The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

June 2016 Mystery Book New Releases

May 1, 2016

The following Mystery Books will be released in June 2016:

Isabella Alan (aka Amanda Flower): Murder, Handcrafted (This will be the 5th in the Amish Quilt Shop Mystery Series.)

Ellie Alexander (aka Kate Dyer-Seeley): Caught Bread Handed (This will be the 4th in the Bakeshop Mystery Series.)

Donald Bain and Margaret Truman: Deadly Medicine (This will be the 4th in the Margaret Truman’s Capital Crimes Mystery Series.)

Lorna Barrett (aka Lorraine Bartlett & L. L. Bartlett): Title Wave (This will be the 10th in the Booktown Mystery Series.)

Christy Barritt: Dark Harbor (This will be a Love Inspired Suspense Mystery.)

Laura Bradford (aka Elizabeth Lynn Casey): Éclair and Present Danger (This will be the 1st in the NEW Emergency Dessert Squad Mystery Series.)

Nancy Bush: The Killing Game (This will be a Stand Alone Mystery.)

Lynn Cahoon: Tea Cups and Carnage (This will be the 7th in the Tourist Trap Mystery Series.)

Kate Carlisle: Books of a Feather (This will be the 11th in the Bibliophile Mystery Series.)

Amanda Carmack: Murder at Fontainebleau (This will be the 5th in the Elizabethan Mystery Series.)

Sheila Connolly (aka Sarah Atwell): Dead End Street (This will be the 7th in the Museum Mystery Series Series.)

E.J. Copperman (aka Jeffrey Cohen): Written Off (This will be the 1st in the NEW Mysterious Detective Mystery Series.)

Maya Corrigan: Final Fondue (This will be the 3rd in the Five-Ingredient Mystery Series.)

Kathi Daley: Murder at Sunrise (This will be the 2nd in the Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mystery Series.)

Krista Davis: The Diva Serves High Tea (This will be the 10th in the Domestic Diva Series.)

Kay Finch: The Black Cat Knocks on Wood (This will be the 2nd in the Bad Luck Cat Mystery Series.)

Janet Finsilver: Murder at the Mansion (This will be the 2nd in the Redwood Cove Mystery Series.)

Shelley Freydont: A Golden Cage (This will be the 2nd in the Newport Gilded Age Series.)

Kaye George  (aka Janet Cantrell): Death on the Trek (This will be the 2nd in the People of the Wind Mystery Series.)

Cheryl Hollon: Cracked to Death (This will be the 3rd in the Webb’s Glass Shop Mystery Series.)

Victoria Houston: Dead Loudmouth (This will be the 16th in the Look Lake Fishing Mystery Series.)

Julie Hyzy: Grace Sees Red (This will be the 7th in the Manor of Murder Mystery Series.)

Tonya Kappes: Fixin’ To Die (This will be the 1st in the NEW Kenni Lowry Mystery Series.)

Mary Kennedy: A Premonition of Murder (This will be the 3rd in the Dream Club Mystery Series.)

Gayle Leeson (aka Gayle Trent & Amanda Lee): The Calamity Café. (This will be the 1st in the NEW Down South Café Mystery Series.)

Laura Levine: Murder Has Nine Lives (This will be the 14th in the Jaine Austen Series.)

Connie di Marco (aka Connie Archer): The Madness of Mercury (This will be the 1st in the NEW Zodiac Mystery Series.)

Mary Marks: Something’s Knot Kosher (This will be the 4th in the Martha Rose Quilting Mystery Series.)

Jennifer McAndrews: A Shattering Crime (This will be the 3rd in the Stained-Glass Mystery Series.)

Karen E. Olson: Shadowed (This will be the 2nd in the Nicole Jones thriller series.)

James Patterson:  Cross Kill (This will be an Alex Cross Mystery Series “BookShot” – Amazon describes these as “Novels you can devour in a few hours”)

James Patterson: Max Ride: Ultimate Flight (This will be the 10th in the Maximum Ride Series for Young Adults.)

James Patterson: The Games (This will be the 10th in the Private Series.)

Joanne Pence: Four O’Clock Sizzle (This will be the 4th in the Rebecca Mayfield Mystery Series.)

Marta Perry: How Secrets Die (This will be the 3rd in the Watcher in the Dark Mystery Series.)

Patricia Rockwell: Firecrackered (This will be the 5th in the Essie Cobb Senior Sleuth Mystery Series.) (This will be a Fourth of July themed mystery book.)

Sara Rosett: Marriage, Monsters-in-Law, and Murder (This will be the 9th in the Ellie Avery Mystery Series.)

Walter Satterthwait: New York Nocturne: The Return of Miss Lizzie (This will be the 2nd in the Lizzie Borden Mystery Series.)

Maggie Sefton: Knit to Be Tied (This will be the 14th in the Knitting Mystery Series.)

These Cozies (and of course many more) that are scheduled for release soon are 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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Cozy Mystery Book Recommendations – April 2016

April 28, 2016

I am enjoying both of the books I’m reading right now so much! I’m listening to one of Ruth Rendell‘s Inspector Wexford mysteries, and as usual, it is a terrific read! Any time I open one of her mysteries, I know I’m in for a real treat! I simply love her books! Inspector Wexford and the rest of the characters are truly written in 3-D form. Rendell is a superb story teller and can be found on both of these very prestigious lists: Crime Writers’ Association Top 100 Crime Novels of All Time AND Mystery Writers of America Top 100 Crime Novels of All Time.

As for my “real” reading >>> I’ve veered off the Cozy Mystery road and am reading one of Ann Rule‘s true crime novels. Yow! I also love her books, so I’m in a type of euphoric reading mode!

