One of the most frequent questions I get is “what Cozy is this from?” And while I like to think that I can help more often than not, I just haven’t read anything… so that’s when I fall back on asking you, the site readers!
Well, it’s been a while since I’ve done one of these posts, so this time I’ve got a whole bunch of them. Five, in fact. So without any further ado…
From Cindy C:
I’m looking for a series featuring an English peer who is the 4th richest man in England or the world. I believe his name is Alex. His parents were murdered on a boat when he was about 7 and he inherited all their money. He has a faithful butler and a policeman friend who help him solve mysteries and later in the series he has a little boy, also named Alex.
UPDATE: Judith (and several others, including Laura and Diane) suggested that this is probably Ted Bell’s Alex Hawke series, which starts with Hawke. Looking at the description, I’m pretty confident that it’s the book Cindy is looking for!
From Diane:
I read a mystery some time ago and really enjoyed it. It was set in Milwaukee and dealt with the Arabian carpet trade. I learned so much about those wonderful carpets, but to save my life I can’t remember the author/title. Any ideas?
Thanks
UPDATE: Susan* suggested that this could be The Bloody Bokhara by William Campbell Gault. It seems like it fits somewhat, though the descriptions I’ve found have unfortunately been very short so it’s hard to tell…
From Paula R:
I’m trying to locate a book series I read long ago. The books were purchased from a Christian bookstore. It was written by a man who was a medical doctor and the books were based in Michigan cities, mostly in the Upper Peninsula.
UPDATE: Sandra suggested this might be the Prescription for Trouble series by Richard L. Mabry, which starts with Code Blue.
UPDATE 2: Cindy suggested another possible answer, the works of Harry Kraus, another medical doctor. His main series is the Claire McCall series, which starts with All I’ll Ever Need.
From Betsy:
Looking for a book about two white arabian horses. Thriller, mystery, romance about a woman and her musical daughter. Her former lover shows up to protect her and fight the bad guys. Of course, they rekindle their relationship after a tryst in the barn and it turns out he is the girls father. Running through the story are the two white arabian horses. Can’t remember the title or author.
From Sheila:
I’m looking for a mystery about a woman who hits her sisters abusive husband, they press charges, she goes to prison. When she gets out she leads bird enthusiasts in central park.
UPDATE: Judy S suggested that this is probably Little Night, by Luanne Rice. Looking at the synopsis, it seems to match the description well.
So, if you think you’ve got the answer to either of these stumpers, please let us know in the comments below! Thank you!
Judy S says
For Sheila, Little Night by Luanne Rice
Judy S says
For Cindy, Lord Peter Whimsey by Dorothy Sayer, then continued by Jill Walsh. There are short stories, novels, and a movie about this character.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Judy, thanks for both suggestions!
Sandra Orchard says
Paula R, you might be thinking of Dr. Richard Mabry’s Prescription for Trouble romantic suspense series. I recall that it was set in small towns, but don’t know if they were in Michigan. I believe he’s from Texas and has some books set in Dallas, so he may not be your author, but he’s the only medical doctor writing Christian fiction that I’ve met. A search for Richard Mabry will show you all his books so you can see if they look like the ones.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Sandra, thanks for the suggestion!
Sandra Orchard says
Paula R, just in case you’re associating the wrong author with the series you’re thinking of (and if it wasn’t a medical series) there is a fun Christian fiction mystery series set in the Upper Peninsula about a woman who does renovations. It was written by a nurse, Nicole Young. Love Me if You Must, Kill Me if You Can, Kiss Me If You Dare. They are the Patricia Amble Series, the only ones written by that particular author.
Carolyn Merriman says
None of thee strikes a chord with me, but I would really like to know more about the series in the first post by Cindy C
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Carolyn, thanks anyway!
MJ says
Totally OFF TOPIC (but thought you may want to know, Danna, so you can cross reverence it on the cozy author list).
I saw that ‘Survival of the Fritters’ is mentioned on the February recommendations list. I just picked it up and noticed it’s written by ‘Ginger Bolton’…………a pseudonym for Janet Bolin (Threadville series). On the title page, Janet Bolin is listed as having the copyright.
