The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Killer Nashville Conference 2015

I want to tell you all about a type of mystery convention. This one is called Killer Nashville Conference. And, what a perfect time of year for a mystery convention: All Hallow’s Eve, Allhalloween, Day of the Dead, Halloween!

The Killer Nashville Conference is a convention that is held every year that draws some of the most thrilling authors. Their list of past guests of honors include authors like Donald Bain, Carol Higgins Clark, J.A. Jance, Anne Perry, Jeffery Deaver, Michael Connelly, and William Kent Krueger. That’s quite a who’s-who type of list! The 2015 Killer Nashville Conference will be taking place from October 29 to November 1, at the downtown Omni Hotel. What a perfect place to be on Halloween night!

As it is with all of these mystery conventions, lots of us cannot attend. The good news is that there will be an anthology that will include many mystery stories from some of the biggest mystery-writing names out there!

Killer Nashville Noir: Cold-Blooded, edited by Clay Stafford
Featuring these stories:

  • Donald Bain: The Hunt for Skippy Walker
  • Jeffery Deaver: Repressed
  • Catriona McPherson: Kissin’ Don’t Kill
  • Anne Perry: Shutter Speed
  • Maggie Toussaint: High Noon at Dollar Central
  • Jefferson Bass: In Plain Sight
  • Paula Gail Benson: A Matter of Honor
  • Baron R. Birtcher: Ripple
  • Mary Burton: The Keepsake
  • Dana Chamblee Carpenter: Lullabies and Lightning Storms
  • C. Hope Clark: Rich Talk
  • Daco: The Virgo Affair
  • Robert Dugoni & Paula Gail Benson: A Matter of Honor
  • Blake Fontenay: The Coal Torpedo
  • Heywood Gould: He’ll Kill Again
  • Steven James: Second Thoughts
  • Jon Jefferson: Giving Blood
  • Eyre Price: Sad Like a Country Song
  • Clay Stafford: Savage Gulf
  • Jonathan Stone: Mailman
  • Jaden Terrell: Peace, Sometimes

If you happen to be in Nashville, and you happen to enjoy mysteries, you might want to check out the Killer Nashville Convention this weekend!

Cozy Mystery Book Recipe Finds…

RecipesThe other day we all talked about our Favorite Cozy Mystery Themes, which got me thinking of a comment that MJ posted quite a while back.

MJ:

… a possible future idea for a post on this blog: What is your favorite recipe you’ve made from a cozy mystery?

With so many of us liking the culinary/cooking/recipes Cozies, do any of us try the recipes the authors include in their books? I know I don’t >>> but that’s because I don’t like to cook/bake. Even though I have never tried one of the recipes, I read through them all. That’s right! I read through the recipes, perhaps thinking I will one day cook/bake them.

All of this got me wondering: Have you ever tried a recipes from a Cozy Mystery? Do you try out the Cozy Mystery recipes on a regular basis? Have you tried a recipe that turned out to be fabulous? If so, would you mind telling the rest of us about it, and please be sure to include the author’s name and the book it came from.

P.S. Thanks, MJ, for a great entry idea! I hope to see lots of favorite Cozy Mystery book recipes >>> and perhaps I’ll finally try one!

Also, here’s the Mysteries with Recipes AND Recipe Books by Mystery Authors theme if you want to take a look at it.

Seven New Mystery Series Coming November 2015

Looks like we’ll be able to enjoy not only a lot of new holiday-themed Cozy Mysteries upcoming in November, but also a lot of new Cozy Mystery Series by established Cozy Mystery authors! Seven, in fact!

First will be Elizabeth J. Duncan‘s Shakespeare in the Catskills Mystery Series, starting with Untimely Death. This series will follow costume designer Charlotte Fairfax, former costume mistress of the Royal Shakespeare Company and current costume designer of an upstate New York’s resort’s production of Romeo and Juliet. When the leading lady turns up dead, Charlotte’s natural curiosity will lead her to help discover the true killer. Duncan also writes the Penny Brannigan Mystery Series, starring a manicurist in north Wales.

Next up is Jean Flowers‘s Postmistress Mystery Series, which will have its first novel, Death Takes Priority, in November. When her old life turns upside down, former Boston main postal office manager Cassie Miller will return to her hometown of North Ashcot, Massachusetts, to become the town’s Postmaster. When stacks of telephone books go missing, and two days later a body turns up in the woods, she’ll need to help get to the bottom of the case. Flowers also writes the Miniature Mystery Series under the name Margaret Grace, the Sophie Knowles Mystery Series as Ada Madison, and the Periodic Table Mystery Series as Camille Minichino.

Also out in November will be Sadie Hartwell‘s Yarned and Dangerous, the first in her new Tangled Web Mystery Series. This novel will see Josie Blair, newly unemployed designer, returning home to take care of her great-uncle and also to take over her great-aunt’s yarn shop – at least until she can sell off the remaining stock. But when a local troublemaking knitter turns up dead, Josie will be up to her neck in the mystery! Hartwell also writes the Greek to Me Mystery Series under the pen name Susannah Hardy, starring the owner of a Greek restaurant and historic landmark.

Joyce and Jim Lavene will be putting out A Dickens of a Murder, the 1st in their Canterville Book Shop Mystery Series. (I’ve already briefly discussed this novel since it is also Christmas themed…) In this novel, a dead man opposing the opening of the Canterville Book Shop turns up on the roof, forcing Lisa Wellman and Simon Canterville to solve the murder >>> with the help of the ghost of Charles Dickens. The Lavenes write multiple other series, including the Sheriff Sharyn Howard Mystery Series, the Stock Car Racing Mystery Series, the Pet Psychic Mystery Series, the Pumpkin Path Mystery Series, and the Purple Door Detective Mystery Series… among many others. They also write as J.J. Cook and Ellie Grant.

