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Mystery Book Recommendations – May 2014

I really don’t know where this month has gone! I know I have said this before, but it feels as if time goes faster as we get older. I remember back to my school days when it seemed like time stood still! Being the end of the month, it’s time for me to ask you for your monthly Cozy Mystery book recommendations.

Please tell us about a Cozy Mystery book (or two, or three…) that you read during May of 2014 which you think was so good, it would be a shame if the rest of us didn’t know about it. Also, please tell us why you think this particular Cozy Mystery is so good. Your reasons may strike a chord with us! Who knows, we may read your comment, and decide we also would enjoy that particular book/author.

[As usual, I ask that you don’t tell us about the mystery books you read that you didn’t like.]

What Cozy Mystery book (or author) have you read during May 2014, and why did you enjoy it (or him/her)?

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

Annie Adams: Cozy Flower Shop Mystery Series (The Final Arrangement is book #1)

Susan Wittig Albert: China Bayles Mystery Series

Connie Archer: Soup Lover’s Mystery Series

Nancy Atherton: Aunt Dimity Mystery Series

Catherine Bailey: The Secret Rooms: A True Story of a Haunted Castle, a Plotting Duchess, and a Family Secret

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

Jessica Beck (aka Elizabeth Bright, Melissa Glazer, Chris Cavender, Casey Mayes, Tim Myeris, & D.B. Morgan): Donut Shop Mystery Series

Josie Belle (aka Jenn McKinlay & Lucy Lawrence): Good Buy Girls Mystery Series

Melissa Bourbon (aka Melissa Bourbon Ramirez & Misa Ramirez): Magical Dressmaking Mystery Series

Laura Bradford (aka Elizabeth Lynn Casey): Amish Mystery Series

Duffy Brown: Consignment Shop Mystery Series

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

Lynn Cahoon: Tourist Trap Mystery Series

Dorothy Cannell: Florence Norris Mystery Series

Agatha Christie: Miss Marple Mystery Series

Edie Claire: Leigh Koslow Mystery Series

Sandra Carey Cody: Jennie Connors Mystery Series (Put Out the Light, book #1)

Kate Collins: Flower Shop Mystery Series

Lesley Cookman: Libby Serjeant Mystery Series

Jana DeLeon: Miss Fortune Mystery Series

Leighann Dobbs: Mystery Notch Cozy Mystery Series (Ghostly Paws, book #1)

Elizabeth Duncan: Penny Brannigan Mystery Series

Carola Dunn: Daisy Dalrymple Mystery Series

Monica Ferris: Needlecraft Mystery Series

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

Joanne Fluke: Hannah Swensen Cookie Jar Mystery Series

Andrea Frazer: Falconer Files Mystery Series (Death of an Old Git, book #1)

Rosie Genova: Italian Kitchen Mystery Series

Sally Goldenbaum: Seaside Knitters Mystery Series

Kerry Greenwood: Phrynne Fisher Mystery Series

Victoria Hamilton (aka Amanda Cooper): Vintage Kitchen Mystery Series

Janice Hamrick: Jocelyn Shore Mystery Series

Mary Ellen Hughes: Pickled and Preserved Mystery Series

Maddy Hunter: Passport to Peril Mystery Series

Sue Ann Jaffarian: Odelia Grey Mystery Series

Sue Ann Jaffarian: Ghost of Granny Apple Mystery Series

Tracy Kiely: Elizabeth Parker Mystery Series

Victoria Laurie: Psychic Eye Mystery Series

Joyce and Jim Lavene (aka J.J. Cook & Ellie Grant): Renaissance Faire Mystery Series

Lizbeth Lipperman (aka Liz Lipperman & Liz Roth): Dead Sister Talking Mystery Series

Kylie Logan (aka Miranda Bliss & Casey Daniels): Chili Cook-Off Mystery Series

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

Karen MacInerney: Gray Whale Inn Mystery Series

Alyssa Maxwell: Gilded Newport Mystery Series

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

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

Amy Metz: Goose Pimple Junction Mystery Series

Laura Morrigan: Call of the Wilde Mystery Series

Kathryn O’Sullivan: Colleen McCabe Mystery Series (Foal Play is book #1)

Nancy J. Parra (aka Nancy Coco): Baker’s Treat Mystery Series

Deanna Raybourn: Lady Julia Grey Mystery Series

Ruth Rendell (aka Barbara Vine): Inspector Wexford Mystery Series  (Police Procedural)

Peter Robinson: Inspector Banks Mystery Series (Police Procedural)

Barbara Ross: Maine Clambake Mystery Series

Dorothy L. Sayer: Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery Series

Connie Shelton: Samantha Sweet Mystery Series

Joanna Campbell Slan: Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-n-Craft Mystery Series

Dorothy St. James: White House Gardener Mystery Series

Charles Todd: Bess Crawford Mystery Series

Elaine Viets: Mystery Shopper Mystery Series

Livia J. Washburn: Fresh-Baked 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.]

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

P.S. While I try to respond to all of the comments that are made on the Cozy Mystery blog, I generally don’t respond to the comments on these monthly recommendation entries. I do, however, list the recommended books!

