It’s been some time since I put up a post like this, so I’ve gotten a number of questions that have come up that I don’t have a quick answer for…
From Tina:
I am looking for a book that is about a man who passes away and comes back as a ghost and haunts his wife. All I can remember about it is that the man is an architect and their house is built around trees. The family names the trees names like Longfellow and their Gardner, I think, puts little balls of herbs maybe around the house to keep the ghost out. Any help in finding this book would be appreciated. I’ve been trying to find it for years and can’t.
EDIT: Aunty suggested this could be The Overstory by Richard Powers…
From Anita:
There is a series, rich widow, finds out her husband had an illegitimate son, feels sorry for mistress, has a black housekeeper who helps her, she winds up taking the boy and his mother in. Maybe takes place in Birmingham.
EDIT: Many readers have suggested that this is likely the Miss Julia Series by Ann B. Ross. Thanks everyone!
From AC:
Hello! I am looking for a book I read as a kid. It has a leading female character, young, and she is an archaeologist or an egyptologist. She travels to Egypt for a reason I do not recall, and she gets herself in a lot of problems, deadly ones (people trying to kill her, she gets locked up inside a chamber in a pyramid). I believe that the novel is set in the 1980s, or maybe the 1970s. Do you have any information that can help my research?
PS: it is not the Amelia Peabody series.
Thank you so much.
EDIT: I have had several suggestions for this one… Nancy and Aunty suggested it could be the Vicky Bliss series, by Elizabeth Peters… JC suggested The Jackal’s Head, also by Elizabeth Peters… Teresa and V thought it could be The Sphinx, by Robin Cook…
Thank you in advance for any possible answers! As I get potential answers, I’ll update the post with them…
Diane says
I google “which cozy mystery has….(characters) and is set in…..
I have found a few titles I was looking for
Good luck
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Diane, thanks for the suggestion – I usually do this as well, though the large number of responses make me wonder if I forgot to check Anita’s!
Dee says
For Anita’s question on the series about a rich widow – the Miss Julia series by Ann B. Ross.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Dee, thanks! I’ll put that up as a very likely possibility.
Rosemary P. says
The series of books that Anita is searching for are the Miss Julia Novels by Ann B. Ross. I recognized the description right away because they are some of my favorites. I’ve read the entire series several times but sadly Ms. Ross closed out the series just a few years ago.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Roesmary, thanks! I’ll put that up as a very likely possibility.
Colleen says
Anita — I think you are talking about the Miss Julia books by Ann Ross. 22 books in the series now. –Miss Julia, a recently bereaved and newly wealthy widow, is only slightly bemused when one Hazel Marie Puckett appears at her door with a youngster in tow and unceremoniously announces that the child is the bastard son of Miss Julia’s late husband. Suddenly, this longtime church member and pillar of her small Southern community finds herself in the center of an unseemly scandal-and the guardian of a wan nine-year-old whose mere presence turns her life upside down.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Colleen, thanks for both the probable answer and the series description!
Lynn A. Smith says
The series Anita is looking for sounds like the Miss Julia series by Ann B. Ross. The first in the series is Miss Julia speaks her mind.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Lynn, thank you, I have listed this as a likely answer.
Aunty says
Tina: is it The Overstory by Richard Powers (https://search.worldcat.org/title/1028736643)?
AC: might be the Vicky Bliss series–still by Elizabeth Peters but set later in time and with a different tone (https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=au%3D%22Peters%2C+Elizabeth%22+kw%3D%22vicky+bliss%22&offset=1)?
Not sure about the other one, sorry!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Aunty, thank you – I have put both of these up as possible solutions!
Paula says
Could you be looking for The Egypt Game? I remember reading this in grade school. It was about a group of children who loved Egypt and would meet and play games centered around it until strange thiiggs began to happen.
Ginger says
The answer to the second question is the Miss Julia books by Ann B Ross
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ginger, thank you very much! I have suggested this as a solution.
Susan Kirby says
Anita, you want the Miss Julia books by Ann B. Ross. They are so fun!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Susan, that’s quite likely – thank you very much!
JC says
AC,
I think the book you are looking for is The Jackel’s Head by Elizabeth Peters
Danna - cozy mystery list says
JC, thanks, I’ll put that down as a possible solution!
Maureen says
This is for Anita: the series you are looking for is the Miss Julia series written by Ann B. Ross. There are 22 books in series and last book in series “Miss Julia Happily Ever After” was published in 2021. The books are warm, funny
& very entertaining. The series starts with her louse of a husband dying & she discovers out about his mistress & illegitimate son & confronts the woman. In the 1st book Miss Julia is very uptight, religious, rigid in her ways, prickly & I was not certain if I wanted to continue with series but B & N book store had some special discounts at time & I had purchased 1st 3 books in series & so glad I had to continue reading. Miss Julia starts to enjoy life & her new found “family” & her development (& remarriage) & other characters development are just warm & delightful. I’ve read all 22 books (& have started rereading them) & have enjoyed every one of them. I think you will be very happy reading this series & see how all the main characters grow & their lives develop/change for the better. HAPPY READING.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Maureen, thank you, I have put this down as a likely solution, and thank you for the series description and recommendation!
Marie says
I imagine lots of readers will get Anita’s answer for her. It’s Ann B. Ross’ Miss Julia series. A fun read for sure.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Marie, thank you! And yes, many people have indeed suggested Miss Julia!
Harold says
Answer for Anita: The Miss Julia series, by Ann B. Ross.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Harold, thank you! I have listed this as a likely solution.
