Since I just posted an entry about Donna Andrews’ first book in the Meg Langslow series, Murder With Peacocks, I thought I’d take this opportunity to ask if anyone can come up with some authors similar to Donna Andrews. I’ll start with a handful that I can think of offhand, but please do send in your own recommendations (and possibly why!) you think they are similar to Donna Andrews. Thank you!
Authors who are similar to Donna Andrews:
Laura Alden (aka Laurie Cass): Beth Kennedy PTA Mystery Series
Nancy Atherton: Aunt Dimity Mystery Series
M.C. Beaton (aka Marion Chesney): Hamish Macbeth Mystery Series AND Agatha Raisin Mystery Series
Jill Churchill: Jane Jeffry Mystery Series
Mary Daheim: Hillside Manor Bed & Breakfast Mystery Series
Joanne Fluke: Hannah Swensen Mystery Series
Sarah Graves: Home Repair is Homicide Mystery Series
Lee Harris: Christine Bennett Mystery Series
Joan Hess: Maggody Mystery Series
Maddy Hunter: Passport to Peril Mystery Series
Toni L.P. Kelner (aka Leigh Perry): Laura Fleming Mystery Series
Richard & Frances Lockridge: Mr. & Mrs. North Mystery Series
Charlotte MacLeod (aka Alisa Craig): Peter Shandy Mystery Series AND Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn Mystery Series
Leslie Meier: Lucy Stone Mystery Series
Leslie O’Kane (aka Leslie Caine): Molly Masters Mystery Series
Katherine Hall Page: Faith Fairchild Mystery Series
Leigh Perry (aka Toni L.P. Kelner): Family Skeleton Mystery Series
Annelise Ryan (aka Allyson K. Abbott & Beth Amos): Mattie Winston Mystery Series
Julia Spencer-Fleming: Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery Series
Denise Swanson: Scumble River Mystery Series
Heather Webber (aka Heather Blake): Nina Quinn Mystery Series
Valerie Wolzien: Susan Henshaw Mystery Series
I have several other Authors Similar to ….. lists on the Cozy Mysteries by Theme page on my site.
dragons3 says
Lee Harris — Christine Bennett series
Valerie Wolzien — Susan Henshaw series
Leslie Meier — Lucy Stone series
Laura Alden — Beth Kennedy series
Leslie O’Kane — Molly Masters Mysteries
Some are more similar than others, but they all involve busy moms with zany relatives or friends and contain a lot of humor.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Dragons3, you are absolutely NOT kidding! These are great additions. Thank you!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Dragons3, I sure wish they would hurry up and convert Valerie Wolzien’s Cozies to Kindle format!
dragons3 says
Me, too. I wish she’d write some more, too. I love those books. High on my list of run right out and buy the newest one and sit up late reading it.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Dragons3, I’m guessing that if new Susan Henshaw mysteries were published, they’d make it to Kindle format…
dragons3 says
I picked up 2 “Death In Duplicate” and “An Anniversary To Die For” in 2010, but they are no longer available for Kindle and I’ve never seen any others listed. I wonder what happened and why they were pulled. I’m just thankfull that Amazon doesn’t remove them from your Kindle when that happens.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Dragons3, I’m sorry I missed those! (I didn’t have a Kindle back in 2010, and now I’m sorry my husband wasn’t able to talk me into trying one back then.)
Mary Joy says
I have those books in paperback (all of Valerie’s, Lee Harris and Jill Churchill.) When we moved and I purged so many books, I could not bring myself to part with those. If I could, I’d loan them to you! : )
Mary Joy says
Forgot to say, those two titles were Josie Pigeon instead of Susan Henshaw, I believe. But Josie did work for the Henshaws. I loved those books!
dragons3 says
No, those are both Susan Henshaw. Death in Duplicate is the last one of the series. I think one i have most of those books in paperback, too. I’ve been slowly adding them to my kindle when they’re available, and donating the DTBs to my local Friends of the Library, but I’m hanging onto any that aren’t Kindle-ized. I’ve read the Josie Pigeon series, but didn’t like them as well as the Susan Henshaw.
Mary Joy says
You are right, I checked that out AFTER I posted my comment. It has been so many years since I read those. I discovered them when VW was still actively writing and I used to wait with bated breath for her next book. Those were the days I’d look forward to spending hours strolling the mystery area looking for new cozy authors. I rarely go in stores anymore. I still love to peruse the shelves, but I don’t want to accumulate so many books anymore. It was very difficult for me to finally give away my collection, although I used to lend my books around all the time. My paper books these days are coffee table ones, and I try very hard to limit those too. Otherwise, I stick to my kindle app.
Mary Joy says
I forgot to add I liked The Susan Henshaw series better than Josie Pigeon also, but just enjoyed them both. Of course, I wished I lived there in Connecticut on the same street as the Henshaws, haha.
stellans says
One of my favorite series, which could be considered a bit like Donna Andrews’ writing style, is the Lucy Stone Mystery Series by Leslie Meier. A housewife, although she works part time at the local small newspaper, I identified a lot with Lucy, and enjoyed the slightly sassy but still sweet-natured storylines.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Stellans, I should have thought of Lucy immediately! Thank you.
Chris says
Chris I love the Emma Lord series and I enjoy the B&B series by Daheim also.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Chris, they’re pretty Cozy!