2013 Agatha Award Best Children/Young Adult Novel (Mystery)

OK, I have to say, I absolutely love it when established mystery authors write children’s mysteries. I love it! By “established” I mean that they are already known for mystery books that adults enjoy. Katherine Hall Page wrote the Christie & Company Mystery Series for 5th to 8th graders, James Patterson writes the Middle School Series (as well as three other series for teens), John Grisham writes the (for young adults) Theodore Boone Mystery Series, Harlan Coben writes the young adult Mickey Bolitar Mystery Series, Peter Abrahams (aka Spencer Quinn) writes the Echo Falls Mystery Series, Carl Hiaasen‘s funny children’s books all take place in Florida, Penny Warner writes the Code Busters Club Mystery Series, Chris Grabenstein has written several award winning mysteries for children 9-12, and just a few weeks ago I found out that Amanda Flower (aka Isabella Alan) writes the Andi Boggs Mystery Series.

Who knew?!?

Whenever I post the winners/nominees for different mystery awards, I become aware of more and more “established” authors who are now writing mysteries for children and young adults. I think that’s terrific! So, here are two mystery series for children that are written by two of our Cozy Mystery authors. Both of them have been nominated for the prestigious Agatha Award for Best Children/Young Adult Novels:

writes the Code Busters Club Mystery Series. The Code Busters Club is made up by Cody, Luke, Quinn, and M.E. >>> all are children who enjoy using different types of codes like Morse Code, American Sign Language, and Consonant Code. These four have a private club with all sorts of passwords. They use different types of codes to help them solve mysteries.These books actually involve the reader, having him/her work out different codes throughout the mystery books. All three mystery books in the Code Busters Club Mystery Series have been nominated for the Agatha Award Best Children/Young Adult Novel for 2011, 2012, and 2013. (for ages 9-12)

 Amanda Flower (aka Isabella Alan) writes the Andi Boggs Mystery Series. Andi (Andora) Boggs is a twelve year old girl with a passion for all-things-science. After the death of her parents, Andi and her teen sister move in with their aunt, who isn’t much older than they are (in her 20s). “Andi Unexpected” is the first novel in the Andi Boggs series, and it was nominated for the 2013 Agatha Award Best Children/Young Adult Novel. (for ages 9-12)

(I posted part of this entry a little while back on Facebook, and my husband asked me why I didn’t actually write an entire entry about this for the Cozy Mystery site, since he knows how much I love that these authors are writing mysteries for children. I then took it off of Facebook, and finished the entry, and finally posted it here.)

If you’d like to take a look at more children’s books that have been nominated/won the Agatha Award: Best Children/Young Adult Novel, click here.

Cozy Mystery Author Lucy Arlington Makes a Change!

Lucy Arlington will soon be releasing Played by the Book, her fourth Novel Idea Mystery. Or will she?!?

Yes, she will. However, Lucy Arlington is making a little change…

Fans of the Novel Idea Mystery Series know that initially, Ellery Adams and Sylvia May were the two authors who wrote the Novel Idea Mystery Series together. Adams and May wrote the first three books together: Buried in a Book, Every Trick in the Book, and Books, Cooks, and Crooks.

Both May and Adams became busy with other writing projects. In stepped Susan Furlong. Ellery Adams (aka Jennifer Stanley and J.B. Stanley) is writing three other Cozy Mystery Series: the Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery Series, the Book Retreat Mystery Series, and the Books by the Bay Mystery Series.  Of course, as J.B. Stanley she wrote the Supper Club Mystery Series and the Collectibles Mystery Series. And let’s not forget the Hope Street Church Mystery Series which she wrote as Jennifer Stanley.

Susan Furlong is an ex high school language teacher. She will be writing the Novel Idea Mystery Series, beginning with the fourth book, Played by the Book. Susan Furlong will also be writing the Georgia Peach Mystery Series.

Lynn Cahoon, Lynne E. Chandler, Alyssa Maxwell, & Larissa Reinhart : Four New Authors to the Cozy Mystery Site

I recently added four new Cozy Mystery authors to the Cozy Mystery site. (I don’t mean to be confusing, but they aren’t all brand new authors, they’re just new to the Cozy Mystery site.)

 Lynn Cahoon: Tourist Trap Mystery Series
This series takes place in South Cove, California – a quaint town on the coast that is just perfect for tourists who want to mosey around in a beautiful setting. Jill Gardner, the sleuth, owns a shop called Coffee, Books, and More. Wouldn’t you just love to do your tourist-thing there? But, beware, remember that Jill is a sleuth…

: Mrs. Baul Investigates: Bishop Kidnapped in Egypt
Chandler has drawn from her experience as an Episcopalian priest’s wife in Cairo, Egypt. She wrote this mystery which features Mrs. Baul, the wife of an Episcopalian priest in Egypt who happens to be a little paranoid – always expecting something not-so-good to happen.

: Gilded Newport Mystery Series
This historical mystery series takes place at the end of the 19th century. Emmaline Cross is a reporter who, by chance, is a Vanderbilt cousin. She does her reporting (and sleuthing!) in Newport, Rhode Island.

 Larissa Reinhart: Cherry Tucker Mystery Series
Reinhart is an ex-teacher, with her master’s degree in Art History. She writes the Cherry Tucker Mystery Series which takes place in Georgia. Cherry is a rather feisty artist who sleuths between finding gainful employment.

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