The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Ruth Rendell…. Timeless….

This doesn’t happen very often… but when it does, it is something I think about… I am listening to the same author on my audio as I am (actually) reading. That, to me, shows me just how much I enjoy an author. I can probably count the times that has happened to an even dozen times, or even less!

The part that amazes me so much is that I am actually reading my first Inspector Wexford novel!  I have read nine of Ruth Rendell’s (aka Barbara Vine’s) novels, but for some reason, not one of her Wexford books. So, over the weekend, when I had a real hankering for a classic cozy, I went through my MANY TBR (To Be Read) novels, and pulled out several authors: Agatha Christie, Heron Carvic, Ruth Rendell, Gladys Mitchell, P. D. James, Patricia Moyes, and even two romantic-classic cozy authors: Victoria Holt and Rae Foley. [I even pulled an E. V. Cunningham (aka Howard Fast) novel out… I haven’t read one of his books in a very long while!] I wasn’t quite sure which one I wanted to begin my "classic" cozy quest with, but, after looking at the information that each book’s cover/flap gave… I thought: What better time to start the Wexford novels!?!

And, I have NOT been disappointed!

What I really find interesting is how an author like Rendell has written books starting in the early 1960s all the way into the 2000s. I know that there are many authors who are able to span that many years, but, it always interests me when I find an author who can do it… and who does it so well that the books at both ends of the time span are equally good!

So, now that I know this, I won’t limit my Ruth Rendell reading enjoyment to just her latest books. Wow! I have a limitless number of Rendell’s work from which to choose!

February 2008 Cozy Mystery New Releases

Here is a list of new (Cozy) Mysteries that will be hitting the stores in February of 2008. It looks like we are in for some very good reads!

Nancy Atherton: Aunt Dimity: Vampire Hunter  (This will be the 13th in the Aunt Dimity Series…)

Deb Baker: Dolly Departed (The third in the Dolls to Die For Series…)

Stephanie Barron: A Flaw in the Blood (This will be a Stand-Alone…)

M. C. Beaton: Death of a Gentle Lady  (This will be the 23rd in the Hamish Macbeth Series…)

Rita Mae Brown: The Purrfect Murder (This will be the 16th in the Mrs. Murphy Series…)

Barbara Colley: Wash and Die (This will be the 8th in the Charlotte LaRue Series…)

Joanne Fluke: Carrot Cake Murder (This will be the 10th in the Hannah Swensen Series…if you don’t count her “novella” in the Candy Cane Murder!)

G. M. Ford: The Nameless Night (This will be a Stand-Alone…)

Margaret Grace (aka Camille Minichino): Murder in Miniature  (This will be the first in the NEW Miniature Mystery Series…)

Martha Grimes: Dakota (This will be the 2nd in the Andi Oliver Series…)

Rosemary Harris: Pushing Up Daisies (This will be the first in the NEW Dirty Business Series…)

Rett MacPherson:  The Blood Ballad (This will be the 11th in the Torie O’Shea Series…)

Tamar Myers:  As the World Churns

Sharan Newman: The Shanghai Tunnel (This will be the first in the NEW Emily Stratton Series…)

Robert B. Parker: Stranger in Paradise (This will be the 8th in the Jesse Stone Series…)

James Patterson & Maxine Paetro: 7th Heaven (This will be the 7th in the Women’s Murder Club Series…)

Cathy Pickens: Hush My Mouth (This will be the 4th in the Southern Fried Series…)

Peter Robinson: Friend of the Devil (This will the the 17th in the Inspector Banks Series…)

Lisa Scottoline: Lady Killer (This will be 12th in the Rosato & Associates Series…)

Patricia Houck Sprinkle:  What are You Wearing to Die?  (This will be the tenth in the Thoroughly Southern Series…)

Dana Stabenow: Prepared for Rage (This will be a Stand-Alone…)

Jacqueline Winspear: An Incomplete Revenge  (This will be 5th in the Maisie Dobbs Series…)

*****To go back to the Cozy Mystery New Releases page click here*****

English / British Theme Mysteries… T, U, & W

OK! This should be my last installment of British Cozy Mysteries. I am only including the British Mysteries that are currently on the Cozy Mystery site. Again, I want to point out that not all of the authors are from Great Britain, rather the books take place there:

Alison G. Taylor: Her Welsh sleuth is a Chief Inspector.

