So, being the end of January, it is the perfect time for me to ask you ALL if there is a Cozy Mystery book (or two, three, or even four!) that you read this past month, which you think the rest of us have absolutely, without a question, got to know about. Also, would you tell us why you enjoyed that particular Cozy Mystery? (The reasons you like the book are what make the rest of us interested in your Cozy Mystery book recommendations.)
I am going to start with a Cozy Mystery book which I read this past month that made me add yet another author to my favorite authors list. The book I am talking about is by Mary V. Welk. I had been toying with the idea of reading her series for a while, but the thing that held me back was the fact that her last mystery was published in 2004. When I “try” authors, I prefer it if they are currently writing mysteries. (With all of the author cuts the publishers seemed to make a few years back, it has made me hesitant to start with an author I know is no longer writing. I prefer getting to know characters that have the possibility of continuing.)
When I saw that Mary V. Welk was again publishing her Rhodes to Murder Mystery Series (Criminal Mischief was published in October 2013) I decided to finally “try” her. Boy am I glad I did! (And boy, am I glad she’s publishing more Cozy Mysteries!) I usually don’t read Christmas theme mysteries after Christmas, but I decided that I would make this exception, since I had been wanting to read Welk’s books for a while.
I read Welk’s A Merry Little Murder (aka A Deadly Little Christmas), the first mystery in the Rhodes to Murder series. This series features Caroline Rhodes, a nurse who has relocated to a small Illinois college town so that she can be close to her son and daughter in law. Caroline has recently lost her husband, and is trying to start her life without him. It hasn’t been an easy road for her. Caroline befriends Professor Carl Atwater (or more accurately, he befriends her) and together they try to solve the mystery of a rather dangerous Christmas tree.
I enjoyed the setting of Welk’s A Merry Little Murder. The little college town is very Cozy, and of course, being Illinois at Christmas time, it was cold and snowy… exactly what I enjoy reading during our 70º winter days. Also, I liked Caroline. She is a flawed woman, but smart. She is a very believable “person”, a fleshed-out character for me. She is someone I could envision knowing and liking. Her relationships with both her son and daughter in law seem real to me. And the fact that she can have a male side-kick who is not a love interest nor a policeman/detective is an added bonus for me!
When I finished the mystery I felt like I was leaving Caroline and wanted to know what she would do next. She was that “real” to me.
[As usual, I ask that you don’t tell us about the mystery books you read that you didn’t like.]
[If you click on the author’s name (blue) link, it will take you to their page on the Cozy Mystery site. Their page has all of the author’s books listed chronologically.]
What Cozy Mystery book (or author) have you read during January 2014, and why did you enjoy it (or him/her)?
Here are the current recommended authors who some of you have read this past month:
Victoria Abbott (aka Jary Jane Maffini & Victoria Maffini): Book Collector’s Mystery Series
Robin Allen: Poppy Markham: Culinary Cop Mystery Series
Donna Andrews: Meg Langslow Mystery Series
Emily Brightwell: Mrs. Jeffries Mystery Series
Anne Canadeo: Black Sheep Knitting Mystery Series
Laurie Cass: Bookmobile Cat Mystery Series
Bailey Cates (aka Cricket McRae): Magical Bakery Mystery Series
Joelle Charbonneau: Rebecca Robbins Mystery Series
Laura Childs: Tea Shop Mystery Series
Nancy Coco (aka Nancy J. Parra): Candy-Coated Mystery Series
Hy Conrad: Mr. Monk Mystery Series
Jana DeLeon: Miss Fortune Mystery Series
Elizabeth J. Duncan: Penny Brannigan Mystery Series
Jerrilyn Farmer: Madeline Bean Mystery Series
Barbara Graham: Quilted Mystery Series
Virginia Hamilton: Vintage Kitchen Mystery Series
Betty Hectman: Crochet Mystery Series
Joan Hess: Claire Malloy Mystery Series
Ellen Elizabeth Hunter: Magnolia Mystery Series
Miranda James (aka Dean James, Honor Hartman, & Jimmie Ruth Evans): Cat in the Stacks Mystery Series
Carol Ann Martin: Weaving Mystery Series
Maggie Sefton: Molly Malone Mystery Series
Deborah Sharp: Mace Bauer Mystery Series
Livia J. Washburn: Fresh-Baked Mystery Series
Mary V. Welk: Rhodes to Murder Mystery Series
Christine Wenger: Do or Diner
Jacqueline Winspear: Maisie Dobbs Mystery Series
♦To access more Cozy Mystery Books Recommendations, click on this link♦
Judy says
Hi Danna, the books by Mary V. Welk sounded very interesting since she’s older but b&n only offers two of her books on my nook. That’s a shame because they do look like a fun cozy to read. Maybe they will add more later. I’ll keep checking.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Judy, that’s a shame about Nook not having them. Kindle has four of Welk’s mysteries in Kindle format. I hope they get the fifth one in that format soon.
