The Cozy Mystery List Blog

As promised, here is the second half of the upcoming holiday-themed Cozy Mysteries for November 2015.

First up today will be Anne Perry‘s  A Christmas Escape,  the 13th in her Christmas Series. In this entry, the story revolves around lone vacationer Charles Latterly, who will be spending his Christmas at the Mediterranean island of Stromboli. When a killer strikes, it quickly becomes apparent that he must be one of the guests. Anne Perry also writes the William Monk Mystery Series, the Thomas & Charlotte Pitt Mystery Series, and the World War I Matthew Reavley Series.

Spencer Quinn will be releasing Santa 365, a Chet and Bernie Mystery Series Christmas story. In this entry, Chet and Bernie have signed up for a Christmas service which includes a festive party, gifts, and a delivered tree. But when the party’s over, Bernie notices that there are things missing – and it will be up to Chet and Bernie to make sure that their belongings make their way home in time for Christmas! Spencer Quinn also writes the Echo Falls and Outlaws of Sherwood Street Series for children and young adults, as well as a number of stand-alone mysteries as Peter Abrahams.

Next is High-Caliber Holiday, the 3rd in Susan Sleeman‘s First Responders Mystery Series. In this series, the stars change every time >>> this time, former lawyer Morgan Throsby is held hostage on a train, and she’ll need to rely on former marine Brady Owens to help get free and then he will need to protect her from a potentially dangerous stalker afterward. And of course, all this is happening around Christmas. Sleeman also writes the Justice Agency Mystery Series, as well as Love-Inspired Suspense novels and the Garden Gate Mystery Series.

Joyce and Jim Lavene will be putting out another novel, the first in their NEW Canterville Book Shop Mystery Series, A Dickens of a Murder. This book will be our introduction to Lisa Wellman & Simon Canterville, owners of the Canterville Book Shop in the Olde Town of Portsmouth, Virginia. When a dead competitor turns up on their roof, they’ll need to solve the case >>> with the help of the ghost of Charles Dickens. The Lavenes write many, many other series – including the Missing Pieces Mystery Series, the Renaissance Faire Mystery Series, the Peggy Lee Garden Mystery Series, and the Pumpkin Patch Mystery Series. They are also known as J.J. Cook and Ellie Grant.

 The Cat of Christmas Past is the 6th in the Whales and Tails Mystery Series by Kathi Daley. In this entry, Caitlyn and her friends would be enjoying their Christmas holidays, except for the fact that the local landlord is planning on ejecting a building of tenants only a bit before Christmas. Can Cait discover why he’s closing down the apartments, and maybe a way to change his mind before a whole lot of people have their holidays ruined? Kathi Daley also writes the Zoe Donovan Mystery Series, the TJ Jensen Paradise Lake Mystery Series, and the Seacliff High Mystery Series (this last one intended for young adults).

Finally, the only non-Christmas themed mystery from this set of holiday releases, will be Ali Brandon‘s Plot Boiler, the 5th in the Black Cat Bookshop Mystery Series. This Fourth of July themed mystery will see bookseller Darla Pettistone once again wrapped up in a murder. This time the wife of a local coffee shop owner Darla has been arguing with ends up dead. Ali Brandon also writes the Leonardo da Vinci Historical Mystery Series under the pen name Diane A.S. Stuckart.

As always, these items and many more can be found on the appropriate Holiday Theme pages on the site:

Christmas Themed Cozy Mysteries

Fourth of July Themed Cozy Mysteries

As we continue toward the holidays, we’re going to be seeing more and more holiday related books, and November looks like it will have a total of thirteen of them! That’s too many for one post, so I’ll be dividing them up into two separate posts.

