People send in questions to the site all the time, and one of the most common questions is “can you help me remember the name of this book?” Sometimes I can help, other times I can’t… and when that happens, I’ve found that it often helps to ask the rest of you, the site readers! It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these, so they’ve really started to add up!

From Cindy A.

I do have a Cozy Mystery series I started reading many years ago about a young woman that started her own Crime Scene clean-up. I am hoping that the author is still writing it and someone can tell me the series….

The main character is female and had a young man working for/with her also. She could see and communicate with the victims and I believe that this was only possible if they met Foul Play. The young man was a friend and great help, but it seems that she may have been going to lose him to another career choice that he wanted or something like that.

I wish I could tell more or at least the time period, but can only come up with this and that it may be around the early 2000s.

EDIT: From the comments of multiple people (thanks to everyone! too numerous to list unfortunately – this one might have been a bit of a “softball” question!), this looks like it’s probably Wendy Roberts‘s Ghost Dusters Mystery Series. A few other people have mentioned Christy Barritt‘s Squeaky Clean Mystery Series, so that’s also a possible answer.

From Brandy L:

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

EDIT: Kathleen suggested this could be part of the Sister Mary Helen Mystery Series by Carol Anne O’Marie.

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.

EDIT: Amy suggested this could be Number, Please, by Sheree Petree.

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.

EDIT: C. T. suggested this could be the Martha’s Vineyard Mystery Series by Cynthia Riggs, which stars a senior sleuth who sometimes delivers meals on wheels. (I don’t remember that last detail, but the rest of it seems to fit.)

So! If you think you have the answer to one of these series, please send in a comment! If I think it fits, I’ll add it to the post as a potential answer. Hopefully we can help these readers find their forgotten favorites!

One of the recurring questions that I get asked a lot is “what book is this from?”, usually from people who are looking to revisit a book they vaguely remember from . While I can answer a fair number of these on my own, there are some that stump even me – but thankfully, rarely you, the site readers! So without further ado, here are a few of the more recent Cozy Mystery identification questions!

First, from Marion B:

Trying to find this book I read about 1980, it was the first book published by this man, his name was Jonathan and I cannot remember his last name. Book takes place in New Orleans about a mother and young son who run a boarding house for the elderly. There is corruption in the local government and voodoo too. It was exceptional! I would love to read it again and find the author.

And the second, from Paul P:

I am searching for the name of a female author I read several years ago, I think at least three mysteries. All took place in Minneapolis-St Paul. The heroine/detective was a lawyer and I believe worked in the DA’s office. There was a Christian-religious theme to the books. Does this ring a bell with anyone? Would greatly appreciate.

EDIT: Possibly the Rachel Flynn Mysteries, by Susan Meissner?

EDIT AGAIN: Paul posted in the comments below, and agrees that this seems to be the Rachel Flynn Mysteries by Susan Meissner!

So, if you think you’ve got the answer to either of these stumpers, please let us know in the comments below! Thank you!

I get a lot of questions about Cozies, and one popular category of question is “what book is this from?”, posed by people who sort-of-half-remember something that they read years ago. While I can help sometimes, it isn’t always possible – even I haven’t read every Cozy, and I’m afraid to say my memory might not be quite what it used to be! So I thought I’d ask if any of the other readers happen to have the answers to the following questions that have been asked.

First, from Billie:

Who is the author that writes about a woman who is an animal photographer with a dog who tracks, has a boyfriend and they both go to dog training classes?

EDIT: A number of people who have written in think that this is the Animals in Focus series by Sheila Webster Boneham.  Thanks!

Second, from Carolyn, who is asking on behalf of someone in her reading group:

In the book I’m looking for, a young woman is driving back to her hometown, late at night, raining hard, she blows a tire, and gets out to dig out her spare with all her belongings on top of it. The local cop stops to help her, another car comes by nearly hitting her, but the cop pulls her to safety and they roll down the embankment.

EDIT: Some people have indicated this might be Murder, She Barked by Krista Davis. Thanks!

If anyone happens to know which book either of these questions might be describing, please be sure to leave a comment below. Thank you!