The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Cozy Mystery Book Recommendations – March 2016

I’m going to get right to the point for this month’s Cozy Mystery book recommendations. If you read a Cozy Mystery that you thought was really, really good >>> would you please tell us about it and why you liked it so much? You know, the Cozy you thought was even better than the other Cozies you have read. We’d love to know about it so that we (too) can read it. Also, if you have more than just one extra-good Cozy, could 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 book did you read during March 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:

Avery Aames (aka Daryl Wood Gerber): Cheese Shop Mystery Series

M.C. Beaton (aka Marion Chesney): Hamish Macbeth Mystery Series

Rhys Bowen: Molly Murphy Mystery Series

Simon Brett: Fethering Mystery Series

Lynne Cahoon: Tourist Trap Mystery Series

Kate Carlisle: Bibliophile Mystery Series

Amanda Carmack: Elizabethan Mystery Series

Bailey Cattrell (aka Bailey Cates & Cricket McRae): Enchanted Garden Mystery Series (Two Cozy readers recommended this series this month.)

Laura Childs: Tea Shop Mystery Series (Two Cozy readers recommended this series this month.)

J.J. Cook (aka Joyce and Jim Lavene & Ellie Grant): Biscuit Bowl Food Truck Mystery Series

J.J. Cook (aka Joyce and Jim Lavene & Ellie Grant): Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mystery Series

Jeanne M. Dams: Dorothy Martin Mysteries

Krista Davis: Domestic Diva Mystery Series

Carola Dunn: Daisy Dalrymple Mystery Series

Kaitlyn Dunnett (Kathy Lynn Emerson): Liss MacCrimmon Mystery Series

Kerry Greenwood: Corinna Chapman Mystery Series

Joan Hess (aka Joan Hadley): Claire Malloy Mystery Series

Hazel Holt: Mrs. Malory Mystery Series

Sofie Kelly (aka Sofie Ryan): Magical Cats Mystery Series

Kylie Logan (aka Miranda Bliss & Casey Daniels): League of Literary Ladies Mystery Series

Leslie Meier: Lucy Stone Mystery Series

Carlene O’Connor: Murder in an Irish Village

Joanne Pence: Rebecca Mayfield Mystery Series

Carol J. Perry: Witch City Mystery Series

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

Linda Reilly: Deep Fried Mystery Series

Barbara Ross: Maine Clambake Mystery Series

Sofie Ryan (aka Sofie Kelly): Second Chance Cat Mystery Series

Karen Rose Smith: Caprice De Luca Mystery Series

Elaine Viets: Dead End Job 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.

Snipped in the Bud – New Flower Shop Mystery Movie!

And, Gina just told us about the new Flower Shop Mystery movie that will premier on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel on Sunday, April 24, 2016 at 8:00 PM (Central). These mystery movies are based on Kate Collins‘ very popular Cozy Flower Shop Mystery Series.

Flower Shop Mystery: Snipped in the Bud
When a bouquet from her shop is found at the murder scene of a professor and former courtroom adversary of Abby Knight, a former attorney-turned-small-town-florist, she finds herself as the main suspect. Stars Brooke Shields, Brennan Elliott and Beau Bridges.

I have added it to the Upcoming Television Mystery Movies for April 2016

Krista Davis’ Cozy Mystery Series (Both of Them!)

I just received this letter from Krista Davis. She posted it earlier on Facebook.

Some of you have heard that Penguin Random House (meaning Berkley, NAL and Obsidian) is cutting back on cozies and have asked me what’s going on. Here is the situation as I understand it.

Some series have been cancelled, and we’re all very sad about that. However, I am aware that some series have been renewed, so that’s promising.

If you want to know the status of your favorite Berkley series, sign up for the author’s newsletter and follow the author’s Facebook page. Please, please check with the author before posting that a series is ending. Several of us have had to scramble to correct inaccurate information. I have four books coming out in 2016 – 2017, and a lot of other Berkley/NAL/Obsidian authors have books coming out as well.

