The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Cozy Mystery Site Reader Questions – April 2019 Edition

It’s been a while since I’ve had a good batch of questions… but longer-term readers will know that I do get a number of them, and many boil down to “I read this book a long time ago and can’t remember the author…” Some of these I can help, others are either something I haven’t read, or the clues aren’t ones that I recognize. So, now’s when I turn to you, the site readers! If you have a good idea of what may be an answer to one of the below

From Lee:

Looking for a crime novel where the female lead protagonist is an archeologist or paleontologist, not really sure. Old people are being killed in a family because of some manuscripts…

EDIT: Elle suggested this could be an entry in Elizabeth Peters‘s Amelia Peabody Mystery Series. Or MaryBeth suggested it might be the Ruth Galloway Series by Elly Griffiths. Kristi suggested it might be the Arcadia Jones Mystery Series by Joshua Elliot James. And LaVerne had two possible suggestions – the Temperance Brennan Series by Kathy Reich, or the Diane Chamberlain Mystery Series by Beverly Connor.

From Donna:

Hi, a couple years back I was perusing the Brewster Country Store and bought a 3 new paperback book mystery series by a female Cape Cod author. I think the premise might have been a murder…

EDIT: Nancy and JoAnn both suggested this could possibly Leslie Meier, who used to live on Cape Cod. Ginger suggested it could be Cynthia Riggs. Ginger also suggested it could be the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Series by Vicki Delaney. Another suggesion, by Kath, was that it could be the Asey Mayo Cape Cod Mystery Series by Phoebe Atwood Taylor.

From Margi:

… I was hoping you could help me find an author. Her books include an older lady in in England(?). She has her dog who goes with her everywhere and an old car she has named (?). She shares her home with a photographer, and she helps in a thrift store…

EDIT: Many people have mentioned that this might be the Cornish Mystery Series by Carola Dunn. I don’t remember her naming her car, but it’s been a while since I’ve read any books in this particular series.

Alternately, Marie suggested this one could be the Ellie Quicke Mystery Series by Veronica Heley.

From Juke:

I’m looking for some books I really enjoyed (can’t remember titles or author!) that featured a female caterer who had a professional refrigerator/freezer in her home kitchen. Also, she was constantly pouring herself espressos from an espresso machine in her kitchen…

EDIT: Many readers have mentioned that this is likely Diane Mott Davidson‘s Goldy Schulz Mystery Series… I have read all the books in this really good series, but I confess to not remembering the espressos.

So, if you’ve got an answer to one of these questions, please be sure to bring it up in the comments! I’ll add suggestions as they come in, and hopefully we can help reunite these people with their former favorite Cozies.

*****Thank you to all of you who have posted comments answering Juke’s question about the professional refrigerator/freezer and the espressos-drinking sleuth. It turns out that Juke is looking for Diane Mott Davidson‘s Goldy Schulz Mystery Series.  I have read all the books in this really good series, but I confess to not remembering the espressos. Yikes!

Thanks, again.

Compiled Cozy Mystery Reader Questions

I have accumulated a few more questions about the following mysterious authors/books/series. If you think you know who the Cozy Mystery reader is looking for, please post a comment below.

From Brandy L:

Do any of you know of a series about a serial killer at Holy Cross College?

EDIT: Sherrie suggested that this is likely Murder at Holy Cross, a true crime novel by Peter Davidson.

From Glen:

… does anyone remember a mystery set on the west coast, I think in Northern California about a woman who worked for the city telephone co? The California mystery was not a generally used term. At least not that I knew of…but they were very good, and would definitely fall into the cozy category.

This is one of the mysteries where I have a “maybe” answer already… it could be Number, Please, by Sheree Petree. But I’m just going by the description here, as I haven’t read it, so some confirmation by readers would be nice!

From J. Bouchard:

Do you know if there is a cozy mystery that the main sleuth is 80 years old and delivers meals on wheel? Thank you for your assistance.

The closest I can think of off-hand of is The Baby Blue Rip-Off by Max Allen Collins, which does feature a meals on wheels driver, but I don’t think the sleuth is 80 years old.

EDIT: Terry mentioned it could be Cynthia Riggs’s Martha’s Vineyard Series. This is a possibility, though I thought that it was that Victoria got into a fender bender with a meals on wheels driver, not that she was the driver herself.

Lynn also suggested it could be the Ivy Malone Mystery Series by Lorena McCourtney, which features another senior sleuth, but neither of us is sure if she ever delivered for meals on wheels.

Sue suggested it could be Virginia Rich’s Eugenia Potter series, which is set in Nantucket.

From Candi:

Looking for a series done perhaps 20 years ago or so about a young lady who lives in south Pennsylvania in the mountains between Gettysburg and Waynesboro. It is not historic. There were at least three I believe….could be more. She might have been in medical profession? I wish I could remember more! Any help is appreciated!