Lynn DuChene says
The series about the rich widow is by Ann B. Ros, the ‘Miss Julia’ books. There are many books and I enjoyed every one. She decided to end the series a few years ago.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Lynn, thank you! I have put this down as a likely solution.
Debbie says
I think the second one is the Miss Julia series by Ann B Ross. Been on my to read list for a long time. 🙂
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Debbie, thank you! I have put this down as a likely solution.
Barbara Westhoven says
Anita’s book request sounds like the Miss Julia series by Ann B. Ross. The first book is titled “Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind”.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Barbara, thank you! i have listed this as a likely solution.
Nichole says
Anita,
I believe you are looking for the Miss Julia series by Ann B. Ross. The first book is Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind. Wonderful series!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Nichole, thank you! I have listed this as a probable solution.
Tania Parker says
Hi, I think Anita is looking for the “Miss Julia” series by Ann B. Ross. Really like them myself!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Tania, thank you! I have listed this as a likely solution.
Sherri says
The series about the rich widow are the Miss Julia books by Ann Ross.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Sherri, thank you! I have put this up as a likely solution.
Pamela L Parrish says
For Anita – Ann B Ross writes the Miss Julia series
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Pamela, thanks! I’ve put this up as a possible solution.
Sue N says
I think Anita may be thinking of the Miss Julia series by Ann Ross. They are not murder mysteries but are quite cozy.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Sue, thank you! I’ve put this up as a solution.
V says
I think you are looking for The Sphinx by Robin Cook…1970-something, I think. A movie was made, too, with Leslye Anne Downe.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
V, thank you, I have listed this as a potential solution!
V says
It was the description of the main character getting trapped–I think Cook’s description of her fear will stick in my head forever…”vivid” is the word!
Joyce J. says
For Anita – The series you are thinking of is the Miss Julia series by Ann B. Ross. All of the titles begin with “Miss Julia”
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Joyce, thank you! I’ve put this up as a very likely solution.
Donna McCallum says
There is a series, rich widow, finds out her husband had an illegitimate son, feels sorry for mistress, has a black housekeeper who helps her, she winds up taking the boy and his mother in. Maybe takes place in Birmingham.
Not Birmingham – maybe NC or SC. The series is Miss Julia and it’s finished.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Donna, thank you! This seems very likely – I’m putting it up as a very probable solution.
Teresa S says
For Anita, the series you reference may be the Miss Julia series by Ann B. Ross. The situation you reference reminds me of the first book in the series titled Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind. This is a great series by the way.
For AC, the book may be Sphinx by Robin Cook. It was published in 1983.
Hope this helps!
I love this blog by the way. It allows me to keep up with new releases and introduces me to older series as well.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Teresa, thank you – I have put these up as possible solutions! And thank you for the kind words about the blog as well!
Teresa S says
You’re welcome but the words are the truth!😁
ginger says
Miss Julia by Ann Ross is what you are looking for.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ginger, that seems very likely, thank you!
Gayle McMurria-Bachik says
I would like to know the answers to those questions as well. All three sound like they would be fun to read.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Gayle, they certainly do sound fun!
Cathy May says
Anita, Those are the “Miss Julia” boos written by Ann B. Ross. There are over 20 of them. I hope you love as much as I have.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Cathy, thank you – I have listed this as a probable answer.
Deb B says
To Anita,
I believe the book you may be looking is by Ann B. Ross, the Miss Julia series. There are 22 books in the series and the first one is Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind.
Hope this helps.
deb
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Deb, thank you very much! I have listed this as a likely solution!
Robin says
For Anita’s question, those are the Miss Julia series. Takes place in North Carolina if I remember correctly.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Robin, thank you, I have listed this as a probable answer.
Annette says
I think Anita is talking about the Miss Julia series by Ann B. Ross
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Annette, thank you very much – that does seem like the likely solution.
R says
Answer for Anita I think is the Miss Julia series by Ann Ross
Danna - cozy mystery list says
R, thank you! That seems very likely.
Ann says
I believe the series Anita may be thinking of is by Ann B. Ross. The first book in the series is Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind. I haven’t read all of them but the ones I did read I enjoyed.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ann, thank you, that does seem like a likely solution.
Robin says
For Anita, the book series is the Miss Julia series by Ann Ross. They take place in North Carolina, I think.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Robin, thank you, that does seem like the likely solution.
Susan Bearden says
For Anita’s question, that sounds like the Miss Julia series by Ann B. Ross…
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Susan, that does seem likely, thank you!
Julie F. says
Anita, I believe that is the Miss Julia series by Ann Ross.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Julie, thank you, that does seem likely.
Maureen says
For Anita: Ann B. Ross & The Miss Julia series.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Maureen, thank you! That seems very likely.
Plain Vanilla Grandma says
Anita, That series would be the Miss Julia books by Ann B. Ross. There are at least 22 in the series and all of the titles start with “Miss Julia.”
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Plain Vanilla, that seems very likely, thank you!
Tullita says
Anita,
I’m wondering if your series is the Miss Julia series by Ann B Ross.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thanks Tullita, I’ve put this up as a likely solution.
Sara Kreps says
The rich widow one sounds a bit like the Miss Julia series.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Sara, thank you! I have listed this as a likely suggestion.
Nancy says
Could the anthropologist be Vicky Bliss by Elizabeth Peters?
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Nancy, thanks! I have put this up as a possible solution!
Sprite says
Anita is looking for the Miss Julia books by Ann B Ross. The first one is Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Sprite, thank you – I have listed this as a likely suggestion.
Becky V says
The second one sounds like the Miss Julia series by Ann B. Ross
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Becky, thank you! That seems very likely.