Ironically, on the author page it just states ‘Ginger Bolton is a pseudonym for an ‘Agatha nominated cozy mystery author’. Well…………I ALWAYS search for further info, but this one was easy (just had to look at the title page!). 🙂
Danna - cozy mystery list says
MJ… thanks… I’ll have to update her page… I really wish people would write under one name rather than starting up pseudonyms…
Danna - cozy mystery list says
MJ, I am so glad you found this out! You’ve done this type of mystery-solving before, and I ALWAYS appreciate it! Thank you, again!
Susan* says
Unfortunately, Danna, it’s not always the author’s choice. 🙁 Usually it’s the publisher: thinking they can make a splash with *A New Author!!*, not wanting to damage an existing author’s sales if the new series doesn’t ‘take’, or even just not wanting the market to become flooded with one author’s books. (Always disastrous for sales.)
Vintage British author John Creasey was a case in point for the latter. He wrote so many books, so fast, that even *he* lost track! Lol! (Eventual total was somewhere over 700 books under 28 different names.)
Things usually come out later, though, once the new series / author proves popular and they can mesh it all together – or a smart fan like MJ puts things together! Lol!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Susan, I know that there are usually “reasonable enough” reasons… at least from the author perspective. Still, it makes maintaining this sort of site harder than it needs to be at times, and also makes it harder on the reader to find more works by authors they enjoy.
Margaret StashEmpress says
No clue but they sound enthralling! Looking forward to the answers. Good luck!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Margaret, thanks for the well-wishing >>> so far it’s been a bit hit or miss…
Jann says
I believe the books are not Dorothy L. Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries. His mother, the Dowager Duchess, is very much alive in these books. Also, I don’t recall any mention of his father being murdered.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Jann, as you mention, I don’t think this is probably the answer that Cindy is looking for… I mention it because it is the current “best fit” answer that anyone has suggested.
Ellen says
Lord Peter Wimsey’s mother lived on and was included in some of the books.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ellen, I don’t really think this is the “right” answer either… it’s the best suggestion anyone has made so far, though, so I’m listing it as such.
Cindy McCord says
Paula R. – another suggestion for the Christian author you are looking for is Harry Kraus. I don’t know that he has written a series but does have a good many books and he is a doctor. Not sure where the books location are as I haven’t read any and the descriptions I checked didn’t say.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Cindy, thanks for the suggestion! Since the hint is vague enough that this works as well as the other suggestion, I’m posting both for now.
Judith says
For Cindy C, she may be looking for the Alex Hawke books by Ted Bell. The first book is Hawke.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Judith, that’s a good suggestion – that would fit a lot of the clues in this case! I’m switching the suggestion now.
Laura says
I believe the book that Cindy C is thinking of is Hawke by Ted Bell.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Laura, that’s a good suggestion! I’ve updated the post since it seems much more likely than the previous guess.
Diane Davis says
Ted Bell’s Hawke series features a rich, titled orphan.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Diane, that’s a good suggestion! I’m changing the update since it seems to fit the request much closer than the previous suggestion.
Lisa T. says
Cindy is referring to the Campion series by Margery Allingham. Albert Campion is the detective. It is a wonderful series that fans of Lord Peter would also enjoy.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Lisa, that’s possible (and definitely a series worth checking out!), though at the moment I’m still leaning toward the Alex Hawke series so I’m not going to change the post for the moment.
Susan* says
For Diane’s request. – May or may not help, but I’ve just come across a reference to William Campbell Gault’s ‘The Bloody Bokhara’. “A mystery set in Milwaukee’s exotic world of immigrant carpet dealers.”…
Hope it does help!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Susan, that’s a very good suggestion – though most of the official descriptions I’m able to find are a bit short, while the unofficial ones don’t sound particularly Cozy… more of a detective thriller, really. It’s the best fit so far, so I’m putting it up on the page.
Billie says
Ive wondered if the author uses a different persona for themselves when they write under a different name? You know, think differently and therefore write differently?
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Billie, as a general rule, most authors I’ve spoken to have mentioned business reasons being the main reason for different pen names, but it would be interesting for an author who is genuinely trying to “shake up” their style a bit.