The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

September 2016 Mystery Book New Releases

The following Mystery Books will be released in September 2016:

Kathleen Bacus: Calamity Jayne Mysteries Boxed Set (This boxed set will include books 6, 7, & 8.)

M. C. Beaton (aka Marion Chesney): Pushing up Daisies (This will be the 27th in the Agatha Raisin Mystery Series.)

Alan Bradley: Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew’d (This will be the 8th in the Flavia de Luce Mystery Series.)

Julia Buckley: Cheddar Off Dead (This will be the 2nd in the Undercover Dish Mystery Series.) (This is a Christmas themed mystery.)

Ellen Byron: Body on the Bayou (This will be the 2nd in the Cajun Country Mystery Series.)

Jennifer Chiaverini: Fates and Traitors: A Novel of John Wilkes Booth (This will be a Stand Alone novel. Not a mystery.)

Harlan Coben: Home (This will be a Stand Alone Thriller.)

Peg Cochran (aka Meg London): No Farm, No Foul (This will be the 1st in the Farmer’s Daughter Mystery Series.)

Margaret Coel: Winter’s Child (This will be the 20th in the Wind River Reservation Mystery Series.)

E.J. Copperman (aka Jeffrey Cohen): The Question of the Felonious Friend (This will be the 3rd in the Asperger’s Mystery Series.)

Shelley Costa: A Killer’s Guide to Good Works (This will be the 2nd in the Val Cameron Mystery Series.)

Kathi Daley: Murder at the Witching Hour (This will be the 3rd in the Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mystery Series.)

Laura DiSilverio (aka Ella Barrick & Lila Dare): Close Call (This will be a Stand Alone Mystery novel.)

Susan Dunlap: Out of Nowhere (This will be the 6th in the Darcy Lott Mystery Series.)

Jessica Estevao (aka Jessie Crockett): Whispers Beyond the Veil (This will be the 1st in the NEW Change of Fortune Mystery Series.)

Vickie Fee: It’s Your Party, Die if You Want To (This will be the 2nd in the Liv and Di In Dixie Mystery Series.) (This is a Halloween themed mystery.)

Chrystle Fiedler: Dandelion Dead (This will be the 4th in the Natural Remedies Mystery Mystery Series.)

Jean Flowers (aka Margaret Grace, Ada Madison, & Camille Minichino): Cancelled by Murder (This will be the 2nd in the Postmistress Mystery Series.)

Joanne Fluke: Christmas Caramel Murder (This will be the 20th in the Hannah Swensen Mystery Series.) (This is a Christmas themed mystery.)

Yasmine Galenorn (aka India Ink): Shadow Silence (This will be the 2nd in the Whisper Hollow Mystery Series.)

Margaret Grace (aka Camille Minichino, Ada Madison, & Jean Flowers): Matrimony in Miniature (This will be the 9th in the Miniature Mystery Series.) (This is a Wedding themed mystery.)

Sally Gunning: Monticello (This will be a Stand-Alone non-mystery.)

Nancy Haddock: Paint the Town Dead (This will be the 2nd in the Silver Six Crafty Mystery Series.)

Gemma Halliday & Kelly Rey: Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Brash Blonde (This will be the 1st in the NEW Marty Hudson Mystery Series.)

Carl Hiaasen: Razor Girl (This will be a Stand Alone novel.)

Delia James: By Familiar Means (This will be the 2nd in the Witch’s Cat Mystery Series.)

Miranda James (aka Honor Hartman, Jimmie Ruth Evans, & Dean James): Digging Up the Dirt (This will be the 3rd in the Southern Ladies Mystery Series.)

J.A. Jance: Downfall (This will be the 17th in the Joanna Brady Mystery Series.)

Tonya Kappes: A Charming Voodoo (This will be the 10th in the Magical Cures Mystery Series.) (This is a Halloween themed mystery.)

Sofie Kelly (aka Sofie Ryan & Darlene Ryan): Two Tall Tails (This will be two stories in the Magical Cats Mystery Series.)

William Kent Krueger: Manitou Canyon (This will be the 15th in the Cork O’Connor Mystery Series.)

Leslie Langtry: Movie Night Murder (This will be the 4th in the Merry Wrath Mystery Series.)

