The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Hennepin County Judge & Minneapolis Sleuth = ?

Here is the third of these “identify the author” entries. Elise asks for our help with this:

I’ve been searching for a book I read in the early 90s by a local Minneapolis author. It was his debut novel and set in Minneapolis. I vaguely remember the plot involved the detective uncovering a secret of a Hennepin County judge that was involved in a young male prostitution ring of sorts.
I don’t remember the author or the name of the book. Any help would be appreciated!

So, if you know who Elise might possibly be looking for, please post a comment. Thank you!

Undercover Cleaning is Her Game…

So, moving right along with the identification of authors/book titles:

Anita asked us if we could identify this mystery series:

I’m trying to find the name of a mystery series about a single mom that cleans the houses of her rich friends, but she’s in disguise. I keep thinking she drives a VW Beetle and meets a widower with a daughter and then she realizes they dated in high school.

Thanks!

I’m hoping that one of you knows who Anita is searching for. I’ve read several mysteries with cleaning ladies as the sleuths, but this one does not sound familiar to me.

Thank you for your help!

Cozy Mystery Tree Lovers…

Here’s another question from a Cozy Mystery reader. Cheryl asks:

I am trying to find the title of  book I read a few years ago involving a mom and teenage son. The son was “living” in a tree as a tree hugger – helping out for someone else to try to save this tree from being cut down. A body was discovered not far away from this tree. His mother discovered a Petosky stone near the body and knew that the killer was from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan or had visited there, as that is the only place the stone is found.
Thank you,
Cheryl

I have to admit that this doesn’t sound at all familiar to me. (Of course, usually as soon as I say something like that, it will predestine that the author be one of my favorites!) If any of you think you might know the title of this tree, please post a comment.   Thank you!

Calling All Future Mystery Author Icons…

Regina sent me a note saying me the following:

“… I did have an idea the other night for a discussion topic… Do you think that any of today’s present crop of writers will become the icons of mystery authors Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Marjorie Allingham and Conan Doyle are? …”

So, here I am, asking you all to give us your opinions about Regina’s topic. What do you think, will any of our current mystery authors become classic mystery icons for future generations?

Oh, and before I post this, I had better say we should limit “today’s present crop of writers” to people who have currently (or within the last year) published a mystery book. So in cases where you might think: “Oh, Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael mysteries will certainly be read in fifty years.” >>> she wouldn’t actually qualify. Where as, someone who has been putting out wonderful mysteries since the 1960s would qualify since (let’s use the example of the excellent author, Ruth Rendell) she published her last mystery this year.

Thank you, Regina, for this great topic AND thanks to ALL of you for your responses.

P.S. Some time in the past I had an entry where I asked you all to actually name all of the current authors who you thought would become classic authors for future generations to seek out, but this time we should probably not name any authors. This way we can be just as negative as we want! (Yes, every once in a while I have that kind of mind frame!)

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