Getting back to Cozy Mysteries >>> Have you read any during April that have made you think they are way better than the rest of the Cozies you read this month? If so, would you please tell us about these super-good Cozies and why you liked them so much? We’d love to know about the Cozies you think are “better than the rest” so that we (too) can read them. (If you have a lot of Cozies you think are terrific, would you post the ones you think are even better than the others at the top of the list?)

As usual, please do not tell us about the Cozy Mysteries you did not like.

What really good Cozy Mystery book did you read during April 2016 that you want the rest of us to know about, and why did you enjoy it?

Here are the current recommended authors who some of you have read and recommended this past month:

Kristi Abbott: Popcorn Shop Mystery Series (Kernel of Truth is book #1)

Susan Wittig Albert: China Bayles Mystery Series

Barbara Allan: Trash ‘n’ Treasures Mystery Series

Gretchen Archer: Davis Way Crime Caper Mystery Series (Double Whammy is book #1)

Karoline Barrett: Bread and Batter Mystery Series (Bun for Your Life is book #1)

M. C. Beaton (aka Marion Chesney): Hamish Macbeth Mysterty Series

Patti Benning: Darling Deli Mystery Series

Jennie Bentley (aka Jenna Bennett & Bente Gallagher): Do It Yourself Mystery Series

Rhys Bowen: Evan Evans Mystery Series

Frances Brody: Kate Shackleton Mystery Series

Duffy Brown: Cycle Path Mystery Series

J.J. Cook (aka Joyce and Jim Lavene & Ellie Grant): Biscuit Bowl Food Truck Mystery Series

J.J. Cook (aka Joyce and Jim Lavene & Ellie Grant): Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mystery Series

E.J. Copperman (aka Jeffrey Cohen): Haunted Guesthouse Mystery Series

Mary Daheim: Hillside Manor Bed & Breakfast Mystery Series

Krista Davis: Paws & Claws Mystery Series

Steve Demaree: Dekker Mystery Series (52 Steps to Murder is book #1)

Laura DiSilverio (aka Lila Dare & Ella Barrick): Readaholics Book Club Mystery Series

Elizabeth J. Duncan: Penny Brannigan Mystery Series

Amanda Flower (aka Isabella Allan): Magical Bookshop Mystery Series

Eva Gates (aka Vicki Delany): Lighthouse Library Mystery Series

Ann Granger: Markby & Mitchell Village Whodunit Mystery Series

Lee Harris: Christine Bennett (Holiday) Mystery Series

Ellen Elizabeth Hunter: Magnolia Mystery Series

Karen MacInerney: Margie Petersen Mystery Series

G.A. McKevett: Savannah Reid Mystery Series

Meg Muldoon: Christmas River Mystery Series

Renee Patrick: Lillian Frost and Edith Head Mystery Series (A Design for Dying is book #1)

Louise Penny: Chief Inspector Gamache Mystery Series

Anne Perry: Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Mystery Series

Carol J. Perry: Witch City Mystery Series

Rose Pressey: Haunted Village Mystery Series

Ruth Rendell: Inspector Wexford Mystery Series

J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts): Eve Dallas (In Death) Mystery Series (not Cozy)

Paige Shelton: Scottish Bookshop Mystery Series

Karen Rose Smith: Caprice De Luca Mystery Series

Denise Swanson: Devereaux’s Dime Store Mystery Series

Margaret Yorke: Stand Alone mysteries

[If you click on the author’s name (blue) link, it will take you to his/her page on the Cozy Mystery site. The pages have all of the authors’ books listed chronologically.]

I will list the authors and series that have been recommended, but I urge you to read the comments below so you can see the reasons other Cozy Mystery readers thought these were their best reads of the month.

♦To access more Cozy Mystery Books Recommendations, click on this link♦

P.S. I usually don’t comment on your recommendations since they speak for themselves.

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Upcoming Television Mystery Movies for May 2016

April 26, 2016

I’ve gone through both the Turner Classic Movies channel and the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel schedules for May 2016 and here are the mystery movies I was able to find. I also posted a few movies that don’t qualify as mysteries, but I think they’re so good that I wanted to make sure you know about their air dates/times.

I don’t see any new mystery movies premiering on the Hallmark M&M channel, but maybe at the end of the month, when they (finally!) update their schedule, I’ll find some.  I do want to mention that TCM will be highlighting Mother’s Day on May 8 (Sounder and I Remember Mama) and during the Memorial Day weekend they will be airing all sorts of patriotic movies for us to enjoy.

***** ***** ***** *****

May 2016 Turner Classic Movies Channel Mystery Movies (Central time zone):

***** ***** ***** *****

Sunday – May 1, 2016

7:00 AM
THE BIG CLOCK (1948)
A corrupt publisher tries to frame a career-driven editor for murder.
Dir: John Farrow Cast:  Ray Milland, Charles Laughton, Maureen O’Sullivan.
BW-95 mins, CC

9:00 PM
A STOLEN LIFE (1946)
A twin takes her deceased sister’s place as wife of the man they both love.
Dir: Curtis Bernhardt Cast:  Bette Davis, Glenn Ford, Dane Clark.
BW-107 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Wednesday – May 4, 2016

1:00 PM
WAIT UNTIL DARK (1967)
A blind woman fights against drug smugglers who’ve invaded her home.
Dir: Terence Young Cast:  Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna.
C-108 mins, CC

