The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Christmas Mystery Book List Recommendations

I just remembered that it’s time for me to ask you all about your favorite Christmas mysteries. The last time I did this was at Thanksgiving time (Favorite Thanksgiving Mysteries). We also made up a list of our Favorite Halloween Mysteries.

As you can see from all of the pages of Christmas Mystery Books, the Christmas mystery book theme is a really popular one. Many of my favorite authors have at least one mystery book in their series that takes place during the Christmas holidays.

I have enjoyed many Christmas mysteries, especially since living down here in San Antonio. Because the weather isn’t really “Christmas-y”, I rely on my authors to bring me the snow and cold associated with this time of year. I have to admit that I prefer reading mysteries that take place in cold climates at this time of year, rather than the Christmas in the tropics types of mysteries.

That’s not to say that I haven’t enjoyed Christmas mysteries that take place in weather similar to ours here in San Antonio. An example of this is Margaret Grace’s Mayhem in Miniature. Of course since Margaret Grace is one of my very favorite authors that’s no surprise. Luckily, as Camille Minichino she wrote The Helium Murder, which is set during Christmas in a very cold Massachusetts. That mystery did indeed give me my preferred snowy setting. Another Christmas mystery that just popped into my head is Charlotte MacLeod’s Rest You Merry. Who doesn’t love that Christmas mystery? My list of Christmas mystery favorites goes on an on, and on some more!

If you know of any Christmas theme mysteries that you think should definitely be on this Christmas mysteries recommendations list, please post a comment. And please tell us why you like it so much. Thank you!

Christmas Mystery Book Recommendations:

Donna Andrews: Duck the Halls

Marian Babson: The Twelve Deaths of Christmas

Jennie Bentley (aka Jenna Bennett & Bente Gallagher): Home for the Homicide

Carola Dunn: Death at Wentwater Court

Carola Dunn: Mistletoe and Murder

Shelley Freydont: Silent Knife

Jane Haddam: Not A Creature Was Stirring

Lee Harris: The Christmas Night Murder

Lee Harris: The New Year’s Eve Murder

Charlotte MacLeod (aka Alisa Craig): Rest Ye Merry

D.R. Meredith: Murder by Sacrilege

Valerie Wolzien: We Wish You a Merry Murder

Valerie Wolzien: ‘Tis the Season to be Murdered

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.

Mystery Books with a Cards Theme: Poker, Bridge, Gambling, & Card Games Mysteries

Susan* recently asked this question:

“… do you have a page for Card Game / Gambling Mysteries? I looked, but I couldn’t find one, …  I’ve found several Poker / Bridge based mysteries.”

At first I thought that I did have a Mystery Books with Cards Theme already done, but when I looked, it turns out I had the wrong type of Card in mind: Card Making Cozy Mystery theme. Still on my quest, I came up with two other possibilities: Crossword Puzzles and Bunco Mystery Books and Sudoku Mystery Books. (As Groucho Marx used to say: Close, but no cigar.)

Mystery Books with a Cards Theme (Poker, Bridge, Gambling, & Card Games Mysteries):

Jackie Chance: Poker Mystery Series

Jessie Chandler: Bingo Barge Murder (Shay O’Hanlon Caper mysteries, book #1)

Agatha Christie: Cards on the Table

Debra H. Goldstein: Carrie Martin and the Mah Jongg Players Mystery Series

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

Marlys Millhiser: Nobody Dies in a Casino

Gail Oust: Bunco Babes Mystery Series

Please post a comment if you know of any other mystery authors who write Poker Mysteries, Bridge Mysteries, Gambling Mysteries, or any other Card Game Mysteries.

Thanks!

Halloween Mystery Book List Recommendations

I have gotten many nice notes about how much people like our Mystery Book Monthly Recommendations lists. And, since I have been trying to update all of the holiday mystery book lists on the site, I started thinking that maybe it was time for us to make up a list of Halloween mystery book recommendations.

Here is the link to my Halloween Mystery Book List page. Of all of these Halloween mysteries, are there any that you think definitely stand out as being mystery books the rest of us should be aware of? These should be Halloween mysteries that we think others should definitely know about, so they can read and enjoy them the same way we did.

Also, if you wouldn’t mind letting me know about any Halloween mysteries that I don’t have on the list, that would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. If you would like to take a look at all of the different holiday mystery book lists that I have, here is the link: Holiday Mystery Book Lists. You can click on each individual holiday to see all of the mystery books that I am aware of.

*****

I’ll start out with one of my favorite Halloween Mysteries. I actually skipped the first book in the series so that I could read this book during a Halloween season, and I enjoyed it so much that I went back and read the preceding book right after I finished this one. Death of a Trickster is the second in Kate Borden’s Peggy Jean Turner Mystery Series. It takes place in New England, so you get the crisp, autumnal setting. Another reason I enjoyed it (besides liking Borden’s writing style) is that it features Halloween (almost) as a character. (There are many references to Halloween.) I liked all of the characters, the setting, the writing style, and the mystery.

Halloween Mystery Book Recommendations:

Alice K. Boatwright…. Under an English Heaven 

Kate Borden….. Death of a Trickster

Ray Bradbury…. The Halloween Tree

Bailey Cates (aka Cricket McRae)….. Bewitched, Bothered, and Biscotti

Laura Childs ….. Bedeviled Eggs

Agatha Christie….. The Hallowe’en Party

Isis Crawford (aka Barbara Block) ….. A Catered Halloween

Kathi Daley ….. Halloween Hijinks

Krista Davis ….. The Diva Haunts the House

Kaitlyn Dunnett (aka Kathy Lynn Emerson) ….. Vampires, Bones, and Treacle Scones

Shelley Freydont ….. Trick or Deceit

Kylie Logan ….. The Legend of Sleepy Harlow

Donna McLean…. A Sparrow Falls Trick or Treat? (story)

Leslie Meier: Trick or Treat Murder

Leslie Meier: Wicked Witch Murder

Annelise Ryan (aka Allyson K. Abbott & Beth Amos): Scared Stiff

Valerie Wolzien: All Hallow’s Evil

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

Thank you!

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