The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

St. Patrick’s Day Mysteries (OR As Some Know It: St. Paddy’s Day Mysteries)

With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, I thought I would update my list of mystery books that place during the season. While you take a look at the list, I wonder if you could see if I’m missing any St. Paddy’s Day mysteries. If I am, would you please post a comment so that I can add it (hopefully not “them”!) to the list.

St. Patrick’s Day Mystery Book List

Isis Crawford….. A Catered St. Patrick’s Day

Nelson DeMille….. Cathedral

Janet Evanovich….. Plum Lucky

Sharon Fiffer….. Lucky Stuff

S. Furlong-Bollinger….. Paddy Whacked (story)

Andrew M. Greeley….. Irish Gold

Jane Haddam….. A Great Day for the Deadly

Lyn Hamilton….. The Celtic Riddle

Jonathan Harrington….. A Great Day for Dying

Lee Harris….. The St. Patrick’s Day Murder

Dorothy Howell ….. Duffel Bags and Drownings (116 pages)

Diane Kelly….. Love, Luck, and Little Green Men

Amanda Lee….. The Long Stitch Good Night

Wendi Lee….. The Good Daughter

Dan Mahoney….. Once in, Never Out

Ralph M. McInerny….. Lack of the Irish

Leslie Meier….. St. Patrick’s Day Murder

Sister Carol Anne O’Marie….. Death Takes Up A Collection

Janet Elaine Smith….. In St. Patrick’s Custody

JJ Toner….. St. Patrick’s Day Special

Kathy Hogan Trochek….. Irish Eyes

Debbie Vigié….. Lie Down in Green Pastures

Noreen Wald….. Death Never Takes a Holiday

*** Back to the Holiday Mystery Book page *****

*** Back to the St. Patrick’s Day Mystery Book page***

April 2014 Mystery Book New Releases

The following Mystery Books will be released in April 2014:

Susan Wittig Albert: Death Come Quickly (This will be the 22nd in the China Bayles Mystery Series.)

Barbara Allan: Antiques Con (This will be the 8th in the Trash ‘n’ Treasures Mystery series.)

Connie Archer: A Roux of Revenge (This will be the 3rd in the Soup Lover’s Mystery Series.) (This is a Harvest Festival theme mystery.)

Nancy Atherton: Aunt Dimity and the Wishing Well (This will be the 19th in the Aunt Dimity Mystery Series.)

Donald Bain & “Jessica Fletcher”: Aloha Betrayed (This will be the 41st in the Murder, She Wrote Mystery Series.)

David Baldacci: The Target (This will be the 3rd in the Will Robie Mystery Series.)

Nevada Barr: Destroyer Angel (This will be the 18th in the Anna Pigeon Mystery Series.)

Melissa Bourbon (aka Misa Ramirez): A Killing Notion (This is the 5th in the Magical Dressmaking Mystery Series.) (This is a Homecoming theme mystery.)

Emily Brightwell: Mrs. Jeffries Pleads the Fifth [This will be a Mrs. Jeffries Mystery Series Omnibus. It contains: Mrs. Jeffries Takes the Cake (book #13), Mrs. Jeffries Rocks the Boat (book #14), & Mrs. Jeffries Weeds the Plot (book #15)]

Susanna Calkins: From the Charred Remains (This will be the 2nd in the Lucy Campion Mystery Series.)

Alys Clare: The Winter King (This will be the 15th in the Hawkenlye Mystery Series.)

Mary Higgins Clark: I’ve Got You Under My Skin (This will be a Stand Alone.)

Nancy J. Cohen: Hanging by a Hair (This will be the 11th in the Bad Hair Day Mystery Series.)

J.J. Cook (aka Joyce and Jim Lavene & Ellie Grant): Death on Eat Street (This will be the 1st in the NEW Biscuit Bowl Food Truck Mystery Series.)

Gary Corby: The Marathon Conspiracy (This will be the 4th in the Ancient Greece Mystery Series.)

Vicki Doudera: Deal Killer (This will be the 5th in the Darby Farr Mystery Series.)

“Jessica Fletcher” & Donald Bain: Aloha Betrayed (This will be the 41st in the Murder, She Wrote Mystery Series.)

G.M. Ford: Chump Change (This will be the 8th in the Leo Waterman Mystery Series.)

