The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Easy-Peasy Shopping: Cyber Monday

I just started DVR-ing a national news show since I felt like I was falling a little behind on world news recently. I have to say, the news shows have changed a lot since I last watched them. I tried one of the major network’s news shows and was amazed at all of the fluff they had during the half hour. I am currently trying another news show on one of the cable channels, in hope that it will not have the “cute kitten” stories that used to be relegated to the weather person’s time slot.

Anyway, the point I was going to make is that I absolutely could not believe what was going on at the stores during this, our supposedly most joyous and love-thy-neighbor, time of year. I could not believe the brawls over merchandise!

I haven’t gone Christmas shopping the traditional way in years. Yes, I’m afraid I’m one of those armchair shoppers… I have my family set up their wish lists, and I click, click, click at my computer. I buy everything online. I either have it sent directly to people on my Christmas/birthday lists, or I have it sent to me and then I wrap it up and put it under the tree.

This brings me to the sales online. I wanted to pass this one on. Amazon is having a Cyber Monday Kindle Book Sale. It’s on all sorts of different genres, not just mysteries. I skimmed through the Kindle mysteries and found some authors of interest:

Charlotte MacLeod
Ellery Queen
Mary Roberts Rinehart
Dorothy L. Sayers
Stuart Palmer
Ruth Rendell
Patricia Wentworth
Barbara Vine
Anne Perry
Jane Haddam
Heather Graham
Jane Langton
Susan Dunlap
Joseph Wambaugh
Jeffery Deaver
Carl Hiaasen

Yikes!! Too many books to choose from!

Mystery Books Recommendations – November 2013

I have been keeping myself pretty busy lately, which is why I forgot to post this Cozy Mysteries Recommendations for November 2013 entry earlier. I have been working on going through our garage in the hopes of clearing up some space. It has just gotten too crowded out there. I have also been getting our Thanksgiving organized, and am trying to get our Christmas decorations up. (Yes, I know it’s odd to be working on Christmas before Thanksgiving, but our daughter comes home for such a short time that I like to have the house holiday-ed up for her.)

We are already at the end of November, so I’d like to ask you all to let us know about some of the mysteries you have read during the month which you thought were really, really good. Would you please tell us why you enjoyed your recommended Cozy Mystery books? A lot of us use those comments to help us decide if that particular author/mystery is something we would also enjoy reading.

[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 November 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:

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

Charles Warren Adams: The Notting Hill Mystery

Ellery Adams (aka Jennifer Stanley, J. B. Stanley, & 1/2 of Lucy Arlington): Books by the Bay Mystery Series

Isabella Alan (aka Amanda Flower): Amish Quilt Shop Mystery Series

Donna Andrews: Meg Langslow Mystery Series

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

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

Frances Brody: Kate Shackleton Mystery Series

Joelle Charbonneau: Glee Club Mystery Series

Jessie Crockett: Sugar Grove Mystery Series

Mary Daheim: Hillside Manor Bed & Breakfast Mystery Series 

Christine DeSmet: Fudge Shop Mystery Series

Janet Evanovich: Stephanie Plum Mystery Series 

Shelley Freydont: Celebration Bay Mystery Series

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

Laurie R. King: Mary Russell Mystery Series

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

Ada Madison (aka Camille Minichino & Margaret Grace): Sophie Knowles Mystery Series

G.M. Malliet: Max Tudor Mystery Series

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

Leonard Merrick: Mr. Bazalgette’s Agent

Camille Minichino (aka Margaret Grace & Ada Madison): Periodic Table Mystery Series

Clare O’Donohue: Someday Quilts Mystery Series

Sara Rosett: Ellie Avery Mystery Series

Josephine Tey: Alan Grant Mystery Series

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

Finally It’s Time for a Winter Carnival Mystery…

In March of this year, I finally tried my first Joanne Fluke Hannah Swensen (Cookie Jar) mystery. I liked it so much that I actually recommended Fluke as my pick for the monthly mystery book recommendation entry. While it has been (more than) several months since I last read about Hannah and the rest of Lake Eden’s towns’ people, I am currently feeling very Cozy reading about the town’s Winter Carnival.

For those of you who read Fluke’s series, you will probably remember that the Winter Carnival takes place in the third book of the series. Why, you may ask, has it taken me so long to read these mysteries if I enjoy them so much?

This all gets back to my seasonal mysteries hang-up. For some reason, I just don’t enjoy reading about a winter carnival that takes place up in Minnesota during a San Antonio 100° summer day. Those two things just don’t mesh for me. That’s a problem that I encounter from time to time when I really like an author, but I know the next book in the series takes place in a certain type of weather/season.

So after I read Strawberry Shortcake Murder (the second in the series) I took a rather long break before reading the third in the series, Blueberry Muffin Murder, since I knew I would want to read it during one of our infrequent cold snaps, which is exactly what we are experiencing right now.

I have spoken a lot about how much I enjoy reading seasonal Cozy Mystery books during their appropriate seasons. This sort of thing often leads to me feeling like I’m not able to read a book until the “correct time of year.” It’s a major drag when I really like an author, but it’s what I do.

So, while I may not have to put on a winter coat, a scarf, and mittens, at least I am wearing my jacket these days. Perfect weather in San Antonio for a Winter Carnival.

Thanksgiving Mystery Book List Recommendations

I know I should have done this a week ago, but I am wondering if any of you can think of a Thanksgiving mystery that you think the rest of us should absolutely know about. I did this at Halloween time (Halloween Recommendations), and thought you all had such great ideas, that I should try to do this at different holiday times. I really let time get away from me, and know this is pretty close to Thanksgiving, but wonder if you all would let us know about Thanksgiving Day mysteries you really like. We may not be able to finish the Thanksgiving mysteries we start reading, but at least we can get some of the book’s ambiance before the holiday.

If you’re anything like me, you might need to refresh your memories. Here is the Thanksgiving Mystery Book List from the Cozy Mystery site. Also, if I am missing any Thanksgiving mysteries on the list, please let me know.

Thanksgiving Mystery Book Recommendations:

Donald Bain & Jessica Fletcher: A Fatal Feast

Kate Borden (aka Kate Grilley): Death of a Turkey

Krista Davis: The Diva Runs Out of Thyme

Jane Haddam (aka Orania Papazoglou): Feast of Murder

Lee Harris: The Thanksgiving Day Murder

J. Alan Hartman, editor: The Killer Wore Cranberry

J. Alan Hartman, editor: The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Second Helping

J. Alan Hartman, editor: The Killer Wore Cranberry: Room for Thirds

Leslie Meier: Turkey Day Murder

Livia J. Washburn: The Pumpkin Muffin Murder

If you know of any Thanksgiving theme mysteries that you think should definitely be on this Thanksgiving mysteries recommendations list, please post a comment.

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