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Cozy Mystery Authors Whose Cozies You Absolutely Must Read Right Away?

Cozy Mystery AuthorI got this rather interesting note from Hilary in June of this year:

Have (you) talked and asked everyone about their favorite ‘must-read-right-away’ authors and books? You know, your absolute favorite series whose books you read as soon as they are newly released and you can get you hands on them?

I know I have a few like that, actually one of mine is coming up for a new book release soon. I love Paige Shelton’s Country Cooking School Mysteries and the next book is due out in August. As soon as it’s released I’ll be reading it right away. I’m that way with the Candy Holliday mysteries books as well. I just wish these authors released more than one book a year in these series.

I know that we have discussed a very similar question in the past but it was over a year ago and we might have some new Cozy Mystery readers >>> or established readers might have a new favorite author who they might really want to mention as a new “must read”.

To answer your question, Hilary, I do have several Cozy Mystery authors with whom I do this. Actually, I have mentioned one of them several times recently. Camille Minichino/Margaret Grace/Ada Madison/Jean Flowers is a Cozy Mystery author I have been following for several years. Each time she adds a new pseudonym to her list of personas, I find myself adding yet another must-read-right-away Cozy author. (Just what I need!)

Unfortunately, Margaret Grace‘s last Cozy (Manhattan in Miniature) was released in April, and since it is a Christmas themed Cozy, I made myself wait until this month. Yikes! It wasn’t an easy thing to do!

How about you? Who are your top two or three Cozy Mystery authors whose books you absolutely must-read-right-away >>> as soon as they are published? Please post a comment if there are! Thank you.

P.S. You all came up with so many great Cozy Mystery authors who you absolutely must-read-right-away, that I decided to make a list of them. (My love of lists is pretty apparent!) To keep this list manageable, I’ll be posting the first five Cozy Mystery authors who you tell us about.  Thanks!

Sue:
Livia J. Washburn
Susan Wittig Albert
Annelise Ryan
Camille Minichino
Ada Madison

Dragons3:
Leslie Meier
Rita Mae Brown
Lea Wait
Margaret Grace

Anne:
M.C. Beaton

Marie:
Donna Leon
Susan Wittig Albert
Louise Penny

Lauren:
C.S. Challinor

Katy:
Sue Grafton
Louise Penny
Jeanne M. Dams

Nancy:
M.C. Beaton

Janice:
Amanda Lee
Laurie Cass
Sofie Kelly

Rob:
Emily Brightwell
M.C. Beaton
Laura Childs
Laura Bradford
Anne Perry

Hanna:
Carolyn Hart
Victoria Thompson
Ellis Peters

Kimberley:
Laura DiSilverio
Amanda Flower
Ellery Adams
Barbara Ross
Eva Gates

Robin in OR:
Jane Haddam
B.B. Haywood
Bailey Cates
Melissa Bourbon
Juliet Blackwell

CJ:
Kerry Greenwood

Ellen:
Victoria Abbott
M.C. Beaton
Alexander McCall Smith
Tarquin Hall
E.J. Copperman

Nicole:
Rita Mae Brown
Ellery Adams
Jenn McKinlay

Sheila in CT:
Laura Bradford
Sally Goldenbaum
Victoria Thompson
Mary Higgins Clark

Lori:
Victoria Abbott
Sheila Connolly
Daryl Wood Gerber
Victoria Hamilton
Eva Gates

Lynn T:
Ellery Adams
Susan Wittig Albert
Molly MacRae
Lea Wait
Mary Ellen Hughes

Stellans:
Julie Hyzy
Susan Wittig Albert
Betty Hechtman
Donna Ball
Cathy Ace

Gina:
Joanne Fluke

Susan*:
Kerry Greenwood

Tibet:
Maria E. Schneider
Ellery Addams
Elly Griffiths
Lea Wait
Cynthia Riggs

MJ:
Jenn McKinlay
Cleo Coyle
Nancy Coco

Jill:
Paige Shelton
Josie Belle
Hannah Reed
Livia J. Washburn
Shelley Freydont

Marja:
Stephanie Barron
Cleo Coyle
Kerry Greenwood
Ann Perry
Donna Leon

Linda MH:
Heather Webber
Julie Moffett
Jenna Bennett
Jana DeLeon
Duffy Brown

Margaret M:
Krista Davis
Kylie Logan
Duffy Brown

Sheila:
Emily Brightwell
M.C. Beaton
Cleo Coyle
Monica Ferris
Nancy Atherton

Mary Joy:
Lorna Barrett
Katherine Hall Page
Leslie Meier
Connie Shelton
Simon Brett