You sound like me with your ereader. I never would have guessed that I would enjoy my Kindle as much as I do. I emptied shelves and shelves of Cozy Mysteries in my home, as I never envision myself trudging through books with small font ever again. Unfortunately one of my favorite authors is taking a while to become available in Kindle format. I wish Patricia Moyes‘ Henry Tibbett mysteries would hurry up and get updated to include the Kindle format. (It took a while, but even E.V. Cunningham‘s Masao Masuto mysteries are now available in Kindle format!)
Judy E. says
Danna, I wish B&N would catch up but I’ll keep checking for that author. I too am slowly giving away my many favorite books because I can’t read them. This way someone else gets to enjoy what I can’t anymore. One I won’t give up is Sue Henry. Love her books and wonder often what happened to her. If anyone knows please let me know. She writes two series. The Maxie And Stretch Mystery is about Maxie McNabb and her dog Stretch. She’s a widow in her sixties and travels around in a Winnebago solving mysteries but lives in Alaska. Quite a character and she makes me laugh. Living my wildest dreams through her. Her second mystery is the Jessie Arnold mysteries. I’ve read everything and own most of her books. Nook doesn’t carry them. So I’m thinking, I love my nook but maybe I should save up for a Kindle too.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Judy E, I just checked and it looks to me like Sue Henry’s mysteries are now available on Nook.
Judy says
Danna, Thank you for letting me know. It will be great reading her books again. There are a few missing but maybe b&n will add them later.
MJ says
It’s been a VERY cold and snowy January with a lot of workplaces, schools, and activities canceled, and travel often not recommended. (Even as I write this tonight, crawls across the bottom of the TV screen are showing that most school corporations in a five or six county area are again canceling for tomorrow and only ‘essential’ travel allowed.)
So with a cup of cocoa or Russian tea and a fire in the fireplace, I’ve read a lot! The following are the best of what I’ve read this month so far……………………
Murder as a Second language – Joan Hess
I really think Hess writes the wittiest dialogue of all the authors I read. I laughed my way through most of the story, however it does turn serious towards the end. My only objection is she uses words I’ve never heard of (shows you how smart I’m NOT!)
and I don’t want to stop to look up the word in a dictionary. This is one very intelligent author.
Claire Malloy (main character) volunteers at the Farberville Literary Council, where the body of an adult student is found in the copy room. Since the story revolves around this ESL agency there are several very interesting characters from a variety of countries. Obviously communication is a problem between students, teachers, etc. I’m pleased Peter (Claire’s husband) is a major part of this story. I love the interaction between these two characters. Of course with her daughter, Caron, and her friend Inez, there’s always fodder for a lot of humor.
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Freezer I’ll Shoot — Virginia Hamilton
This is another book I picked up a month ago and put down just because it didn’t interest me at the time. I started reading it again and remembered why I enjoy this series. The characters are very well developed and engaging. Jaymie Leighton is the main character and she is dating millionaire nice guy Daniel. Both sets of parents are in town to plan a summer family dinner which is causing a lot of conflict. The murder story (death of disliked local man found in Jaymie’s backyard of the island home) is a bit convoluted, but provides numerous suspects. There’s several surprising aspects to the various storylines. Of course, the protagonist finds herself in peril and is ‘rescued’ by the hunky local detective. Hmmmmm……..future story possibilities?! I hope so.
