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

Favorite Cozy Mystery Books for 2013

January 4, 2014

We started the “Favorite Cozy Mystery Books for the Year” last year when Lynn T proposed that we list our very, very favorite-est (my words, not hers!) mysteries of the year. We already do our monthly favorite mysteries, so these Favorite of the Year should be the very best of the best we have read.

I have read many good Cozy Mystery books this year. I have also read some not-so-good Cozy Mysteries. (Haven’t we all?!?) I have mentioned several of the authors who are on my Favorite Authors list. But who wrote my very favorite mystery read of the year?

When I was talking to my husband about this entry, I asked him how I could ever pick just one mystery book and say it was my very favorite of the year. I have enjoyed so many, how would I be able to pick just one? I then told him about several of my favorite authors who I have read this year. Since this list is not comprised of just brand new authors who started being published this year, it includes ALL Cozy Mystery authors. Hmmm… That’s a whole lot of authors! He then asked me who I thought is my very favorite Cozy Mystery author, to which I responded, Agatha Christie.

Christie is one of the very few authors who I have read, re-read, and plan to re-read again. She was a formidable story-teller. Her characters always ring true to me. There’s a reason her books are still so popular; although written many years ago, they seem almost ageless. She is able to describe/depict the very nature of people and their quirks. Her writing style is flawless and flows so easily. Her mysteries are perfect.

So, I will nominate Agatha Christie’s (1957) What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw (aka 4:50 from Paddington) since it is the last Miss Marple mystery I have read by this phenomenal author.

So please tell us about your Favorite Cozy Mystery Read for 2013, and why you are picking this book or author. Thank you!

As usual with these types of entries, I will add the books/authors who you all comment about to the list:

Favorite Cozy Mystery Reads for 2013:

Ellery Adams (aka Jennifer Stanley, J.B. Stanley, & 1/2 of Lucy Arlington: Poisoned Prose

Nancy Atherton: Aunt Dimnity and the Lost Prince

Josie Belle (aka Jenn McKinlay & Lucy Lawrence): Buried in Bargains

Agatha Christie: 4:50 from Paddington (aka What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw)

Agatha Christie: By the Pricking of My Thumbs 

Sheila Connolly: Buried in a Bog

Amanda Flower (aka Isabella Alan): A Plain Scandal

Mary Lou Kirwin: Killer Librarian

Joyce and Jim Lavene (aka J.J. Cook & Ellie Grant): Harrowing Hats

Jenn McKinlay (aka Josie Belle & Lucy Lawrence): Cloche and Dagger

Louise Penny: How the Light Comes In

Dana Stabenow: Bad Blood

Heather Webber (aka Heather Blake): The Root of All Trouble

If you’re interested in seeing a whole lot more recommendations made by Cozy Mystery readers, click here: Monthly Cozy Mystery Recommendations.

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February 2014 Mystery Book New Releases

January 1, 2014

The following Mystery Books will be released in February 2014:

Avery Aames (aka Daryl Wood Gerber): Days of Wine and Roquefort (This will be the 5th in the Cheese Shop Mystery Series.)

Laura Alden: Poison at the PTA (This will be the 5th in the Beth Kennedy PTA Mystery Series.)

Lucy Arlington (aka Jennifer Stanely & Sylvia May): Books, Cooks, and Crooks (This will be the 3rd in the Novel Idea Mystery Series.)

Mignon F. Ballard: Miss Dimple Picks a Peck of Trouble (This will be the 4th in the Miss Dimple Kilpatrick Mystery Series.)

M.C. Beaton (aka Marion Chesney: Death of a Policeman (This will be the 30th in the Hamish Macbeth Mystery Series.)

Jessica Beck (aka Elizabeth Bright, Casey Mayes, Melissa Glazer, Chris Cavender, & Tim Myers): A Burned Out Baker (This will be the 7th in the Classic Diner Mystery Series.)

Rhys Bowen: A Royal Threesome (This will be a Royal Spyness Omnibus. It contains the first three Royal Spyness mysteries: Her Royal Spyness, A Royal Pain, & Royal Flush.)

Simon Brett: The Strangling on the Stage (This will be the 15th in the Fethering Mystery Series.)

Mollie Cox Bryan: Death of an Irish Diva (This will be the 3rd in the Cumberland Creek Mystery Series.)

Lucy Burdette (aka Robert Isleib): Murder with Ganache (This will be the 4th in the Key West food Critic Mystery Series.)

P.F. Chisholm: An Air of Treason (This will be the 6th in the Sir Robert Carey Mystery Series.)

Ann Cleeves: Dead Water (This will be the 5th in the Shetland Island Mystery Series.)

Kate Collins: Throw in the Trowel (This will be the in the 15th Flower Shop Mystery Series.)

Sheila Connolly (aka Sarah Atwell): Scandal in Skibbereen (This will be the 2nd in the County Cork Mystery Series.)

Lindsey Davis: A Cruel Fate (This will be a Stand Alone Novella mystery.)

Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg: The Chase (This will be the 2nd in the Fox & O’Hare Mystery Series.)

Monica Ferris: The Drowning Spool (This will be the 17th in the Needlecraft Mystery Series.)

Joanne Fluke: Blackberry Pie Murder (This will be the 17th in the Hannah Swensen Mystery Series.)

Lee Goldberg & Janet Evanovich: The Chase (This will be the 2nd in the Fox & O’Hare Mystery Series.)

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles: Hard Going (This will be the 16th in the Bill Slider Mystery Series.)

B. B. Haywood: Town in a Strawberry Swirl (This will be the 5th in the Candy Holliday Mystery Series.)

J.A. Jance: Moving Target (This will be the 9th in the Alison Reynolds Mystery Series.)

