It’s been some time since I put up a post like this, so I’ve gotten a number of questions that have come up that I don’t have a quick answer for…

From Tina:

I am looking for a book that is about a man who passes away and comes back as a ghost and haunts his wife. All I can remember about it is that the man is an architect and their house is built around trees. The family names the trees names like Longfellow and their Gardner, I think, puts little balls of herbs maybe around the house to keep the ghost out. Any help in finding this book would be appreciated. I’ve been trying to find it for years and can’t.

EDIT: Aunty suggested this could be The Overstory by Richard Powers…

From Anita:

There is a series, rich widow, finds out her husband had an illegitimate son, feels sorry for mistress, has a black housekeeper who helps her, she winds up taking the boy and his mother in. Maybe takes place in Birmingham.

EDIT: Many readers have suggested that this is likely the Miss Julia Series by Ann B. Ross. Thanks everyone!

From AC:

Hello! I am looking for a book I read as a kid. It has a leading female character, young, and she is an archaeologist or an egyptologist. She travels to Egypt for a reason I do not recall, and she gets herself in a lot of problems, deadly ones (people trying to kill her, she gets locked up inside a chamber in a pyramid). I believe that the novel is set in the 1980s, or maybe the 1970s. Do you have any information that can help my research?
PS: it is not the Amelia Peabody series.
Thank you so much.

EDIT: I have had several suggestions for this one… Nancy and Aunty suggested it could be the Vicky Bliss series, by Elizabeth Peters…  JC suggested The Jackal’s Head, also by Elizabeth Peters… Teresa and V thought it could be The Sphinx, by Robin Cook…

Thank you in advance for any possible answers! As I get potential answers, I’ll update the post with them…

Well, as I said last month, I had let quite a few of these accumulate over time… I’m trying to keep the number a bit lower, so I might try to do this more often, possibly as often as once a month if I have enough questions.

From Lelia:

I recently listened to an audiobook cozy mystery about a witch who worked as a wedding/events planner, but I can’t remember the name of the series or the author!

EDIT: Well, Lelia already found this one – it was the A Touch of Magic Series by Danielle Garrett.

From John:

I am looking for a mystery series set in Seattle. I read these in the late 1980’s and really enjoyed them. Protagonist is a former Seattle policeman who is on medical retirement. He rides a bicycle for fitness and local competitions. He rents a basement apartment in his house to a female law student. Anyone know the author?

EDIT: A number of readers (Elizabeth, Debbie, Laura, SL, Sharon, J, Kate, and Becky) have all suggested that this could be Earl Emerson‘s Thomas Black Series.

From Glen:

While everyone is looking, remembering, and suggesting authors, maybe someone can come up with a series I’ve been trying to find. About a woman in Northern California, I think, who works for a phone company(?) and who left a prior job to move to this small community.

EDIT: Debbie suggested that this might be the Vejay Haskell Mystery Series by Susan Dunlap.

From Megan:

I read this mystery book maybe 10 years ago and loved it but have no idea who wrote it. It’s about an old lady in who owns an inn or hotel and she is a bit eccentric. She lives here with her son. The main character goes to visit this place and finds a diary from a maid who used to work there who disappeared somehow but had had a baby prior. In the end, the old, eccentric lady ends up being a man and her son ends up being the missing maids son.

From Mark:

There’s a book series that I’ve been trying to figure out too. I don’t remember very much about it but it had an older man in it and I wanna say his nephew or younger friend? There was a murder in it (I think in mississippi or in the bayou?) and the old man is like brilliant or extremely smart. It was an old book That I found at my nanas house and I think it was my dads book. I think the main character has 2 initials as his first name. I think it was a series and could be from the 40s or 50s

Well, I’ve been holding off on this longer than I should… quite a few questions by Cozy Mystery readers have started to pile up. Here’s hoping that some of our keen-minded readers can help these people find their forgotten favorites!

From Lenda…

I have been trying to remember which mystery writer includes recipes that also list the gluten free version. All I can remember is that the writer is a woman.

EDIT: Numerous readers have suggested Nancy J. Parra‘s Baker’s Treat Mystery Series. Others have suggested Daryl Wood Gerber‘s Cookbook Nook Mystery Series. Catherine suggested Libby Klein‘s Poppy McAlliester Mystery Series, which features a gluten-free baker. Debby suggested Lorna Barrett‘s Booktown Mystery Series, which does include recipes.

From Carole…

I am trying to remember the name of the author who wrote a few mystery books about an older woman who ran a salvage business in the Sacramento area. I think the character’s name was Henry O. or something like that.

EDIT: Actually, Carole found the answer to her own question – the author is Mary Bowen Hall. Several others have suggested the Henrie O. Series by Carolyn Hart, but at least in this case that isn’t the answer! (Still might be worth looking at though!)

From Robert…

Trying to find name of author who wrote about a Florida keys murder mystery. She was a district attorney, her boyfriend was a cop.

EDIT: Not many suggestions on this one yet… Amy suggested it could be Barbara Parker‘s Suspicion Mystery Series, which stars Miami lawyers.

From Glen…

[I’m looking for ] some books about a couple of elderly men, a bit scatterbrained maybe? Or maybe just a bit naive. They do solve mysteries, and the books are very funny. They’re older books and out of print now. In fact, out of print for quite awhile…

EDIT:  Not too many possibilities for this one yet either. Rickee suggested this could be the Peculiar Crimes Unit by Christopher Fowler. Lydia suggested it might be from Phoebe Atwood Taylor, either the Asey Mayo Mystery Series or the Leonidas Witherall Mystery Series.

From Neater…

I’m looking for a cozy mystery series about a Golden retriever female dog trainer and kennel owner In New York. She lives on a compound with her family. She travels to dog shows around the country. Her whole family is involved with the dogs…

EDIT: Several possible answers, but not a strong consensus on this one yet… Marsha suggested Laurien Berenson‘s Melanie Travis Mystery Series, though there are some differences (poodles and Connecticut instead of golden retrievers and New York). Amy suggested Carol Lea Benjamin‘s Rachel Alexander Mystery Series, which does feature a dog trainer in New York, but not necessarily a focus on golden retrievers either. Rhonda suggested the Dog Lover Mystery Series, by Susan Conant.

From Este…

… [it] took place onboard a harbored ship, I believe during a will-reading or murder mystery dinner. The book was part of an existing series that normally is not onboard ships. I believe the MC was a caterer or chef for the party…

EDIT: S’more Murders, an entry in Maya Corrigan‘s Five-Ingredient Mystery Series, might be the answer to this one – a suggestion by the author, actually, as well as several readers. Rickee suggested the Diane Mott Davidson Goldy Bear Mystery Series, which stars a caterer. And Amy suggested the author could be Faith Martin.

Thanks in advance! I will add anything that seems like it is probably the answer to the post!