Please do NOT boycott Penguin Random House. You will only hurt the authors. In the publishing industry we are judged by our sales numbers. A lot of series are still being published by Berkley right now. Even some new ones! And authors whose series are ending will be pitching ideas for new series, so they need good sales numbers to impress other publishers. Sales are more important for us now than ever.

I have read a claim that if a book in a series isn’t published in 2016, it means the series has been cancelled. I can refute that because one of my books was moved from a December 2016 release date to February 2017. That date was changed long before any of this ever happened.

A lot of people are asking how they can help. Support your favorite authors by buying their books. Authors love to read and we have budgets, too, so we understand if you can’t buy all the books you want to read. It’s a big help if you ask your library to carry our books. You can also write reviews and post them. More reviews mean we get more advertising from Amazon and that leads to more readers!

We appreciate your support more than we can ever express. We love our readers. Cozy readers are fun, inquisitive, smart, and delightful. Thank you for caring so much about our series.

Cheers!
Krista

Thank you for the information, Krista. I’m looking forward to many new Cozies from you. I’m glad to see the speculation about your Cozies was just an unfounded rumor.

Some More Cozy Mystery News – March 23, 2016

authorTwo days ago Linda MH posted a comment that might have some of us wondering “What’s going on?”

Linda:

I was just reading about the shakeup that took place at Berkley/Penguin/NAL publishing company. Seems that mass market paperback books (our beloved cozies!) have taken a real hit. A lot of authors have been told the company won’t continue to publish their books. (Examples: Melissa Bourbon, Janet Bolin, & Rosie Genova, and one site mentioned Krista Davis–to name a few.) I’m hoping some of these authors (if they own the rights to their series) will continue to write books and self-publish. I read LOTS of books on my iPad using the Kindle app, but I still buy the majority of my cozies in the paper format. I’m really sad that some of these series will just end. Do you have any information on this?

First off, here’s some terrific news:

Krista Davis >>> Neither of her two series (Domestic Diva Mystery Series and Paws & Claws Mystery Series) have been cancelled! So, let’s squelch those bad thoughts!

As you may remember, I already told you about this bad news: Avery Aames‘ Cheese Shop Mystery Series and Julie Hyzy’s White House Chef Mystery Series have been cancelled. Now for some more really bad Cozy Mystery news:

Janet Bolin >>> Bad news in Threadville! Unfortunately, the Threadville Mystery Series has been cancelled. However, Janet has some good tidings: “And those poor folks in Threadville can finally settle down and live their lives without a murder to solve every year.” Even better, at the end of her letter she told me that she is still writing. So we’ll have to watch for some new Cozies from her!

Melissa Bourbon >>> Her publisher has decided to end the series, however, the good news is that she has a new contract with another company and will be writing a new Cozy series. And, she may even self-publish a 7th book in her Magical Dressmaking series!

Peg Cochran is currently writing the Cranberry Cove Mystery Series, the Farmer’s Daughter Mystery Series, and the Lucille Mystery Series. Unfortunately she will no longer be writing either her Gourmet De-Lite series nor her Sweet Nothings Lingerie series (written as Meg London). So, although it’s bad news for those two series, it’s great news that she is now writing three Cozy Mystery series!

Barbara Early (aka Beverly Allen – Bridal Bouquet Shop Mystery Series) will be starting a new Cozy Mystery series soon. The Vintage Toy Shop Mystery Series will start with a Christmas Cozy called Death of a Toy Soldier.

Christina York has been writing as Christy Evans and Christy Fifield. As Christy Fifield she writes the Haunted Gift Shop Mystery Series, which although it has been cancelled, she owns the rights! So she will be writing more of the Haunted Gift Shop mysteries. Great news!

I have several other Cozy Mystery authors who I have “heard” have been cancelled, however, I want to verify it with them before I post the news. I hope to get back to you all shortly. (I normally don’t post information about authors whose series have been dropped/cancelled by their publishers until I verify the information.)

MENU