The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death Television Movie

Good news! Ian sent me a note all the way from across the pond telling me something I absolutely have GOT to share with you all. M.C. Beaton‘s first Agatha Raisin mystery has been made into a television movie. Since they are showing the movie in Great Britain on Boxing Day (December 26), we should be getting “Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death” pretty soon.

Ian:

Just in case you’re not aware, the first Agatha Raisin book ‘…and the Quiche of Death’ has been filmed and is going to be on Sky1 (in the UK at least) on Boxing Day. The trailer makes it look quite good and it stars Ashley Jensen (Extras) as Agatha.

Thank you, Ian! We won’t be seeing it for a while, but it’s great to know they have made it!

Here’s the trailer I found on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4jlAieV5vE

I’m already looking forward to seeing this television movie. If you’re anything like me, you are probably wondering why Ashley Jensen (a beautiful, trim blond) is playing Agatha Raisin. Keep in mind, they had beautiful Sharon Small playing Sgt. Barbara Havers in the Inspector Lynley television shows, and that show was very good.

Again, thank you, Ian!

Elizabeth Lee, Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli, Leighann Dobbs, Kathleen Ernst, & Mary McHugh : Four (or Five?) New Cozy Mystery Authors on the Cozy Mystery Site

You all have sent me some great recommendations for Cozy Mystery authors who I should post on the site, and I don’t know why it takes me so long to finally get their pages up! Well, I have finally finished getting pages made of four authors – one of whom uses two names, thus the 4 or 5 dilemma.

 Elizabeth Lee (aka Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli)  Elizabeth Lee writes the Nut House Mystery Series, which takes place in Texas. The sleuth in this series is Lindy Blanchard, a biologist. Lindy works on her family’s pecan farm as a bioengineer, trying to develop the best pecan crops her family can grow. Lindy also works in the farm’s shop, where they sell all sorts of pecan products. Oh, and Lindy also works at solving mysteries!

 Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli (aka Elizabeth Lee)  Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli writes the Emily Kincaid Mystery Series, which takes place in Michigan. Emily is a reporter who sort of works with Dolly Wakowski, a deputy, solving crimes.

 Leighann Dobbs  Leighann Dobbs writes several different Cozy Mystery series. Her Lexy Baker series features a baker who gets a lot of help from her grandmother (and her friends!) when solving crimes. Dobbs also writes the Blackmoore Sisters Romantic Cozy Mystery Series, which features two sisters who sell herbal remedies and crystals. Oh, and they can communicate with their dead grandmother. Willa Chance is a crime journalist who sees ghosts in the Mystic Notch Cozy Mystery Series. Dobbs also writes the Mooseamuck Island Mystery Series which takes place in Maine, and features two police consultants, one of whom is a retired police detective and the other, a retired psychologist. Dobbs also writes the Fancytales series (which are based on fairy tales) and the  Kate Diamond Adventure Series.

 Kathleen Ernst Kathleen Ernst writes the Chloe Ellefson Mystery Series, as well as several American Girl History Mystery books and American Girl mysteries for children. Ernst worked at a living museum in Wisconsin for twelve years, which sounds like the basis for her Chloe Ellefson series. Chloe is a sleuth who is the curator at a living history museum in Wisconsin, during the 1980s. Ernst has been nominated for several Agatha Awards for Best Children’s/Young Adult mysteries and she was also nominated for an Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Juvenile mystery.

 Mary McHugh  Mary McHugh pens the Happy Hoofers Mystery Series. The Happy Hoofers are a group of friends in their fifties who love to tap dance. They love tapping so much that they now tour the world showing off their tap dancing skills. They travel to places like Russia and Spain, not just tap dancing their ways across the globe, but also solving mysteries. McHugh has written articles for the “Sophisticated Traveler” section of the New York Times.

Best Selling Authors with Children’s or Young Adult Mystery Series, Part 3

Today we’ll be continuing our ongoing look at mystery series that are appropriate for children or young adults by authors who are usually thought of as mystery authors for adults.

I will begin with Joelle Charbonneau. She writes the Glee Club Mystery Series and the Rebecca Robbins Mystery Series for adult mystery readers. She also writes the Testing thriller series for young adults. The first mystery in this series is called The Testing, and it introduces us to Cia Vale, a gifted graduate who has been chosen to attend a program for potential leaders of the new civilization (post-war). (It was nominated for the Agatha Award for Best Children/Young Adult mystery.) This sounds like a sci-fi mystery sereis that is aimed at young adults.

Jane Langton writes the Homer Kelly Mystery Series (for adults) which features a Harvard professor. Something I just very recently became aware of is that she is the same Jane Langton who writes the Hall Family Chronicles Mystery Series for children. These mysteries are geared for children in the fifth grade and up. The Diamond in the Window is the first in the series, and was nominated for the prestigious Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Juvenile mystery. The Fledgling is the fourth in the Hall Family Chronicles Series.