EDIT: Readingprincess suggested this could be the Tori Miracle series by Valerie S. Malmont.

So that’s it for the questions for this time. If you think you know who the Cozy Mystery reader is looking for, please post a comment below. Thank you!

Favorite Established (5+ books) Cozy Mystery Series?

This is something of a follow-up for last month’s question, which was whether viewers preferred long series or short…

Brooke asks:

What are your favorite established (at least 5 books) cozy mystery series?

That’s a surprisingly hard question! Well, I suppose the first answer springs to mind is that I have a real weakness for the “classics”. I can’t turn down anything by Agatha Christie, or many of the other authors of her generation. Beyond that, I have written about many, many series, all of which have their own charm, and most of which have at least five entries, most linked in the Cozy Mystery Recommendations page.

Recommended Cozy Mystery Series of at least 5 books:

Victoria Abbott (Mary Jane Maffini & Victoria Maffini): Book Collectors 

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

Susan Wittig Albert: China Bayles

Susan Wittig Albert: the Darling Dahlias

Ellie Alexander (aka Kate Dyer-Seeley): Bakeshop

Madelyn Alt: Bewitching

Donna Andrews: Meg Langslow 

Nancy Atherton: Aunt Dimity

Lorna Barrett (aka L. L. Bartlett & Lorraine Bartlett): Booktown 

M.C. Beaton (aka Marion Chesney): Hamish Macbeth

M.C. Beaton (aka Marion Chesney): Agatha Raisin

Juliet Blackwell (aka Hailey Lind): Witchcraft

Heather Blake (aka Heather Webber): Wishcraft

Rhys Bowen: Royal Spyness

Rhys Bowen: Molly Murphy

Susan M. Boyer: Liz Talbot (Lowcountry)

Lilian Jackson Braun: The Cat Who…

Simon Brett: Mrs. Pargeter

Emily Brightwell: Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries (Victorian)

Duffy Brown: Consignment Shop

Rita Mae Brown: Mrs. Murphy

Kate Carlisle: Bibliophile

Kate Carlisle: Fixer-Upper

Elizabeth Lynn Casey (aka Laura Bradford): Southern Sewing Circle

Bailey Cates (aka Cricket McRae & Bailey Cattrell): Magical Bakery

Bailey Cates (aka Cricket McRae & Bailey Cattrell): Enchanted Garden

Laura Childs: Tea Shop

Laura Childs: Scrapbooking

Agatha Christie: Miss Marple

Agatha Christie: Hercule Poirot

Edie Claire: Leigh Koslow

Jane K. Cleland: Josie Prescott Antiques

Blaize Clement/David Clement: Dixie Hemingway

Nancy Coco (aka Nancy J. Parra and Nell Hampton): Candy-Coated

Kate Collins: Flower Shop Mystery Series

E.J. Copperman (aka Jeffrey Cohen): Haunted Guesthouse

Cleo Coyle (aka Alice Kimberly): Coffeehouse

Ellen Crosby: Wine Country

Mary Daheim: Emma Lord

Mary Daheim: Hillside Manor Bed & Breakfast

Jeanne M. Dams: Dorothy Martin

Shirley Damsgaard: Ophelia & Abby

Diane Mott Davidson: Goldy Bear

Krista Davis: Paws & Claws

Krista Davis: Domestic Diva

Jo Dereske: Miss Zukas

R.B. Dominic (Emma Lathen): Ben Safford

Selma Eichler: Desiree Shapiro

Lynn Florkiewicz: Sir James Harrington

Joanna Fluke: Hannah Swensen

Earlene Fowler: Benni Harper (Quilting)

Dick/Felix Francis: horseracing

Margaret Frazer (aka Gail Frazer, Monica Ferris): Sister Frevisse Medieval

Margaret Frazer (aka Gail Frazer, Monica Ferris): Joliffe the Player

Paul Gallico: Mrs. ‘Enry

Eva Gates (aka Vicki Delany): Lighthouse Library

Anne George: Southern Sisters

Dorothy Gilman: Mrs. Pollifax

Sally Goldenbaum: Seaside Knitters

Sue Grafton: Kinsey Millhone

Kerry Greenwood: Phryne Fisher

Kerry Greenwood: Corinna Chapman

Elly Griffiths: Ruth Galloway

Jane Haddam (aka Orania Papazoglou): Gregor Demarkian

Carolyn Haines: Sarah Booth Delaney

Victoria Hamilton (aka Amanda Cooper & Donna Lea Simpson): Vintage Kitchen

Lee Harris: Christine Bennett Holiday

Sherry Harris: Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery Series

Carolyn Hart (aka Carolyn G. Hart): Death on Demand

Betty Hechtman

Veronica Heley: Ellie Quicke

Joan Hess (aka Joan Hadley): Maggody 

Joan Hess (aka Joan Hadley): Claire Malloy

Tony/Anne Hillerman: Leaphorn, Chee, & Manuelito (Navajo)