Margaret StashEmpress:
JoAnna Carl
Rhys Bowen
Donna Andrews
Nancy Atherton
Carolyn Hart

Jude:
Ellery Adams
M.C. Beaton
Laura Childs
Sheila Connolly
Jenn McKinlay

Mary G’s Wish List:
Valerie Wolzien
Agatha Christie

Glenda W:
Rita Mae Brown
Julie Hyzy
Joanne Fluke
Jenn McKinlay

Angela:
Janet Evanovich
Jenn McKinlay/Josie Belle/Lucy Lawrence
Heather Blake/Heather Webber
Juliet Blackwell
Kate Carlisle

Jonathan:
Cleo Coyle
Julie Hyzy
Rhys Bowen
Krista Davis
Annelise Ryan

Sarah:
Anne Cleeland
Loretta Ross
Sofie Kelly
Rita Mae Brown
Agatha Christie

Tessa:
Sofie Kelly/Sofie Ryan
Bailey Cates
Krista Davis
Sheila Connolly
Alice Duncan

Marilyn:
Maddy Hunter

Comments

  1. Livia J Wasburn, Susan Wittig Albert, Annalise Ryan to name three. And also Camille Minichino/Ada Madison. I see I have some more series to follow! Yay – new books to read and enjoy always make me feel rich as if I’ve found lost treasure!

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  2. I’ll try to narrow it down to a few, LOL — Leslie Meier, Rita Mae Brown, Lea Wait, and Margaret Grace. I didn’t have the self-discipline to wait until December to read Grace’s most recent book.

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  4. I like these kind of questions as I often find new authors this way. Mine are Donna Leon, Susan Wittig Albert (China Bayles and Darling Dahlias series) and Louise Penny. I kept it to three but there are more. Carolyn Hart, Sarah Graves, Cynthia Riggs, Jeanne M. Dams, Alan Bradley, Barbara Hambley, Laurie R. King, Rhys Bowen, Jacqueline Winspear, Carola Dunn, G.A. McKevett, Margaret Maron, Catriona McPherson among others. We cozy readers live in good times don’t we?

    Reply

  7. There are too many authors to name who I have to buy as soon as they come out with a new book but the ones that I have to read immediately are Amanda Lee, Laurie Cass, and Sofie Kelly.

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  8. Well ladies: I love Emily Brightwell, M. C. Beaton, Laura Childs, Laura Bradford, Anne Perry (who has more than a few Christmas mysteries that feature characters from her other series. I have many others but those are the ones I watch for and grab as soon as I can. Miranda James is a fav with the Cat in the Stacks series as well.

    Thanks to all of you, I’ve expanded my list of must haves!

    Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy Holiday season for you all!
    Rob J

    Reply

  9. Carolyn Hart, Victoria Thompson Gaslight Series also Anne Perry – they don’t just tell a story but provide important background of life before the Internet, heck, before fingerprints.. Throw in also the late Ellis Peters with Brother Cadfael.

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  10. Laura DiSilvero, Amanda Flowers, Ellery Adams, Barbara Ross, Eva Gates, Duffy Brown, Laura Bradford, Krista Davis, Kate Mugavero and Jenn McKinlay.

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  11. Actually there are a quite a few! Jane Haddam, B.B.Haywood, Bailey Cates, Melissa Bourban, both Juliet Blackwell series, both Heather Blake series, Leigh Ann Sweeney(cat series), Sophie Kelly(and now Sophie Ryan), Christy Fifield, Victoria Hamilton-both series, Leigh Perry, Ellie Alexander and Kate Dyer Seeley, and eagerly awaiting the second series book by Kay Finch and Carlene O’ Neil. Then there are at least 10 others I’ll wait a couple of weeks for! Love my cozies. By the way, are there any more Ada Madison’s coming? I haven’t seen one since 2013.

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  12. Thank y’all very much and I’ve added lots and lots of these names to the list on my iPhone! Wow!

    I’m still an avid library user and they are waiting for me when I arrive. I’ve got a Kindle too and I really love the feel and smell of books and I don’t know if I’ll ever stop holding one in my hands.

    Keep it up and Happy and Blessed Holidays.

    Reply

    • Judy, I am so happy to see all of these great comments from other Cozy Mystery readers who are providing us with so many Cozy Mystery author favorites >>> that I’m going to go ahead and list them on the entry so we can keep a record.