Victoria Laurie, author of the very popular paranormal Psychic Eye Mystery Series and the Ghost Hunter Mystery Series also writes a paranormal mystery series for children. The Oracles of the Delphi Mystery Series introduces us to Ian Wigbyin in the first book called Oracles of Delphi Keep. Ian and his sister (Theo) live in Delphi Keep orphanage, on the English southern coast. Ian and Theo find a special treasure box, and from there, they are on exciting adventures, solving mysteries with their group of friends.

Kathy Reichs, author of the Temperance Brennan (Bones) Mystery Series for adults writes the Virals Series for young adults. She wrote the first two by herself, but was then joined by her son, Brendan Reichs, for the rest. This series has, as its sleuth, Tory Brennan, the niece of Temperance Brennan (Bones). Virals (the first mystery in this young adults series) was nominated for the Agatha Award for Best Children/Young Adult mystery.

 Penny Warner‘s Code Busters Club Mystery Series stands out even among fellow Agatha nominees, as it has won once and been nominated twice more – and it would be a bit surprising if she didn’t get at least a nomination this year for the fourth book! The first book in the series, The Secret of the Skeleton Key, introduces readers to Cody, Quinn, Luke, and M.E., the members of the Code Busters, as they try to decode a message left by a neighbor – a code that could just be an SOS! The Code Busters Club series includes a number of codes within the books themselves for children to solve, and provides answers in the back if you get stuck. The Code Busters series is most appropriate for children ages 9-12.

Finally, Nancy Means Wright is the author of both the Mary Wollstonecraft Mystery Series and the Ruth Willmarth Mystery Series, both series are for adult mystery lovers. She is also the author of the Northern Spy Mystery Series. Inspired by the Nancy Drew mysteries, Wright’s two children-appropriate mystery novels revolve around Zoe Elwood and the Northern Spy Club of Northern Vermont. The first book, The Pea Soup Poisonings, which won the 2006 Agatha Award for Best Children/Young Adult mystery, revolves around young Zoe’s attempts to get into the Northern Spy Club by solving the possible-murder of a friend’s grandmother after eating a bowl of pea soup. The 2nd mystery book is called The Great Circus Train Robbery, and it was nominated for the very prestigious Agatha Award for Best Children/Young Adult mystery.

This is the last of this mini-series of entries. Have I missed your favorite young adult or children’s mystery series? Let me know in the comments!

Best Selling Authors with Children’s or Young Adult Mystery Series, Part 1

Best Selling Authors with Children’s or Young Adult Mystery Series, Part 2

Mystery Books for Pre Teens…

Enjoying December with All Its Preparations

December14111111115868798I have been waiting patiently for December to begin. Well, I guess it has been more like IMpatiently! Two months ago MJ wrote a couple of comments that caught my eye. I wanted to showcase her comments during December, since most of us like to do special things around our houses during December. You know, things like decorating a tree, or baking cookies >>> perhaps from a recipe out of one of our Cozy Mystery authors’ culinary mysteries!

MJ’s comment from October 15:

Autumn is my favorite season, too. I live in an area where we can enjoy fall and all its glorious colors. You should see my house! I have LOTS of fall decorations. But, I believe we had this discussion a year ago…………

MJ’s comment from October 16:

I’m obviously veering off-topic AGAIN……….But, I put up my fall decorations right after Labor Day and leave them up until after Thanksgiving, so I can get the maximum enjoyment out of them. I even have 4 different quilts/bedspreads for the bed to ‘change’ with the seasons! I REALLY like the ‘fall’ bedroom. I probably put up more fall decor than xmas decor. Fanatic?……..perhaps.

MJ’s comment from October 17:

I also change the bathrooms seasonally, putting in different shower curtains and towels for fall, winter, and spring/summer in two bathrooms.

Also wanted to mention (since I am so-o-o-o-o far off topic), there is a WONDERFUL Pumpkin Curry soup recipe at the Nestle website. It’s great for the fall season and is easy, easy easy. Even those that don’t like pumpkin love this soup. The curry makes it pop (without over powering it)!

Very Best Baking by Nestle: Pumpkin Curry Soup 

Another yummy/tasty new fall item (at least new to me) is Pepperidge Farm’s Caramel Apple Bread and also their Pumpkin Spice Bread — both are so-o-o-o good! They even make great french toast.

Well………at least the foods are ‘fall’ related!!

Most people are probably done reading this particular entry, so these fall food suggestions are probably for naught.

Nope, MJ, your suggestions are not for naught! (And, I think Pumpkin Curry soup sounds great for the winter months as well!)

Here’s my question for ALL of you: Do you have some delicious food items like MJ’s Pepperidge Farm’s breads you would share with us? Or is there a special recipe like MJ’s Nestle’s Pumpkin Curry soup you wouldn’t mind telling us about?

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