The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

December 2013 Mystery Book New Releases

The following Mystery Books will be released in December 2013:

Victoria Abbot (writing duo Mary Jane Maffini & Victoria Maffini): The Sayers Swindle (This will be the 2nd in the Book Collector’s Mystery Series.)

Sandra Balzo: Murder on the Orient Espresso (This will be the 8th in the Maggy Thorsen Mystery Series.)

Maggie Barbieri: Once Upon a Lie (This will be the 1st in the NEW Maeve Conlon Mystery Series.)

C.C. Benison: Ten Lords A-Leaping (This will be the 3rd in the Father Christmas Mystery Series.)

Jennie Bentley (aka Jenna Bennett & Bente Gallagher): Home for the Homicide (This will be the 7th in the Do It Yourself Mystery Series.) (This is a Christmas theme mystery.)

Juliet Blackwell (aka Hailey Lind): Home for the Haunting (This will be the 4th in the Haunted Home Renovation Mystery Series.)

Laurie Cass: Lending a Paw (This will be the 1st in the NEW Bookmobile Cat Mystery Series.)

Laura Childs: Tea for Three (This is an omnibus of the first three Tea Shop Mysteries: Death by Darjeeling, Gunpowder Green, & Shades of Earl Grey.)

Judy Clemens: Leave Tomorrow Behind (This will be the 6th in the Stella Crown Mystery Series.)

J.J. Cook (aka Joyce and Jim Lavene & Ellie Grant): Hero’s Journey (This will be a Novella in the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mystery Series.)

Michael Connelly: The Gods of Guilt (This will be the 5th in the Mickey Haller Mystery Series.)

Cleo Coyle (aka Alice Kimberly): Billionaire Blend (This will be the 13th in the Coffeehouse Mystery Series.)

Elizabeth Craig (aka Riley Adams & Elizabeth Craig): Quilt Trip (This will be the 3rd in the Southern Quilting Mystery Series.)

Krista Davis: Murder, She Barked (This will be the 1st in the NEW Paws and Claws Mystery Series.)

Carola Dunn: Heirs of the Body (This will be the 21st in the Daisy Dalrymple Mystery Series.)

Christopher Fowler: The Invisible Code (This will be the 10th in the Bryant & May Mystery Series.)

Frances Fyfield: Cold to the Touch (This will be the 6th in the Sarah Fortune Mystery Series.) (USA Release)

J.G. Goodhind: The Ghost of Christmas Past (This will be the 8th in the Honey Driver Mystery Series.) (This is a Christmas theme mystery.)

Carolyn Hart: Cry in the Night (This will be a Stand Alone Mystery.) (This book was released in e-book format only in ’12.)

Joan Hess: Murder as a Second Language (This will be the 19th in the Claire Malloy Mystery Series.)

Jonnie Jacobs: Lying with Strangers (This will be a Stand Alone Mystery.)

Sue Ann Jaffarian: Second-Hand Stiff (This will be the 8th in the Odelia Grey Mystery Series.) (This is a Thanksgiving theme mystery.)

Laura Levine: Killing Cupid (This will be the 12th in the Jaine Austen Mystery Series.) (This is a Valentine theme mystery.)

Liz Lipperman (aka Lizbeth Lipperman): Chicken Caccia-Killer (This will be the 4th in the Clueless Cook Mystery Series.)

Kylie Logan (aka Miranda Bliss & Casey Daniels): Buttoned Up (This will be the 4th in the Button Box Mystery Series.)

Marcia Muller & Bill Pronzini: The Spook Lights Affair (This will be the 4th in the Carpenter & Quincannon, Professional Detective Services Mystery Series.)

Gail Oust: Rosemary and Crime (This will be the 1st in the NEW Piper Prescott Mystery Series.)

Sharon Pape: Sketcher in the Rye (This will be the 4th in the Portrait of Crime Mystery Series.)

Anne Perry: A Christmas Hope (This will be the 11th in Perry’s Christmas mystery novels.)

Ann Purser: Scandal at Six (This will be the 13th in the Lois Meade Mystery Series.)

Paige Shelton: Merry Market Murder (This will be the 6th in the Farmers’ Market Mystery Series.) (This is a Christmas theme mystery.)

To go back to the Cozy Mystery New Book Release page, click here.

Cozy Mysteries Recommendations – October 2013

Oh, I love this time of year. It is almost the end of October, and I have actually worn my light-weight jacket (once)! I have the best “autumn scents” going on my coffee warmer (Better Homes and Gardens Mulberry Plum Spice and Cranberry Mandarin Splash). I also have loaded up on my seasonal teas (caffeine-free Celestial Cranberry Apple and Cinnamon Apple Spice, as well as Bigelow’s caffeine-free Cranberry Apple). (I found my scents at Walmart, but had to order the teas.)

Since it is the end of October, it is time for me to ask you all to tell us about a few mysteries you read this past month (October) that you think the rest of us have got to know about. Please tell us why you enjoyed each of your recommended books. I think a lot of us read your comments, and they are what sway us to try your recommended book(s).

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

[Also, if you click on the author’s name (blue) link, it will take you to their page on the Cozy Mystery site. Their page has all of the author’s books listed chronologically.]

What Cozy Mystery book (or author) have you read during October 2013, and why did you enjoy it (or him/her)?