Josephine Tey: Alan Grant Mystery Series

Graham Thomas: The series features a Scotland Yard Superintendent.

Charles Todd: A mother & son writing duo (Caroline & Charles) pen a series that is centered around a Scotland Yard detective who has survived WW I.

Rebecca Tope: The Cotswold Mystery Series features a house-sitter sleuth.

Rebecca Tope: The Lake District Myteries are set in the lake district.

Peter Tremayne: The Sister Fidelma series is set in Ireland during the seventh century.

Christine Trent: Florence Nightingale Mystery Series – Florence is a nurse in England during the 1850s.

Nicola Upson: The Josephine Tey Mystery Series is based on the “real life” author of Scotland Yard’s Alan Grant Mystery Series.

Jill Paton Walsh: Her series features a nurse in Cambridge. The estate of Dorothy L. Sayers had Walsh finish some transcripts for them.

Minette Walters: Not cozy, but very good.

Ashley Weaver: The Amory Ames Mystery Series features a wealthy, young woman in 1930s Britain.

Patricia Wentworth: The Miss Maude Silver series and many stand-alones.

Marty Wingate: The Potting Shed series and the Birds of a Feather series.

R. D. Wingfield: The wonderful Inspector Jack Frost series.

Jacqueline Winspear: Her sleuth lives in London during the early 1900s.

Sara Woods (aka Anne Burton, Mary Challis, & Margaret Leek): Antony Maitland is a British barrister.

Patricia Wynn: Set in England during the 1700s.

Other British lists:

Authors beginning with A & B

Authors beginning with C & D

Authors beginning with E, F, G, & H

Authors beginning with I, J, K, L, M, & N

Authors beginning with P, R, & S

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

English / British Mystery Books Theme : P, R, S

The following are the (Cozy) Mysteries that are set in Great Britain. These are by mystery authors (both British and non-British) whose last names begin with P, R, & S:

Robin Paige: The writing team comprised of Susan Wittig Albert and Bill Albert (her husband) write a Victorian mystery series.

Kate Parker: Milliner Mystery Series, Victorian Bookshop Mystery Series, & Deadly Mystery Series

Paula Paul (aka Paula Carter): Dr. Alexandra Gladstone Mystery Series

Andrea Penrose: Lady Arianna Regency Mystery Series

Andrea Penrose: Wrexford & Sloan Mystery Series is set in  Regency London.

Anne Perry: She has several British series from which to pick.

Elizabeth Peters (aka Barbara Michaels, Barbara Mertz):  She writes a series set in Victorian England which features an Egyptologist.

Ann Purser: She writes a “days of the week” series featuring a house cleaner. Lois Meade Mystery Series & Ivy Beasley Mystery Series

Sheila Radley: Radley writes the Inspector Quantrill Mystery Series which features a country policeman and his sergeant.

Ruth Rendell (aka Barbara Vine): She writes the Chief Inspector Wexford series and many superior stand-alones.

Phil Rickman: The Merrily Watkins Mystery Series

David Roberts: His series is set in the 1930s and features an aristocrat and a journalist duo.

Peter Robinson: The Chief Inspector Alan Banks series.

Kate Ross: Her series is set in 1820s London.

Betty Rowlands: Both of her series are set in England.

C. J. Sansom: 16th century England is the setting for his Matthew Shardlake Mystery Series.

Dorothy L. Sayers: The popular Lord Peter Wimsey novels

Catherine Shaw: Her series is set in late 1800s England.

John Sherwood: His botanist/horticulturalist/sleuth lives in London.

Dorothy Simpson: Her series features a police inspector.

Nicola Slade: Both of her series take place in England, one of them during  Victorian times.

Joanna Campbell Slan: Her Jane Eyre Chronicles Mystery Series is set in mid 1800s England.

Cynthia Smith: Her Emma Rhodes Mystery Series features a PI who guarantees to solve her clients’ problems in one week.

Veronica Stallwood: Her mystery series is set in Oxford.

Rosemary Stevens (aka Rosemary Martin): Her series takes place during the late 1700s, early 1800s.

Ann Summerville: Her stand-alones feature British sleuths.

Other British lists:

Authors beginning with A & B

Authors beginning with C & D

Authors beginning with E, F, G, & H

Authors beginning with I, J, K, L, M, & N

Authors beginning with T , U, & W

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

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