9:00 PM
THE KILLERS (1946)
An insurance investigator uncovers a string of crimes when he tries to find a murdered boxer’s beneficiary.
Dir: Robert Siodmak Cast:  Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Edmond O’Brien.
BW-102 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Thursday – May 5, 2016

1:00 AM
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (1940)
An American reporter covering the war in Europe gets mixed up in the assassination of a Dutch diplomat.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast:  Joel McCrea, Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall.
BW-120 mins, CC

7:00 PM
THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS (1954)
A wrongly convicted man takes a young woman hostage while fighting to clear his name.
Dir: Edwards Sampson Cast:  John Ireland, Dorothy Malone, Bruce Carlisle.
BW-74 mins, CC

10:00 PM
A BUCKET OF BLOOD (1959)

Dir: Roger Corman Cast:  Dick Miller, Barboura Morris, Antony Carbone.
BW-65 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Friday – May 6, 2016

10:00 AM
THE WOMAN ON THE BEACH (1947)
A coast guardsman begins to think his mistress’s blind husband can really see.
Dir: Jean Renoir Cast:  Joan Bennett, Robert Ryan, Charles Bickford.
BW-71 mins, CC

11:15 AM
THE WOMAN ON PIER 13 (1950)
Communists blackmail a shipping executive into spying for them.
Dir: Robert Stevenson Cast:  Laraine Day, Robert Ryan, John Agar.
BW-73 mins, CC

2:15 PM
THE RACKET (1951)
A tough cop has to fight his superiors in order to battle the mob.
Dir: John Cromwell Cast:  Robert Mitchum, Lizabeth Scott, Robert Ryan.
BW-89 mins, CC

7:00 PM
BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK (1955)
A one-armed veteran uncovers small-town secrets when he tries to visit an Asian-American war hero’s family.
Dir: John Sturges Cast:  Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Anne Francis.
C-81 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

8:30 PM
CROSSFIRE (1947)
A crusading district attorney investigates the murder of a Jewish man.
Dir: Edward Dmytryk Cast:  Robert Young, Robert Mitchum, Robert Ryan.
BW-86 mins, CC

10:15 PM
ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW (1959)
Desperate losers plan a bank robbery with unexpected results.
Dir: Robert Wise Cast:  Harry Belafonte, Robert Ryan, Shelley Winters.
BW-96 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Saturday – May 7, 2016

12:00 AM
ON DANGEROUS GROUND (1952)
A tough cop sent to help in a mountain manhunt falls for the quarry’s blind sister.
Dir: Nicholas Ray Cast:  Ida Lupino, Robert Ryan, Ward Bond.
BW-82 mins, CC

1:30 AM
BEWARE, MY LOVELY (1952)
A widow discovers her handyman is an escaped mental patient.
Dir: Harry Horner Cast:  Ida Lupino, Robert Ryan, Taylor Holmes.
BW-77 mins, CC

4:15 AM
ACT OF VIOLENCE (1948)
An embittered veteran tracks down a POW camp informer.
Dir: Fred Zinnemann Cast:  Van Heflin, Robert Ryan, Janet Leigh.
BW-82 mins, CC

8:15 AM
THE NOTORIOUS LONE WOLF (1946)
A reformed thief tracks a stolen gem to clear his name.
Dir: D. Ross Lederman Cast:  Gerald Mohr, Janis Carter, Eric Blore.
BW-65 mins

7:00 PM
ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)
An ambitious young actress tries to take over a star’s career and love life.
Dir: Joseph L. Mankiewicz Cast:  Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders.
BW-138 mins, CC
*****Not a mystery, but a terrific movie!*****

9:30 PM
THE CATERED AFFAIR (1956)
A working-class mother fights to give her daughter a big wedding whether the girl wants it or not.
Dir: Richard Brooks Cast:  Bette Davis, Ernest Borgnine, Debbie Reynolds.
BW-94 mins, CC
*****Not a mystery. This movie makes you think twice about high-priced weddings!*****

11:15 PM
ANOTHER MAN’S POISON (1951)
A mystery writer’s real life turns to intrigue when her criminal husband escapes from prison.
Dir: Irving Rapper Cast:  Bette Davis, Gary Merrill, Emlyn Williams.
BW-90 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Sunday – May 8, 2016

9:00 AM
BUNNY LAKE IS MISSING (1965)
A distraught mother searches for her seemingly non-existent daughter, bringing her sanity into question.
Dir: Otto Preminger Cast:  Keir Dullea, Carol Lynley, Lucie Mannheim.
BW-107 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

***** ***** ***** *****

Monday – May 9, 2016

3:30 AM
BLOW-UP (1966)
A photographer discovers a murder in the background of a candid photo.
Dir: Michelangelo Antonioni Cast:  Vanessa Redgrave, Sarah Miles, David Hemmings.
C-111 mins, CC

5:30 AM
THE BAT WHISPERS (1930)
A masked criminal terrorizes the residents at a deserted country house.
Dir: Roland West Cast:  Chester Morris, Una Merkel, Chance Ward.
BW-85 mins, Letterbox Format

8:30 AM
STRANGER IN TOWN (1932)
A Supreme Court justice on vacation takes on crooked small-town politicians.
Dir: Erle C. Kenton Cast:  Charles “Chic” Sale, Ann Dvorak, David Manners.
BW-65 mins

4:45 PM
LAWLESS VALLEY (1939)
After doing time for a crime he didn’t commit, a cowboy tries to find the men who framed him.
Dir: David Howard Cast:  George O’Brien, Kay Sutton, Walter Miller.
BW-59 mins

