The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Do You Think You Recognize Any of These Cozy Mysteries?

I’m hoping that some of you can help identify these authors/books/series that other Cozy Mystery readers are looking for.

wldmstnglvr:
photographer

… In the not too distant past (within the past year I believe) I read a cozy that featured a woman photographer, her Australian Shepherd, her boyfriend and his Labrador. They both did obedience and agility, including cat agility with her cat. The story also was about illegal exotic bird smuggling.

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Roslyn:
Island

… Someone at a banquet recommended a mystery series about a lawyer who lives on Catalina Island, single father.

She couldn’t remember the author. I’ve been searching and can’t find it. If you know it, I’d love the author’s name.

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Melvin R:
cottage

… I am looking for a book that I read several years ago. I am not sure of the author or title, but I do know it was a British cozy. It was written by a woman author and was set in a small English village. The sleuth is the wife of a vicar and they have just moved into their house. There is a cottage by the name of Fox Glove Cottage in it and the murder was done with an overdose of digitalis. The suspect is an herbalist, I think she was, there was a group of hippies and fur protesters and a gay guy. I think it took place around Easter. Other than that I can’t tell you much about the book. … I know it is not one of the M.C. Beaton books.

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Shirley:
goat

… I am looking for a book and cannot remember the Author or Title. … It was about a woman that had a goat farm and some of her friends dropped by and they noticed the goats surrounding something by a tree in the pasture. As it turned out it was the bodies of a man and woman who had either been murdered or suicide.

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Jimmy:
waitress

… Does anyone remember the series about a girl who was a waitress, had a best friend who was hippie-like, and who was trying not to fall in love with a man who was almost a gangster-type and who had a gambling establishment. She had a little apartment with shabby furniture that he started trying to replace. He had bodyguards, one of whom cooked. Obviously, I remember about everything but the author’s name and the characters’ names and the titles.

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Suz-Anne:
Turret

… It involved a man who was a writer and lived in a Victorian (I think), in a seaside village in California, with cats. The house had a turret? at the top where the cat(s) came and went freely. I am going crazy….it’s not my typical read, (although I’ve read all the Cat Who), but I would really love to read these.

Suz-Anne, this sounds like it might be The Cat Who Went Up the Creek by Lilian Jackson Braun, except for your California village.

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If you think you know who these Cozy Mystery readers are looking for, would you please post a comment? Thank you!

Some More Cozy Mystery News – March 23, 2016

authorTwo days ago Linda MH posted a comment that might have some of us wondering “What’s going on?”

Linda:

I was just reading about the shakeup that took place at Berkley/Penguin/NAL publishing company. Seems that mass market paperback books (our beloved cozies!) have taken a real hit. A lot of authors have been told the company won’t continue to publish their books. (Examples: Melissa Bourbon, Janet Bolin, & Rosie Genova, and one site mentioned Krista Davis–to name a few.) I’m hoping some of these authors (if they own the rights to their series) will continue to write books and self-publish. I read LOTS of books on my iPad using the Kindle app, but I still buy the majority of my cozies in the paper format. I’m really sad that some of these series will just end. Do you have any information on this?

First off, here’s some terrific news:

Krista Davis >>> Neither of her two series (Domestic Diva Mystery Series and Paws & Claws Mystery Series) have been cancelled! So, let’s squelch those bad thoughts!

As you may remember, I already told you about this bad news: Avery Aames‘ Cheese Shop Mystery Series and Julie Hyzy’s White House Chef Mystery Series have been cancelled. Now for some more really bad Cozy Mystery news:

Janet Bolin >>> Bad news in Threadville! Unfortunately, the Threadville Mystery Series has been cancelled. However, Janet has some good tidings: “And those poor folks in Threadville can finally settle down and live their lives without a murder to solve every year.” Even better, at the end of her letter she told me that she is still writing. So we’ll have to watch for some new Cozies from her!

Melissa Bourbon >>> Her publisher has decided to end the series, however, the good news is that she has a new contract with another company and will be writing a new Cozy series. And, she may even self-publish a 7th book in her Magical Dressmaking series!

