Yep, just like the title of this entry indicates, I am starting to try to update my Holiday Theme Mystery Lists. So, it’s that time of year when I start to ask you all if you know of any new holiday theme mystery books. If you do, I’d love to hear from you!
As I have been looking around on the internet, I keep coming up with one particular author (who I have not read) – Melanie Jackson. Apparently she writes the Chloe Boston Mystery Series, which is a holiday/seasonal themed series. I have added her holiday mysteries to the different corresponding holiday lists on the site: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and Valentine’s Day. (Actually, she has a Chloe Boston book of stories which include a Fourth of July theme mystery, but I decided not to add it to that page, since it has other holiday stories in the book as well.)Since Jackson has so many holiday theme mysteries, and her website says they are Cozy, I added a page for her on the site.
Getting back to my initial purpose for this entry… If you all know of any new mystery books that are set during different holiday seasons, would you please let me know?
PS>>> I sure wish Kate Borden would write more Peggy Jean Turner Cozy Mysteries! I loved the New England winter back-drop in her Thanksgiving and Christmas Cozy Mystery books…
Maria (BearMountainBooks) says
Danna, you’re just trying to hurry us all into fall because it’s so BEASTLY hot in Texas!!! I know I’m praying for cooler weather…wish it would hurry. And some rain would be most excellent too!
Alfred says
Hi Danna Mrs. Jeffries and the Mistletoe Mix Up is coming out and it will be available November 1. It is their yearly Christmas themed mystery. I have preordered already.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thanks, Alfred, for mentioning Mrs. Jeffries and the Mistleto Mix-Up. I didn’t realize Emily Brightwell is now putting out a Christmas themed mystery each year. Good to know!
Angela says
HI Danna,
Jenn McKinlay’s 2nd cupcake mystery, Buttercreme Bump Off, occurs around Valentines Day. I’ll post again if I think of any others.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thank you, Angela, I just added Buttercreme Bump Off to the mystery book Valentine’s Day theme list.
Larraine says
Nothing to do with holiday books, but I am reading the first book in a new series “Books Can Be Deceiving” by Jenn McKinlay who apparently has a cupcake series. Anyway, I’m enjoying it a lot.
Alfred says
Larraine, Jenn McKinlay’s series Books Can Be Deceiving is really great. Her next book Due Or Die will be out March 6. Also she has another series under Lucy Lawrence it is a decoupage series of mysteries you might enjoy as well. Happy Reading.
linda says
I love the holiday section. A lot of times if an author is new to me I will look to see if that writer has any Christmas novels. If that holiday story is good then I will try some of the other books. I love a good Christmas mystery. I must not be alone in that because there are a lot of those kind of mysteries. I also like the ones that have the holiday recipes included.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda, that is exactly how I found Kate Borden. I almost NEVER read an author’s series out of order, but in this case, I was looking for a Thanksgiving theme mystery book to read. I read Death of a Turkey, and enjoyed it so much that I quickly followed it with the first in the series… which led me to the second. Unfortunately, there are only three in this particular mystery series.
linda says
Something that I have always wondered about——-Why do authors use different names for their books? Example , Kate Borden/ Kate Grilly?? Just curious.
Love this blog.
Maria (BearMountainBooks) says
Linda, some of it is to avoid confusing readers– for example if a writer writes a paranormal series and a cozy series, it can “highlight” that they are different.
It could mean the writer changed publishers, but most of the time, it means that author and publisher want to start with a fresh sales record. When a writer does a series, it’s common for each subsequent title in the series to sell a few less (or a lot less) copies. Bookstores order stock based on the sales of previous books. So if a given series has say 1000 sales of book 3, the bookstore may decided: “We sold this many a month. We only need to pre-order one.”
However if the author is billed as “new” the bookstore may not figure out the past sales data–and may order 3 (or whatever) by this “hot” new author. :>)
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Well said, Maria! (Sounds like a case of “Buyer beware!” to me!!!)
linda says
Another thing I have always wondered is when there are two names for authors on a book. Example, when a James Patterson book will have another author’s name on the front of the book. Who has really written the book? Also, sometimes two people will co-author a book. How can a reader tell what part of the story was written by which of the two writers? Or, maybe this doesn’t matter. I would think this would be a big chore for these writers!
Dru says
Krista Davis new book “The Diva Haunts A House” comes out next week.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thank you, Dru, for mentioning The Diva Haunts a House!
Rebecca says
Danna, does Melanie Jackson have a middle Int. because I can not find her books in lib. system or on E-bay just paranormal.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Rebecca, here is the list of all of Melanie Jackson‘s books. Perhaps you can find them on E-bay using the actual titles… (No initial)
Annette says
Mrs. Jeffries and the Mistletoe Mix-Up by Emily Brightwell
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thank you, Annette!
Lenora says
Hi Everyone,
I love mysteries and especially the cozy. Caroyln Hart is one of my favorites. I just picked up “A timely vision” by Joyce & Jim Laverne.
It is a southern themed book and enjoyable.
Lenora
Mark says
Foul Play at the PTA by Laura Alden is a Thanksgiving mystery. I have also found her writing to be very similar to Leslie Meier.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thank you, Mark, for letting us know Laura Alden’s Foul Play is a Thanksgiving theme mystery! I just added it to the Thanksgiving mystery book theme page.
Norma says
Melanie Jackson is a self-publishing author. Perhaps that is why Rebecca is having trouble finding her books. I have read all of her Chloe Boston books and enjoyed them. I have also just read her first Butterscotch Jones Mystery called “Due North.” I read them on my Kindle.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Norma, how can you tell she is a self-publishing author? And, if so, why don’t more authors who aren’t being continued by their publishers go that route?!?
(PS>>> I just bought an Ellery Queen mystery for my husband’s Kindle. If he likes it, I might just go ahead and use his Kindle while he’s at work.- If I read the Ellery Queen books, it would have been so long ago that I don’t remember them…)
linda says
Danna, I have been going back and reading some of your previous topics. So, this why I am responding now to some of these. I like the books that take place along the coastlines, especially South Carolina, (ex. the Dorothea Benton Franks books). But some of these that are set in places that get a lot of tourist confuse me! For example, the Phillip Craig Martha Vineyard series. A lot of these stories will really give what I call dirty digs to summer tourist. Are these writers trying to say for tourist not to come to these states? This is confusing to me. Why else would people go to places like Florida if it wasn’t to tour the state? Don’t these states want the dollars generated from the tourists? Doesn’t make sense to me! Maybe “dirty dig” is a little harsh but I can’t think of another expression to explain what I mean!