I just posted four "new" authors who I absolutely cannot believe I didn’t know about! I certainly am glad that I am going through all of the nominations (and winners) of the Agatha Awards. I will try to make a mental note to post the "new" authors on the What’s New page of this site, as I "discover" them.

As many years as I have been reading cozy mysteries, it is always a very pleasant surprise when I find a new author who I can spend time reading. Of course, they aren’t "new" authors to the cozy mystery reading world, just authors who I somehow overlooked during my quest for cozy mystery authors. I can see that most of them have been writing cozies for years, which is a great thing for those of us who previously hadn’t heard of them………. since we have several years of cozy mysteries to catch up on.

And, what better time to be looking through the Agatha Award lists……. since the Malice Domestic convention is taking place this very weekend. I will post this year’s winners as soon as I find out who they are. But, let’s face it………. being nominated for an Agatha is winning already! 

I had to actually go back in my blogs to find out when I started reading the first book in the Madoc Rhys series (by Alisa Craig.) I posted the blog entry on March 31, and finally finished the book a few days ago. I simply cannot believe that it took me almost a month to finish that book!

A site-user asked me if there are more than the five novels in the Madoc Rhys series…. No, unfortunately, there are not. I mentioned in my comment back (Yes, I have enabled the comment button, and am going to see how it goes…. the button can be found at the bottom of the blog entry.) Anyway, I told her that my "verdict" on the Craig/MacLeod issue is that Alisa Craig can stand up to Charlotte MacLeod. (The same person, but different series.) Well, I have been thinking about the Craig/MacLeod issue, and after pondering the idea for a few days, I think that I still prefer MacLeod’s two series over her Craig series.

I like Madoc Rhys, but not as much as I like Sarah Kelling or Peter Shandy. I don’t know if my preference stems from the fact that since I have read so many of those books, I have gotten to really know the characters, or if I simply like those books more. Perhaps if I had started with the Craig books and then only read the first two in the Peter Shandy series, I would have preferred the Craig books. (Does this make sense…. I’m not sure I even understand what I am saying?!)

I have all of the Craig books, so I am going to try another one before I firmly decide. And, since I like the Madoc Rhys books that I have read (I read the second one first, and then the first one second…. which is always a mistake!!!— If you have read some of the comments on the site, you will know that I am a firm believer in reading a series in the correct order!…. But, since the second book of the series is a Christmas book, I jumped ahead one holiday season.)

So, I guess that my verdict isn’t firmly in…. I will have to wait and read another Craig book, and then see if I can "firmly" decide. I hope it doesn’t take close to a month! I don’t care how hectic life gets, we should always have time for reading a cozy!

Well, I know I have written several times about how important it is to me to read a series in the correct chronological order.  Having said that, I must admit that I have had to read some series out of order….. not really on purpose, but …. sort of.

Susan Rogers Cooper is one of my favorite cozy mystery authors. She has three series, and I have read all three. That’s a lot of books! The only one I haven’t read is The Man in the Green Chevy, which is the first Milt Kovak cozy. I tried desperately to buy a copy of that book, but was unable to find it. At one time, I was eagerly waiting for my library to pull off an inter library loan, but that fell through. Boy! Was I having a difficult time finding that book!

Cooper’s three series are based on main characters who come from very different backgrounds. The E. J. Pugh series is about a romance novelist who lives in Texas.  The Kimmey Kruse series is about a stand-up comedian, and Milt Kovak is a sheriff from Oklahoma. I think that "Milt’s series" is my favorite……. which is a good thing, since it looks like Susan is continuing to write those books. (There hasn’t been a Kimmey Kruse books since 1994.) Vegas Nerve is set for a 2007 publication…. and I can’t wait to read it….. after I finally read The Man in the Green Chevy, since (after several years of searching) I have finally gotten a copy of it!