Laura asked me to do a Home Repair Theme. Since I don’t know a lot of authors from the Cozy Mystery Site who feature this them, I decided to include a few other themes to this entry.
Here is a list of the mystery authors from the Cozy Mystery Site who write Mysteries with a Home Repair Theme, an Interior Design Theme, and a Professional Organizer Theme:
Jennie Bentley: Do It Yourself Mystery Series… Avery Baker used to be a textile designer, but now is a home renovator/sleuth….
Juliet Blackwell: Sophie Tanner Historic Home Renovation Mystery Series… Sophie, after not becoming successful in her chosen career (anthropology), returns home to take over management of her dad’s construction company.
Dorothy Cannell: Ellie Haskell Mystery Series…Ellie is an interior decorator who sleuths with the help of a few others (Ben, Primrose, and Hyacinth).
Kate Carlisle: Fixer-Upper Mystery Series… Shannon Hammer is a home renovation and repair contractor in a seaside town in northern California.
Paula Carter (aka Paula Paul): Murder by Design Mystery Series… Hillary and Jane do a lot of interior decorating, while solving mysteries.
Christy Evans: Georgiana Neverall Mystery Series… Georgiana is an executive who moves back home and becomes an apprentice plumber.
Vickie Fee: Liv and Di in Dixie Mystery Series… Liv McCay is a party planner.
Mary Feliz: Maggie McDonald Mystery Series… Maggie is a professional organizer.
Sarah Graves: Home Repair Is Homicide Mystery Series… Jacobia Triptree is a financial advisor who starts the new career of sleuthing, along with home repairs.
Sally Gunning: Peter Bartholomew Mystery Series… Pete and Connie Bartholomew own a business that specializes in odd jobs.
Ellen Elizabeth Hunter: Magnolia Mystery Series… Ashley Wilkes is a preserver of historic houses.
Elise Hyatt: Daring Finds Mystery Series… Dicey Dare is the owner of a furniture refinishing business.
Diane Kelly writes the House-Flipper Mystery Series which stars Whitney Whitaker, a house flipper. Oh, and also, it stars Sawdust, her cat.
Mary Jane Maffini: Charlotte Adams Mystery Series… Charlotte is a professional organizer of other people’s messes, and solver of mysteries.
Peg Marberg: Interior Design Mystery Series… Jean Hastings and her daughter (Jean Jr.) own a company that specializes in interior design.
Sara Rosett: Mom Zone Mystery Series… Ellie Avery is a professional organizer who also happens to be an Air Force wife.
Karen Rose Smith: Caprice De Luca Mystery Series… Caprice was an interior decorator but has changed her profession to home stager.
Valerie Wolzien: Josie Pigeon Mystery Series… Josie is the owner of a construction company.
Also, here is a Cozy Mystery book that feature home repair in it:
Remodeled to Death by Valerie Wolzien
Please remember that I have only included the authors who are currently on the Cozy Mystery Site. Feel free to post a comment if you know of any other mystery authors from the site who write home repair themed mystery books, interior decorator themed mystery books, and/or professional organizer themed mystery books. Thanks!
♦ To access more Cozy Mysteries by Theme click on this link ♦
Judith says
Leslie Caine’s Domestic Bliss series is about an interior designer. Also, while Remodeled to Death is one of Valerie Wolzien’s Susan Henshaw books, it also introduced Josie Pigeon, who has a construction company in her own series.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thank you, Judith… I have added her to the list.
Connie says
Juliet Blackwell has a new series, the Sophie Tanner Historic Home Renovation Mysteries. The first book is “If These Walls Could Talk” and comes out in 2010.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
I have been trying to get more information about Juliet Blackwell’s If these Walls Could Talk but have been unable to find out which month it will be released.
Also, her Arsenic and Old Paint (written as Hailey Lind… with her sister) is set to publish this year, but I can’t find out when…
Does anyone know about either of these book’s publication dates?
Connie says
Sorry, Danna, I had the title wrong. No wonder you couldn’t find the publishing date! The correct title is If Walls Could Talk and the publishing date is December 7th, 2010.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thanks for the information, Connie. I have corrected the title, and annotated the date of release on my monthly release sheet.
Louise says
I’m looking for cozy mysteries with a classical music connection. Please advise if you know of such. Thanks.
Mary Joy says
A lot of these series have been inactive for years, such as the Susan Henshaw and Josie Pigeon series by Valerie Wolzien. So are the Jill Churchill series and the Lee Harris series and Jonnie Jacobs Murder Among…series. These are all among my favorites. Do you know why they are no longer around? I thought I remember reading something about the publishers no longer willing to put out first printings in paperback. I sure do miss these authors and wish there was some way to be able to have them back. Any insight on what happened? It has been at least 4-5 year since any of these authors has had a new book published.
Rabia says
Wouldn’t Bente Gallagher’s (aka Jennie Bentley) Cutthroat Business mysteries qualify as a cozy mystery? So far she has 3 novels.
1. A Cutthroat Business
2. Hot Property
3. Contract Pending (currently only available electronically)
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thank you, Rabia, for telling me about Jennie Bentley’s pseudonym. I had no idea she was also writing as Bente Gallagher. I’ll be adding her to the site.
Thanks, again!
Terri says
The author actually goes by “Jenna Bennett” in this series. I have “A Cutthroat Business” on my Kindle. Could you do a list of cozies with professions of Realtors (as this series is) or Real Estate Appraisers (“Appraisal for Murder” by Elaine Orr, series Jolie Gentil Cozy Mysteries)- or maybe a combined list? Kathleen Delaney’s “Ellen McKenzie mysteries” would also fit.
Thanks for your lists! It’s great for finding an author I can’t remember to continue a series – or to start a new one!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Terri, thank you. Realtor Sleuths sounds like a really good idea for a theme.
Jenna Bennett writes the Savannah Martin Mystery Series, which includes the first one, A Cutthroat Business. As Jennie Bentley she writes the Do It Yourself Mystery Series which features home renovator/sleuth.
Janice says
Hello – I am trying to locate an Author or Title of a book that had a young lady who was running a Scottish shop for a relative. If you can think of the book I would really appreciate it.
Thank you
Janice
Judith says
I think you are looking for the Liss MacCrimmon series by Kaitlyn Dunnett. The first book is Kilt Dead. There are three other books in that series (with another due this fall, Scotch’d).
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thank you, Judith, for letting us know that Kaitlyn Dunnett is the author Janice is looking for!
Tina says
Sara Rosett writes a wonderful series — Mom Zone Mysteries — featuring Ellie Avery, a professional organizer.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thank you, Tina, for reminding me about Sara Rosett’s Mom Zone mysteries. Whenever I add a new author to the site, I try to make sure I get them “classified” in all of the correct themes. (That doesn’t mean I always succeed!)
Thanks, again!
Chelsea says
Mary K Andrews series about Weezie and BeBe Loudermilk is fantastic.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Chelsea, thank you!
Faye H says
I love Jennie Bentley. I am so glad that I have found your list. I will try to find some of these books. Thank you for sharing this information!