The Cozy Mystery List Blog

Cozy Mystery (and Other Favorite) Books, Movies, and TV

One New Cozy Mystery Series Coming January 2020

There will be one new series starting in January 2020 by an established site author.

Kate Collins will be releasing Statue of Limitations, the first in her Goddess of Greene St. Mystery Mystery Series. Athena Spencer is returning with her son to her coastal Michigan hometown following a divorce for a break from big city living, taking the opportunity to help out around her family’s garden center. When a stranger arrives claiming that he is the rightful owner of a statue bought at a recent estate sale, it quickly becomes apparent that the death leading to the estate sale might have some suspicious circumstances. Kate Collins is also the author of the Flower Shop Mystery Series, starring Abby Knight, the owner of a flower shop in Indiana.

For more new Cozy Mystery Series, check out the New Cozy Mystery Book Series page on the site.

Oh-oh! I Already Know Who…

A couple of weeks ago I read a Cozy Mystery by a new-to-me author. I really enjoyed this author’s writing style. However I’m not sure if I’ll continue reading the rest of the Cozies in her series. I know this sounds a little like an oxymoron… I liked the book but don’t want to read more…

The dilemma is this: I absolutely knew who the murderer was the minute he was introduced to the first-person sleuth narrator. The subtle clue was so absolutely obvious.

I’m still on the fence about this author/series.  I mean, since you are absolutely 100% sure who the culprit is as soon as the character is introduced, do you still stick with the author? I mean, isn’t a big part of the Cozy Mystery reading enjoyment being able to watch as the sleuth finds clues? As I keep on thinking about whether or not to read the next book in the series, I’ll ask you all:

If an author has a sleuth you like, writes in a style you enjoy, and has an otherwise good book, but you can figure out who the culprit is very early in the book, without naming specific authors or book titles – do you read more Cozies by this author?

Again, I will not put up posts that include specific authors and book titles. Please post a comment below. Thank you!

PS: Wow, lots of comments on this one! I think there are a few main points of view – either “I would continue if I’m enjoying the book for other reasons” and “I mostly come to mystery books for the mystery, so I wouldn’t read more.” I can certainly understand both views – it just depends on what you’re coming to Cozies for!

Other people have mentioned that it might be worth trying another entry, since it could be a starting author’s early work or just a bad example of their work.

Scott & Bailey British Television Mystery Series

Scott & Bailey is yet another well-written British police procedural television series. It features a team of strong, smart women. (As a matter of fact, an inordinately high number of women >>> sort of the reverse of what is typical in a “smart” police TV show.)

Scott & Bailey, an ITV production, features two (women) detectives who not only work together, they also rely on each other as friends. The series begins as the senior detective Janet Scott (played wonderfully by Lesley Sharp) is training her partner Rachel Bailey (played by Suranne Jones – another wonderful performance). These ladies work in the Major Incident Team – which handles murders. As with all jobs, sometimes the lines between underlings & their bosses are blurred when there is too good of a personal relationship.

These two women, while both extremely smart and dedicated to their jobs, are very different. The older of the two (Janet) has a family – two daughters, a husband, and her mother. Janet’s very long, erratic hours add to Janet’s character. Janet seems to be pulled in all directions.

Rachel, on the other hand, lives for Rachel, Rachel’s job, and Rachel’s enjoyment. The two women couldn’t be any more different! (I read somewhere that one of the creators of the show was a Cagney & Lacey fan. If you’ve watched those shows then you’ll see the remarkable similarities.)

The third strong woman in this show is Detective Chief Inspector Gill Murray, played by Amelia Bullmore. The actress brings the right touches needed for being a tough boss with a heart. Detective Superintendent Julie Dodson (Pippa Haywood) is a friend of Gill’s who frequently comes to the office for work-related reasons and/or because of their friendship.

There is one downfall of the show: the men. I enjoyed these secondary characters, but thought they all came off as losers. When there is a promotion to replace the second-in-command of the office, it left me wondering why not one of the men had passed his sergeant’s exam!

As I mentioned before, I enjoyed Scott & Bailey. It is not a Cozy television show, and (at least at the moment) available on Amazon Prime.

For more movie and television show recommendations, visit the TV and Movies page on my site.

January 2020 Mystery Book New Releases

The following Mystery Books will be released in January 2020:

Ellery Adams (aka J. B. Stanley, Jennifer Stanley, & 1/2 of Lucy Arlington): The Book of Candlelight (This will be the 3rd in the Secret, Book & Scone Mystery Series.)

Tasha Alexander: In the Shadow of Vesuvius (This will be the 14th in the Lady Emily Mystery Series.)

Lynn Cahoon: A Field Guide to Homicide (This will be the 6th in the Cat Latimer Mystery Series.)

Kate Collins: Statue of Limitations (This will be the 1st in the NEW Goddess of Greene St. Mystery Mystery Series.)

Vicki Delany (aka Eva Gates): There’s a Murder Afoot (This will be the 5th in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery Series.)

Tim Dorsey: Naked Came the Florida Man (This will be the 23rd in the Serge Storms Mystery Series.)

Kaitlyn Dunnett (aka Kathy Lynn Emerson): A View to a Kilt (This will be the 13th in the Liss MacCrimmon Mystery Series.)

Sarah Fox: Much Ado About Nugmeg (This will be the 6th in the Pancake House Mystery Series.)

Victoria Gilbert: Bound for Murder (This will be the 4th in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery Series.)

Gemma Halliday: Marriage, Merlot & Murder (This will be the 4th in the Wine & Dine Mystery Series.)

Miranda James (aka Dean James,  Jimmie Ruth Evans, & Honor Hartman): Careless Whiskers (This will be the 12th in the Cat in the Stacks Mystery Series.)

Iris Johansen: Hindsight (This will be a stand-alone thriller.)

Julie Anne Lindsey (aka Jacqueline Frost, Julie Chase, & Bree Baker): Deadly Cover-Up (This will be the 1st in the NEW Fortress Defense Mystery Series.)

Catherine Lloyd: Death Comes to the Nursery (This will be the 7th in the Kurland St. Mary Mystery Series.)

Jenn McKinlay (aka Josie Belle & Lucy Lawrence): Buried to the Brim (This will be the 6th in the Hat Shop Mystery Series.)

Peter Robinson: Many Rivers to Cross (This will be the 26th in the Inspector Banks Mystery Series.)

Sofie Ryan (aka Sofie Kelly & Darlene Ryan for Young Adult): Claw Enforcement (This will be the 7th in the Second Chance Cat Mystery Series.)

If you want to see this month’s releases, go to the December 2019 Mystery Book New Releases.

You can find these and many more Cozies scheduled for release soon on the Soon to be Released Mysteries page on my site.

(These are the mysteries by authors who are currently on the Cozy Mystery site.)

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