I want to read that says
There’s a series by Ron Goulart starring Groucho Marx that are a lot of fun. You can find the list……… at Ron Goulart’s website.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thank you, Martha, for telling us about Ron Goulart. (He is actually on my list of authors to post on the site.)
Martha@Hey, I want to read that says
Oh, I forgot to thank you for this list. I love this kind of cozy.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
And, I’m glad you’re enjoying the site, Martha…
Judith says
Carol McCleary has two books with Nellie Bly as the main character – I’m halfway through the first one and she has met Jules Verne.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thank you, Judith, for telling us about Carol McCleary’s Nellie Bly mystery series…
Alex says
What about Stuart Kaminsky’s Toby Peters series? Toby is a detective living in the 1940’s who takes on cases from movie stars (such as Fred Astaire) to magicians (Harry Blackstone). The books are funny and fast-moving. Highly recommended by a fan who has read the entire series.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Alex, you had me with your description which included Fred Astaire! I just bought the first mystery in Stuart Kaminsky’s Toby Peters Mystery Series (Bullet for a Star) for my Kindle. As a fan of movies from the 1940s (and 1930s), I hope you have just introduced me to an author I can include on my Favorite Authors list.
(I love the description of the book that Amazon has posted from AudioFile Magazine >>>”Toby Peters is hired by Warner Brothers to find out who is blackmailing Errol Flynn.”)
Jo says
Hello,
Do not forget to add Gyles Brandreth’s Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries series (2007-present)!
Yvonne says
How could you forget Caleb Carr? His books are just full of real people. I love this site! I’ve become acquainted with a lot of new authors and reaquainted with a lot of old favorites. Thank you for all of your hard work.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Yvonne, I just added Caleb Carr’s John Schuyler Moore Mystery Series to the list of “Real People as Characters” list.
(I’m so glad you are enjoying the Cozy Mystery site!)
Juliet says
Max Allan Collin’s Disaster series featured real people, including Agatha Christie, Leslie Charteris and Walter B Gibson.
Stacy says
How about Stephanie Barron’s Jane Austen series…
Stacy says
Oops — Sorry! I don’t know how I missed it! I guess I need better glasses.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Stacy, you and me, both! Today I found myself looking and looking for my computer glasses, and was astonished to finally find them perched on my head, holding the hair out of my eyes…
Patrick says
Dear Danna at Cozy Mystery,
I found a biography from UK publisher Sandstone Press on Josephine Tey. Fans of hers and Nicola Upson will enjoy it.
Patrick
Josephine Tey by Jennifer Morag Henderson
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thanks for the heads up, Patrick!
Susan* says
Raymond Buckland’s ‘Bram Stoker Mysteries’ feature the author of ‘Dracula’ as a major character.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Susan, I’ll have to take a look at that one! Thanks for the suggestion.
Amber says
Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen has several real people make appearances throughout the series. Royals, fashion designers, and the horrid Wallis Simpson.