Margaret Grace (aka Camille Minichino & Ada Madison): Madness in Miniature (This will be the 7th in the Miniature Mystery Series.)

Susanna Gregory: Murder on High Holborn (This will be the 9th in the Thomas Chaloner Mystery Series.)

Sue Ann Jaffarian: Ghost of a Gamble (This will be the 4th in the Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery Series.)

Roderic Jeffries (aka Jeffrey Ashford & Peter Alding): In Search of Murder (This will be the 37th in the Inspector Alvarez Mystery Series.)

Iris Johansen: Live to See Tomorrow (This will be the 3rd in the Catherine Ling Mystery Series.)

Josi S. Kilpack: Fortune Cookie (This will be the 10th in the Culinary Mystery Series.) (April 1)

Deryn Lake: Death on the Rocks (This will be the 15th in the John Rawlings Mystery Series.)

Donna Leon: By Its Cover (This will be the 23rd in the Guido Brunetti Mystery Series.)

Jenn McKinlay (aka Lucy Lawrence & Josie Belle): Sugar and Iced (This will be the 6th in the Cupcake Bakery Mystery Series.)

Liz Mugavero: A Biscuit, a Casket (This will be the 2nd in the Pawsitively Organic Gourmet Pet Food Mystery Series.) (This is a Halloween theme mystery.)

Amy Myers: Classic in the Pits (This will be the 5th in the Jack Colby, Car Detective Mystery Series.)

Joyce Carol Oates: High Crime Area: Tales of Darkness and Dread (This will be a Stand Alone with Stories.)

Ann Purser: The Blackwoods Farm Enquiry (This will be the 5th in the Ivy Beasley Mystery Series.)

Ann B. Ross: Miss Julia’s Marvelous Makeover (This will be the 15th in the Miss Julia Mystery Series.)

Sofie Ryan (aka Sofie Kelly): The Whole Cat and Caboodle (This will be the 1st in the NEW Second Chance Cat Mystery Series.)

Christina Schwarz: The Edge of the Earth (This will be a Stand Alone. This is not a mystery.)

Lisa Scottoline: Keep Quiet (This will be a Stand Alone.)

Clea Simon: Panthers Play for Keeps (This will be the 4th in the Pru Marlowe Mystery Series.)

Maggie Toussaint: Gone and Done It (This will be the 1st in the NEW Dreamwalker Mystery Series.)

Christine Wenger: A Second Helping of Murder (This will be the 2nd in the Comfort Food Mystery Series.)

To go back to the Cozy Mystery New Book Release page, click here.

Mystery Book Recommendations – February 2014

So, is it spring yet? I’m looking out my window watching what looks like parent birds teaching their fledglings how to fly from one side of our yard to the other (we planted Red Tip bushes all along the periphery of our yard twenty years ago) and I’m also watching one of our more persistent squirrels chewing some of our oak tree’s buds. If those aren’t signs of springtime in Texas, I don’t know what is!

Down here in San Antonio we still can’t decide whether it’s winter or spring. Yesterday morning I took my walk in 60º weather, a few hours later is was 74º,  and they are predicting that tomorrow our high will be 50º! Good grief! It’s that time of year that pretty much dictates the necessity of checking the daily forecast in order to decide whether to wear a long sleeve shirt or not. (I know I sound totally spoiled by our beautiful weather, but there’s a price we have to pay for this mild winter/spring confusion. Remind me to talk about the weather during our summer and early fall/late spring!)

Back to Cozy Mystery books, which is what I actually was going to write about…

It’s that time of month when I ask you all to tell us about a Cozy Mystery book/author who you read during this month (February 2014) who you thought the rest of us absolutely, positively NEED to know about. Your recommendations should be Cozy Mystery books (that you read this month) that are, in your opinion, really, really, good reads. (Of course, if you were lucky enough to read several really good mystery books, then by all means, tell us about those books, also.) Please tell us why you are recommending the book(s). Your reasons for liking the book(s) are what get the rest of us enthused about reading it/them.

I’m going to start off by mentioning Conrad Allen. I was so excited about his Murder on the Lusitania that I couldn’t wait until now to tell you about it. So, rather that tell you all the very same things that I wrote about on February 9, I’m going to refer you to my entry: What I’m Reading Now >>> Conrad Allen is a New-to-Me Author Who I Just Added to My “Favorite Authors” List

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

[If you click on the author’s name (blue) link, it will take you to their page on the Cozy Mystery site. Their page has all of the author’s books listed chronologically.]

