The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

“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?

Ann Rule, Not a Cozy Author, Great at Telling about True Crimes

Sometimes I just don’t feel like reading Cozy Mysteries. This doesn’t happen often – I love Cozies, and usually when I read, I’m entertained by the adventures of one amateur sleuth or another. Still, no matter how much you might love something, sometimes you just might want a change for the sake of variety.

When I do want something non-Cozy, I often turn to true crime novels, and when possible, Ann Rule. Of course, by now I think I’ve read almost all Ann Rule‘s works except for her most recent – which I do intend to get to >>> any day now!

Listening to Ann Rule’s background, it’s easy to see why she’s such an expert when she recounts these tales of tragedy >>> she’s worked so many jobs that her personal world experience must make it easy to “connect” to just about anyone. She’s got extensive ties to law enforcement circles – not only does she have multiple relatives who have worked in jobs such as sheriff, prosecutor, and medical examiner, she served as a Seattle police officer.

Rule has also worked on crisis help lines, one time manning the lines with serial killer Ted Bundy. Yes, I know, it is truly gross to think Ted Bundy worked at a crisis help line! (Rule wrote The Stranger Beside Me about Ted Bundy.) She has an understanding of the tragedies that can unfold in unfortunate circumstances. Much later in her career, she was even part of the task force that set up the FBI’s VI-CAP system, a computer tracking program that helps identify and document crimes for comparison between local law enforcement agencies!

With all that experience, it’s no surprise that Ann Rule is a master at helping average people like me understand not only how a crime was committed, but also why it occurred and the often-devastating aftermath caused by the events. Ann Rule often goes back through the histories of the victims and the killer alike, looking back over generations to show how the environment developed which lead a person to commit such terrifying acts of brutality, as well as help give a somewhat-human face to people who could just as easily be discounted as aberrations and monsters. Often it seems surprising just how “normal” these people can act on a day-by-day basis once you know all the details of how they grew up and the people who raised them! In most of these cases, I’m left wondering if it’s nature or nurture that caused the killers to become that way. And, of course, you can’t separate those two factors!

I’ve told you what I sometimes read when I take a break (tiny break) from my beloved Cozies. What do you read when you’re ready for a change from Cozy Mysteries? Do you have a favorite author within the field? Please leave a comment below! Thank you!

P.S. Rather than making a list at the bottom of this entry of authors in other genres who you all like, I’m just going to add the highlighted links to your comments. It will save me time to do it that way, so I hope you ALL read all of the comments! (Actually I hope you always read the comments, since they are really, really good AND a great way to see what other Cozy Mystery readers think!)

If you’re interested in reading more of these brief revisits of some of the more popular Cozy Mystery Series that I’ve written in the past, you can find them at the Most Recommended Cozy Mystery Series page on my site.

Tessa Harris, L.B. Hathaway, Carol J. Perry, & LynDee Walker – the Four Newest Author Additions to the Cozy Mystery Site

Here are some authors who have been recommended to me by Cozy Mystery readers. I have been told that these authors really should be on the Cozy Mystery site. I have not read any of their mysteries yet but as I said, they have been recommended by other lovers of Cozy Mysteries!

 Tessa Harris  Harris is an Oxford University history major who became a journalist. She now writes the Dr. Thomas Silkstone Mystery Series. Thomas Silkstone is an American anatomist from Philadelphia who has moved to London during the 1780s. ((I will be adding this series to the British theme, the Medical Doctor theme, and the Historical theme.)

L.B. Hathaway  Hathaway is a Cambridge graduate who practiced law for ten years before deciding to become a full-time author. She writes the Posie Parker Mystery Series, which features Posie – who is sometimes referred to as “Nosey”. Posie is a struggling private detective who lives in London during the 1920s. Hathaway also writes the Blood and Stars Trilogy, thrillers that are set during King Henry VII’s reign. (I will be adding this series to the British theme, as well as the Historical theme.)

 Carol J. Perry  Perry writes the Witch City Mystery Series which features Lee Barrett, a reporter. When Lee returns to Salem, Massachusetts, the only reporting job she can get is at the local WICH-TV station. Unfortunately it is hosting the horror movie show. Lee and her Aunt Ibby inherit O’Ryan, a cat who seems to have magical powers. Oh, and Lee begins seeing things in the prop crystal ball she uses in her horror show hosting job. (As an aside, the first book in the series, Caught Dead Handed, is a Halloween theme mystery.) (I will be adding this series to the Cat theme, the Psychic theme , the Reporter/Journalist theme, and the Massachusetts theme.)

LynDee Walker  Walker is an ex crime reporter who is now concentrating on writing her Headlines in Heels Mystery Series. Nichelle Clarke is the sleuth, and she happens to be a reporter in Virginia. Nichelle listens to her police scanner in order to high-tail it to the scenes of crimes. The first mystery in the Headlines in Heels series was nominated for the very prestigious Agatha Award for Best First Novel. (I will be adding the Headlines in Heels Mystery Series to the Reporter/Journalist theme , the Virginia theme, and the Agatha Award for Best First Novel page.)

P.S. For those of you who are new to the Cozy Mystery site, I try to highlight the links that will take you to the appropriate pages on my site. Just click on the blue links, and that should take you to the theme I mention.

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