5:45 PM
TROUBLE IN SUNDOWN (1939)
A man’s friend searches for the real crooks when he’s accused of robbery and murder.
Dir: David Howard Cast:  George O’Brien, Rosalind Keith, Ray Whitley.
BW-60 mins

***** ***** ***** *****

Tuesday – May 10, 2016

9:15 PM
THE MALTESE FALCON (1941)
Hard-boiled detective Sam Spade gets caught up in the murderous search for a priceless statue.
Dir: John Huston Cast:  Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George.
BW-100 mins, CC

11:15 PM
SUSPICION (1941)
A wealthy wallflower suspects her penniless playboy husband of murder.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast:  Cary Grant, Joan Fontaine, Sir Cedric Hardwicke.
BW-100 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Wednesday – May 11, 2016

3:30 AM
DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1941)
A scientist’s investigations into the nature of good and evil turn him into a murderous monster.
Dir: Victor Fleming Cast:  Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman, Lana Turner.
BW-113 mins, CC

7:00 PM
PICKUP ALLEY (1957)
A U.S. narcotics agent trails an international drug smuggler.
Dir: John Gilling Cast:  Victor Mature, Anita Ekberg, Trevor Howard.
BW-91 mins, Letterbox Format

9:00 PM
TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH (1948)
A treasury agent becomes obsessed with exposing an international drug ring.
Dir: Robert Stevenson Cast:  Dick Powell, Signe Hasso, Maylia.
BW-108 mins

11:00 PM
THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971)
Two New York narcotics cops set out to bust a French drug smuggling ring.
Dir: William Friedkin Cast:  Gene Hackman, Fernando Rey, Roy Scheider.
C-104 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

***** ***** ***** *****

Thursday – May 12, 2016

1:00 AM
THE ORGANIZATION (1971)
When a group of revolutionaries fighting the drug rackets are framed for murder, detective Virgil Tibbs steps in to clear their names.
Dir: Don Medford Cast:  Sidney Poitier, Barbara McNair, Gerald S. O’Loughlin.
C-108 mins, Letterbox Format

3:15 AM
BORDERLINE (1950)
A policewoman goes undercover to infiltrate a drug smuggling ring.
Dir: William A. Seiter Cast:  Fred MacMurray, Claire Trevor, Raymond Burr.
BW-88 mins, CC

7:00 PM
PIT AND THE PENDULUM (1961)
A young man investigates his sister’s death in a mysterious castle.
Dir: Roger Corman Cast:  Vincent Price, John Kerr, Barbara Steele.
C-80 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

10:00 PM
DEMENTIA 13 (1963)
Members of an Irish family are being killed off by one of their own who wishes to inherit the family fortune.
Dir: Francis Coppola Cast:  William Campbell, Luana Anders, Bart Patton.
BW-75 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Friday – May 13, 2016

1:30 AM
THE COMEDY OF TERRORS (1964)
A dishonest undertaker and his sidekick create their own customers when they cannot find willing ones.
C-84 mins

5:00 AM
SHOOTING STRAIGHT (1930)
A gambler accidentally commits murder and hides under the guise of a clergyman.
Dir: George Archainbaud Cast:  Richard Dix, Mary Lawlor, James Neill.
BW-71 mins

11:30 AM
GAMBLING HOUSE (1951)
A gambler faces deportation when he gets mixed up with murder.
Dir: Ted Tetzlaff Cast:  Victor Mature, Terry Moore, William Bendix.
BW-80 mins, CC

9:15 PM
ABOUT MRS. LESLIE (1954)
An aging woman recalls the affair that consumed her life.
Dir: Daniel Mann Cast:  Shirley Booth, Robert Ryan, Marjie Millar.
BW-104 mins
*****Excellent movie. Not a mystery.*****

***** ***** ***** *****

Saturday – May 14, 2016

8:15 AM
THE LONE WOLF IN LONDON (1947)
A reformed thief gets mixed up in blackmail and the theft of diamonds held at Scotland Yard.
Dir: Leslie Goodwins Cast:  Gerald Mohr, Nancy Saunders, Eric Blore.
BW-68 mins

11:00 AM
RING OF FIRE (1961)
A group of delinquents hold a sheriff hostage in the middle of a forest fire.
Dir: Andrew L. Stone Cast:  David Janssen, Joyce Taylor, Frank Gorshin.
C-91 mins, CC

1:00 PM
SCARAMOUCHE (1952)
In 18th-century France, a young man masquerades as an actor to avenge his friend’s murder.
Dir: George Sidney Cast:  Stewart Granger, Eleanor Parker, Janet Leigh.
C-115 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Monday – May 16, 2016

9:15 AM
SEND ME NO FLOWERS (1964)
When he mistakenly thinks he’s dying, a hypochondriac tries to choose his wife’s next husband.
Dir: Norman Jewison Cast:  Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Tony Randall.
C-100 mins, CC, Letterbox Format
*****Not a mystery. A fun Doris Day/Rock Hudson comedy.*****

11:15 AM
THE THRILL OF IT ALL (1963)
A doctor tries to cope with his wife’s newfound stardom as an advertising pitch woman.
Dir: Norman Jewison Cast:  Doris Day, James Garner, Arlene Francis.
C-108 mins, CC
*****Not a mystery. A fun Doris Day/James Garner comedy.*****

3:15 PM
BORN YESTERDAY (1950)
A newspaper reporter takes on the task of educating a crooked businessman’s girlfriend.
Dir: George Cukor Cast:  Judy Holliday, Broderick Crawford, William Holden.
BW-102 mins, CC
*****Not a mystery. Terrific fun with Judy Holliday!*****