What Cozy Mystery book (or author) have you read during February 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:

Conrad Allen (aka Edward Marston & Keith Miles): Dillman Mystery Series

Jeffrey Archer: Clifton Chronicles Mystery Series (not Cozy)

Lucy Arlington (aka Jennifer Stanley & Sylvia May): Novel Idea Mystery Series

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

Cindy Blackburn: Cue Ball Mystery Series (book #1 Playing with Poison)

Rhys Bowen: Royal Spyness Mystery Series

Alan Bradley: Flavia de Luce Mystery Series

Duffy Brown: Consignment Shop Mystery Series

Leslie Budewitz: Food Lovers’ Village Mystery Series

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

Kate Collins: Flower Shop Mystery Series

Sheila Connolly (aka Sarah Atwell): County Cork Mystery Series

Krista Davis: Paws and Claws Mystery Series

Jana DeLeon: Miss Fortune Mystery Series

Janet Evanovich: Stephanie Plum Mystery Series

Monica Ferris: Needlecraft Mystery Series

Christy Fifield (aka Christy Evans): Haunted Souvenir Shop Mystery Series

Joanna Fluke: Hannah Swensen Cookie Jar Mystery Series

Sally Goldenbaum: Seaside Knitters Mystery Series

John Grisham: Jake Brigance Mystery Series (not Cozy)

Carolyn Haines: Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery Series

Veronica Heley: Ellie Quick Mystery Series

Anna Lee Huber: Lady Darby Mystery Series (book #1 The Anatomist’s Wife)

Julie Hyzy: White House Chef Mystery Series

Miranda James (aka Honor Hartman, Jimmie Ruth Evans, & Dean James: Cat in the Stacks Mystery Series

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

Gypsy Rose Lee: The G-String Murders (Craig Rice, ghostwriter)

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

Meg London (aka Peg Cochran): Sweet Nothings Vintage Lingerie Mystery Series

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

Mark Schweizer: Liturgical Mystery Series

Ian Rankin: Inspector Rebus Mystery Series (not Cozy)

Sheri Cobb South: In Milady’s Chamber

Arthur Upfield: The Bachelors of Broken Hill

Roy Vickers: The Department of Dead Ends

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

Mary Kay Andrews Writing As Kathy Hogan Trocheck

I should start out by telling you that I actually remember back in the early 2000s, when I figured out that Kathy Hogan Trochek had finished writing her Callahan Garrity Mystery Series. I was bummed … royally bummed! I had come to look forward to spending time with Callahan, Edna (her mother), and the rest of the House Mouse company’s cleaning group.

I was given Strange Brew as a gift, when it was just published in 1997. Even though it was the sixth book in the mystery series, I decided to go ahead and read it. Sure, I don’t like to read my books out of sequence, but since it was a Halloween mystery and I had received the book during October, why not? (I can be flexible sometimes…)

After I finished Strange Brew, I quickly read Every Crooked Nanny, the first in the series. Hmmm… This Kathy Hogan Trocheck was equally good in her first mystery book. How neat was that? You know how sometimes a new author takes a few books to reach a really good level of writing? Not so with Trocheck, she started out really good, and just kept going!

By the time Trocheck’s seventh mystery came out in 1998, I was all caught up with Callahan, Edna, and the rest of the gang. I couldn’t wait to read about Callahan’s Christmas season in Midnight Clear.

Oh, oh… I had to wait two years for Trocheck’s eighth mystery, Irish Eyes, a St. Patrick’s Day mystery. Well, that’s OK. I can certainly wait two years for one of my favorite authors to release another mystery.

Hmmm… Then two more years passed, three years, doggone it, what’s going on here?

It was at this time that I finally found out what was going on. Kathy Hogan Trocheck was releasing her Weezie & Bebe Mystery Series as Mary Kay Andrews. (Andrews was also publishing non-mystery stand alones.) Trochek was finally back on my radar!

Imagine how happy I was to find that she is now writing more Callahan Garrity mysteries. Andrews/Trocheck has released three stories in the mystery series, and I am hoping she will be writing more book-length Callahan Garrity mysteries.

So I guess it just goes to show that sometimes you have to be a detective just to be able to follow your favorite Cozy Mystery authors!

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