The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Mystery Books that Take Place in Oklahoma

OklahomaHere are some fun Oklahoma facts:
The largest city and capital is Oklahoma City.
State motto is “Labor Conquers All Things.”
State nickname is the Sooner State.
State flower is the Mistletoe.
State bird is the Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher.
State animal is the buffalo.
In 1935, the first (USA) parking meter was installed in Oklahoma City.
State song is Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!”

Mystery authors who are found on the Cozy Mystery Site who feature Oklahoma locations in their books:

Susan Rogers Cooper: Milt Kovak Mystery Series – Milt is a sheriff.

Connie Feddersen: Amanda Hazard Mystery Series – Amanda is a CPA.

Jean Hager: Molly Bearpaw Mystery Series – Molly is a Cherokee Nation advocate.

Jean Hager: Mitch Bushyhead Mystery Series – Mitch is the chief of police.

Carolyn Hart: Nela Farley Mystery Series – Nela is a reporter in this paranormal series.

Carolyn Hart: Bailey Ruth Ghost Mystery Series – Bailey is a member of Heaven’s Department of Good Intentions.

Marion Moore Hill: Scrappy Librarian Mystery Series –  Juanita (a librarian) and her collie/mongrel dog, Mills.

Blanche Day Manos & Barbara Burgess: Darcy/Flora Mystery Series – This series features a mom and daughter sleuths.

Eve K. Sandstrom (aka JoAnna Carl): (Nell) Matthews/Svenson Mystery Series – Nell is a reporter and Mike is a police detective.

Eve K. Sandstrom (aka JoAnna Carl): Down Home Mystery Series – Sam is the sheriff, and his wife, Nicky, is a photographer.

Please feel free to comment if you see an author from the Cozy Mystery Site who belongs on this list, or if you have any corrections.

♦I have lots and lots of Cozy Mystery Themes, which you can access by clicking on this link: Cozy Mysteries by Theme page. It will take you directly to that page on my site.♦

Four New-to-the-Site Mystery Authors: Tessa Arlen: Lady Montfort, Kathleen Bridge: Hamptons Home & Garden, Nancy Haddock: Silver Six, Julie Moffett: Lexi Carmichael

As most of you know, I receive letters/notes from Cozy Mystery readers who tell me about mystery authors who they think definitely belong on the Cozy Mystery site. Well, I have finally posted four of your recommended authors from my rather long list. I think all of they’re books look like they’re going to be fun Cozy Mystery reads!
Tessa Arlen    The daughter of a British diplomat, Tessa Arlen spent part of her childhood in exotic locations such as Singapore, Beijing, and Cairo, before being sent back to a boarding school in England. She now lives in Washington state. Her novels are still firmly set in England, however, with her first mystery series, the Lady Montfort Mystery Series, being set in Edwardian England.

Kathleen Bridge     Kathleen Bridge writes the Hampton Home & Gardens Mystery Series, which features a former Home & Gardens writer solving crime in the Hamptons region of New York. Meg Barrett owns the Cottages by the Shore which is an interior design business.

Nancy Haddock    Nancy Haddock has lived in Oklahoma, Texas, and Florida, and is the author of the Silver Six Mystery Series starring a set of six retired housemates in fictional Lilyvale, Arkansas. She also writes paranormal vampire romances. Haddock is an ex-speech pathologist and high school teacher.

Julie Moffett    Julie Moffett has spent significant time overseas, including attending a Japanese high school (due to her father being in the military), a backpacking trip through Europe, and a college graduate study in Warsaw, Poland. She’s also had an interesting career since finishing her studies, spending time as a research adviser for a defense contractor and as a journalist, making good use of her education in topics like Political Science, International Affairs, and Russian Language. Her main mystery series is the Lexi Carmichael Mystery Series. Lexi is a technician at the NSA. Also, Moffett has written numerous romance novels, most set in Scotland.