Anna Loan-Wilsey: A March to Remember (This will be the 5th in the Hattie Darvish Mystery Series.)

Colette London: The Semi-Sweet Hereafter (This will be the 3rd in the Chocolate Whisperer Mystery Series.)

Jess Lourey: Salem’s Cipher (This will be the 1st in the NEW (non Cozy) Witch Hunter Mystery Series.)

Archer Mayor: Presumption of Guilt (This will be the 27th in the Joe Gunther Mystery Series.)

Susan McBride: Walk Into Silence (This will be 3rd in the Maggie Ryan Mystery Series.)

Mary McHugh: High Kicks, Hot Chocolate, and Homicides (This will be the 5th in the Happy Hoofers Mystery Series.) (This is a Christmas themed mystery.)

Leslie Meier: British Manor Murder (This will be the 23rd in the Lucy Stone Mystery Series.)

Joyce Carol Oates: Soul at the White Heat (not a mystery)

James Patterson: Trump vs. Clinton: In Their Own Words (This will be a Stand Alone non-mystery “BookShot” – Amazon describes these as “Novels you can devour in a few hours”).)

James Patterson & Maxine Paetro: Woman of God (This will be a Stand Alone Thriller.)

James Patterson & Max DiLallo: 113 Minutes (This will be a Stand Alone “BookShot” – Amazon describes these as “Novels you can devour in a few hours”)

James Patterson & Andrew Holmes: Hunted (This will be a “BookShot” – Amazon describes these as “Novels you can devour in a few hours”)

Anne Perry: Revenge in a Cold River (This will be the 22nd in the William Monk Mystery Series.)

J. D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts): Apprentice in Death (This will be the 44th in the In Death Mystery Series.)

Clea Simon: Into the Grey (This will be the 10th in the Dulcie Schwartz Mystery Series.)

Denise Swanson: Murder of a Cranky Catnapper (This will be the 19th in the Scumble River Mystery Series.)

Robert K. Tanenbaum: Infamy (This will be the 28th in the Butch Karp and Marlene Ciampi Mystery Series.)

Lea Wait: Shadows on a Morning in Maine (This will be the 8th in the Shadows Antique Print Mystery Series.)

LynDee Walker: Lethal Lifestyles (This will be the 6th in the Headlines in Heels Mystery Series.) (This is a wedding themed mystery.)

***** ***** *****

If you want to see this month’s releases, go to the August 2016 Mystery Book New Releases.

You can find these and many more Cozies scheduled for release soon on the Soon to be Released Mysteries page on my site.

(These are the mysteries by authors who are currently on the Cozy Mystery site.)

Cozy Mystery Book Recommendations – July 2016

As it will soon my August, it’s time for me to ask you ALL about the Cozies you’ve been reading this month. As some of you know, I highlighted two Cozy Mystery series (Cleo Coyle’s Coffeehouse Mystery Series and Leslie Meier’s Lucy Stone Mystery Series) that are popular for a reason: they’re both great examples of what we look for in our Cozies! So rather than repeat everything I previously said about my two picks for this month’s recommendations, I’ll refer you to the Most Popular & Recommended Cozy Mystery Series page on my Cozy-Mystery site.

So, are there any Cozy Mysteries that you’ve read during July that you think stand out as better than the rest of the Cozies you read this month? If so, would you please tell us about these really good Cozies and why you liked them so much? I think it’s fair to say that most of us are always on the look-out for new-to-us Cozy Mystery authors! We’d appreciate hearing about the Cozy Mysteries you especially liked, so that we can read them, too. (If you have a lot of Cozies you think are terrific, would you post the ones you think are even better than the others at the top of the list?)

As usual, please do not tell us about the Cozy Mysteries you did not like.

What really good Cozy Mystery did you read during July 2016 that you want the rest of us to know about, and why did you enjoy it?