Margaret StashEmpress says
Mary Daheim — Emma Lord series? Really???? I don’t think there was any real humor in that series at all — don’t you mean her B & B series? Wacky cousin Renie, crazy old Gertrude — the nutty cleaner (can’t remember her name — but she was a combination hypochondriac & religious nut — who totally mixed everything up — so funny) — and of course all the wild & wonderfully wacky characters who showed up at her B & B every book?
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Margaret Stash Empress, I’ve added the Daheim’s B & B series to the list. You are right. The B & B series is much more Donna Andrews-esque!
Escholzia says
Not about housewives but definitely on the”romp with quirky, idiosyncratic characters” end of the cozy mystery spectrum is 1930’s-40’s work of Phoebe Atwood Taylor
Linda 2E says
One of my favorite authors was Charlotte MacLeod – she had two separate series which were similar to Donna Andrews with the quirky families.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda 2E, thanks for mentioning Charlotte MacLeod. I’m going to go add those series to the list.
Margaret StashEmpress says
Oh Yes! Charlotte MacLeod’s were the BEST in “wacky cozy” series — sooo much fun!!! Wish there were more like that!
Karen says
Katherine Hall Page
Julia Spenser-Fleming
M C Beaton…Hamish McBeth and Agatha Raisin
Think of more in a few minutes…ha.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Karen, thanks! I’ve added them to the list.
dragons3 says
Another series I thought of. No kids in this one, just cats, but — the Mr. and Mrs. North series by Richard and Frances Lockridge. Classic cozies, zany characters, very very clean — these are ones you can give your children to read without any concerns. They were written in the 40s – 60s, so no modern technology, but people are people and the crimes are interesting.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Dragons3, yikes! I haven’t thought about Richard and Frances Lockridge’s Mrs. and Mrs. North series in years! Thanks for the reminder!
dragons3 says
My Dad gave me my first Mr. and Mrs. North book when I was about 10. I was outgrowing Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden and wanted something besides Agatha Christie sometimes. I’ve loved them ever since. I like the Heimrich series, too, but they aren’t cozy — cozyish, perhaps, but not cozy.
Joan in VA says
I don’t really see much similarity to Donna Andrews in any of the series mentioned. Yes, some have some humor, yes, some have families that push the limit, yes, some have women who have children and work even if it is part-time. But, none, in my opinion put it all together in the same way the Donna Andrews does.
I probably wouldn’t read the ones I considered to be copy-cats because ‘so many books and so little time’ is in effect here.
More Mysteries Please says
Annelise Ryan’s Mattie Winston series reminds me a lot of this series.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thanks, I’ll go add her to the list.
Mary Joy says
I agree with the above listed authors, Lee Harris, Valerie Wolzien and Leslie Meier. They are the authors who got me started reading cozies. I also think Katherine Hall Page fits well into that category. Has anyone mentioned Jill Churchill?
I do agree with Joan from VA that the relatives and situations are not as “quirky” as Donna Andrews. However, I find the former a bit more relatable (except, of course, I’m not always discovering bodies!!!)
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Mary Joy, I agree about Jill Churchill. She definitely belongs on this list!
dragons3 says
Joanne Fluke — Hannah Swenson series
Toni L. P. Kelner — Laura Fleming series and, as Leigh Perry, the Family Skeleton series
Nancy Atherton — Aunt Dimity series
Heather Webber — Nina Quinn series
Denise Swanson — Scumble River series
Margaret StashEmpress says
Oh yeah– the Aunt Dimity series does have that air of believable wackiness and the the lovable oddball characters that are the hallmark of the Langslow series. Another of my favorite “cheer-me-up” series!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Dragons3, thanks for all these additions! I’m guessing you like humorous Cozies!
dragons3 says
Yes, I do, although I read a lot of other types of mysteries, too.
Sarah says
I liked the quirky characters in Maddy Hunter’s mysteries about a young woman who accompanies a senior group when they travel abroad. I also enjoyed the Maggody series by Joan Hess. It is also filled with quirky chapters in humorous situations
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Sarah, I don’t know why I didn’t think of that full-of-crazies Maggody series! Thank you for both of these additions.
dragons3 says
One series we seem to have overlooked so far — Lilian Jackson Braun’s Cat Who books. No family — or at least not of the human variety — but plenty of quirky characters and funny situations.
HookedOnCozyLaughs says
Thank you so much for this info! I love quirky fun cozies … and finding this has been a blessing. 🙂
Danna - cozy mystery list says
HookedOnCozyLaughs, you’re welcome. I’m glad you found your way to Cozy-Mystery!
HookedOnCozyLaughs says
Just finished Duck the Halls by Donna Andrews; have the audio of Lemon Meringue Pie Murder by Joanna Fluke keeping me company on my commute and just started reading White Colander Crime by Victoria Hamilton! Can’t wait for Vanilla Beaned by Jenn McKinley to come out too. 🙂 You could really say I’m “HookedOnCozyLaughs”
Nan says
The most humorous series I ever read was the Pennsylvania Dutch cozy mysteries by Tamar Myers.
HookedOnCozyLaughs says
Thanks, Nan. I will check into the Pennsylvania Dutch series.
MER says
Dorthy Gillman is tied for my most favorite author next to Donna Andrews. Dorothy’s biggest series was the Mrs. POLLIFAX books. Absolutely wonderful. She also had several single stories that were very good ( loved A nun in the closet and Thale’s Folly)