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

Favorite Cats in Cozy Mysteries

Recently I was updating one of my favorite theme pages, the cat themed Cozy Mysteries (here is the link to that theme: Cat Theme Mysteries: Kittens, Cats, and Cozies), and it got me thinking about some of my favorite feline characters in Cozy Mysteries. (Thank you, Susan*, for recently bringing a few of the important Cozy Mystery cat characters I had missed to my attention!)

I’m particularly fond of Sophie, Betsy Devonshire’s cat from the Needlecraft Mystery Series, written by Monica Ferris. Sophie’s a fat, loveable, lazy cat, living with her owner above their yarn store. When Betsy’s needlework group comes over for their scheduled lunches, Sophie is continuously finding little tidbits to gobble down that one (or more!) of the needlecrafters dropped (possibly on purpose!) >>> even though Betsy seems to almost always have Sophie on a diet.

Do you have a favorite cat character from a Cozy Mystery series?  Please be sure to tell us about him/her AND a brief description of what makes him/her so lovable in the comments below.

P.S. I had not planned on making a list, but since your comments have reminded me of some terrific Cat Characters in Cozies, here’s a list of your favorite Cats in Cozy Mystery Series:

Susan Wittig Albert: China Bayles mysteries: Khat (previously known as ‘Pudding’)

Susan Whiting Albert: Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter Mystery Series

Marian Babson: cat mysteries

Lorna Barrett: Booktown mysteries: Miss Marple

Ali Brandon: Black Cat Bookshop mysteries: Hamlet

Lilian Jackson Braun: The Cat Who ***** mysteries: Yum Yum & Koko

Rita Mae Brown: Mrs. Murphy mysteries: Mrs. Murphy & Pewter

Janet Cantrell (aka Kaye George): Fat Cat Mystery Series: Chase

Laurie Cass: Bookmobile Cat Mystery Series: Eddie

Cleo Coyle: Coffeehouse mysteries: Java

Claire Donally: Sunny and Shadow Mystery Series: Maine

Carole Nelson Douglas: Minight Louie mysteries: Midnight Louie

Monica Ferris: Needlecraft mysteries: Sophie

Joanne Fluke: Hannah Swensen mysteries: Moishe

Karen Anne Golden: The Cats That … Mystery Series: Scout, Iris, Lilac, Abbey, and Abra

Sally Goldenbaum: Seaside Knitters mysteries: Purl

Kerry Greenwood: Corinna Chapman mysteries: Lucifer, Horatio, & the Mouse Police

Kerry Greenwood: Phryne Fisher: Ember

Rebecca M. Hale: Cats and Curios mysteries: Rupert & Isabella

Carolyn (G.) Hart: Death on Demand: Agatha & Dorothy L

Simon Hawke: fantasy mysteries: Catseye Gomez

Miranda James: Cat in the Stack mysteries: Diesel

Sofie Kelly: Magical Cats mysteries: Owen & Hercules

Laura Levine: Jaine Austen mysteries: Prozac

Richard & Frances Lockridge: Mr. & Mrs. North Mystery Series (Pete is their cat.)

T.C. LoTempio: Nick and Nora Mystery Series: Nick

Blanche Day Manos: Darcy & Flora mysteries: Jethro

Shirley Rousseau Murphy: Joe Grey mysteries: Joe Grey, Dulcie, & Kit

Linda Palmer: Daytime mysteries: Magic

Sofie Ryan: Second Chance Cat mysteries: Elvis

Dell Shannon: Luis Mendoza mysteries: his cats, especially El Señor

Clea Simon: Pru Marlowe Pet Noir mysteries: Wallis

Karen Rose Smith: Caprice DeLuca mysteries: Sophia

Fran Stewart: Biscuit McKee & Marmalade Mystery Series: Marmalade

Leann Sweeney: Cats in Trouble mysteries: Syrah, Merlot, & Chablis

(I have also included the cats that were recommended on my Facebook page.)

♦To access more Cozy Mysteries by Theme click on this link.♦

Four New Cozy Mystery Series Starting in March 2015

Looks like March will be another interesting month for Cozy Mysteries, as we’ll be getting four new series by established Cozy authors!