Peg Cochran is currently writing the Cranberry Cove Mystery Series, the Farmer’s Daughter Mystery Series, and the Lucille Mystery Series. Unfortunately she will no longer be writing either her Gourmet De-Lite series nor her Sweet Nothings Lingerie series (written as Meg London). So, although it’s bad news for those two series, it’s great news that she is now writing three Cozy Mystery series!

Barbara Early (aka Beverly Allen – Bridal Bouquet Shop Mystery Series) will be starting a new Cozy Mystery series soon. The Vintage Toy Shop Mystery Series will start with a Christmas Cozy called Death of a Toy Soldier.

Christina York has been writing as Christy Evans and Christy Fifield. As Christy Fifield she writes the Haunted Gift Shop Mystery Series, which although it has been cancelled, she owns the rights! So she will be writing more of the Haunted Gift Shop mysteries. Great news!

I have several other Cozy Mystery authors who I have “heard” have been cancelled, however, I want to verify it with them before I post the news. I hope to get back to you all shortly. (I normally don’t post information about authors whose series have been dropped/cancelled by their publishers until I verify the information.)

Cozy Cliffhangers – Do They Make You Feel Cozy?

CliffHow do you feel about Cozy Mysteries with cliffhangers? Do they make you anticipate the next book in a series OR do they irritate you? Do you think an author is making the mystery all that more intriguing OR do you think the author is trying to insure that people will read the next book in her/his series? Are you okay with cliffhangers at the end of each chapter but not at the end of the Cozy OR do you like your chapters self-contained with a cliffhanger at the end of the book?

During the past eleven years I have heard from lots and lots of Cozy Mystery readers, some who like cliffhangers and say things like “It has such a real cliffhanger that I can’t wait for the next one!”, “… there was a bit of a cliffhanger at the end which has me anxiously awaiting the next book.“, and “I, too, can’t wait for the next.” (referring to a Cozy with a cliffhanger). But at the same time I have read comments saying “I was bothered by the ‘cliffhanger’ ending.” and “The story just seems to end without the conflict being settled. I know some writers will leave cliff hangers for future books but it just seems the writer is tired of writing and just wants to get the book finished.”

Before I decided to write this entry, I knew that I was going to have to come clean >>> and be negative. I won’t mention any authors’ names but I will say this: I like my Cozy Mysteries to be wrapped up in each book. I want my sleuth to be able to start a fresh mystery each time I join her on a mystery-solving adventure. I don’t like the idea of having to wait a year to find out what is going on with my sleuth. I don’t even like the romantic interest to not be settled within, let’s say, five books >>> although I admit that I follow series that have the romantic triangle going for book after book, after even more books!  (I wish I could commit to not reading those doggone romantic triangle Cozies, but they’re like potato chips…)

So, without naming any particular authors, please post a comment to let us know how you feel about cliffhangers in your Cozy Mysteries?  Thanks!

Do You Remember All of Your New Favorite Series’ Characters’ Identities?

RememberThe other day, MJ posted a comment that caught my eye. She had attached it to the bottom of her monthly recommendations, but I thought it was such a good comment, that I wanted to be sure ALL of us would see it.

MJ:

We’ve had discussions on this blog about whether to read books in a series all at once, or space them out yearly, as they are published. I’ve noticed that when I start a new series, I lose track of the characters a whole year later when the second book is published.

So I’ve been contemplating waiting until the second book is released before starting to read the first one. Then if I read them a week or two (or even a month) apart, I’ll at least remember the characters and will be able to get into successive books much more quickly. Does anyone else have these same ‘memory’ problems when starting a new series, or is it just me?

MJ, rest assured, you are not alone! But, let’s see what other Cozy Mystery readers have to say.

How about you, do you have trouble keeping all your new Cozy characters straight? Does it help you to read the first two books in a series consecutively so that you can better remember the characters and settings? Please post a comment. Thanks!

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