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

Victoria Abbott (Mary Jane Maffini & Victoria Maffini): Book Collector’s Mystery Series

Ellery Adams (aka J.B. Stanley, Jennifer Stanley, & 1/2 of Lucy Arlington): Books by the Bay Mystery Series

Jeffrey Allen: Stay at Home Dad Mystery Series

Donna Andrews: Meg Langslow Mystery Series

Nancy Atherton: Aunt Dimity Mystery Series

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

Lorna Barrett (aka Lorraine Bartlett & L.L. Bartlett): Booktown Mystery Series

Lorraine Bartlett (aka Lorna Barrett & L.L. Bartlett): Victoria Square Mystery Series

Laurien Berenson: Melanie Travis Mystery Series

Gail Bowen: Joanne Kilbourn Mystery Series

Meg Cabot: Heather Wells Mystery Series

JoAnna Carl (aka Eve K. Sandstrom): Chocoholic Mystery Series

Ally Carter: Gallagher Girls Mystery Series (Young Adult Series)

Erika Chase: Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery Series

Jill Churchill: Jane Jeffry Mystery Series

Mary Jane Clark: Piper Donovan Wedding Cake Mystery Series

Sheila Connolly (aka Sarah Atwell): Orchard Mystery Series

Philip R. Craig: Martha’s Vineyard Mystery Series (not quite Cozy)

Jessie Crockett: Drizzled with Death (Sugar Grove Mystery Series, book #1)

Dawn Eastman: Pall in the Family (Family Fortune Mystery Series, book #1)

Christy Fifield (Christy Evans): Haunted Souvenir Shop Mystery Series 

Amanda Flower (aka Isabella Alan): Appleseed Creek Mystery Series

Shelley Freydont: Celebration Bay Mystery Series

Elizabeth George: Inspector Lynley Mystery Series

Sue Grafton: Kinsey Millhone Mystery Series

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

Kerry Greenwood: Phryne Fisher Mystery Series

Victoria Hamilton: Merry Muffin Mystery Series

Veronica Heley: Ellie Quicke Mystery Series

Sofie Kelly (aka Sofie Ryan): Magical Cats Mystery Series

Laurie R. King: Bones of Paris (not Cozy)

Jill Marie Landis: Two to Tango (Tiki Goddess Mystery Series, book #2)

Amanda Lee (aka Gayle Trent): Embroidery Mystery Series

Anna Loan-Wilsey: Hattie Davish “Have Typewriter Will Travel” Mystery Series

M. Louisa Locke: Victorian San Francisco Mystery Series

Kylie Logan (aka Miranda Bliss & Casey Daniels): Chili Cook-Off Mystery Series

Debbie Macomber: Cedar Cove Series (not mysteries)

G.M. Malliet: Max Tudor Mystery Series

Carol Ann Martin: Weaving Mystery Series

Jenn McKinlay (aka Josie Belle & Lucy Lawrence): Hat Shop Mystery Series

Jenn McKinlay (aka Josie Belle & Lucy Lawrence): Library Lover’s Mystery Series

Diana Orgain: Maternal Instincts Mystery Series

Louise Penny: Chief Inspector Gamache Mystery Series

Sara Rosett: Ellie Avery Mom Zone Mystery Series

Barbara Ross: Clammed Up (Maine Clambake Mystery Series, book #1)

Hank Phillippi Ryan: Jane Ryland Mystery Series

Christine Wenger: Do or Diner (Comfort Food Mystery Series, book #1)

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

Starry Night’s Debbie Macomber on the Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family Show

Here’s a quick note to let those of you who are Debbie Macomber’s fans know that she will be on the Hallmark channel’s Home & Family show tomorrow, Tuesday, October 22. I know this is short notice, but better now than never.

I am currently writing a post about the Home & Family show, so I will keep this brief. It airs from 9:00 to 11:00 AM (Central), obviously on the Hallmark channel.

Debbie Macomber is on the Cozy Mystery site, even though she is not a mystery author. I know a lot of you follow her books. (I believe I added her to the site after watching the first of the two Mrs. Miracle Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel. Mrs. Miracle in 2009 followed by Call Me Mrs. Miracle the next year. >>> Can you tell I enjoy her Christmas movies?)

Debbie Macomber will be talking about Starry Night, her 2013 Christmas novel. I don’t know how they plan on interviewing her, but a lot of the time, on this show, they have the guest for the day stay with them the entire two hours. We’ll see what they do tomorrow!

Mystery Books with a Cards Theme: Poker, Bridge, Gambling, & Card Games Mysteries

Susan* recently asked this question:

“… do you have a page for Card Game / Gambling Mysteries? I looked, but I couldn’t find one, …  I’ve found several Poker / Bridge based mysteries.”

At first I thought that I did have a Mystery Books with Cards Theme already done, but when I looked, it turns out I had the wrong type of Card in mind: Card Making Cozy Mystery theme. Still on my quest, I came up with two other possibilities: Crossword Puzzles and Bunco Mystery Books and Sudoku Mystery Books. (As Groucho Marx used to say: Close, but no cigar.)

Mystery Books with a Cards Theme (Poker, Bridge, Gambling, & Card Games Mysteries):

Jackie Chance: Poker Mystery Series

Jessie Chandler: Bingo Barge Murder (Shay O’Hanlon Caper mysteries, book #1)

Agatha Christie: Cards on the Table

Debra H. Goldstein: Carrie Martin and the Mah Jongg Players Mystery Series

Honor Hartman (aka Miranda James, Jimmie Ruth Evans, & Dean James): Bridge Club Mystery Series

Marlys Millhiser: Nobody Dies in a Casino

Gail Oust: Bunco Babes Mystery Series

Please post a comment if you know of any other mystery authors who write Poker Mysteries, Bridge Mysteries, Gambling Mysteries, or any other Card Game Mysteries.

Thanks!

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