5:15 PM
THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI (1948)
A romantic drifter gets caught between a corrupt tycoon and his voluptuous wife.
Dir: Orson Welles Cast:  Rita Hayworth, Orson Welles, Everett Sloane.
BW-87 mins, CC

11:30 PM
TWICE-TOLD TALES (1963)
A poisonous young beauty, the secrets of eternal life and a haunted house chill this collection of Nathaniel Hawthorne stories.
Dir: Sidney Salkow Cast:  Vincent Price, Sebastian Cabot, Mari Blanchard.
C-120 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

***** ***** ***** *****

Tuesday – May 17, 2016

3:30 AM
SPIRITS OF THE DEAD (1968)
This film comprises three supernatural tales based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe.
Dir: Roger Vadim Cast:  Vincent Price, Jane Fonda, Peter Fonda.
C-121 mins, Letterbox Format

6:45 AM
THE BISHOP MISBEHAVES (1933)
A church official with a taste for mysteries gets mixed up in the real thing.
Dir: E. A. Dupont Cast:  Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O’Sullivan, Lucile Watson.
BW-86 mins, CC

12:30 PM
WOMAN WANTED (1935)
An innocent woman is chased by both gangsters and the police.
Dir: George B. Seitz Cast:  Maureen O’Sullivan, Joel McCrea, Lewis Stone.
BW-67 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Wednesday – May 18, 2016

9:30 AM
THE PHANTOM OF PARIS (1931)
A magician is charged with killing his fiancee’s father.
Dir: John S. Robertson Cast:  John Gilbert, Leila Hyams, Lewis Stone.
BW-74 mins

11:00 AM
DARK PASSAGE (1947)
A man falsely accused of his wife’s murder escapes to search for the real killer.
Dir: Delmer Daves Cast:  Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Bruce Bennett.
BW-106 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Thursday – May 19, 2016

10:45 AM
ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (1944)
A young man about to be married discovers the two aunts who raised him have been poisoning lonely old men.
Dir: Frank Capra Cast:  Cary Grant, Priscilla Lane, Raymond Massey.
BW-118 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Friday – May 20, 2016

9:00 PM
THE OUTFIT (1973)
An ex-con takes on the mob to avenge his brother’s death.
Dir: John Flynn Cast:  Robert Duvall, Karen Black, Joe Don Baker.
C-103 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

***** ***** ***** *****

Saturday – May 21, 2016

6:30 AM
TEN LITTLE INDIANS (1966)
Party guests at a remote mansion have been brought together to pay for past crimes.
Dir: George Pollock Cast:  Hugh O’Brian, Shirley Eaton, Fabian.
C-90 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

8:15 AM
THE LONE WOLF AND HIS LADY (1949)
A reformed thief tracks a stolen jewel to clear his name.
Dir: John Hoffman Cast:  Ron Randell, June Vincent, Alan Mowbray.
BW-60 mins

7:00 PM
DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944)
An insurance salesman gets seduced into plotting a client’s death.
Dir: Billy Wilder Cast:  Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson.
BW-108 mins, CC
*****Terrific movie!*****

9:00 PM
COVER-UP (1949)
An insurance investigator smells something wrong when he looks into a small-town suicide.
Dir: Alfred E. Green Cast:  William Bendix, Dennis O’Keefe, Barbara Britton.
BW-83 mins

10:30 PM
THE PITFALL (1948)
A married insurance man falls for a criminal’s girlfriend.
Dir: Andre DeToth Cast:  Dick Powell, Lizabeth Scott, Jane Wyatt.
BW-86 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Sunday – May 22, 2016

12:00 AM
TIMETABLE (1956)
An insurance investigator turns to robbery, then has to solve one of his own crimes.
Dir: Mark Stevens Cast:  Mark Stevens, King Calder, Felicia Farr.
BW-80 mins

9:00 AM
STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1951)
A man’s joking suggestion that he and a chance acquaintance trade murders turns deadly.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast:  Farley Granger, Ruth Roman, Robert Walker.
BW-101 mins, CC

5:15 PM
VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED (1961)
After a mysterious blackout, the inhabitants of a British village give birth to emotionless, super-powered offspring.
Dir: Wolf Rilla Cast:  George Sanders, Barbara Shelley, Martin Stephens.
BW-77 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Wednesday – May 25, 2016

10:30 PM
ILLEGAL (1955)
A DA falls apart when his machinations send an innocent man to the chair.
Dir: Lewis Allen Cast:  Edward G. Robinson, Nina Foch, Hugh Marlowe.
BW-88 mins, Letterbox Format

***** ***** ***** *****

Thursday – May 26, 2016

2:15 AM
PETE KELLY’S BLUES (1955)
The jazz band’s leader gets mixed up with gangster in ’20s Kansas City.
Dir: Jack Webb Cast:  Jack Webb, Janet Leigh, Edmond O’Brien.
C-95 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

6:00 AM
THE BIG STAMPEDE (1932)
A new sheriff faces the rustlers who killed his predecessor.
Dir: Tenny Wright Cast:  John Wayne, Duke, Noah Beery.
BW-54 mins

9:00 AM
SOMEWHERE IN SONORA (1933)
A young cowhand gets roped into the outlaw’s life when he’s falsely accused of a crime.
Dir: Mack V. Wright Cast:  John Wayne, Duke, Henry B. Walthall.
BW-58 mins

11:00 PM
SISTERS (1973)
A small-time reporter tries to convince the police she saw a murder in the apartment across from hers.
Dir: Brian De Palma Cast:  Margot Kidder, Jennifer Salt, Charles Durning.
C-92 mins, Letterbox Format

