The Cozy Mystery List Blog

Cozy Mystery (and Other Favorite) Books, Movies, and TV

Mystery Book Recommendations – April 2014

It’s time for our monthly Cozy Mystery book recommendations. If you are new to the Cozy Mystery site, this is the time when we (Cozy Mystery readers) tell each other about our very favorite of favorite Cozy Mystery books that we have read during the month.

For those of you who visit the Cozy Mystery page on Facebook, you already know that I have been reading (listening to) the fourteenth book in Alexander McCall Smith‘s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon. I absolutely love this series. It is amongst the very gentlest of Cozy Mystery series. You won’t catch Precious Ramotswe (the main sleuth) walking into a dark, abandoned apartment building in the middle of the night, only to meet the killer, who has been waiting for her. Precious won’t be tailing a red herring character in her hot-rod car, nor will she running away from a knife-wielding crazed culprit.

These mysteries by Alexander McCall Smith don’t involve murder. The mysteries are more “real life” type of mysteries: tracking down a loved-one, proving someone is not who he/she claims to be, checking on beauty pageant contestants’ values; those type of “real life” mysteries.

The series takes place in Botswana and is a delightful introduction to what life in its capital (Gaborone) is like. Mma Ramotswe opens the detective agency and bases all of her detecting techniques on a book written by Clovis Andersen: The Principals of Private Detection. This book explains all of the ins and outs that Mma Ramotswe and her very capable associate detective, Mma Makutsi, employ.

The characters and relationships are the most integral part of these “mystery books.” The reader truly gets to know the people and the country, and Alexander McCall Smith is a tremendously gifted story-teller. So, I am going to start the April Mystery Book Recommendations List with him.

[As usual, I ask that you don’t tell us about the mystery books you read that you didn’t like.]

What Cozy Mystery book (or author) have you read during April 2014, and why did you enjoy it (or him/her)?

Here are the current recommended authors who some of you have read this past month:

Isabella Alan (aka Amanda Flower): Amish Quilt Shop Mystery Series

Susan Wittig Albert: China Bayles Mystery Series

Beverly Allen (aka Barbara Early): Bridal Bouquet Shop Mystery Series

Donna Andrews: Meg Langslow Mystery Series

Nancy Atherton: Aunt Dimity Mystery Series

Donald Bain & “Jessica Fletcher”: Murder, She Wrote Mystery Series

JoAnn Bassett: Islands of Aloha Mystery Series (Livin’ Lahainia Loca, book #2)

M.C. Beaton (aka Marion Chesney): Hamish Macbeth Mystery Series

Melissa Bourbon (aka Misa Ramirez): Magical Dressmaking Mystery Series

Emily Brightwell: Mrs. Jeffries Mystery Series

Lynn Cahoon: Tourist Trap Mystery Series (Guidebook to Murder, book #1)

Joelle Charbonneau: Glee Club Mystery Series

Laura Childs: Tea Shop Mystery Series

Mary Higgins Clark: I’ve Got You Under My Skin

Peg Cochran (aka Meg London): Lucille Mystery Series

Peter Conradi: Hot Dogs and Cocktails: When FDR Met King George VI at Hyde Park on Hudson (not a mystery)

J.J. Cook (aka Joyce and Jim Lavene & Ellie Grant): Biscuit Bowl Food Truck Mystery Series

J.J. Cook (aka Joyce and Jim Lavene & Ellie Grant: Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mystery Series

Philip R. Craig & William G. Tapply: Brady Coyne & J.W. Jackson Mystery Series (not Cozy)

Cheryl Crane: Nikki Harper Mystery Series (The Bad Always Die Twice, book #1)

Jessie Crockett: Sugar Grove Mystery Series

Mary Daheim: Emma Lord Alpine Mystery Series

Kathi Daley: T J Jensen Mystery Series

Diane Mott Davidson: Goldy Bear Mystery Series

Vicky Delany: Constable Molly Smith Mystery Series (Under Cold Stone, book #7)

Nancy DeMarco: Saving Gracie (not Cozy)

Carola Dunn: Daisy Dalrymple Mystery Series

Dawn Eastman: Family Fortune Mystery Series

Monica Ferris: Needlecraft Mystery Series

Joanne Fluke: Hannah Swensen Cookie Jar Mystery Series

Ann Granger: Markby & Mitchell Village Whodunit Mystery Series

Ellie Grant (aka Joyce and Jim Lavene & J.J. Cook): Pie in the Sky Mystery Series

Joan Hadley (aka Joan Hess): Theo Bloomer Mystery Series

Parnell Hall: Puzzle Lady Mystery Series

Victoria Hamilton (aka Amanda Cooper): Merry Muffin Mystery Series

Julie Hyzy: White House Chef Mystery Series

Julie Hyzy: Manor House Mystery Series

Sharon Ricklin Jones: River of Time (not Cozy)

Shirley Kennedy: Looking for Lucky (not Cozy)

Sherry Lewis: Senior Sleuth Fred Vickery Mystery Series

Dixie Lyle: Whiskey, Tango, and Foxtrot Mystery Series

Charlotte MacLeod (aka Alisa Craig): Peter Shandy Mystery Series

Charlotte MacLeod (aka Alisa Craig): Sarah Kelling Mystery Series

Molly MacRae: Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery Series

Ngaio Marsh: Inspector Roderick Alleyn Mystery Series

Jenn McKinlay (aka Josie Belle & Lucy Lawrence): Cupcake Bakery Mystery Series

Camille Minichino (aka Margaret Grace & Ada Madison): Periodic Table Mystery Series

Gail Oust: Piper Prescott Mystery Series

Ann Purser: Ivy Beasley Mystery Series

Sara Rosett: On the Run Mystery Series

M.L. Rowland: Search and Rescue Mystery Series (Zero-Degree Murder, book #1)

Sofie Ryan (aka Sofie Kelly): Second Chance Cat Mystery Series

Susan Santangelo: Baby Boomer Mystery Series

Julia Spencer-Fleming: Adirondack Mystery Series

Alexander McCall Smith: The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency

Kathy Hogan Trocheck (aka Mary Kay Andrews): Callahan Garrity Mystery Series

Christine Wenger: Comfort Food Mystery Series

[If you click on the author’s name (blue) link, it will take you to his/her page on the Cozy Mystery site. The pages have all of the authors’ books listed chronologically.]