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

Ellery Adams (aka Jennifer Stanley, J. B. Stanley, & 1/2 of Lucy Arlington): Book Retreat Mystery Series

Isabella Alan (aka Amanda Flower): Amish Quilt Shop Mystery Series

Ellie Alexander (aka Kate Dyer-Seeley): Bakeshop Mystery Series

Beverly Allen (aka Barbara Early): Bridal Bouquet Shop Mystery Series

Donna Andrews: Meg Langslow Mystery Series

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

Mignon F. Ballard: Miss Dimple Mystery Series

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

Clara Benson: Angela Marchmont Mystery Series (The Murder at Sissingham Hall is book #1)

Jennie Bentley (aka Jenna Bennett & Bente Gallagher): Do-It-Yourself Mystery Series

Janet Bolin: Threadville Mystery Series

Laura Bradford (aka Elizabeth Lynn Casey): Emergency Squad Dessert Mystery Series

Julia Buckley: Writer’s Apprentice Mystery Series

Julia Buckley: Undercover Dish Mystery Series

Lucy Burdette (aka Roberta Isleib): Key West Food Critic Mystery Series

Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli (aka Elizabeth Lee): Little Library Mystery Series

E.J. Copperman (aka Jeffrey Cohen): Mysterious Detective Mystery Series

Cleo Coyle (aka Alice Kimberly): Coffeehouse Mystery Series

Jeanne M. Dams: Dorothy Martin Mystery Series

Krista Davis: Domestic Diva Mystery Series

Laura DiSilverio (aka Lila Dare & Ella Barrick): Mall Cop Mystery Series

Wendy Sand Eckel: Rosalie Hart Mystery Series (Murder at Barclay Meadow, book #1)

Joan Hess (aka Joan Hadley): Maggody Mystery Series

Julianne Holmes: Clock Shop Mystery Series

Ellen Elizabeth Hunter: Magnolia Mystery Series

Julie Hyzy: Manor of Murder Mystery Series

J.A. Jance: Ali Reynolds Mystery Series

Rett MacPherson: Torie O’Shea Mystery Series

Connie di Marco (aka Connie Archer): Zodiac Mystery Series

Mary Marks: Martha Rose Quilting Mystery Series

Lisa Q. Mathews: Ladies Smythe & Westin Mystery Series (Cardiac Arrest is book #1)

Jenn McKinlay (aka Josie Belle & Lucy Lawrence): Cupcake Bakery Mystery Series

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

Leslie Meier: Lucy Stone Mystery Series

Leigh Perry (aka Toni L.P. Kelner): Family Skeleton Mystery Series

Hannah Reed (aka Deb Baker): Scottish Highlands Mystery Series

Delia Rosen: Deadly Deli Mystery Series

Sara Rosett: Ellie Avery Mystery Series

Ann B. Ross: Miss Julia Mystery Series

Jane Thynne: Clara Vine Mystery Series (Black Roses is book #1)

Charles Todd: Ian Rutledge Mystery Series

Diane Vallere: Material Witness Mystery Series

Peggy Webb: Southern Cousins Mystery Series

[If you click on the author’s name (blue) link, it will take you to his/her page on the Cozy Mystery site. The pages have all of the authors’ books listed chronologically.]

I will list the authors and series that have been recommended, but I urge you to read the comments below so you can see the reasons other Cozy Mystery readers thought these were their best reads of the month.

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

P.S. I usually don’t comment on your recommendations since they speak for themselves.

Cleo Coyle: Coffeehouse Mystery Series

Next on my list of the most popular & recommended Cozy Mystery series is the Coffeehouse Mystery Series by Cleo Coyle. This very popular series is a New York Times Bestselling series for a reason! I probably should mention that Cleo Coyle is actually a husband and wife writing team, but I think it will be easier to  just refer to the author as “her” in this entry. The duo also writes the Haunted Bookshop Mystery Series as Alice Kimberly.

On What Grounds is the first book in this very popular series, and it introduces us to Clare Cosi, an almost 40 year old manager of a historic New York coffeehouse, the Village Blend. As the book begins Clare is just about to finish moving into the apartment above the coffeehouse, having just returned to manage the Blend after a 10 year hiatus to raise her daughter in the New Jersey suburbs. She has returned as manager >>> lured by the promise of “Madame” (the aging owner) that she would get an ownership stake in the shop. Madame has also made a similar deal with her son (Clare’s ex-husband Matt). So Clare and her ex will be living in the same rooms above the shop, at least during a week or so every month when Matt, a coffee buyer, will be in town. (As an aside, why do most all good things come with at least one not-so-good?)

