The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Mystery Book Recommendations – September 2014

As it is the end of September, how about if we do our Mystery Book Recommendations list for this month?

If you read an extremely good Cozy Mystery during September, please tell us about it! The rest of us are always looking for another great Cozy Mystery read! Please only tell us about the ones that were above and beyond the others, and also, tell us why you consider this book (or these books!) to have been so good.

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

What Cozy Mystery book (or author) have you read during September 2014, and why did you enjoy it (or him/her)?

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

Kathy Aarons: A Chocolate Covered Mystery Series (Death Is Like a Box of Chocolates is book #1)

Victoria Abbott (aka Mary Jane Maffini & Victoria Maffini): Book Collectors Mystery Series

Ellery Adams (aka J.B. Stanley, Jennifer Stanley, & 1/2 of Lucy Arlington ): Book Retreat Mystery Series

Susan Wittig Albert (aka 1/2 of Robin Paige): Darling Dahlias Mystery Series

Tasha Alexander: Lady Emily Mystery Series

Eric Ambler: Journey of Fear (1940s thriller)

Terri Austin: Rose Strickland Mystery Series (Diners, Dives and Dead Ends is book #1)

Josie Belle (aka Jenn McKinlay & Lucy Lawrence): Good Buy Girls Mystery Series

Simon Brett: Charles Paris Mystery Series

Janet Cantrell: Fat Cat Mystery Series (Fat Cat at Large is book #1)

Kate Carlisle: Bibliophile Mystery Series

Nancy Coco (aka Nancy J. Parra): Candy-Coated Mystery Series

Susan Rogers Cooper: Milt Kovak Mystery Series

Isis Crawford (aka Barbara Block): Mystery with Recipes Mystery Series

Jessie Crockett: Sugar Grove Mystery Series

Waverly Curtis: Barking Detective Mystery Series

Mary Daheim: Hillside Manor Bed & Breakfast Mystery Series

Jeanne M. Dams: Dorothy Martin Mystery Series

Rosie Genova: Italian Kitchen Mystery Series

Daisy Goodwin: The Fortune Hunter (Not a Cozy nor a Mystery)

Jane Haddam: Gregor Demarkian Mystery Series

B.B. Haywood: Candy Holliday Mystery Series

Lee Hollis: Hayley Powell Food & Cocktail Mystery Series

Maria Hudgins: Dotsy Lamb Travel Mystery Series

Julie Hyzie: Manor House Mystery Series

D.E. Ireland: Eliza Doolittle & Henry Higgins Mystery Series (Wouldn’t It Be Deadly is book #1)

Miranda James (aka Honor Hartman, Jimmie Ruth Evans, & Dean James): Cat in the Stacks Mystery Series

Mary Kennedy: Dream Club Mystery Series

Victoria Laurie, Nancy Martin, Denise Swanson, & Elaine Viets: Drop Dead Blonde (4 novellas)

Marilyn Levinson: Murder a la Christie

G. M. Malliet: St. Just Mystery Series

Mary Marks: Martha Rose Quilting Mystery Series

Terrie Farley Moran: Read ‘Em & Eat Mystery Series

Sandra Nobel: Fat Women Mystery Series (Fat Woman Mystery is book #1)

Carol J. Perry: Witch City Mystery Series

Susan Santangelo: Baby Boomer Mystery Series

Denise Swanson: Scumble River Mystery Series

Victoria Thompson: Gaslight Mystery Series

Lea Wait: Shadows Antique Print Mystery Series

L.C. Tyler: Crooked Herring

Christine Wenger: Comfort Food Mystery Series

Marty Wingate: Potting Shed Mystery Series (The Garden Plot is book #1)

[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. I do, however, list the recommended books that come via the Cozy Mystery blog’s comments!

Authors Who Have “Adopted” a Long-Standing Mystery Series

The very popular Jesse Stone Mystery Series, formerly written by the now-passed Robert B. Parker, has recently had a few new books released by author Michael Brandman. I haven’t had time yet to continue the series (it seems like my back log of mysteries grows every day) but I’ve heard that Brandman has managed to fully capture the “voice” of the characters I’ve come to know so well. Of course, this has gotten me thinking about some of the other popular mystery series that have seen multiple authors over the years.

Sometimes the new author is related by blood to the previous author, and often may have either directly or indirectly influenced the work. Relatively recently, the popular Dixie Hemingway Mystery Series was taken over by John Clement, following the passing of his mother, Blaize Clement. Lucky for us, he appears to be continuing the series indefinitely, though this isn’t always the case – Graham Landrum‘s son, Robert Graham Landrum, finished the fifth and final book in the Club Mystery Series, and hasn’t added to the series since.

Other times it seems that the publisher is responsible for the transition between authors, as in the case of the transition of Lawrence Sanders‘ Archy McNally Mystery Series to then-relatively unknown author Vincent Lardo. As far as I know Lardo and Sanders never even met, much less worked together – this was simply a case where the publisher thought that the series could be profitably continued with a new author whose style was similar to the original author’s technique.

Can you think of any other mystery series (other than the Nancy Drew series) that have been taken over by a second or even third author?