♦To access more Cozy Mystery Books Recommendations, click on this link♦

P.S. While I try to respond to all of the comments that are made on the Cozy Mystery blog, I generally don’t respond to the comments on these monthly recommendation entries. I do, however, list the recommended books!

Debbie Macomber on Hallmark’s Home and Family…

I know that a lot of you enjoy Debbie Macomber‘s Mrs. Miracle books, as well as her Cedar Cove series, and her Blossom Street series, not to mention several other series. I also know that Debbie Macomber’s books are not Cozy Mysteries, however, they are pretty Cozy, and some of you requested that I add them to the Cozy Mystery site.

I just found out that Debbie Macomber will be on the Hallmark channel this coming Wednesday (in two days) so I wanted to let you know. Here is the synopsis that I have on my DVR’s listing:

 …best-selling Debbie Macomber gives a glimpse into her new novel, “Blossom Street Brides”…

So, if you aren’t going to be home, you might want to set up your taping mode for the Hallmark channel’s Wednesday Home and Family show. I’m looking forward to the show and finding out all about Blossom Street Brides, however, I hope she also gives us a sneak peak into her Mr. Miracle… because I am pleased to tell you that Debbie Macomber will be releasing a new Mrs. Miracle book in October: Mr. Miracle. Also, making this even better news is that the Hallmark channel is going to be airing a Christmas movie. That will make it the third Mrs. Miracle movie they have given us.

Interview with Laura Childs – What Would You Like to Know?

For those of you who have been with the Cozy Mystery site since 2006, you might remember that I was going to conduct Cozy Mystery authors’ interviews. I started with two interviews, but I then stopped.

In March of 2009 I interviewed Susan Wittig Albert (Susan Wittig Albert interview) as well as Kate Collins (Kate Collins interview). They were both very gracious as well as extremely generous with their time. Then I started feeling a little guilty about asking these very busy best-selling authors to take time out of their days to help me on my project, so I abandoned the Cozy Mystery author interviews idea. I felt like I had been a little presumptuous >>> well, actually very presumptuous!

However, here I am again, in what seems like another rather presumptuous mood. I think I’m now willing to ask best-selling Cozy Mystery authors to take time out of their busy schedules to help me on my project. (Yow, when I put it like that, it almost embarrasses me! >>> But it apparently doesn’t embarrass me enough, ’cause I’m going to do it again!)

I just got a hold of Best Selling Cozy Mystery author Laura Childs, and she has very graciously accepted my invitation for an author interview. I mentioned to her that some of you probably have questions you would like answers to, and I know I do, too. Also, I thought that maybe she could ask herself a few questions that shehas always wanted to answer, but has never been asked.

So, here is where you all come in. Laura Childs is an author who has been recommended many times in our monthly Cozy Mystery recommendations. Do any of you have a question you would like me to include in our interview? I am currently getting my questions ready, and would love to include some of your questions. If you have a question you would like me to include, please post a comment.

Let’s make this a fantastic interview!

Thanks!

***I’m sorry, but I have closed the comments for this entry.Thank you for your comments, and also to those of you who sent me letters at my email address.***

Florist, Flower Shop, and Flower Farm Cozy Mystery Series

Since I just added a new “crop” of authors, one of whom has a sleuth who is a florist, I decided there wouldn’t be a better time to add this new theme to the Cozy Mystery site. Here are the authors who are already posted on the Cozy Mystery site who write series which have either a flower farm worker, a florist, or a flower shop owner as their sleuths.

Beverly Allen (aka Barbara Early) writes the Bridal Bouquet Shop Mystery Series. This series takes place in Virginia and features Audrey Bloom as our sleuth. Audrey co-owns the Rose in Bloom flower shop.

Kate Collins pens the Flower Shop Mystery Series. So, law school wasn’t for our sleuth, Abby Knight. Good thing Abby has decided to open Bloomers, a flower shop in Indiana. Abby is able to arrange the clues as well as she arranges her flowers.

Amanda Flower (aka Isabella Alan): Magic Garden Mystery Series – Fiona is a florist who is from the USA.

Joan Hadley (aka Joan Hess) writes the Theo Bloomer Mystery Series, which features a florist. Theo’s previous life included a stint as a CIA spy.

Janis Harrison brings us her Bretta Solomon Gardening Mystery Series. Bretta is a widow who has a flower business in Missouri. As a new widow, she has taken up sleuthing.

Vicki Lane pens the Elizabeth Goodweather Mystery Series. Elizabeth (a widow) own a farm in North Carolina’s Appalachians. The farm grows both flowers and herbs. 

Rebecca Tope writes the Lake District Mystery Series. This series takes place in the lake district region of England. Persimmon “Simmy” Brown owns a flower shop and sleuths between arranging her flowers into beautiful arrangements.

In the same vein, here is my Gardening Cozy Mysteries entry.

***To access more Cozy Mysteries by Theme click on this link.***

MENU