The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

New Mystery Book Authors on the Site: Joani Ascher, Gayle Carline, Tina Czarnota, & R. Michael Phillips

Here are the  site’s  four most recent additions of  mystery book authors. These are all authors who have been recommended to me as mystery book authors who “belong” on the site.

Joani Ascher: Wally Morris Mystery Series… Ascher writes this series about a New Jersey pre-school teacher who also solves mysteries. (Each of the books begins with the word “Vengeance.”)

Gayle Carline: Peri Minneopa Mystery Series… Carline, who used to be a software engineer, has just started this series (set in California) about an ex-house cleaner who gets her P. I. license. 

Tina Czarnota: Country Inn, Dead & Breakfast Mystery Series… Czarnota writes this series which features a Bed & Breakfast sleuth.

R. Michael Phillips: Ernie Bisquets Mystery Series… Phillips (a painter for over three decades) is using his knowledge of art to write this series which features an art forger/sleuth who becomes involved with the East London Adventurers Club.

An English Murder… a PERFECT British Mystery Book Set During Christmas

I recently finished a really good Christmas theme mystery book… An English Murder. It was such a treat to read this book, and it certainly made me a Cyril Hare fan!

It is set in a British estate, which incidentally becomes snow-bound. It has a cast of possible future victims, or is it a cast of future culprits?

One of the (almost) cast of characters is the snow, of which there is a WHOLE LOT! And of course, there is the loyal butler who has worked for the mansion’s/estate’s family for years and years, and then even more years! He is loyal to the nth degree…

What would the very upper class British family be without a “black sheep” son?!? Oh, and don’t forget about the non-British guest in the house… along with the “black sheep” son’s childhood companion, and other guests with lots of motives and secrets.

Cyril Hare‘s An English Murder was a real delight for me to read, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is craving a little snow-bound Christmas mystery. The only bad thing about this book is that it may be difficult to locate>>> I would definitely check with your library and get on the waiting list right now!

Short Mystery Fiction Society 2009 Derringer Awards:

Congratulations to all of those nominated AND to those who won! The Short Mystery Fiction Society announced the winners of the 2009 Derringer Awards:

2009 Derringer Award Best Flash Story (1,000 Words or Less):
No Flowers for Stacey by Ruth McCarty   (Tied Winner)
No Place Like Home by Dee Stuart   (Tied Winner)
A Killing Season by J.F. Benedetto
Black Pearls by James C. Clar
Rainy Day Fund by J.K. Cummins
Incident in Itawamba by Gary Hoffman
This Bird has Flown by BV Lawson

2009 Derringer Award Best Short Story (1,001 – 4,000 Words):
The Cost of Doing Business by Michael Penncavage (Winner)
Independence Day by Allan Leverone
Regrets, I’ve Had a Few by Allan Leverone
Taste for It by Sophie Littlefield
Stalkers by Lew Stowe
Wishing on Whores by John Weagly

2009 Derringer Award Best Long Story (4,001 – 8,000 Words):
The Quick Brown Fox by Robert S. Levinson (Winner)
Bonnie and Clyde Caper by O’Neil De Noux
The Big Score by Chris Holm
The Art of Avarice by Darrell James
Dead Even by Frank Zafiro

2009 Derringer Award Best Novelette (8,001 – 17,500 Words):
Too Wise by O’Neil De Noux (Winner)
Haven’t Seen You Since the Funeral by Ernest B & Alice A. Brown
Vegetable Matters by Terry W. Ervin II
Jack Best and the Line in the Sand by Steve Olley
Panic on Portage Path by Dick Stodghill

2009 Recipient of the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer Award for Lifetime Achievement:
Clark Howard

This will be the last post about mystery book awards for a little while. (I have gotten so far behind on the 2009 award postings.)

♦Back to the Mystery Book Awards page♦

2009 Nero Wolfe Award Finalists…

Congratulations to the Finalists for the 2009 Nero Wolfe  Awards. The (yearly) Black Orchid Banquet will be taking place in early December, so we will have to wait until then to find out which of the three finalists is chosen as the Winner… Let’s face it, though, all three of them are winners for being finalists!

2009 Nero Wolfe Award Finalists:

The Dark Tide by Andrew Gross

The Tenth Case by Joseph Teller

The Fault Tree by Louise Ure

I’ll try to be a little more timely when it comes to posting the winner!

♦Back to the Mystery Book Awards page♦

MENU