As Clare is arriving early one morning with the final things in her car from her move, she discovers that her assistant, Annabelle, has not opened the shop. When she takes a look around she finds Annabelle’s nearly lifeless body at the bottom of the stairs leading to the basement storeroom. I doubt I give too much away when I say that (of course!) Annabelle was not the victim of a tragic accident. Clare suspects foul play – and she won’t stop until she finds the culprit.

The detective in charge of determining whether Annabelle fell or was pushed is Detective Quinn. (Hmmm… As this is the first book in the series, the reader may wonder if Detective Quinn and Clare’s ex-husband Matt provide a romantic rivalry in the series? No spoilers here, but I will say I certainly hope so!) Also in Clare’s life is her daughter, Joy, who is also Matt’s daughter. Joy is attending culinary school in the city, which is one of the reasons that Clare was willing to come back to the Blend.

There are a lot of Cozy Mystery theme books that just provide the barest of background information related to the books’ theme. This book isn’t like those series. The making and drinking of coffee is woven throughout the book. You will no doubt learn what goes into buying coffee beans and even proper techniques to make a great cup. Also, the book contains many coffee recipes and tips. (I know I’m only discussing the first book in the series, but I want to interject that all of the Coffeehouse mysteries have recipes in them.)

Cleo Coyle’s Coffeehouse series takes place in New York City, but the author is able to provide a small community in the midst of NYC by making the coffeehouse into a small community. On What Grounds is a great start to the series with just the right combination of character introduction and sleuthing. The mystery is difficult enough to solve that I did not guess the ending >>> but looking back on it I think I should have! There were plenty of clues, I just missed them! Although there is a lot of discussion about coffee, the theme does not become overwhelming, and I would guess that even non-coffee lovers would still enjoy the book.

This is a Cozy Mystery series I’ve followed since its beginning, and I’m looking forward to the next one, which is scheduled to be published in January 2017. (Even though I haven’t caught up with it, I always like to hear there’s another on the way!)

As always, if you’re interested in seeing more highlights of some of the most recommended or popular Cozy Mystery authors/series, visit the Most Popular & Recommended Cozy Mystery Series page on my site.

Five New-to-the-Site Cozy Authors: Rebecca Adler: Taste of Texas, Susan Bernhardt: Kay Driscoll, Marla Cooper: Destination Wedding, Kendel Lynn: Elliott Lisbon, Carlene O’Connor: Irish Village

I’m adding another set of authors to the site >>> five new authors this time! As always these are authors that I’ve heard of through visitors to the Cozy Mystery site, either through comments here or through email.

A former theatrical actress, Rebecca Adler grew up in Florida, and has lived in New York, Mississippi, and now in Houston, Texas. She is the author of the Taste of Texas Mystery Series, starring Josie Callahan, a former Austin journalist now working as the head waitress in her aunt’s restaurant in the small town of Broken Boot, Texas. This series includes Tex-Mex recipes.

 

 Susan Bernhardt lives in Wisconsin and volunteers at her local free clinic, and previously was a public health nurse. She writes the Kay Driscoll Mystery Series, which also stars a Wisconsin-dwelling former nurse who volunteers at a local free clinic. The Kay Driscoll mysteries all take place during different holiday seasons.

 

A professional writer who was born in Texas and now lives in California, Marla Cooper has written on a variety of subjects ranging from advertising copy to poetry to travel guidebooks. One book she wrote on destination weddings inspired her Destination Wedding Mystery Series. This series stars Kelsey McKenna, a wedding planner in California.

 

Born in California, Kendel Lynn has also lived in Michigan and now lives in Dallas, Texas. She started both a stamp company and co-launched a mystery publishing house (Henery Press), and is the author of the Elliot Lisbon Mystery Series. This series stars the director of a foundation on Sea Pine Island, South Carolina who does minor sleuthing for donors of the foundation.

 

 Carlene O’Connor spends most of her time in either New York or Ireland, and is the author of the Irish Village Mystery Series, which takes place in the fictional small town of Kilbane, County Cork, and stars Siobhán O’Sullivan, the owner of a small family bistro. (Actually, she and her five siblings manage the bistro.)

I hope you enjoy these new authors to the site!

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