      Reply

  13. Victoria Abbott (Book Collector mystery), M.C. Beaton (Agatha Raisin), Alexander McCall Smith (The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series), Tarquin Hall (Vish Puri series), E. J. Copperman and Jeff Cohen (Asperger’s mysteries), Kerry Greenwood (Corrinna Chapman series), Felix Francis (Dick Francis mysteries), Cleo Coyle (Coffeehouse), Shamini Flint (Inspector Singh), Manjiri Prabhu (Stellar Investigations Detective Agency series), Sheila Connolly (Orchard myseries)…. oh dear, lots more…

    Reply

  15. What an interesting question. I narrowed my answer down to the following four:
    Laura Bradford – Amish Myster Series
    Sally Goldenbaum – Seaside Knitters Mystery Series
    Victoria Thompson – Gaslight Mysteries
    Mary Higgins Clark – Under Suspicion

    Reply

  16. Victoria Abbott, Sheila Connolly, Daryl Wood Gerber, Victoria Hamilton, Eve Gates, Hannah Reed, MC Beaton, Sue Grafton. Shirley Rousso Murphy, Betty Hechtman, Leigh Perry, Ali Brandon, Laurie Cass, Dawn Eastman, Ellery Adams, Leslie Budewitz and Jen McKinley. Miranda James

    Fantastic post thank you ! I do love my cozies!!!

    Reply

  17. Are we allowed to comment more than once? I thought of some more.
    Anne Perry, Deborah Crombie, Kathy Reichs, and Marcia Muller, although I don’t consider them cozy. Maggie Sefton, Carole Nelson Douglas (although Midnight Louie tries so hard to be hard boiled), Shirley Rousseau Murphy, Simon Brett (especially the Charles Paris series), Betty Hechtman, Denise Swanson (the Scumble River series), Miranda James, and Tim Myers in any of his incarnations (especially writing as Jessica Beck).

    Reply

  18. Series that I have been following for awhile
    Ellery Adams-Mystery by the Bay series
    Susan Wittig Albert-The Darling Dahlias series
    Molly MacRae-The Haunted Yarn Shop

    Series that are pretty much just starting up but I have read the first two in the series and am waiting to purchase the next book
    Lea Wait-Mainely Needlepoint
    Mary Ellen Hughes-Pickled and Preserved Series

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  19. oh my, so many wonderful authors I love to read immediately! My choices: Julie Hyzy (all her series); Susan Wittig Albert (her Darling Dahlias); Betty Hechtman (Crochet Mysteries); Donna Ball (Raine Stockton mysteries); Cathy Ace (Cait Morgan Mysteries); Edie Claire (Leigh Koslow mysteries); and Laura Childs (Cackleberry Club).

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  21. Just one for me – Kerry Greenwood. She hasn’t done a new one for a while in either series (Phryne Fisher or Corinna Chapman) and I’m guessing that she was involved with the Phryne tv series*, which probably kept her busy, but I do wish she’d start writing again.

    *It’s unusual for an author to be involved, but not unknown.

    Reply

  23. Actually my take on this is a little different. I have several favorite authors that I look forward to reading their next book. But generally speaking it isn’t an imminent/immediate ‘need to read’.

    However there are some authors I enjoy who resolve the mystery story line, but keep an ongoing character story line. After waiting a year, I generally grab those to read right away. Jenn McKinlay does this – currently with the Hat Shop Mystery series and the Cupcake Shop series. In her last book (2014), Cleo Coyle created an ending that has made the reader anxiously await for the next book. Thankfully the wait is now over since her latest book has just been released. Another example is Nancy Coco with the Candy-Coated series. There are numerous others, but you get the idea.

    The exception to this is when an author writes a series without resolving the mystery. Maggie Sefton has done this with her Molly Malone series. In this case, after reading the first two books, I decided to WAIT until the series is completed before reading another book. Then I’ll read them all sequentially (in a much SHORTER period of time!). It’s w-a-a-a-y too FRUSTRATING to me for the book to end without a solution. Thus, this WAIT will take years! BTW, this isn’t any criticism of her writing – she’s an exceptional writer in this series, but has for some reason or another decided to take a different approach and make it a ‘continuing’ series. Of course, the question is how long will people buy her books if the mystery isn’t solved? I assume most people think differently than me and don’t mind following the main story line a year apart.

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  25. Stephanie Barron’s Jane Austen
    Cleo Coyle’s Claire Cosi
    Kerry Greenwood, either series
    Ann Perry’s William Monk
    Donna Leon’s Guido Brunetti
    Barbara Hambly’s Bejamin January
    Forgot the authors: Sebastian St Cyr mysteries; Jane Eyre mysteries …

    Oh my goodness, I’m sure I have many several more. Some are not cozies, like the Longmire books, Walter Mosely’s, and many of the Swedish authors.

    I just know I’m forgetting someone!

    Such a plurality of different authors, venues, historical and international perspectives! How I love them all.

