The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Murder, She Wrote TV Mystery Show

I have had several readers contact me over the past twelve years – asking why I don’t have a Murder, She Wrote entry on the Mystery TV and Movies Page. I just assumed everyone was already aware of this 1984-1996 TV mystery show – either from when it originally aired or now, in its umpteenth re-run life.

If you have read my description of what a Cozy Mystery is then you are aware of the trepidation I assume neighbors of Jessica Fletcher (the main sleuth) must feel whenever she is in town. Every week, Jessica (beautifully played by Angela Lansbury) is on the quest to find a murderer! In fact there were so many murder in her hometown (Cabot Cove, Maine) that she finally had to establish a living base in New York City, perhaps at the insistence of her Cabot Cove neighbors >>> those still alive that is! (Actually, she has a second home there so that she can be closer to her publisher, as well as teach criminology classes.)

Jessica is a retired high school English teacher who writes best selling mystery novels. Her novels are so popular in fact, that whenever she visits either New York City or an exotic locations (of which there are many, especially in later seasons) the police assigned to the case (which Jessica will invariably solve) welcome her to join them in solving the case, since they are big fans of her mystery novels.

At the beginning of the TV series, I believe most of the shows were based in Cabot Cove, a quaint fishing village where (just about) everyone is on a first-name basis. Jessica has a close circle of friends – which includes easily-agitated Dr. Seth Hazlitt (William Windom), Sheriff Amos Tupper (Tom Bosley), realtor Eve Simpson (Julie Adams), and Sheriff Mort Metzger (Ron Masak). Of course, Jessica knows everyone very well. Her knowledge can be attributed with either having had them in one of her English classes or them being parents of her students. Also, her good friends (Seth and Eve) love to share gossip!

I doubt there are any mystery shows that are more Cozy than Murder, She Wrote. Even though the shows are based on murder, they are never graphic, nor do the shows ever focus on the “let’s-gross-out-the-audience” realistic forensic scenes. (I believe they were considered “family fare” when they originally aired.)

Best selling Cozy Mystery author Donald Bain writes the Murder She Wrote book series which is based on this show. I picture Angela Lansbury every time I read one of Bain’s Cozies. I can’t imagine any other actress trying to take this role on. I strongly recommend you try watching Murder, She Wrote – if you’re one of the few people who hasn’t already enjoyed this TV series.

New Releases – June 5 to June 11, 2017

Here is the list of new release for June 5 to June 11!

Leslie Budewitz: Treble at the Jam Fest (This will be the 4th in the Food Lovers’ Village Mystery Series.)

Kate Carlisle: Once Upon a Spine (This will be the 12th in the Bibliophile Mystery Series.)

Elizabeth Lynn Casey (aka Laura Bradford): Patterned After Death (This will be the 12th in the Southern Sewing Circle Mystery Series.)

Kay Finch: The Black Cat Sees His Shadow (This will be the 3rd in the Bad Luck Cat Mystery Series. This will be a “Pumpkin Days Festival” mystery.)

Kylie Logan (aka Casey Daniels & Miranda Bliss): French Fried (This will be the 2nd in the Ethnic Eats Mystery Series.)

Maggie Sefton: Only Skein Deep (This will be the 15th in the Knitting Mystery Series.)

Two New Cozy Holiday Releases Coming July 2017

There will be two holiday-themed Cozy Mystery releases in July, one New Year’s Eve, the other Valentine’s Day.

First, Allyson K. Abbott will be releasing a New Year’s Eve mystery, A Toast to Murder, the 5th in the Mack’s Bar Mystery Series. This novel will continue the ongoing investigation into the nefarious mastermind who has not only taunted bar owner Mackenzie “Mack” Dalton, but also killed at least one of her employees and friends. As Mack prepares to finally confront the most likely suspect, they are struck from the list when they turn up dead on New Year’s Eve. Now Mack will need to go back to the drawing board to determine who really is behind the string of murderous crimes in Milwaukee. Abbott also writes under the pen name Annelise Ryan, under which she writes the Mattie Winston Mystery Series, starring an ex-nurse coroner, and as Beth Amos, under which she has written a number of stand-alone novels.