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

Since you all have mentioned so many good examples, I’m going to go ahead and list them. Here are some other mystery authors who have taken on another mystery author’s series:

Margery Allingham: Albert Campion Mystery Series to Mike Ripley

Lucy Arlington (Jennifer Stanley & Sylvia May): Novel Idea Mystery Series to Lucy Arlington (Susan Furlong)

Heron Carvic: Miss Seeton Mystery Series to Hampton Charles and Hamilton Crane

Agatha Christie: Various Plays to Charles Osborne

Agatha Christie: Hercule Poirot Mystery Series to Sophie Hannah

Lila Dare: Southern Beauty Shop Mystery Series to Joanna Campbell-Slan

Sir Conan Doyle: Sherlock Holmes Mystery Series to Adrian Conan Doyle (Son)

Sir Conan Doyle: Sherlock Holmes to Carole Buggé

Sir Conan Doyle: Sherlock Holmes to Laurie R. King

Sir Conan Doyle: Sherlock Holmes to Lora Roberts

Sir Conan Doyle: Sherlock Holmes to Frank Thomas

Sir Conan Doyle: Sherlock Holmes to June Thomson

Sir Conan Doyle: Sherlock Holmes to Barry S. Brown (Mrs. Hudson)

Dick Francis to Felix Francis (Son)

Randall Garrett: Lord Darcy Fantasy Mystery Series to Michael Kurland

Dashiell Hammett: Maltese Falcon Mystery Series to Joe Gores (prequel)

Tony Hillerman: Joe Leaphorn & Jim Chee Mystery Series to Anne Hillerman (Daughter)

Robert B. Parker: Spencer (for Hire) Mystery Series to Ace Atkins

Virginia Rich: Eugenia Potter Mystery Series to Nancy Pickard

Dorothy L. Sayers: Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery Series to Jill Paton Walsh

Rex Stout: Nero Wolfe Mystery Series to Robert Goldsborough

Margaret Truman: Margaret Truman’s Capital Crimes Mystery Series to Donald Bain

“Jessica Fletcher” & Donald Bain: Murder She Wrote Mysteries

Murder, She Wrote: Manhattans & Murder (Murder She Wrote Book 2) As I told you a little while back, I’m going to start to look more closely at the most recommended Cozy Mystery authors and series you all have recommended. This time, I’m taking a look at Donald Bain (and “Jessica Fletcher‘s”!) first Murder, She Wrote mystery, Manhattan & Murder. Oh, and before I forget, Donald and “Jessica” have been recommended many times, so I must not be the only one who enjoys their Cozy Mysteries! (Gin and Daggers is actually the first Murder, She Wrote mystery – although it was republished chronologically as the 13th book. Hope that makes sense!)

I have to be honest – normally I don’t expect a lot when I hear that a television show or movie has a series of books based on the format. Generally such works seem like blatant cash-ins, with little actual effort going into their production, and whatever magic was involved in the show tends to get lost in translation. This hasn’t ever been the case with the Murder, She Wrote mystery books, a fact that I think can be traced to Donald Bain’s (and “Jessica Fletcher’s”!) quite excellent work.

Of course, the classic cast and the characters they portrayed in the show certainly do help set the stage. Jessica Fletcher is one of the greatest personifications of the author-sleuth, a mystery writer who uses her imagination and “experience” with fake murders to helps solve actual crimes. Her recurring supporting cast from Cabot Cove also help set the right tone, with just the right amount of small city affability without turning them into caricatures. I’m not sure I’d enjoy the books as much if I didn’t have a perfect mental image of Jessica Fletcher already in my head – but fortunately this isn’t a question I’ll ever need answered. If you enjoy the television series and love reading Cozy Mysteries, I’m sure you’ll love Donald Bain’s (and “Jessica Fletcher’s”!) book adaptations of the Murder, She Wrote television show.

P.S. If you’re interested in other entries about some highly recommended Cozy Mystery series, you can see them on the Most Recommended Cozy Mystery Series page on my site.

Have Squirrel, Will Travel…

hummingbird(I should warn you that this entry has nothing to do with Cozy Mysteries. )

Those of you who have been with me for a while might remember that my computer desk used to be upstairs. When our 16+ year old puppy (Sprite) got to an age where she could no longer maneuver the steps, I had my husband and son bring my computer downstairs and put it in our guest bedroom. Sprite could no longer jump onto the beds, but she did enjoy laying on them. She had spent her entire life following me everywhere, so I decided that it would be nice for her to be able to lay on the spare bed >>> right by my computer chair. Sprite seemed to enjoy being a girl of leisure while still being able to keep an eye on me.

After Sprite left us, rather than move my computer upstairs again I had them move my computer out to the kitchen. (It sure is more convenient on clothes-washing day!) But for some incredible reason I had them place my computer toward the wall. I thought it would look awkward/clumsy to have it in front of one of the windows. So, every time I wanted to look outside I would have to turn 125°.

It took me a while, but I finally wised-up and had them move my computer in front of the window, so I can enjoy the back yard: watching the birds jostling for the most advantageous perches at the feeders and also watching as the squirrels jumped up on the large bird bath. We even had outdoor cats using our bird bath. It was a lot of fun.

Until…

We had a squirrel chew a hole into our roof and take up residence in our attic. Thank goodness it was a male squirrel, as having a nest up there would have been awful. Apparently his “apartment” was between the walls, since he didn’t venture into the rest of the attic. It was time to get all of our yard’s squirrels to pack up and move to other areas in our neighborhood. I got rid of the big seed bird feeders and changed to the little feeders with tiny little thistle seeds for the Goldfinches. I missed having the bigger birds in our yard when we changed to the Goldfinch seeds, however we soon found that we couldn’t even have those types of feeders. Those pesky squirrels loved scrounging around on the ground for the thistle that the Goldfinches had dropped. In the mean time, we had our fourth repair done to our roof that those doggone squirrels caused.

Now I have a Hummingbird feeder that I enjoy watching during the months they’re in town, and a hanging bird bath, which the squirrels don’t have access to. I feel like a real mean-y but enough is enough! I would love to be able to have the birds back in the yard, but we simply can’t have any more squirrels. They do too much damage to our house.

Do you have any visiting outdoor animals >>> either the good kind like little hummingbirds or the bad kind like squirrels who chew through your wooden walls? If you had a problem animal, how did you solve your problem?

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