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Do or Diner — Christine Wenger
I found this cozy had a somewhat slow, perhaps disorganized beginning. However, I highly recommend the reader stay with it for the first 75 pages or so, because the pace picks up dramatically and it’s really an entertaining and fun cozy.
Newly divorced Trixie moves back to her hometown of Sandy Harbor (upstate NY) and buys a diner from her aunt. The mystery begins when a food inspector is found dead in her kitchen. Of course Trixie gets involved because she is losing customers to other restaurants. The characters are delightful and believable. It keeps the reader guessing with an ending that takes a surprising twist. There’s a probable romantic interest in future books with a flirty deputy sheriff (typical), formerly from Texas. You know it’s a good read when you keep turning the pages until you’re finished and you want the story to continue. I’m really looking forward to the next book.
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All Fudged Up — Nancy Coco
This story is set on Mackinac Island in Michigan. I’ve been there a few times and it is beautiful, so it had me from the beginning with this setting. THEN to throw in a bonus, the author adds fudge (w/recipes) to the story. YUM! How could I refuse???
Allie McMurphy moved to Mackinac from Chicago because she inherited a hotel from her grandfather in need of much renovation. She finds a body in a utility closet (true to ‘cozy formula’, she is the prime suspect). This mystery is good. The characters are intriguing, some complex. There are two possible romantic interests. The cost of the renovations is very expensive and Allie doesn’t have all the funds. She may lose this small hotel that’s been in her family for generations.
What REALLY kept me turning the pages and wanting to take a sneak peek at the end (I didn’t) is if she’ll get to keep the hotel!! The author does a good job with pacing and keeps this story moving, interesting, fun, and a surprise ending.
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Sayer’s Swindle — Victoria Abbott
I liked the first one and really enjoyed the second book of this series. The story provides humor, great subplots, some romance, and an intriguing mystery.
Jordan (protagonist) works in a mansion for a cantankerous wealthy lady with a huge personal library. A first edition set of rare books (Dorothy Sayers collection) is stolen and inadvertantly sold by Jordan’s friend who owns a bookstore. They embark on a mission to retrieve the books.
The story has twists and turns, ups and downs, and is very clever page after page. In addition, this mother-daughter writing team holds the reader’s interest with off beat characters that are really amusing/colorful. This book is well plotted and evenly paced, keeping one guessing until the end. I strongly recommend this series. You can read this second book without having read the first one.
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I rarely watch the Grammy awards, but happen to have it on tonight while writing this. WOW! What a treat! Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr performing together again. A second WOW!
Tessa says
Sounds like a fun read!
Thank you!
Tessa~
Barbara Thompson says
I just finished the first two books in Ellen Elizabeth Hunter’s Magnolia Mystery Series, Murder On The Ghost Walk and Murder On The Candlelight Tour. This cozy series is set in Wilmington, NC my home state.
Cyn says
My daughter just moved to N.C. last week and we’re going to see her in Feb. so I’ve been googling (sp?) everything I can about the state. This is a must read for me!
Thanks
Ann says
I just finished Jana DeLeon’s Louisiana Longshot. It has lots of quirky characters and fast pace story. Loved it.
Ann
Marja says
A couple of these books maybe a bit edgy to be in the cozy category. But, let’s start with Maisie Dobbs, lovely Maisie Dobbs, whose employee Billy is dealing with his wife’s return from a psychiatric hospital. Maisie herself is coping with the illness of her mentor Maurice Blanche. There is a wonderful mystery about a cartographer who died in WWI, and the disposition of his property; because he was a first-generation American who enlisted with the British to serve in the war, his parents consult Maisie after they come from the US. A very moving and intriguing story.
Just finished “Night Rounds” by Helen Tursten, a Swedish mystery writer. Her mysteries concern a female detective inspector on the Goteburg police force. The three books I’ve read were very good, but I want to WARN any cozy readers against one of her books, “The Torso,” which, as you may imagine, involves VERY gruesome crimes.
Tursten’s “Night Rounds” and “Inspector Huss,” however, are murder mysteries in each of which a family with interesting motives is investigated by the detectives. Irene Huss has a chef husband, two teenage daughters, and an engaging staff she works with.