***** ***** ***** *****

Friday – May 27, 2016

1:00 AM
BLOODY MAMA (1970)
Dir: Roger Corman Cast:  Shelley Winters, Pat Hingle, Don Stroud.
BW-92 mins

7:30 AM
THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME (1932)
A big game hunter decides to stalk human prey.
Dir: Ernest B. Schoedsack Cast:  Joel McCrea, Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong.
BW-63 mins, CC

***** ***** ***** *****

Tuesday – May 31, 2016

2:30 PM
THEY CAME TO ROB LAS VEGAS (1969)
A casino blackjack dealer plots to hijack and rob an armored car.
Dir: Antonio Isasi Isasmendi Cast:  Gary Lockwood, Elke Sommer, Lee J. Cobb.
C-129 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

4:45 PM
OCEAN’S ELEVEN (1960)
A group of friends plot to rob a Las Vegas casino.
Dir: Lewis Milestone Cast:  Peter Lawford, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra.
C-127 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

***** ***** ***** *****

(All of the above TCM descriptions were copied from the TCM site.)

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

May 2016 Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel Mystery Movies (Central time zone):

***** ***** ***** *****

Weekday Schedule:

12:00 – 2:00 AM
Murder, She Wrote

2:00 – 4:00 AM
Hart to Hart

4:00 – 6:00 AM
Matlock

6:00 AM
Columbo

8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Diagnosis Murder

10:00 – 11:59 PM
Murder, She Wrote

***** ***** ***** *****

Tuesday – May 3, 2016

4:00 PM
Flower Shop Mystery: Snipped in the Bud
When a bouquet from her shop is found at the murder scene of a professor and former courtroom adversary of Abby Knight, a former attorney-turned-small-town-florist, she finds herself as the main suspect. Stars Brooke Shields, Brennan Elliott and Beau Bridges.

6:00 PM
Murder, She Baked: A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery
Free spirited cookie baker Hannah Swensen jumps in to help a handsome new detective track down the culprit and uncover the mystery surrounding the death of her friend and local milk delivery man. Stars Alison Sweeney, Cameron Mathison and Barbara Niven.

8:00 PM
Murder, She Baked: A Peach Cobbler Mystery
With The Cookie Jar, Hannah Swensen has a mouthwatering monopoly on the bakery business of Lake Eden, Minnesota. But when a rival store opens, and one of the owners is found shot to death in the store, Hannah is determined to prove that she wasn’t the only one who had an axe to grind with the Quinn sisters. Somebody wasn’t fooled by the Georgia Peaches and their sweet-as-pie act–and now it’s up to Hannah to track down whoever had the right ingredients to whip up a murder. Stars Alison Sweeney, Barbara Niven and Cameron Mathison.

***** ***** ***** *****

Wednesday – May 4, 2016

4:00 PM
Murder, She Baked: A Peach Cobbler Mystery
With The Cookie Jar, Hannah Swensen has a mouthwatering monopoly on the bakery business of Lake Eden, Minnesota. But when a rival store opens, and one of the owners is found shot to death in the store, Hannah is determined to prove that she wasn’t the only one who had an axe to grind with the Quinn sisters. Somebody wasn’t fooled by the Georgia Peaches and their sweet-as-pie act–and now it’s up to Hannah to track down whoever had the right ingredients to whip up a murder. Stars Alison Sweeney, Barbara Niven and Cameron Mathison.

6:00 PM
Gourmet Detective: A Healthy Place to Die
When Henry, the Gourmet Detective, is invited as a guest speaker at a luxury resort spa, he quickly finds himself at the center of another murder. With Maggie at his side, our favorite duo must not only find the killer but be careful they don’t become his latest victim. Stars Dylan Neal and Brooke Burns.

8:00 PM
Sandra Brown’s White Hot
After her younger brother Danny dies, Sayre Hoyle breaks her vow to never return home. But when police discover that Danny’s death was a homicide, Sayre is forced to confront her father along with a powder keg of old hatreds, past crimes and a surprising plan of revenge while fighting growing feelings for Beck, her father’s handsome and shrewd new lawyer. Stars Shanae Grimes-Beech and John Schneider.

***** ***** ***** *****

Thursday – May 5, 2016

6:00 PM
Sandra Brown’s White Hot
After her younger brother Danny dies, Sayre Hoyle breaks her vow to never return home. But when police discover that Danny’s death was a homicide, Sayre is forced to confront her father along with a powder keg of old hatreds, past crimes and a surprising plan of revenge while fighting growing feelings for Beck, her father’s handsome and shrewd new lawyer. Stars Shanae Grimes-Beech and John Schneider.

8:00 PM
Real Murders: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery
Aurora finds a member of her crime buff group, the Real Murders Club, killed in a manner that eerily resembles the crime the club was about to discuss. As other brutal “copycat” killings follow, Aurora will have to uncover the person behind the terrifying game. Stars Candace Cameron Bure, Lexa Doig, Robin Dunne and Marilu Henner.

***** ***** ***** *****

Saturday – May 7, 2016

8:00 AM – 11:59 PM
Matlock marathon

***** ***** ***** *****

Tuesday – May 10, 2016

4:00 PM
Garage Sale Mystery: The Deadly Room
Jennifer’s real-estate agent pal dies while trying to negate rumors about a home she’s selling. The police believe there was no foul play, but Jennifer suspects that her friend was killed after she researches other deaths that occurred in the same room. Stars Lori Loughlin, Steve Bacic, Sarah Strange and Kevin O’Grady.