First, Leslie Budewitz will be releasing Assault and Pepper, the first in her new Seattle Spice Shop Mystery Series. The Seattle Spice Shop will star a woman leaving her old corporate life behind to begin a new life in her dream job, in this case running a spice and tea shop. But when her product features prominently in the death of a local panhandler, Pepper will need to investigate the death herself to help keep her dream alive! Budewitz also writes the Food Lovers’ Village Mystery Series.

The second new series debuting in March will be Kathy Lynn Emerson‘s Elizabethan Mystery Series. Murder in the Queen’s Wardrobe is the first book in this series. A period piece set in late 16th century Elizabethan England, the Elizabethan Mystery Series will star Rosamund Jaffrey, a spy recruited to both serve and spy on Lady Mary, cousin to the queen. When an official is murdered and an attempt is made on Lady Mary’s life, it will be up to Rosamund to determine who the killer is. Kathy Lynn Emerson also writes the Lady Susanna Appleton Mystery Series, the Diana Spaulding Mystery Series, and (as Kaitlyn Dunnett) the Liss MacCrimmon Mystery Series.

Diana Orgain will be putting out the first book in her second series, the Love or Money Mystery Series. Starting with A First Date with Death, this series will star Georgia Thornton, a contestant on a bachelorette reality show. When the first episode ends with the tragic death of first one, then a second contestant, Georgia will need to solve the murders before the body count gets any higher! Orgain also writes the Maternal Instincts Mystery Series.

Finally, we’ll see the first entry in Fran Stewart‘s ScotShop Mystery Series. Titled A Wee Murder in My Shop, this novel will introduce us to Peggy Winn, owner of Scottish-themed store, the ScotShop. When she comes across a beautiful tartan shawl, she finds herself haunted by a fourteenth century spectral Scotsman – a fact that quickly comes in handy when she needs to help clear her cousin of false murder charges! Stewart also writes the Biscuit McKee & Marmalade Mystery Series.

Well, that certainly looks like an interesting set of upcoming Cozy Mystery series! Does one in particular seem like a sure winner to you, or are you a particular fan of any of the authors’ other works? Make sure to leave a comment below!

P.S. If you would like to see even more NEW Cozy Mystery series written by some of your favorite Cozy Mystery authors, here is the page where I keep a running list: New Cozy Mystery Book Series.

March 2015 Mystery Book New Releases

The following Mystery Books will be released in March 2015:

Connie Archer: Ladle to the Grave (This will be the 4th in the Soup Lover’s Mystery Series.)

Christy Barritt: Hidden Agenda (This will be a Stand Alone Love Inspired Suspense mystery.)

Jessica Beck (aka Elizabeth Bright, Melissa Glazer,Chris Cavender, Casey Mayes, Tim Myers, & D.B. Morgan): Troubled Treats (This will be the 19th in the Donut Shop Mystery Series.)

Gail Bowen: 12 Rose Street (This will be the 15th in the Joanne Kilbourn Mystery Series.)

Rhys Bowen: The Edge of Dreams (This will be the 14th in the Molly Murphy Mystery Series.)

Laura Bradford (aka Elizabeth Lynn Casey): Suspendered Sentence (This will be the 4th in the Amish Mystery Series.)

Simon Brett: The Tomb in Turkey (This will be the 16th in the Fethering Mystery Series.)

Emily Brightwell: Mrs. Jeffries Serves at Six (This will be the an omnibus book containing books 16-18 of the Mrs. Jeffries Mystery Series.)

Leslie Budewitz: Assault and Pepper (This will be the 1st in the NEW Seattle Spice Shop Mystery Series.)

Laurie Cass: Borrowed Crime (This will be the 3rd in the Bookmobile Cat Mystery Series.)

Jennifer Chiaverini: Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule (This will be a non-mystery Stand Alone novel.)

John Clement (& Blaize Clement): The Cat Sitter’s Whiskers (This will be the 10th in the Dixie Hemingway Mystery Series.)

Harlan Coben: The Stranger (This will be a Stand Alone mystery.)

Susan Rogers Cooper: Dead to the World (This will be the 12th in the E.J. Pugh Mystery Series.)

Clive Cussler & Justin Scott: The Assassin (This will be the 8th in the Isaac Bell Series.)

Kathi Daley: Grimm’s Furry Tail (This will be the 3rd in the Whales and Tails Mystery Series.)

Pamela DuMond: Cupcakes, Diaries, and Rotten Inquiries (This will be the 5th in the Annie Graceland Mystery Series.)