Nancy Martin will be releasing the novel Miss Ruffles Inherits Everything, the first in her Miss Ruffles Mystery Series. When Miss Ruffles, a  Texas Cattle Cur (a type of cattle-herding dog) inherits a large fortune from a woman who dies a suspicious death, Sunny McKillip, Miss Ruffles’s dogsitter, will need to keep her safe. Nancy Martin also writes the very popular Blackbird Sisters Mystery Series starring a trio of sisters and the Roxy Abruzzo Mystery Series, starring an architectural salvager.

Next will be Karen E. Olson‘s Hidden, the 1st in her Nicole Jones Thriller Mystery Series. (Though not a Cozy, I am listing this since her other two series are more Cozy.) Nicole Jones tries to live off the grid, trying to avoid technology because of her past history with hacking. When her old life starts closing in on her again, she’ll need to dust off her old skills to help escape once again from the past. Olson also writes the Tattoo Shop Mystery Series, starring a tattoo shop manager in Las Vegas, and the Anne Seymour Mystery Series, starring a reporter in Connecticut.

Last on our longish list will be Diana Orgain‘s Roundup Crew Mystery Series, which will be beginning with its first entry, Yappy Hour. When non-pet friendly, non-business owner Maggie is asked to run her neighborhood dog-friendly wine bar, Yappy Hour, for her sister Rachel, she arrives to find a dead body and a letter incriminating Rachel nearby. Though Maggie impulsively hides the letter, Rachel still turns up as the top suspect >>> and of course Maggie will need to clear her name. Orgain also writes the Love or Money Mystery Series and the Maternal Instincts Mystery Series.

As always, you can find these new series and many more at the New Cozy Mystery Book Series page on the site.

Six MORE New Holiday Cozy Mysteries Coming in November 2015

As promised, here is the second half of the upcoming holiday-themed Cozy Mysteries for November 2015.

First up today will be Anne Perry‘s  A Christmas Escape,  the 13th in her Christmas Series. In this entry, the story revolves around lone vacationer Charles Latterly, who will be spending his Christmas at the Mediterranean island of Stromboli. When a killer strikes, it quickly becomes apparent that he must be one of the guests. Anne Perry also writes the William Monk Mystery Series, the Thomas & Charlotte Pitt Mystery Series, and the World War I Matthew Reavley Series.

Spencer Quinn will be releasing Santa 365, a Chet and Bernie Mystery Series Christmas story. In this entry, Chet and Bernie have signed up for a Christmas service which includes a festive party, gifts, and a delivered tree. But when the party’s over, Bernie notices that there are things missing – and it will be up to Chet and Bernie to make sure that their belongings make their way home in time for Christmas! Spencer Quinn also writes the Echo Falls and Outlaws of Sherwood Street Series for children and young adults, as well as a number of stand-alone mysteries as Peter Abrahams.

Next is High-Caliber Holiday, the 3rd in Susan Sleeman‘s First Responders Mystery Series. In this series, the stars change every time >>> this time, former lawyer Morgan Throsby is held hostage on a train, and she’ll need to rely on former marine Brady Owens to help get free and then he will need to protect her from a potentially dangerous stalker afterward. And of course, all this is happening around Christmas. Sleeman also writes the Justice Agency Mystery Series, as well as Love-Inspired Suspense novels and the Garden Gate Mystery Series.

Joyce and Jim Lavene will be putting out another novel, the first in their NEW Canterville Book Shop Mystery Series, A Dickens of a Murder. This book will be our introduction to Lisa Wellman & Simon Canterville, owners of the Canterville Book Shop in the Olde Town of Portsmouth, Virginia. When a dead competitor turns up on their roof, they’ll need to solve the case >>> with the help of the ghost of Charles Dickens. The Lavenes write many, many other series – including the Missing Pieces Mystery Series, the Renaissance Faire Mystery Series, the Peggy Lee Garden Mystery Series, and the Pumpkin Patch Mystery Series. They are also known as J.J. Cook and Ellie Grant.

 The Cat of Christmas Past is the 6th in the Whales and Tails Mystery Series by Kathi Daley. In this entry, Caitlyn and her friends would be enjoying their Christmas holidays, except for the fact that the local landlord is planning on ejecting a building of tenants only a bit before Christmas. Can Cait discover why he’s closing down the apartments, and maybe a way to change his mind before a whole lot of people have their holidays ruined? Kathi Daley also writes the Zoe Donovan Mystery Series, the TJ Jensen Paradise Lake Mystery Series, and the Seacliff High Mystery Series (this last one intended for young adults).

Finally, the only non-Christmas themed mystery from this set of holiday releases, will be Ali Brandon‘s Plot Boiler, the 5th in the Black Cat Bookshop Mystery Series. This Fourth of July themed mystery will see bookseller Darla Pettistone once again wrapped up in a murder. This time the wife of a local coffee shop owner Darla has been arguing with ends up dead. Ali Brandon also writes the Leonardo da Vinci Historical Mystery Series under the pen name Diane A.S. Stuckart.

As always, these items and many more can be found on the appropriate Holiday Theme pages on the site:

Christmas Themed Cozy Mysteries

Fourth of July Themed Cozy Mysteries

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