Jean Flowers will be putting out a Valentine’s Day Cozy, Addressed to Kill, the 3rd in her Postmistress Mystery Series. Postmaster Cassie Miller is preparing for Valentine’s Day by volunteering to help prepare a special dinner dance at the local seniors center. When one of the musicians slated for the event turns up dead under mysterious circumstances, Cassie will need to investigate the event to ensure that love and peace are on the minds of the citizens of North Ashcot, Massachusetts, on the most romantic of holidays. Flowers also writes as Margaret Grace, the name she has used when writing the Miniature Mystery Series, the name Camille Minichino, the name she used when writing the Periodic Table Mystery Series, and the name Ada Madison, which she used when writing the Sophie Knowles Mystery Series.

If you want to see more New Year’s Eve or Valentine’s Day themed Cozies, be sure to check out their theme pages:

New Year’s Eve Holiday Theme

Valentine’s Day Holiday Theme

July 2017 Mystery Book New Releases

The following Mystery Books will be released in June 2017:

July 2017

Allyson K. Abbott (aka Annelise Ryan & Beth Amos): A Toast to Murder (This will be the 5th in the Mack’s Bar Mystery Series. This is a New Year’s Eve mystery.)

Jeff Abbott: Blame (This will be a Stand Alone mystery.)

Lorraine Bartlett (aka L.L. Bartlett and Lorna Barrett): A Basket Full of Bargains: A Companion Story of the Victoria Square Mysteries (This will be a spin-off non-mystery story for the Victoria Square Mystery Series.)

Laura Bradford (aka Elizabeth Lynn Casey): 30 Second Death (This will be the 2nd in the Tobi Tobias Mystery Series.)

Lynn Cahoon: Killer Party (This will be the 9th in the Tourist Trap Mystery Series.)

Laurie Cass (aka Laura Alden): Wrong Side of the Paw (This will be the 6th in the Bookmobile Cat Mystery Series.)

Peg Cochran (aka Meg London): Sowed to Death (This will be the 2nd in the Farmer’s Daughter Mystery Series.)

Gary Corby: Death on Delos (This will be the 7th in the Ancient Greece Mystery Series.)

Kathi Daley: Camp Carter (This will be the 25th in the Zoe Donovan Mystery Series.)

Kathi Daley: Second Look (This will be the 2nd in the Writer’s Retreat Southern Mystery Series.)

Lindsey Davis: The Third Nero (This will be the 5th in the Flavia Albia Mystery Series.)

Linda Fairstein: Deadfall (This will be the 19th in the non-Cozy Alexandra Cooper Series.)

Mary Feliz: Dead Storage (This will be the 3rd in the Maggie McDonald Mystery Series.)

Jean Flowers (aka Camille Minichino, Margaret Grace, & Ada Madison): Addressed to Kill (This will be the 3rd in the Postmistress Mystery Series.) (This will be a Valentine’s Day mystery.)

Victoria Hamilton (aka Amanda Cooper & Donna Lea Simpson): Muffin to Fear (This will be the in the Merry Muffin Mystery Series.)

Joan Hess (aka Joan Hadley) & Elizabeth Peters (aka Barbara Michaels & Barbara Mertz) & : The Painted Queen (This will be the 20th in the Amelia Peabody Mystery Series.)

Victoria Laurie: A Panicked Premonition (This will be the 15th in the Psychic Eye Mystery Series.)

Mary Marks: Knot What You Think (This will be the 5th in the Martha Rose Quilting Mystery Series.)

Alyssa Maxwell: Murder at Chateau sur Mer (This will be the 5th in the Gilded Newport Mystery Series.)

Sandra Orchard: Over Maya Dead Body (This will be the 3rd in the Serena Jones Mystery Series.)

Diana Orgain: I Wanda Put a Spell on You (This will be the 2nd in the iWitch Mystery Series.)

Elizabeth Peters (aka Barbara Michaels & Barbara Mertz) & Joan Hess (aka Joan Hadley): The Painted Queen (This will be the 20th in the Amelia Peabody Mystery Series.)

Kathy Reichs: Two Nights (This will be a Stand Alone thriller.)

David Rosenfelt: Collared (This will be the 16th in the Andy Carpenter Mystery Series.)

Denise Swanson: Lions and Tigers and Murder, Oh My (This will be the in the Devereaux’s Dime Store Mystery Series.)

Peter Tremayne: Penance of the Damned (This will be the 27th in the Mystery of Ancient Ireland Mystery Series.)

Elaine Viets: Fire and Ashes (This will be the 2nd in the non-Cozy Death Investigator Mystery Series.)

If you want to see this month’s releases, go to the June 2017 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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