I read “Until Thy Wrath be Past” by Asa Larsson. The central character is a female prosecutor who gave up a lucrative career in law to work with the police. There are a couple of police detectives, one, a female who’s had a nasty break-up with her detective partner in a professional incident [covered in an earlier book]; the book had lovely scenic descriptions of Sweden, a ghost, and a nasty family of ne’er-do-wells involved, and I look forward to reading more of her books.
I’m about to start an Ann Perry William & Hester Monk mystery; rubbing hands in glee.
Linda C says
Danna, Sometimes I think it is a very good thing when you don’t want us writing about books that we didn’t like. But sometimes what about books that we fail to finish because we can’t seem to find a reason to spend any more time on them? Or how about those books that we decide that we are very disappointed in? What I mean by disappointed in are those authors who have previously written some rather decent books but then for some reason or another they have partnered with a son and have written a terrible book? Just thought I would ask.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda C, I think I know what you are talking about. When I have a favorite author who slips in a “not so good” Cozy Mystery into his/her series, I have a lot of trouble deciding whether or not to continue with that author. I have to admit that since there are so many authors who are writing (and even more who have written) Cozy Mystery books that I don’t spend a lot of time with those authors who write a book that I don’t want to finish.
Thank you for not mentioning names. I don’t mind us discussing what we don’t like about books as long as names aren’t used. I have been to other forums and I see that people take things personally, which lead to arguments and bad feelings.
(Hopefully your author will go back to writing his/her books without his/her son/daughter.)
Marja says
I had wondered about that, Danna, and you’re right. Some fans do take things very personally! I know b/c I spend time on a science fiction fans’ website, and you would not believe how incredibly weird or nasty people get sometimes.
Good on ya’ for this policy. Thanks.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Marja, I have seen people resort to name-calling when someone says something negative about an author who they just said was a phenomenal writer. Yes, I would “believe how incredibly weird or nasty people get sometimes.”!!!
MJ says
Linda,
I know exactly what you mean. However, I do believe an author (especially those who a write long or multiple series) will have an occasional ‘miss’. I think sometimes they get spread thin or ‘burnt out’ and lose creativity. It’s probably at this point they should take a break, but most don’t. They just go on to meet the next deadline. Oftentimes the next book is much better, sometimes not. I assume if they took a ‘rejuvenating break’ they fear they’ll lose their publisher.
I just finished two books by two authors (not partnered with anyone) who are often recommended (by me and several others) on this site, both writers of a long series. In each case, their latest release really dragged. I slogged my way through both books. These two books took forever to read, but I did finish them (misguided loyalty?). I could not in good conscience recommend them. Currently I’m half way through Anne Canadeo’s ‘Dark and Stormy Knit’. I am so excited – what a difference! The story is moving quickly, the dialogue is so smooth, and the continuity is excellent. It’s what I really needed after the last two books!
Recently I’ve discovered some new (at least new to me) authors, several recommended on this blog. If my ‘established’ author’s books continue to be boring, it’s nice to know I’ve found other authors I enjoy who will replace them.
Just to add this point…….I have read some books I thought were ‘awful’ only to see that several others have highly recommended them. We all have different tastes. If one of us really bashed a book (or author) we didn’t like, we might be turning off a reader to try it. And for all we know, it might be a book they’d really enjoy. Danna has rightly not posted some of my negative comments (rants?) about a book because I’ve given identifying aspects of the story.
Oftentimes Danna sets up a query/comment that allows us to vent about writing style or facets of a story we may find irritating/bothersome, but it’s done without naming the author(s). However, I must say, there is always a part of us that wants to know exactly which author or story is being discussed so we could agree or disagree (well – at least I’M ALWAYS curious!).
Danna - cozy mystery list says
MJ, I totally agree that some authors should take a break every once in a while. I agree that it seems like they must have deadlines to meet with their publishers or risk the chance of being dropped. However, if I read a “miss” by an author, I usually drop the author. Seems like publishers/editors should weigh the importance of deadlines VS losing readers. I think that the publishers/editors rely on the majority of the authors’ fans to stick with them no matter what. There are just too many other authors and books out there for me to do that.