6:00 PM
Garage Sale Mystery: The Wedding Dress
In Jennifer Shannon’s latest quest, she stumbles upon a 30 year-old cold case when she comes across a vintage wedding dress containing a clue. As Jenn tracks down the owner, she finds that the Groom mysteriously disappeared and was never heard from again. Was this a case of cold feet or cold blooded murder? Stars Lori Loughlin, Sarah Strange, and Steve Bacic.

8:00 PM
Garage Sale Mystery: Guilty Until Proven Innocent
When Jenn’s old pal Sandra becomes the prime suspect in a murder case, it’ll be up to her to discover who done it before time runs out. Stars Lori Loughlin, Sarah Strange and Steve Bacic.

***** ***** ***** *****

Wednesday – May 11, 2016

2:00 PM
Flower Shop Mystery: Mum’s the Word
Abby Knight is the proud owner of her hometown flower shop, but a new low-cost competitor is killing her profits and a black SUV just rammed her vintage Corvette in a hit-and-run. She’s determined to track down the driver, but when the trail turns deadly, the next flower arrangement might be for her own funeral. Stars Brooke Shields, Brennan Elliott and Beau Bridges.

***** ***** ***** *****

Thursday – May 12, 2016

12:00 PM
McBride: The Doctor is Out…Really Out
When therapist George Prescott is murdered, investigator Jim McBride is summoned to questions the doctor’s biggest head cases, including vindictive lovers, jealous colleagues, and vengeful rivals. Stars John Larroquette, Marta Dubois,and Matt Lutz.

2:00 PM
McBride: Tune In For Murder
McBride’s case involves two larger than life radio stars who host the highly successful morning show “Ron and Bob.” But when Ron is murdered and all the evidence points to Bob, McBride and Phil begin investigating and what they turn up are a lot of unanswered questions. Stars John Larroquette, Marta Dubois, and Matt Lutz.

4:00 PM
After All These Years
When a woman is wrongly accused of the death of her ex-husband, she sets out to solve the murder mystery and find the real killer before the day of the funeral, when she is to be taken into custody. Based on the book by best-selling author Susan Isaacs. Stars Wendie Malick Gregory Harrison.

6:00 PM
Undercover Bridesmaid
Tanya, a highly-trained security guard who lost her zest for romance after being left at the altar, takes an assignment where she poses as a bridesmaid for a woman who has been receiving death threats before her wedding day. While undercover, Tanya not only solves the mystery, but she is finally able to put the past behind her and give love a second chance. Stars Brooke Burns, Nicole Paggi, and Gregory Harrison.

8:00 PM
Flower Shop Mystery: Snipped in the Bud
When a bouquet from her shop is found at the murder scene of a professor and former courtroom adversary of Abby Knight, a former attorney-turned-small-town-florist, she finds herself as the main suspect. Stars Brooke Shields, Brennan Elliott and Beau Bridges.

***** ***** ***** *****

Tuesday – May 17, 2016

6:00 PM
Sandra Brown’s White Hot
After her younger brother Danny dies, Sayre Hoyle breaks her vow to never return home. But when police discover that Danny’s death was a homicide, Sayre is forced to confront her father along with a powder keg of old hatreds, past crimes and a surprising plan of revenge while fighting growing feelings for Beck, her father’s handsome and shrewd new lawyer. Stars Shanae Grimes-Beech and John Schneider.

***** ***** ***** *****

Wednesday – May 18, 2016

12:00 PM
A Bone to Pick: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery
Librarian Aurora Teagarden is known around her small town as a master sleuth. When her friend Jane unexpectedly dies and leaves Aurora everything in her will, she also leaves a troubling murder mystery. It is up to Aurora to piece together the clues and solve the murder before she becomes the next victim. Stars Candace Cameron Bure, Marilu Henner and Alexa Doig.

2:00 PM
Real Murders: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery
Aurora finds a member of her crime buff group, the Real Murders Club, killed in a manner that eerily resembles the crime the club was about to discuss. As other brutal “copycat” killings follow, Aurora will have to uncover the person behind the terrifying game. Stars Candace Cameron Bure, Lexa Doig, Robin Dunne and Marilu Henner.

4:00 PM
Wedding Planner Mystery
A young wedding planner is framed for a crime and struggles to clear her name as she learns that love does not always arrive in a pretty package. Stars Erica Durance, Andrew Walker and Brandon Beemer.

Flower Shop Mystery: Mum’s the Word
Abby Knight is the proud owner of her hometown flower shop, but a new low-cost competitor is killing her profits and a black SUV just rammed her vintage Corvette in a hit-and-run. She’s determined to track down the driver, but when the trail turns deadly, the next flower arrangement might be for her own funeral. Stars Brooke Shields, Brennan Elliott and Beau Bridges.

8:00 PM
Flower Shop Mystery: Snipped in the Bud
When a bouquet from her shop is found at the murder scene of a professor and former courtroom adversary of Abby Knight, a former attorney-turned-small-town-florist, she finds herself as the main suspect. Stars Brooke Shields, Brennan Elliott and Beau Bridges.

***** ***** ***** *****

Friday – May 20, 2016

12:00 PM
Sandra Brown’s White Hot
After her younger brother Danny dies, Sayre Hoyle breaks her vow to never return home. But when police discover that Danny’s death was a homicide, Sayre is forced to confront her father along with a powder keg of old hatreds, past crimes and a surprising plan of revenge while fighting growing feelings for Beck, her father’s handsome and shrewd new lawyer. Stars Shanae Grimes-Beech and John Schneider.