    And at this time of year I always enjoy Dylan Thomas’ s “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” … there have been times I’ve read it aloud to my cats just to feel those wonderful words and rhythms in my mouth. (Weird, I know.) Besides, there are ferocious wild beasts of cats in it, however briefly!

    Reply

  26. I have five:

    *Heather Webber’s Nina Quinn series (hoping for a new one soon!)
    *Julie Moffett’s Lexi Carmichael series
    *Jenna Bennett’s Savannah Martin Mysteries
    *Jana DeLeon’s Miss Fortune series
    *Duffy Brown’s Consignment Shop Mysteries

    Great topic, Danna!!

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  28. emily brightwell,m.c.beaton,cleo coyle,monica ferris, nancy atherton, sarah graves, phew so many,patrick taylor !!!!

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  29. Lorna Barrett’s Booktown Series, Katherine Hall Page, Leslie Meier, Connie Shelton’s Charlie Parker Series and Simon Brett’s Fethering Series. After so many years of not diving in, I finally tried Cleo Coyle’s first Coffeehouse mystery. I will be reading the full lot of those in succession!

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  30. This is actually a very timely post for me since I’ve not read much at all this month — with all the drama & stress in my life lately I have had no ability to focus (no, we still have not found a place to move, thanks for asking Danna! and don’t get me started on the insurance company issues we’ve been having! suffice it to say — I need a vacation!!!!) — But I did just read two new books today –because they’re among my all time “must read this minute” favorite writers — Rhys Bowen’s Away in a Manger and Joanna Carl’s The Chocolate Clown Corpse.

    So here is my must-read authors list:

    Joanna Carl
    Rhys Bowen (both series)
    Donna Andrews
    Nancy Atherton
    Carolyn Hart (both series)
    Susan Elia MacNeal
    M. C. Beaton (both series)
    G.A. McKevett
    Jeanne M. Dams
    Anne Perry (Thomas Pitt series)
    Julie Hyzy (both series)
    and of course anything by Joyce and Jim Lavene!
    (aka J.J. Cook)

    There are a few more but they’ve either stopped putting out new books in my favorite series — or else their writing has slipped into no man’s land… unfortunately several writers who had been my favorites for many many many years published truly abominable books this year which left me wondering — what on earth happened to them???

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  31. Hi. I am a bit late answering your question about mysteries we just cannot wait for. Every time I thought of a favourite that no-one else had mentioned, it popped up in the next reply. Some a few times more than others, of course. If I may, I’ll add some that just aren’t that likely to happen……anything from Valerie Wolzien. And Anything from the original….Agatha Christie. What a dream read those would be.

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        • Unbelievably, my father loved the Southern Sisters series so much he almost cried when I told Anne George had passed away. He said the 2 sisters reminded him of his father’s sisters it was like being a little boy again. He reads them over again every so often.

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  32. Rita Mae Brown
    Julie Hyzy
    Joanne Fluke
    Jenn McKinlay

    There are more, I am sure, but these are probably my top four. =)

    Reply

    • Thanks Margaret for sharing Julie’s blog. This is a series that I have enjoyed and kept up with over the years. There were some details that were surprising to me. I totally understand Julie’s decision. I will miss the series.

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    • Oh, that’s such a shame. This was one of my favorite series, but I totally understand why she is stepping back from it. What an odd arrangement! I will continue to enjoy The Manor House Mysteries, and hope she writes even more new series.

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  34. I love the Southern Sisters mysteries too. They’re even funnier when listened to. The audiobook reader is excellent. I’m sad to hear about Julie Hyzy and the White House Chef series, too. I had no idea they were written for hire. I’m going to miss reading them.

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    • Dragons3, after reading July Hyzy’s explanation of her White House Chef series , I started wondering about some other series that have switched authors midstream. >>> I wonder if this isn’t something that happens often… It’s a real shame…

      Reply

  35. I’m a bit late on this post, I love the holiday season but boy does it interfere with my reading habit! I wanted to add my 2 cents because I love to promote my favorite authors in any way I can. I’ve limited my must reads to 5 for you although there are so many others I could name. I narrowed it down to the authors in which I read all of their cozy series immediately (some authors I am still trying to catch up with!) So here they are in no particular order…Janet Evanovich (mysteries only), Jenn Mckinlay (and all her pseudo’s), Heather Blake/Webber, Juliet Blackwell and Kate Carlisle.

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  36. Cleo Coyle’s Coffeehouse Mystery Series is hands-down of of my top series I keep up with. when a new book comes out I immediately get it and try to read it.

    Julie Hyzy’s White House Chef series is also one of my top picks, I already have the next (and sad to say possibly last) book preordered.