While I was reading your comment, I saw that you really hit it on the head when you said: “I am so excited – what a difference! The story is moving quickly, the dialogue is so smooth, and the continuity is excellent. It’s what I really needed after the last two books!” I have had that happen several times recently. At least I have my 50 page rule (which with my Kindle I am translating to about 25% of the book). Rather than “slog” my way through a “miss”, I change to another author and hope for the same feeling you just described. I want to look forward to reading.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Oh, MJ, I share the same feeling about wanting “to know exactly which author or story is being discussed”!
dana says
Miranda James, the cat in the stacks mysteries. Just finished 1-4 and found out #5 comes out tomorrow. First time I’m reading a male lead and I really do enjoy it!
Patti S. says
I read several good books this month. Here they are:
The Sayer’s Swindle by Victoria Abbott
Love this series. It keeps getting better and better.
The Fatal Funnnel Cake by Livia Washburn
For Better or Worsted by Betty Hectmann
Mrs. Jeffries Sallies Forth and Mrs. Jeffries and the Merry Gentleman by Emily Brightwell
I never get tired of this series.
Tea for Three by Laura Childs
Mr. Monk Gets on Board by Hy Conrad
A Dark and Stormy Knit by Anne Canedeo
A Tapestry of Lies by Carol Ann Martin
You can tell the weather has been cold and snowy! Been catching up on my TBR list. I enjoy reading about all the good books everyone has been reading. Thanks!
Susan* says
I’ve had a slightly slow month on the mystery front. (Unlike a lot of the list, it’s been blazing HOT here!) but I received three of Donna Andrews’ Meg Langslow mysteries for Christmas, so I raced through those and dug out several I already had, for a re-read.
(I do like this series. Smart and funny with – always – at least one quirky twist in them, somewhere. )
I’ve also been re-reading Jerrilyn Farmer’s ‘Perfect Sax’. Madelaine Bean runs a small and exclusive catering business in LA, and the depictions of her customer’s lifestyles are so different to my own ($1,000+ for a tiny purse? $25,000 for a luncheon??) that it’s always fascinating. (And so much more interesting than the magazines, too. Possibly because it’s fun and not just nasty gossip.)
Next month will be a big one for me on the book front, as I got several bookshop gift cards for my birthday last week, and (Along with some leftover Christmas money) I’ve been on a spree! FIVE brand new cozies! Won’t see me for a while! Lol!
Cheers!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Susan*, my son and daughter have been giving me Michael’s gift cards for years, I absolutely love the feeling of being able to get all sorts of crafting/seasonal goodies that don’t cost me a penny. I love, love, love spending those gift cards, since I consider everything I get as free. (Which reminds me, I need to tell them about the Michael’s credit card breach.)
Holly says
I loved Murder by Serpent by Barbara Graham. Thank you for telling us about this author recently. I think this is going to be one of my favorite series.
Pat S. says
Danna, I’m with you about Patricia Moyes’ “Henry Tibbett” books. She was my first introduction to “cozy” mysteries back in the early 70s and I devoured every one of hers until she stopped writing. I too look forward to rereading them when they become available in Kindle format.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Pat S, I keep checking and hoping. I did that with Stuart Palmer’s Hildegarde Withers mysteries, and voilà, they have finally been Kindle-ized.
Sandra N says
I’ve been enjoying a series of books by Jutta Profijt. The first is “Morgue Drawer Four”. The sleuth is Cologne city coroner, Dr. Martin Gansewein. Martin is a shy man who does his job and flies under the radar, until the ghost of one of his clients, Pasha, asks for his help to solve his murder. While I’ve read books with this story line before, I’ve enjoyed these cozy mysteries because of the way the author has contrasted Martin and Pasha, and because they are rather different than the typical cozy detectives.
Connie K says
I read Lending a Paw by Laurie Cass this month. I really like Minnie the MC and her rescued cat Eddie. Minnie is a librarian in the fictious city of Chilson, MI. She drives a bookmobile a few times a week to areas where their local libraries are closed. Eddie one day runs out of the bookmobile and finds a dead body by a farmhouse. After Minnie calls 911 to report the find, it sets off a trail of suspicions, inquiries and a look into the deceased’s past life. I couldn’t figure out the murderer until revealed during the last few pages. This to me was a “purr-fect” murder mystery and am looking forward to book 2
Charlene says
The Magical Bakery series by Bailey Cates. I’ve read two so far and have the 3rd one ready to read (but have a library book to finish first: Kaitlyn Dunnett’s Vampires, Bones & Treacle Scones). The Bakery series is set in Savannah, GA and Katie Lightfoot is a hedgewitch recently transplanted from the north. She has two men vying for her attention so it is fun watching this love triangle. The first book is Brownies and Broomsticks.