2:00 PM
Flower Shop Mystery: Snipped in the Bud
When a bouquet from her shop is found at the murder scene of a professor and former courtroom adversary of Abby Knight, a former attorney-turned-small-town-florist, she finds herself as the main suspect. Stars Brooke Shields, Brennan Elliott and Beau Bridges.

4:00 PM
Murder, She Baked: A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery
Free spirited cookie baker Hannah Swensen jumps in to help a handsome new detective track down the culprit and uncover the mystery surrounding the death of her friend and local milk delivery man. Stars Alison Sweeney, Cameron Mathison and Barbara Niven.

6:00 PM
Murder, She Baked: A Plum Pudding Mystery
When a murder takes place at the local Christmas tree carnival, it seems there are quite a few suspects. With the twelve days of Christmas ticking away, Hannah’s running out of time to nab a murderous Scrooge who doesn’t want her to see the New Year. Stars Alison Sweeney, Cameron Mathison and Barbara Niven.

8:00 PM
Murder, She Baked: A Peach Cobbler Mystery
With The Cookie Jar, Hannah Swensen has a mouthwatering monopoly on the bakery business of Lake Eden, Minnesota. But when a rival store opens, and one of the owners is found shot to death in the store, Hannah is determined to prove that she wasn’t the only one who had an axe to grind with the Quinn sisters. Somebody wasn’t fooled by the Georgia Peaches and their sweet-as-pie act–and now it’s up to Hannah to track down whoever had the right ingredients to whip up a murder. Stars Alison Sweeney, Barbara Niven and Cameron Mathison.

***** ***** ***** *****

Saturday – May 21, 2016

6:00 AM – 11:59 PM
Murder, She Wrote marathon

***** ***** ***** *****

(These Hallmark Movies & Mysteries descriptions were copied from the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries site.)

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

We’d all love to hear about any more mystery movies airing during May 2016. If you know of any additional television mystery movies >>> please post a comment.

In case you’re interested in seeing the rest of this month’s television mystery movies, here’s the March 2016 television mystery movies schedule:

Upcoming Television Mystery Movies for April 2016

Here is the page on my site with lots and lots of entries of movies and television shows you may enjoy:

Cozy Mystery List TV and  Movie Section

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Television Mystery Series… What to Start With?

April 24, 2016

Sometimes you just don’t feel like curling up with a book, and want to do something that will be take a bit less time to finish. Other people are more visually oriented, and really appreciate the extra “immersion” that can be provided with a visual medium like television. In all of these cases, watching a TV series can often be the best way to really have one of your favorite Cozy series come to life!

However I know that the TV and Movies page on my site (listing all of the Cozy TV and Movie series that I’m personally familiar with) is a bit overwhelming as it is just a list and not really a “review” per se. So I thought it might be helpful to discuss some of the best television mystery series to start with if you are a Cozy Mystery fan. These are three of what I consider the best television mystery series, and I strongly recommend each of them.

Adventures of Sherlock Holmes [Blu-ray] The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (starring Jeremy Brett)

It’s always hard to determine if Arthur Conan Doyle‘s Sherlock Holmes is Cozy or not… by the standards of the time he might not have qualified, but by modern standards his mysteries certainly qualify as Cozy to me! While Sherlock Holmes has been played by a number of talented actors (Ellie Norwood, Clive Brook, Raymond Massey, Basil Rathbone, and Benedict Cumberbatch, to name a few), my personal favorite and the one I feel holds up the best to modern audiences while retaining the character the best is the Granada Television series starring Jeremy Brett.

Note that the next two series also starring Jeremy Brett (The Return of Sherlock Holmes and The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes) as well as the multiple movies made by Brett are also excellent – but I’m mostly recommending The Adventures because it is the first chronologically made and is probably the best introduction. (Unfortunately Jeremy Brett was quite ill during the filming of the final TV series, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, and it shows a little. So I would not recommend it quite as highly as the rest of Brett’s duration as Sherlock Holmes unless you have already seen the rest of his work.) (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is available in disc format on Netflix.)

Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Definitive Collection [DVD] Agatha Christie’s Poirot (starring David Suchet)

As with other entries on this list, there have been several actors to portray Agatha Christie‘s Hercule Poirot, but for me the “true” Poirot will always be David Suchet. To me, he perfectly portrays the fussy Belgian detective. Though these wouldn’t have been considered period pieces when they were written by Christie, the TV series is – as it was made in the last twenty years, not the 1920s-1970s when Christie was writing.

Personally I most recommend the earlier seasons >>> all those with Hugh Fraser as Arthur Hastings, Poirot’s honest and brave but not necessarily incredibly clever friend and assistant. I especially enjoyed the earlier seasons that had Pauline Moran as Miss (Felicity) Lemon. The later seasons do all have their high moments but the earlier material was all absolutely brilliant. The box set I linked above, which includes all the full-length made-for-TV-movies is also quite excellent. (Agatha Christie’s Poirot is available in disc format and streaming on Netflix and on Acorn.)

Brother Cadfael (starring Derek Jacobi)

The Brother Cadfael series by Ellis Peters is an excellent historically set Cozy Mystery series set in war-torn medieval England. As with the other period pieces on this list (and there are a lot as I am a real fan of England’s various architectural movements through the ages) this series uses the setting to full potential. Sets and costumes are all top notch, with a strong feeling of “immersion” in every episode as a result. (Brother Cadfael is available in disc format on Netflix and on Acorn.)

These are just three of my personal favorites… so if you’ve got others that you feel are really great to start with if you are a Cozy Mystery fan, be sure to give examples in the comments. Thank you!

P.S. Here’s part 2:

Television Mystery Series… What to Start With?… (Part 2)

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