The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Mystery Books that Take Place in South Carolina …

Here are some fun South Carolina facts:
The capital & largest city is Columbia.
State motto is “While I breathe, I hope” (“Dum Spiro Spero”)
State flower is the Yellow Jessamine.
State bird is the Carolina Wren.
Origin of the South Carolina’s Name: In honor of England’s Charles I.
State nickname is Palmetto State. (This is because the American fort on Sullivan Island’s walls were made out of Palmetto logs, which helped to protect the fort when the British cannonballs ricocheted off of the spongy Palmetto logs.)

Mystery authors who are found on the Cozy Mystery Site who feature south Carolina locations/settings in their books:

Susan M. Boyer: Liz Talbot Mystery Series

Elizabeth Lynn Casey (aka Laura Bradford): Southern Sewing Circle Mystery Series

Laura Childs: Theodosia Browning Tea Shop Mystery Series

Caroline Cousins: Indigo Island Mystery Series

Nora DeLoach: Mama Detective Mystery Series

Carolyn Hart: Death on Demand Mystery Series AND Henrie O Mystery Series

Sean Keefer: Stand Alone Mystery: The Trust

Joyce & Jim Lavene: Renaissance Faire Mystery Series

Kendel Lynn: Elliott Lisbon Mystery Series

Tyora Moody: Eugeena Patterson Mystery Series

Tamar Myers: Den of Antiquity Mystery Series

Gail Oust: Bunco Babes Mystery Series

Cathy Pickens: Southern Fried Mystery Series

Fran Rizer: Callie Parrish Mystery Series

Paige Shelton: Farmers’ Market Mystery Series

Kathryn R. Wall: Bay Tanner Mystery Series

Please feel free to comment if you see an author from the Cozy Mystery Site who belongs on this list, or if you have any corrections.

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

Mystery Book Theme: Actors and Actresses

I was asked by a Cozy Mystery site reader to do an entry that would include actors and dancers. I have decided to separate the two themes. This post includes mystery books that feature actors. I have only included the authors who can be found on the Cozy Mystery site:

Lydia Adamson: Alice Nestleton Mystery Series

Conrad Allen (aka Edward Marston & Keith Miles): George Porter Dillman Mystery Series

Marian Babson: Trixie Dolan & Evangeline Sinclair Mystery Series

George Baxt: Celebrity Sleuths Mystery Series

Simon Brett: Charles Paris Mystery Series

Jeffrey Cohen (aka E. J. Copperman): Double Feature Mystery Series

Lesley Cookman: Libby Sarjeant Mystery Series

Eileen Davidson: Soap Opera Mystery Series

Jane Dentinger: Jocelyn O’Roarke Mystery Series

Susan Dunlap: Darcy Lott Mystery Series

Jerrilyn Farmer & Joan Rivers: Red Carpet Mystery Series

Kellye Garrett: Detective by Day Mystery Series

Ann Granger: Fran Varady Mystery Series

Kerry Greenwood: Ruddy Gore (7th in the Phryne Fisher Mystery Series)

Stuart M. Kaminisky: Toby Peters Mystery Series

Ngaio Marsh: Night at the Vulcan (aka Opening Night)

Edward Marston (aka Keith Miles & Conrad Allen): Elizabethan Theatre Mystery Series

Stefanie Matteson: Charlotte Graham Mystery Series

Linda Palmer (aka Melinda Wells): Daytime Mystery Series

Melinda Wells (aka Linda Palmer): Della Cooks Mystery Series

Please feel free to comment if you see an author from the Cozy Mystery Site who belongs on this list, or if you have any corrections.

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

Aileen G. Baron, Alan Bradley, Catherine O’Connell, & Chessen Parker… the Four Newest Author Additions to the Cozy Mystery Site

Aileen G. Baron: Lily Sampson Mystery Series… Lily is an archaelogy graduate student in the early to mid 1900s. Baron, who has her Ph.D. in archaelogy/anthropology has also taught in Fullerton’s California State University.

Alan Bradley: Flavia de Luce Mystery Series… Flavia is an eleven year old British girl/sleuth. Bradley has won many mystery writing awards, including the prestigious Agatha Award.

Catherine O’Connell: High Society Mystery Series… Pauline Cook is a widowed socialite living in Chicago. Pauline spends a lot of her time traveling, as well as sleuthing.

Chessen Parker: Crystal Coast Mystery Series… Clara Dare Ivankova lives in a coastal village in North Carolina. Parker attended Duke University Law School, and has, as her sleuth, an attorney.

Some of the Cozy (and Not So Cozy) Mystery Series I Read:

I have been asked to write about some of the authors who I read. I think that I will begin by telling you about the mystery authors I follow – who have been around for many years, and whose works have withstood the test of time. I know that most of you are familiar with these authors, but if you aren’t, then do yourself a favor and check them out. (I’ll write another time about “more current” authors who I follow…)

Agatha Christie: I enjoy both her Miss Marple and her Poirot mystery series, although I am a bit more partial to Miss Marple. (since 1922)

Dorothy Gilman: I love sleuthing and traveling with Mrs. Pollifax. (since 1966)

Martha Grimes: I truly enjoy the Jury & Plant mystery series. (since 1981) (I know that 1981 doesn’t seem like “around for many years” but I went ahead and added her since I have MacLeod on the list, and she was only three years before Grimes…)

Cyril Hare: Hare’s style of writing seems effortless. I know I have mentioned (many times!) how much I enjoy his Christmas mystery called An English Murder.  I also enjoy following his Inspector Mallet series, as well as his (very short) Francis Pettigrew series. (since 1937)

Reginald Hill: There’s nothing Cozy about Dalziel & Pascoe, but what a treat this mystery series is to read! (since 1970)

Charlotte MacLeod/Alisa Craig: I love her Peter Shandy mystery series, followed by her Sarah Kelling series. (I guess I prefer her MacLeod mystery series over her Craig mysteries.) (since 1978)

Ngaio Marsh: Inspector Roderick Alleyn is one of my very favorite inspectors. (since 1931)

Patricia Moyes: Here’s yet another inspector I enjoy. I also love Inspector Henry Tibbett! (since 1958)

Stuart Palmer: His Hildegard Withers Mystery series is another series I follow. (since 1931)

Ellis Peters: Her Brother Cadfael mystery series is one of the best historical mystery series that I know of. (since 1951)

Ruth Rendell: Inspector Wexford is yet another inspector I love to follow. (since 1964)

I know that I have talked about “pacing” myself before. Since most of these series are limited to a number of mysteries, I try not to read the books too often. For example, last year I read one Dorothy Gilman, two Cyril Hare, three Reginald Hill, two Ngaio Marsh, one Stuart Palmer, two Ellis Peters, and five Agatha Christie mysteries. I just don’t want to read through the series so fast that I finally run out of these authors’ books! That’s how good I think they are!

How about you? Do you have a “been-around-for-a-while” mystery author (or two, or three…) who you love to read?

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