The Cozy Mystery List Blog

Question – Are There any Cozy Series Set in the Same Town, But Starring Different Sleuths?

November 12, 2016

questions-clipart-question-guy Hey folks! Not long ago I got a question by email that I hoped some of you might be able to help answer!

I have a cozy question for you! Are there any series that you are aware of that are all set in the same town but have a different protagonist in each one? (Like Debbie Macombers Cedar Cove books for example but cozy instead of romance)

I know on one hand that defeats one of the purposes of the cozy, but I’m doing NaMoWriMo and had the best idea for a series based around my fictional town!

The only answer that popped into mind for me was Dani Pettrey‘s Alaskan Courage Mystery Series, which stars various members of the McKenna family in Yancey, Alaska… though like Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove Books, it isn’t necessarily a strictly Cozy series. So can anyone think of more series that are set in the same location, but star different sleuths?

Rae Davies: Dusty Deals Mystery Series

November 10, 2016

I know I normally write entries about Cozy Mystery authors who have been recommended by ALL of you, however I’ve decided to write this entry about an author who I am recommending.

Several people wrote to me telling me how much they enjoy Rae Davies (aka Lori Devoti), so I added her to the Cozy Mystery site. I also was intrigued by her series, so I decided to add her to my authors-to-try list. Once I read Loose Screw (the first in her Dusty Deals Mystery Series) I added her to my “favorite authors” list. Yep! That’s how much I enjoyed Loose Screw…

The Dusty Deals series has a rather unique setting. Well, at least it’s different to me. It takes place in Helena, Montana >>> which Rae Davies makes seem like a typically small, Cozy village, even though it’s Montana’s state capital!

The sleuth, Lucy Mathews, owns and operates an antique shop, but also works as a crime reporter for the newspaper. She’s not terribly happy about being rail-roaded back to her job as a crime journalist, but it does provide a very good way for the author to explain why Lucy involves herself so much with the solving of the crime. Brava to Rae Davies for providing an absolutely great reason >>> other than nosiness!

Lucy’s side-kick “in crime” is Kiska, her Malamute. (Exactly the type of dog I’d envision in Montana!) There are also other important characters >>> which I’m guessing will be present in the following books of the series. Rhonda is Lucy’s best friend, Betty works at Dusty Deals, Gary’s the paper’s photographer, and Peter Blake is the police detective. I like all of these characters – which is important to me. If I don’t like the sleuth or the other recurring characters in a series, it’s unlikely I’ll keep reading the series.

There were plenty of red herrings thrown in, making the book more interesting. I enjoyed Rae Davies’s style of writing, too. (Rae Davies was a reporter before becoming a full-time author of novels.)

For those of you who like looking at book covers, I want to warn you about this one. I know I have a “no-negative policy” on my site, so I’ll just say this: Don’t judge this book by its cover! (I know that several of you have said you don’t like Cozies with cartoon-like covers…)

As I said before, I have added Rae Davies to my “favorite authors” list. I already have the second book in the series (Cut Loose) waiting for me on my Kindle! I hope some of you give Loose Screw a try. You may end up liking it as much as I did!

P.S. As always, if you are interested in reading some of the other entries about highly recommended Cozy Mystery series, you can find them at the Most Recommended Cozy Mystery Series page on my site.

Two New Mystery Series by Cozy Mystery Authors Coming December 2016

November 9, 2016

We will have two new Cozy Mystery series coming out in December by authors on the site!

The first will be Karen Harper‘s South Shores Mystery Series, which will be beginning with Chasing Shadows. This series will star Claire Britten, a forensic psychologist with a neurological disorder, and Nick Markwood, a lawyer who recruits her to help investigate unusual cases on the south shores of Florida. Karen Harper also writes the Home Valley Amish Mystery Series, the Maplecreek Amish Trilogy, the Elizabeth I Mysteries, and the Cold Creek Mystery Series.

The other will be Molly MacRae‘s Highland Bookshop Mystery Series, which will have its first entry, Plaid and Plagiarism. When Janet Marsh decided to become a co-owner of Yon Bonnie Books, a small bookshop in Inversgail, Scotland, she didn’t realize that she would also need to be an investigator. But when she tries to move into her new house, she finds that the house has been vandalized – and that a body has been left in her gardening shed! Unfortunately there are suspects a-plenty, as the victim wasn’t particularly well loved about town – and the suspects include Janet’s ex-husband as well. Molly MacRae also writes the Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery Series.

If you’re looking for other great new Cozy Mystery Series >>> these series and more can be found on the New Cozy Mystery Book Series page, or even more upcoming Cozies if you are looking for a continuation of a favorite series on the Soon to Be Released Mysteries page of my Cozy-Mystery site.