Kate Ellis: The Death Season (This will be the 19th in the Wesley Peterson Mystery Series.)

Kathy Lynn Emerson (aka Kaitlyn Dunnett): Murder in the Queen’s Wardrobe (This will be the 1st in the NEW Elizabethan Mystery Series.)

Hallie Ephron: Night Night, Sleep Tight (This will be a Stand Alone suspense mystery.)

Chrystle Fiedler: Garden of Death (This will be the 3rd book in the Natural Remedies Mystery Series.)

Christy Fifield (aka Christy Evans): Murder Ties the Knot (This will be the 4th in the Haunted Souvenir Shop Mystery Series.)

P. L. Gaus: Whiskers of the Lion (This will be the 9th book in the Ohio Amish Mystery Series.)

Susanna Gregory (aka 1/2 of Simon Beufort): The Cheapside Corpse (This will be the 10th in the Thomas Chaloner Mystery Series.)

Rebecca M. Hale: How to Catch a Cat (This will be the 6th in the Cats and Curios Mystery Series.)

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles: Star Fall (This will be the 17th in the Bill Slider Mystery Series.)

Veronica Heley: False Impression (This will be the 9th in the Abbott Agency Mystery Series.)

J.A. Jance: Cold Betrayal (This will be the 10th book in the Ali Reynolds Mystery Series.)

Tonya Kappes: A Ghostly Grave (This will be the 2nd in the Beyond the Grave Mystery Series.)

Diane Kelly: Death, Taxes, and Cheap Sunglasses (This will be the 8th in the Tara Holloway Mystery Series.)

Deryn Lake: The Moonlit Door (This will be the 3rd in the Reverend Nick Lawrence Mystery Series.)

Dixie Lyle: Marked Fur Murder (This will be the 3rd in the Whiskey, Tango, & Foxtrot Mystery Series.)

Debbie Macomber: Last One Home (This will be a non-mystery Stand Alone novel.)

Sujata Massey: The Kizuna Coast (This will be the 11th in the Rei Shimura Mystery Series.)

Francine Mathews (aka Stephanie Barron): Too Bad To Die (This will be a Stand Alone historical thriller.)

G.A. McKevett: Killer Gourmet (This will be the 15th in the Savannah Reid Mystery Series.)

Marie Moore: Side Trip to Kathmandu (This will be the 3rd in the Sidney Marsh Mystery Series.)

Laura Morrigan: Horse of a Different Killer (This will be the 3rd in the Call of the Wilde Mystery Series.)

Liz Mugavero: The Icing on the Corpse (This will be the 3rd in the Pawsitively Organic Mystery Series.)

Diana Orgain: A First Date with Death (This will be the 1st in the NEW Love or Money Mystery Series.)

James Patterson & Marshall Karp: NYPD Red 3 (This will be the 3rd book in the NYPD Red Mystery Series.)

James Patterson & Chris Tebbetts: Public School Superhero (This will be a Stand Alone for ages 8 – 12 years, grades 3 – 7.)

Anne Perry: The Angel Court Affair (This will be the 30th in the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Mystery Series.)

Carol J. Perry: Tails, You Lose (This will be the 2nd in the Witch City Mystery Series.)

Clea Simon: Kittens Can Kill (This will be the 5th in the Pru Marlowe Pet Noir Mystery Series.)

Fran Stewart: A Wee Murder in My Shop (This will be the 1st in the NEW ScotShop Mystery Series.)

Denise Swanson: Dying for a Cupcake (This will be the 4th in the Devereaux’s Dime Store Mystery Series.)

Rebecca Tope: Revenge in the Cotswolds (This will be the 13th in the Cotswold Mystery Series.)

Lis Wiehl: Lethal Beauty (This will be the 3rd in the Mia Quinn Mystery Series.)

Jacqueline Winspear: A Dangerous Place (This will be the 11th in the Maisie Dobbs Mystery Series.)

Here are this month’s (February 2015 mystery book releases.)

To go back to the Cozy Mystery New Book Release page, click here.

(These are the mysteries by authors who are currently on the Cozy Mystery site.)

Mystery Book Recommendations – January 2015

It is difficult for me to believe that we have already gone through the first month in 2015! School is back in session, winter is still upon us, and it’s a great time of the year to get a lot of Cozy Mystery reading done.