If you would like to browse through lot and lots of Cozy Mystery authors, be sure to visit to my Cozy Mystery site!

Coming Soon: Hallmark Mystery and Holiday Movies

Movies Coming SoonI was a little bummed that the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries channel didn’t have any new, original mystery movies based on Cozy Mystery series this month. Because of this, I went searching around to see if I could find out something new about their line-up. Well, I came upon several interesting mystery AND holiday movie tidbits:

There will be a new mystery series on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel starring Brooke Shields as the sleuth. The article I found said these mysteries will be based on the Flower Shop Mystery Series, however the article didn’t name the author. Now, to me, the Flower Shop Mystery Series can only mean one author: the fabulously talented (and very popular) Kate Collins! So, here’s hoping that’s correct!

Also, Nancy Grace‘s Hailey Dean mysteries will be made into either one mystery movie, or a series of mystery movies. What great news!

Here’s some good news for all of the Jesse Stone mystery movie fans amongst us >>> of which I am one! Tom Selleck and William Devane will be reprising their roles as the brooding police chief and his therapist. Yep! That’s right! Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise will be premiering on the Hallmark channel on Sunday, October 18 and on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel on Sunday, October 25. These mystery movies are based on Robert B. Parker‘s Jesse Stone Mystery Series. Yow!

I know the wait has been a long one since the last (and first!) Hannah Swensen mystery movie, but on November 15, 2015 (mark your calendars now!) Murder She Baked: A Plum Pudding Mystery will be airing on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel. Christmas will be in the air and at the Cookie Jar bakery! The Hannah Swensen Mystery Series is written by Joanne Fluke, and Alison Sweeney will be returning as Hannah.

I also have a tentative list of the holiday movies that will be airing on the Hallmark channel, and I can’t wait to tell you about it. (As I said, this is a tentative list.)

October 26, 2015
Temporarily Yours (starring Ashley Williams and Sam Yaeger) will kick of the holiday festivities with this Halloween movie on the Hallmark channel. Poppy Summerall is the new nanny for the two little ones of a very busy widower.

I believe I have already mentioned that this year the Hallmark channel’s Countdown to Christmas will feature not only a dozen new holiday movies, but rather 16 new holiday movies! This is great news for those of us who make these movies a part of our holiday happenings. Here is some of the (tentative) Countdown to Christmas schedule that I have found. (Again, this is tentative, they can always change the dates on us!)

Saturday, November 14, 2015
Tis The Season For Love
Sarah Lancaster and Brendan Penny star in this holiday movie about an actress who goes home for the holidays because of a temporary lag in her acting jobs.

Saturday, November 21, 2015
Northpole 2: Open for Christmas

Starring Lori Loughlin and Bailee Madison, will mesmerize viewers with the magic of the Northpole and the spirit of Christmas. Loughlin stars as Mackenzie, a successful businesswoman who inherits her beloved aunt’s inn, and chooses to restore the hotel to its original grandeur only to sell it right before Christmas. Unbeknownst to Mackenzie, she receives some unexpected help from a team of elves headed by the cheerful Clementine (Madison), who helps Mackenzie rediscover the true meaning of Christmas.

Thursday, November 26, 2015 (Thanksgiving Day)
Ice Sculpture Christmas

After starting her first job at a country club restaurant, Callie – an aspiring chef – reconnects with her childhood friend David, whose wealthy family is a member of the club. When David enters Callie into the club’s annual Christmas ice sculpting competition without her knowledge, she’s forced to go head-to-head with her boss, Chef Gloria. Even though ice sculpting is cold work, sparks are ignited between Callie and David as they prepare for the competition as a team. Callie’s passions for cooking and ice sculpting are met with romance and Christmas spirit as she works to create the perfect sculpture. Cast: Rachel Boston, Brenda Strong and David Alpay.