Lorenda says
I have enjoyed your website for at least a year and look forward to your recommendations each month! Enjoy all the comments too. I don’t think you have Cindy Blackburn listed. She has 4 books out so far in her Cue Ball series that I have really enjoyed. Well written with humor and mystery. Great characters with the main sleuth as a 52 year old romance writer. Fun reads!
Judith says
I started the month with Never Laugh as a Hearse Goes By, the latest Penny Brannigan book by Elizabeth J Duncan. This is wonderful series set in a small Welsh town with a number of quirky characters. In this one, Penny and others from her town go to Gladstone’s Library in North Wales where murder ensues.
Like Connie K, I enjoyed Lending a Paw by Laurie Cass. It is the first book in the series and set up a wonderful little town with interesting people and had an interesting mystery. I am looking forward to more books in this series.
Another book I enjoyed was the latest Chloe Ellefson book by Kathleen Ernst, Heritage of Darkness. Chloe, her mother and (she doesn’t like to call him her boyfriend, but what does she call him?) Roelke travel to the Vesterheim Museum for a bonding trip. Murder mars the proceedings, but Chloe finds trying to solve the murder slightly less stressful than dealing with her mother.
Mama Gets Trashed is the fifth book in the Mace Bauer series by Deborah Sharp and it is just as funny as the earlier books. Mace and Mama find a dead body at the dump, but Mace is more concerned about helping sister Maddie find out whether her husband is cheating on her.
Maggie Sefton’s Molly Malone series are suspense mysteries set in the world of Washington, DC politics. This month I read the second book, Poisoned Politics. Like the first book, there is a murder that is part of a story arc that is going through the books. I’m looking forward to seeing where this goes in the next book.
I also enjoyed Joelle Charbonneau’s latest Rebecca Robbins book, Skating Under the Wire. Now that Rebecca has decided to keep the roller rink and stay in town, her grandfather is promoting her services as a PI. Consequently, Rebecca is running the rink, getting ready to prepare Thanksgiving dinner for an ever-expanding list of guests, performing maid-of-honor duties for the upcoming wedding of her friend Danielle, and investigating the Thanksgiving Day thieves and a murder. This is a light-hearted, hectic romp.
Finally, I just finished Out of the Frying Pan, the third Poppy Markham, Culinary Cop by Robin Allen. Poppy is a public health inspector and she was looking forward to a night off at the benefit for an organic farm. But when the chef collapses and Poppy tries to save her, Poppy realizes that the chef was poisoned and goes into full investigative mode to learn the truth while trying to figure out which of the two men in her life she wants to stay with.
ginger g. says
Danna I have not read any books this time and because I was helping take care of Dad. On January 29th at about 12:30 he passed away. We had visitation tonight and funeral tom Jan. 31. Maybe next week I can sit down and read again.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ginger, I am so sorry to hear about your Dad passing. I know how close you were to him, and know this must be a very difficult time for you. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
ginger says
Thank Danna. The funeral was today. We are doing ok. I am ready to start reading. I am behind on book buying too.
PamB says
Ginger, I am so sorry to read this about your dad. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thank you all for your January 2014 Cozy Mystery recommendations. I can see several authors who have appeared on other monthly recommendation lists, which is a great sign (to me) that if I’m not already reading them, I should think about giving one of their mysteries a try.
Thanks, again!
kiki says
Please add me to the list of those wanting to follow your blog!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Kiki, at the very bottom of the left column on the blog, there’s a little box that says: “Get Cozy Mystery Blog Posts By Email”. Just put your email address into that box, and you will start getting the blog. (When you get the email about the blog, you just click on the highlighted title.)
Feathuz says
I’m looking forward to reading some of these recommended books!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Feathuz, it’s especially interesting to read why people recommended the mysteries.