    Both Rhys Bowen’s Molly Murphy and Royal Spyness are also on my immediately read list. As are both Krista Davis’ series and Annelise Ryan’s Mattie Winston series.

    Those five authors are hands down my favorite authors and I immediately pick up the newest books in those series.

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  37. Anne Cleeland (Acton and Doyle)
    Loretta Ross (2nd book coming in Feb. 2016)
    Sofie Kelly
    Rita Mae Brown
    And as always
    Agatha Christie

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  39. Danna….

    Have a set of three books, and the first one I just finished and it is great….the three books are published by Guideposts and they are not a series, but are written under the title Merry Mysteries….

    The Christmas Quilt. By Kelly Ann Riley
    Angels Among Us. by Ellen Harris
    The Lost Noel By Jo Ann Brown

    The first one was a good mystery with lots of action and I’m expecting the other two to be just as good and spell-binding.

    Reply

    • Bev S, I just took a look and found out that these three books are from different series. The Christmas Quilt is a Patchwork mystery, Angels Among Us is from the Mysteries of Sparrow Island, and The Lost Noel is a Secrets of Mary’s Bookshop. What a great idea to put all three of these Christmas mysteries into their Merry Mysteries series!

      Reply

  40. I just read the first book in a new series that I believe other cozy book readers would enjoy: Killing Trail a Timber Creek K-9 mystery by Margaret Mizushima. When a young girl is found dead in the mountains outside Timber Creek, life-long resident Officer Mattie Cobb and her partner, K-9 police dog Robo, are assigned to the case that has rocked the small Colorado town. This was so good I couldn’t put it down and finished it in one day (314 pages). The authors second book in the series, Stalking Ground: A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery, is due out in September.

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  41. Last year I discovered Maddy Hunter, author of the Passport to Murder series about a group of seniors that take escorted trips to Europe from Iowa. I have laughed so hard at these stories; she is hysterical. Last book just came out last fall – it is set in Germany this time.

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  42. Earlene Flowler’s Benni Harper series
    Louise Penney’s Inspector Gamache series
    Maddy Hunter’s (A Passport to Peril Mystery series)
    Sue Grafton’s Alphabet series

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  43. New series by Julia Buckley. “A dark and stormy murder.” I really enjoyed it. Held my attention to the end. More books to follow.

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  45. Mollie Cox Bryan is awesome
    I am new to reading anything much less cozy mysteries BUT I just read Scrapbook of the dead by Mollie Cox Bryan and I could not put it down—I read it in 2 weeks and for me that was GREAT!
    I am planning on reading some more of her books.
    The only thing that I did not like was the curse words—NOT NECESSARY in my opinion.

    Reply

  46. Lynda Wilcox (Verity Long/Gemini Detectives Mysteries)
    Evelyn James (Clara Fitzgerald mysteries)
    Clara Benson (Angela Marchmont/Freddie Pilkington-Soames mysteries)
    Margaret Addison (Rose Simpson Mysteries)

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  47. It pains me to see no love for the wonderful Mary Daheim and her two series, Alpine and Bed & Breakfast (they are also really clean)
    Other authors I simply have to read as soon as they are published are Rita Mae Brown, Krista Davis, Sheila Connolly and M.C. Beaton.

    Reply

    • Daheim’s adventures of Judith and Renie are sublime–though I have a fond hope that we’ll find out someday that the abominable evil in the converted shed had died long ago and was Judith’s traumatized and unjustly guilty fantasy. I wonder that Carola Dunn was on no one’s list. Absolute, over-the-top QUALITY in every way. Equal in a quiet way to the multi-genre (in one series!) late ace of aces Elizabeth Peters’s Amelia Peabodys.

      Reply

  48. Camilla Chafer, Lexi Graves Mysteries

    Ellery Adams, Books by the Bay Musteries

    These authors are fantastic and have throughly enjoyed these cozy mysteries.

    Reply

  49. Most favorite cozy authors:
    Sue Ann Jaffarian (Odelia, Granny Apple, Zelda)
    Lucy Burdette
    Ann Warner (Babbling Brook Naked Poker)
    Susan Boyer
    Julie Mulhern
    Marty Wingate

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  50. I binged on these three authors this summer.
    Elise Sax (three different series loosely connected to each other)
    Sally Berneathy
    Julie Mulhearn (Country Club murders series)

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  51. Elizabeth Spann Craig – Myrtle Clover series
    T E Kinsey – Lady Hardcastle series
    Margaret Addison – Rose Simpson series
    Gallagher Grey – Hubert and Lil series
    Diana Xarissa – Aunt Bessie series

    Reply

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