Friday, November 27, 2015
Crown for Christmas

Allie, a fired maid from a ritzy NYC hotel, takes a job as a governess to a young girl who is part of a powerful family in Europe. After reluctantly accepting, and upon arrival at the castle, learns the girl is Princess Theodora and that her father is Maximillion, the King of Winshire. Max informs Allie that the Princess prides herself on terrorizing authority figures and has gotten worse since her mother’s death. As the story unfolds, we see Allie bond with Theodora and also helps to bring Theodora and her father together. And through all of this, a spark forms between Allie and Max. However, Countess Celia is expecting to wed the King. Will Max take a stand for his feelings for Allie and make it truly a merry Christmas for all? Cast: Danica McKellar, Rupert Penry Jones.

Saturday, November 28, 2015
On Time For Christmas

Two NYC bound travelers find themselves inextricably linked when a snowstorm waylays their flight to an airport hotel in Buffalo. Eternal optimist and hopeless romantic, Paige Summers, desperately needs to find a way to the city to meet her fiancé’s parents before her wedding – and it’s up to a guy she can’t stand, fellow passenger and total stranger Dylan MacKenzie, who is permanently soured on romance after his girlfriend broke his heart. Still Dylan rises to the occasion to become Paige’s off-white Knight in shining armor. Joining them are Frank & Maxine Gambert, who are heading to Connecticut to spend Christmas with their daughter. As their madcap adventure ensues, our foursome will be forced to face a lot more surprises than the ever changing snowstorm preventing each of them from getting home. Cast: Candace Bure, Paul Greene, Sarah Strange & David Lewis

Mariah Carey will be starring in a new Christmas movie during their Countdown to Christmas.”Mariah Carey’s Christmas Project.” Mariah will be directing and starring in the Christmas movie, which will feature her “Oh Santa!” hit.

As I mentioned before, mark your calendars now! I will be updating you all when the two Hallmark channels post their “firm” schedules.

(The indented descriptions of the movies are from the Hallmark channel’s website.)

What Do you Do For Fun & Relaxation? (When Not Reading a Cozy Mystery)

Charles Wysocki puzzleI have been complaining to my husband that I can’t seem to finish the Cozy Mystery I have been reading this past week. He reminded me (rather too quickly!) that I have recently been doing other things with my free time. (Good grief! What is it with husbands always pointing out the obvious?)

Let me come clean…

I have been sort of immersing myself in puzzles! I wish I could admit to doing a lot of baking, cooking, or cleaning >>> but that’s not the case. I set up a puzzle-making table in our family room >>> and have been going rather crazy.  Actually, I multi-task: I watch the old, black and white movies that I tape while I make my puzzles, something I used to do while cross-stitching. I have several favorite puzzle-makers, Charles Wysocki is my favorite artist, followed by other artists like Jane Wooster.

A friend of mine came over last week, took a look at my puzzle table, and remarked that I probably enjoyed puzzles because they are so relaxing. Hmm… I don’t think of my life as stressful in any way but I guess the puzzles are relaxing, however not when I am searching around on the floor for pieces I have lost.

Adult Coloring BookGetting back to my friend >>> She works at a school here in town and finds the job somewhat stressful. She told me that she has taken up coloring, which helps her unwind after particularly difficult days. I thought she meant that she has found more difficult children’s coloring books for herself. Nope, she told me they actually make coloring books intended for adults now. Hmm… I found that interesting.

I remember really enjoying coloring with my children years ago, so of course as soon as I got home from lunch I went online to look at adult coloring books. Wow! There sure must be a lot of people with a whole lot of stress out there! It looks like they have adult coloring books for every reason (dogs, cats, flowers, etc.) and season (Christmas, Halloween, etc.)!

This got me thinking: Are there any non-reading activities that keep you from reading your favorite Cozy Mystery books during your fun time? I know we recently talked about the types of non-mystery books we find ourselves reading, but this time I’d like to find out about other activities you do for relaxation/fun >>> and I don’t mean household chores! Please post a comment if you do. Thank you!

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