The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

The Cozy Cookbook: More than 100 Recipes from Today’s Bestselling Mystery Authors

I know this is way early, but I thought I would tell you about a cookbook that is being released in April. (I told you I’m a little early with this!)

The Cozy Cookbook: More than 100 Recipes from Today’s Bestselling Mystery Authors will be published, and wait until you see who the contributing Cozy Mystery authors are!

Avery Aames/Daryl Wood Gerber

Ellery Adams/J.B. Stanley/Jennifer Stanley

Connie Archer

Leslie Budewitz

Laura Childs

Cleo Coyle/Alice Kimberly

Victoria Hamilton/Amanda Cooper

B.B. Haywood

Julie Hyzy

Jenn McKinlay/Josie Belle/Lucy Lawrence

Paige Shelton

How’s that for a great cast of Cozy characters who love to bake/cook/prepare delicious Cozy delectables? The Cozy Cookbook has more than 100 recipes, which cover appetizers, entrées, and desserts.

(Now I have to go add this terrific-looking The Cozy Cookbook to all of the Cozy authors pages – as well as the Culinary theme – on the Cozy Mystery site!)

Re-Trying an Old Favorite Author Who You Discarded…

negative nellieSo, a few months ago Angela gave me this great idea for an entry. I’m going to post her comment, and then my comment back. BUT I’d love to know what you ALL think.

Angela:

With current series, I have found that I have burned out on the series after a few books and I do wonder if I had spaced them out more if I would have been more tolerant of all the things that bugged me so much I decided to stop reading the series. But ultimately I figure there are so many books out there to discover and by dropping one series I just made room for another one that I will potentially enjoy so much more than the one I just dropped so either way I win. To take the question further, how many of us go back to a dropped series years later and find that we do like it?

My Answer:

Angela, I have a good friend who shares a lot of my favorite authors. She has persuaded me twice to go back to an author who I finally decided to drop. Both times, she was absolutely sure I was going to add these authors right back to my favorite authors lists. Nope! The same things that caused me to drop the authors kept me from enjoying them.

Good grief, now that I just re-read that answer of mine, I know I look like a “Negative Nellie” (I think that’s the expression, although I could be wrong…) When I wrote that answer, I had forgotten that one of my current favorite Cozy Mystery authors is someone who I tried reading way back in the early 2000s >>> who I put my “*****YUCK” next to. Now I read one of her Cozy Mystery books whenever I’m looking for a really good, light Cozy Mystery. She simply writes what I think of as a good, light, and enjoyable Cozy Mystery.

When I try to re-read an author who I previously enjoyed, and then moved to my “*****YUCK” list, I try to remain positive >>> since I know there were things I loved about this author before. However, that doesn’t always work! (Actually, it barely ever works for me!)

How about you? Do you ever re-try an author who you absolutely knew you didn’t like, and then find that you enjoy him/her? Or, once you put an author on your personal “*****YUCK” list, does he/she remain there forever? Do you even re-try him/her once you have sent him/her to your “don’t-want-to-see-you-again”list?

(Since I’m asking about authors who you don’t like, or at least didn’t like in the past, please do not name specific authors!)

Valentine’s Day Mystery Books being Released during September 2014!

Here is our final batch of holiday theme mysteries that will be released very soon. These Valentine’s Day mysteries will be released during September 2014. (I know it seems early for Valentine’s Day mysteries, but maybe we can wait to read them. Hmmm… that could be a difficult task for some of us!)

New Valentine’s Day Mysteries:

 Josie Belle (aka Jenn McKinlay & Lucy Lawrence) will be releasing the 4th in her Good Buy Girls Mystery Series, entitled Marked Down for Murder. This Valentine’s Day theme mystery has the founder of the Good Buy Girls barbain hunters group, Maggie Gerber, vying for her sweetheart, Sam. Unfortunately, Maggie is going to have to prove that her nemesis isn’t guilty of a murder. Hmmm… This could pose a do-I-do the right thing, or do-I-just-let-things happen dilemma! (As Jenn McKinlay she writes the Cupcake Bakery Mystery Series, the Library Lover’s Mystery Series, and the Hat Shop Mystery Series. As Lucy Lawrence she writes the Decoupage Mystery Series.)

 The Coniston Case is the 3rd Lake District Mystery Series by Rebecca Tope. This Valentine’s Day mystery sees Simmy going through one of the busiest time of the year at a floral shop. As Simmy delivers her Valentine’s Day bouquets, she finds that some of the recipients aren’t happy to recieve the flower arrangements. For those of you who are Rosemary and Thyme fans, Rebecca Tope is the ghostwriter of those mystery novels. (Rebecca Tope writes three other British mystery series: the Cotswold Mystery Series, the Den Cooper Mystery Series, and the Drew Slocombe Mystery Series.)

If you would like to see more Cozy Mystery Valentine’s Day mystery books, click on this link to take you to the Valentine’s Day theme mysteries page.

(If you are interested in all sorts of holiday mysteries, click on this link to take you to the Holiday Mystery Book page.)

Christmas Mystery Books being Released during September 2014!

Here is the holiday theme that I most look forward to. I know I have talked (many times!) about how I miss my seasons down here in San Antonio. I sometimes rely on a good Christmas Cozy Mystery to get me in the holiday mood. I especially like the ones that are set in cold, snowy areas.

New Christmas Mysteries:

 Bernadette Pajer‘s 4th book in her  Professor Bradshaw Mystery Series, entitled The Edison Effect, will soon be released. This Christmas theme mystery has Professor Benjamin Bradshaw, an early 1900s electrical engineer and inventor in Seattle, investigating the murder of an electrician at a men’s clothing store  who is found with holiday lights in his hand. Professor Bradshaw, his friend, and a detective try to follow the clues in order to solve the case.

  J. D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts) is releasing Festive in Death, the 40th in her Eve Dallas in Death Mystery Series. Eve is a lieutenant in the New York police force in a futuristic 21st century (2050s – 2060s). As Nora Roberts she writes romantic suspense novels. While this is an extremely popular mystery series, it is not Cozy.

Lea Wait is also releasing a Christmas theme mystery. Wait’s 7th Shadows Antique Print Mystery Series entitled Shadows on a Maine Christmas will soon be available for reading.  Maggie Summer is an antique print dealer. She and her antiques dealer beau (along with his great aunt) head to Maine to spend a wonderful Christmas holiday. Wait also writes the Mainely Needlepoint Mystery Series, and historical novels for children.

If you would like to see more Cozy Mystery Christmas mystery books, click on this link to take you to the Christmas Theme Mystery page.

(If you are interested in all sorts of holiday mysteries, click on this link to take you to the Holiday Mystery Book page.)

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