Julie Hyzy: Manor of Murder

Sue Ann Jaffarian: Odelia Grey

Miranda James (aka Honor Hartman, Jimmie Ruth Evans, & Dean James): Cat in the Stacks

Dianne Kelly: Paw Enforcement series

Sofie Kelly: Magical Cats

Emma Lathen (aka R. B. Dominic): John Thatcher (Wallstreet)

Jim and Joyce Lavene (aka J. J. Cook & Ellie Grant): All series

Laura Levine: Jaine Austen

Kylie Logan  (aka Miranda Bliss & Casey Daniels):  League of Literary Ladies

Jess Lourey: Murder by Month

Karen MacInerney: Gray Whale Inn

Charlotte MacLeod: Peter Shandy & Helen Shandy 

G. M. Malliet: Max Tudor

Margaret Maron: Judge Deborah Knott

Alyssa Maxwell: Gilded Newport

Judi McCoy: Dog Walker

G.A. McKevett: Savannah Reid

Jenn McKinlay (aka Josie Belle & Lucy Lawrence): Cupcake Bakery

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

Leslie Meier: Lucy Stone

Barbara Michaels (aka Elizabeth Peters & Barbara Mertz)

Emma Miller: Amish

Patricia Moyes: Henry and Emily Tibbett

Shirley Rousseau Murphy: Joe Grey Cat

Tamar Myers: Pennsylvania Dutch Inn

Gail Oust: Spice Shop

Katherine Hall Page: Faith Fairchild

Sara Paretsky: V.I. Warshawski

Louise Penny: Chief Inspector Gamache

Leigh Perry (aka Toni L.P. Kelner): Family Skeleton

Elizabeth Peters (aka Barbara Michaels & Barbara Mertz): Amelia Peabody

Ellis Peters: Brother Cadfael

Maggie Pill: The Sleuth Sisters

Rhonda Pollero: F. A. T.

Ellery Queen: Ellery Queen

Ann B. Ross: Miss Julia 

Hank Phillippi Ryan: Jane Ryland

Sophie Ryan (aka Sofie Kelly): Second Chance Cat

Alexander McCall Smith: No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency

Elizabeth Daniels Squire: Peaches Dann

Rex Stout: Nero Wolfe

Denise Swanson: Scumble River

Leann Sweeney: Cats in Trouble

Ann Swinfen: Oxford Medieval

Marcia Talley: Hannah Ives

Victoria Thompson: Gaslight

Rebecca Tope: Cotswold

Various Authors: Miss Seeton

Robert Van Gulik: Judge Dee

Elaine Viets: Dead-End Job

Lea Wait: Mainely Needlepoint

Lea Wait (aka Cornelia Kidd): Shadows Antique Print

Livia J. Washburn: Fresh-Baked Mysteries

Jacqueline Winspear: Maisie Dobbs

P.S. Brooke, I sure hope this list of recommended Cozy Mystery authors and at least 5-book series gives you a starting point!

Cozy Mystery Series with Very Many Books vs. Cozy Mystery Series with Just a Few…

MJ recently wrote me about a very interesting question, which I think makes a terrific blog topic. It’s something that probably a lot of us have wondered about while we made our way through rather long Cozy Mystery series.

MJ:

I have been pondering another question. Do cozy readers like a really long series from an author? OR do they prefer shorter (perhaps 6 to 10 books) and more of a variety from an author?

I ask this because I find that I’ve gotten bored with some of the longer series. I’ve stopped reading ****. ****, and ****. Now I can’t say that about every author. I still like Katherine Hall Page and Susan Wittig Albert and their 20+ book (Coyle at 18) series.

I was thinking about this as I was reading Connolly’s new series. She has her Orchard series (11 books) and it looks like she isn’t writing any more in the Museum Mysteries (7 books). Also, the County Cork series and that ‘Dead’ series. In other words she likes more variety, as do many other authors (McKinlay, Bartlett/Barrett, Gerber/Aames, Flower, Logan, Minichino, et al to name just a few).

Maybe it’s a dumb question…………..I was just curious.

MJ, this is definitely not a “dumb question”! I have wondered about this also. A lot of the time, when a favorite author of mine continues writing and writing more and more Cozies in a series, I find that I sort of start feeling like I need a change, and wonder why they don’t. This has happened several times. It almost feels like sometimes the author is simply “phoning it in”. Let’s face it, there are a lot of Cozy Mystery authors out there today, and to me, some long-running series tend to morph into too-long-running series.

What about you? Do you prefer it when your favorite authors keep each of their Cozy Mystery series shorter (as MJ mentions 6 to 10 books)(or even shorter) or when your favorite authors concentrate on just one very long series? Please post a comment below. Thank you!

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