First up will be Amanda Lee‘s The Stitching Hour, the 9th in the Embroidery Mystery Series. Normally I do these entries in alphabetical order by last name, but I’m going to talk about this one first because it is one of only two non-Christmas Cozies in the list, specifically Halloween. Marcy will be enjoying not only Halloween but her shop’s one year anniversary, so her October will be looking pretty busy >>> even before a local waitress turns up dead with one of Marcy’s key-rings! Amanda Lee also writes as Gayle Trent, writing the Daphne Martin Cake Mystery Series and the Myrtle Crumb Mystery Series, as well as the Down South Cafe Mystery Series as Gayle Leeson.

Next is Rhys Bowen‘s Away in a Manger, which will be the 15th in the Molly Murphy Mystery Series. This entry in the series will see Molly Murphy Sullivan spending time with her family in New York City before Christmas, when she becomes involved with a pair of orphans whose mother has disappeared. Molly will need to sot out the clues to discover what has happened to their mother if she wants to get them home safe for the holidays. Rhys Bowen also writes the Royal Spyness Mystery Series, starring a noble spy in 1930s London, and the Evan Evans Mystery Series, starring a constable in Wales.

Vicki Delany will be beginning a new series, the Year-Round Christmas Mystery Series, with its first entry, Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen. In this work, we’ll be introduced to Merry Wilkinson, owner of Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, a shop in Rudolph, New York. When a reporter writing a piece on the town’s Christmas spirit turns up dead, and her best friend Vicky is implicated, she’ll need to turn amateur sleuth to help clear her friend’s name! Delany also writes the Ray Robertson Mystery Series, the Constable Molly Smith Mystery Series, the Klondike Mystery Series, and a number of stand alone mysteries. As Eva Gates, she writes the Lighthouse Library Mystery Series.

Sally Goldenbaum will be putting out Trimmed with Murder, the 10th in her Seaside Knitters Mystery Series. This holiday in Sea Harbor, Izzy and her friends will be enjoying some pre-Christmas  knitting when her brother Charlie Chambers helps out hitchhiker Amber Hanson, a local girl returning home to claim an inheritance. When she is found dead later, Charlie is one of the prime suspects, so Izzy will once again need to solve the case. Goldenbaum also wrote most of the novels in the Queen Bees Quilt Mystery Series.

White Colander Crime, the 5th in Victoria Hamilton‘s Vintage Kitchen Mystery Series will be coming out. In this kitchen and Christmas related mystery, Jaymie will need to help solve the murder of a local woman, who predicted her own murder in her journal and pointed toward Cody Wainwright, the son of Jaymie’s newspaper editor. However, Jaymie doesn’t believe Cody is a murderer, and will need to solve the case before the killer gets of scot free. Hamilton also writes the Merry Muffin Mystery Series, as well as the Teapot Collector Mystery Series under the name Amanda Cooper and the Lady Anne Addison Series under the name Donna Lea Simpson.

will be releasing Murder on St. Nicholas Avenue, the 19th in the Gaslight Mystery Series, a series set in nineteenth-century New York City. A family friend of Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy and Sarah Brandt, Mrs. O’Neill, needs their help >>> her son in law has been bludgeoned to death, and her daughter has been charged with the murder. Unfortunately, Frank and Sarah are still away on their honeymoon, so the other members of their household will need to do most of the legwork.

Finally (at least for today…) is Livia J. Washburn‘s The Candy Cane Cupcake Killer, the 10th in the Fresh-Baked Mystery Series, and the 4th Christmas based entry in that series. Weatherford, Texas, will once again be enjoying the holiday season, when local rancher Barney McCrory drops dead after eating one of Phyllis Newsom’s candy cane cupcakes. Fortunately, she isn’t a suspect, as he was obviously shot, not poisoned. Also fortunately, Phyllis feels like getting involved in the case, despite the fact that neither she nor a close friend or family member has been accused. Washburn also writes the Literary Tour Mystery Series and the Lucas Hallam Mystery Series.

As always, these and many more holiday themed mysteries can be found on their respective pages:

Halloween Cozy Mysteries

Christmas Cozy Mysteries