I hope you all have spent some time this month reading terrific Cozy Mysteries. I have! I discovered a new-to-me author who I have added to my list of Favorite Authors, and I have spent time with already-known-to-me favorite authors who have continued to keep my Cozy Mystery reading a favorite past time.

I am currently reading From the Charred Remains by Susanna Calkins. This is the second in her Lucy Campion Mystery Series. Lucy has gone from being a chamber maid to becoming an apprentice with a printmaker. I am enjoying this historical Cozy Mystery a lot! Rather than repeat everything I have written about before, I am going to refer you to my previous entry recommending Susanna Calkins’ Lucy Campion series: Susanna Calkins, Author of A Murder at Rosamund’s Gate : My Newest Favorite Author

It is at this time that I will ask you all to tell us about an extremely good Cozy Mystery you have read this January, and please tell us why you think this Cozy Mystery is better than the other Cozies you read this month. (If you read more than one terrific Cozy Mystery during January, please tell us about the other two, three, or even more that you consider to be better than the rest.)

[As usual, I ask that you don’t tell us about the mystery books you read that you didn’t like.]

What terrific Cozy Mystery book(s) did you read during January 2015 that you think the rest of us would definitely enjoy reading, and why did you enjoy it (them)?

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

Kathy Aarons: Chocolate Covered Mystery Series

Tasha Alexander: Lady Emily Mystery Series

Ella Barrick (aka Laura DiSilverio & Lila Dare): Ballroom Dance Mystery Series

Lorraine Bartlett (aka Lorna Barrett & L.L. Resnick): Victoria Square Mystery Series

Melissa Bourbon (aka Misa Ramirez): Magical Dressmaking Mystery Series

Susanna Calkins: Lucy Campion Mystery Series

Kate Carlisle: Fixer-Upper Mystery Series

Maia Chance: Snow White Red-Handed (book #1 in Fairy Tale Fatal Mystery Series)

Edie Claire: Leigh Koslow “Never” Mystery Series

Jane K. Cleland: Josie Prescott Antiques 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

Cleo Coyle (aka Alice Kimberly): Coffeehouse Mystery Series

Krista Davis: Paws and Claws Mystery Series

Ilsa Evans: Nell Forrest Mystery Series (Forbidden Fruit is book #1)

Susan Hoskinson Frommer: Joan Spencer Mystery Series

Kerry Greenwood: Corinna Chapman Mystery Series

Janice Hamrick: Jocelyn Shore Mystery Series

Susannah Hardy: Greek to Me Mystery Series (Feta Attraction is book #1)

Charlaine Harris: Aurora Teagarden Mystery Series

Betty Hechtman: Crochet Mystery Series

Lynne Hinton: Sister Eve, Private Eye (book #1 in Divine Private Detective Agency Mystery Series

Christine Husom: Snow Way Out (book #1 in Snow Globe Shop Mystery Series)

Julie Hyzy: White House Chef Mystery Series

Victoria Laurie: Ghost Hunter Mystery Series

Joyce and Jim Lavene (aka J.J. Cook & Ellie Grant): Renaissance Faire Mystery Series

Elizabeth Lee (aka Elizabeth KAne Buzzelli): Nut House Mystery Series

Catherine Lloyd: Death Comes to the Village (book #1 in Kurland St. Mary Mystery Series)

Kylie Logan (aka Miranda Bliss & Casey Daniels): League of Literary Ladies Mystery Series

Karen MacInerney: Gray Whale Inn Mystery Series

Margaret Maron: Sigrid Harald Mystery Series

Laura Morrigan: Call of the Wilde Mystery Series

Anne Perry: Charlotte & Thomas Pitt Mystery Series

Ann Purser: Lois Meade Mystery Series

Hannah Reed (aka Deb Baker): Scottish Highlands Mystery Series

Barbara Ross: Maine Clambake Mystery Series

Dell Shannon (aka Leslie Egan, Elizabeth Linington, & Anne Blaisdell): Luis Mendoza Mystery Series

Charles Todd: Ian Rutledge Mystery Series

Elaine Viets: Dead-End Job Mystery Series

Lea Wait: Mainely Needlepoint Mystery Series

Jacqueline Winspear: Maisie Dobbs Mystery Series

[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.]

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

P.S. While I try to respond to all of the comments that are made on the Cozy Mystery blog, I generally don’t respond to the comments on these monthly recommendation entries.

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