Jonathan Kellerman: Killer (This will be the 29th in the Alex Delaware Mystery Series.)

Laura Lippman: After I’m Gone (This will be a Stand Alone mystery.)

Kylie Logan (aka Miranda Bliss & Casey Daniels): A Tale of Two Biddies (This will be the 2nd in the League of Literary Ladies Mystery Series.)

Meg London (aka Peg Cochran): A Fatal Slip (This will be the in the Sweet Nothings Lingerie Mystery Series.) (This is a Valentine’s Day theme mystery.)

Edward Marston (aka Keith Miles & Conrad Allen: Five Dead Canaries (This will be the 3rd in the Home Front Detective Mystery Series.)

Staci McLaughlin: Green Living Can Be Deadly (This will be the 3rd in theBlossom Valley Mystery Series.)

Shirley Rousseau Murphy & Pat J.J. Murphy: The Cat, the Devil, and Lee Fontana (This will be the 1st in the NEW Lee Fontana Mystery Series.)

James Patterson & Mark Sullivan: Private L.A. (This will be the 6th in the Private Mystery Series.)

Deanna Raybourn: City of Jasmine (This will be a Stand Alone.)

Hannah Reed (aka Deb Baker): Beewitched (This will be the 5th in the Queen Bee Mystery Series.)

J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts): Concealed in Death (This will be the 38th in the Eve Dallas Mystery Series.)

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

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Mystery Books Recommendations – December 2013

December 27, 2013

As it will soon be 2014, I want to hurry up and get your recommendations for the month of December 2013. I don’t know if any of you remember, but last year was the first year that we made a Favorite Cozy Mystery Books list for that particular year. I will be asking for those books pretty soon, but for now, let’s focus on just the month of December 2013.

Which Cozy Mystery books did you read this past month that you think the rest of us really should know about? They don’t have to be Christmas mysteries, although I know some of you were limiting your reading to those in particular. (Maybe I think that because I limited myself to Christmas Cozy Mysteries…)

[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 December 2013, and why did you enjoy it (or him/her)?

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

Allyson K. Abbott (aka Annelise Roth & Beth Amos): Mack’s Bar Mystery Series

Victoria Abbott (Mary Jane Maffini & Victoria Maffini): Book Collector’s Mystery Series

Susan Wittig Albert: Darling Dahlias Mystery Series

Donna Andrews: Meg Langslow Mystery Series

Charlotte Armstrong: Chocolate Cobweb

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

C.C. Benison: Father Christmas Mystery Series

Heather Blake (aka Heather Webber): Magic Potion Mystery Series

Rhys Bowen: Molly Murphy Mystery Series

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

Jill Churchill: Grace and Favor Mystery Series

Nancy Coco (aka Nancy J. Parra): Candy-Coated Mystery Series

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

Lesley Cookman: Libby Sarjeant Mystery Series

Cleo Coyle (aka Alice Kimberly): Coffee House Mystery Series

Mary Daheim: Hillside Manor Bed & Breakfast Mystery Series

Krista Davis: Paws and Claws Mystery Series

Carola Dunn: Daisy Dalrymple Mystery Series

Jimmie Ruth Evans (aka Miranda James, Honor Hartman, & Dean James): Trailer Park Mystery Series

Joanne Fluke: Hannah Swensen Cookie Jar Mystery Series

Dorothy Gilman: Mrs. Pollifax Mystery Series

Sue Grafton: Kinsey Millhone Mystery Series

Kerry Greenwood: Phryne Fisher Mystery Series

Philip Gulley: Home to Harmony (cozy, but not a mystery)

Victoria Hamilton: Vintage Kitchen Mystery Series

Carolyn Hart: Death on Demand Mystery Series

Libby Fischer Hellman: An Eye for Murder 

Georgette Heyer: Superintendent Hannasyde Mystery Series

Diane Kelly: Tara Holloway Death and Taxes Mystery Series

Laura Levine: Jaine Austen Mystery Series

Kylie Logan (aka Miranda Bliss & Casey Daniels): Button Box Mystery Series

Sheila Lowe: Forensic Handwriting Mystery Series

Nancy Martin: Blackbird Sisters Mystery Series

Leslie Meier: Leslie Stone Mystery Series

Carol Miller: Murder and Moonshine

Meg Muldoon: Murder in Christmas River, Mayhem in Christmas River, & Madness in Christmas River

Gail Oust: Piper Prescott Mystery Series

Katherine Hall Page: Faith Fairchild Mystery Series

Sara Rosett: Ellie Avery Msytery Series

Mark Schweizer: Liturgical Mystery Series

Paige Shelton: Farmers’ Market Mystery Series

Elaine Viets: Dead-End Job Mystery Series

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

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Soon to be Released Mysteries

December 14, 2013

I have heard from several of you who have mentioned that you enjoy hearing about Soon to be Released Mysteries even before I post the monthly New Releases entries a month before the mystery books’ release dates. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before, but sometimes it takes me a while to catch on…

Since I keep a running list of mystery books’ release dates in order to post the monthly New Mystery Book Releases entries, I thought I would go ahead and keep an active page on the site with all of the Soon to be Released Mysteries. I have been working at posting all of the mysteries on my active list, and will keep adding on new books as soon as I find out about their release dates. Also, I will continue to post the monthly New Releases entry.

If you take a look at the Soon to be Released Mysteries page, you will see that I have mysteries listed which will be published in January, February, March, April, May, June, and July of 2014. I am currently working on updating more mystery books, and will be posting some that are due out in August and October of 2014. (Weird that it skips a month, as I haven’t found any mysteries that will be published September 2014 >>> yet!)

So, for all of you who want to beat the rush putting your name on your libraries’ wait lists, welcome to the Soon to be Released Mysteries page on the Cozy Mystery site!

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