Cozy Mystery (and Other Favorite) Books, Movies, and TV
We got back from New Orleans last night, and as vibrant and picturesque as that city is, it’s nice to be home! Of course, we didn’t do any sight-seeing or fun things; we will be doing those types of things in the future when we visit our daughter. And we’ll be scheduling those visits in cooler months of the year.
So, things will get back to normal for me, which means I will be posting the August mystery movies and the September new releases >>> starting tomorrow.
By this I do not mean that Mrs. Malory lives without the modern conveniences that we all take for granted. I mean that Hazel Holt’s mysteries are very much in line with the classic Cozy Mystery authors. Mrs. Malory is an amateur sleuth who lives in a quaint and Cozy village where everyone seems to know everyone else, the criminal action takes place “off stage”, there is no profanity/swearing, no gratuitous sex or violence, and strong character development. (I hope I didn’t skip any other characteristics!)
I know I have written about how much I enjoy the Mrs. Malory Mystery Series before, but I hope it’s been long enough so as not to seem too repetitive. I strongly recommend Hazel Holt‘s Mrs. Malory Mystery Series.
Please tell us about a Cozy Mystery series (or a few!) that you read this past month that you think the rest of us should try reading, if we don’t already. And, please tell us why. These should only be the Cozy Mysteries that you think stood out as being even better than the other Cozies you read during the month.
[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 July 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:
Victoria Abbott (aka Mary Jane Maffini & Victoria Maffini): Book Collectors Mystery Series
Susan Wittig Albert (aka Robin Paige): China Bayles Mystery Series
Margaret Addison: Rose Simpson Mystery Series (book #1 is Murder at Ashgrove House)
Tasha Alexander: Lady Emily Mystery Series
Barbara Allan: Trash ‘n’ Treasures Mystery Series
Beverly Allen (aka Barbara Early): Bridal Bouquet Shop Mystery Series
Donna Andrews: Meg Langslow Mystery Series
Nancy Atherton: Aunt Dimity Mystery Series
M.C. Beaton (aka Marion Chesney): Agatha Raisin Mystery Series
Heather Blake (aka Heather Webber): Wishcraft Mystery Series
Rhys Bowen: Molly Murphy Mystery Series
Rhys Bowen: Royal Highness Mystery Series
Simon Brett: Blotto and Twinks Mystery Series
Emily Brightwell: Mrs. Jeffries Mystery Series
Leslie Budewitz: Food Lovers’ Village Mystery Series
JoAnna Carl (aka Eve K. Sandstrom): Chocoholic Mystery Series
Kate Carlisle: Bibliophile Mystery Series
Alyse Carlson: Garden Society Mystery Series
Agatha Christie: Hercule Poirot Mystery Series
Agatha Christie: Superintendent Battle Mystery Series
Agatha Christie: Why Didn’t They Ask Evans (Stand Alone mystery)
V.C. Clinton Baddeley: Only a Matter of Time
Sheila Connolly (akaSarah Atwell): Orchard Mystery Series
Shelley Costa: Miracolo Mystery Series
Krista Davis: Domestic Diva Mystery Series
Dawn Eastman: Family Fortune Mystery Series
Kate Ellis: Wesley Peterson Mystery Series
Female Sleuths Megapack Lady Molly of Scotland Yard Loveday Brooke and Amelia Butterworth
Daryl Wood Gerber (aka Avery Aames): Cookbook Nook Mystery Series
Dorothy Gilman: Mrs. Pollifax Mystery Series
Sally Goldenbaum: Seaside Knitters Mystery Series
Celine Grace: Death at the Manor (book # 1 in the Asharton Manor Mystery Series – novella length)
Victoria Hamilton (aka Amanda Cooper & Donna Lea Simpson): Merry Muffin Mystery Series
David Handler: Berger & Mitry Mystery Series
Betty Hechtman:Yarn Retreat Mystery Series
Joan Hess (aka Joan Hadley): Claire Malloy Mystery Series
Lee Hollis: Hailey Powell Food & Cocktail Mystery Series
Hazel Holt: Mrs. Malory Mystery Series
Dorothy Howell: Haley Randolph Mystery Series
Julie Hyzy: White House Chef Mystery Series
Julie Hyzy: Manor of Murder Mystery Series
Sue Ann Jaffarian: Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery Series
Joyce & Jim Lavene (aka J.J. Cook & Ellie Grant): Renaissance Faire Mystery Series
Donna Leon: Guido Brunetti Mystery Series
Kylie Logan (aka Miranda Bliss & Casey Daniels): League of Literary Ladies Mystery Series
Rhett MacPherson: Torie O’shea Mystery Series
Molly MacRae: Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery Series
Edith Maxwell (aka Tace Baker): Local Foods Mystery Series
Jennifer McAndrews: Ill-Gotten Panes (book # 1 in Stained Glass Mystery Series)
Sharyn McCrumb: Ballad Mystery Series
Jenn McKinlay (aka Josie Belle & Lucy Lawrence): Hat Shop Mystery Series
Karen Musser Nortman: Frannie Shoemaker Campground Mystery Series (book #1 is Bats and Bones)
Nancy J. Parra (aka Nancy Coco): Perfect Proposals Mystery Series
Ann Purser: Ivy Beasley Mystery Series
Heather Webber (aka Heather Blake): Lucy Valentine 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. I do, however, list the recommended books that come via the Cozy Mystery blog’s comments!
I mentioned in an earlier blog post that our daughter is moving to New Orleans for a year. My husband and I had gone to New Orleans to find an apartment for her. Now, the time for her move is very near. In fact, the movers will be picking up her furniture tomorrow and driving them out to New Orleans. Unfortunately, since our daughter has another week of work in her old job, that’s where my husband and I come in.
Yesterday was a rather long day, made even longer by the fact that I refused to drive through major cities. Major cities being any towns with more than two exits/entrances on the freeway. (Anyway – that’s the story my husband is sticking with!)
Our son is taking care of our house, which always makes traveling a lot less worrisome for us. We drove to New Orleans, Louisiana (thus the “NOLA”) so that we can meet the movers when they get here on Sunday. There was no way our daughter could be at both sites, since she will have only a weekend off between jobs.
I am writing this from our hotel room. Today we headed over to her apartment, and started the process of getting her somewhat organized before she arrives in town next weekend. Growing up as military dependent and then marrying back into the military, moving is old hat to me.
This is going to be an extremely quick trip because we are planning to visit our daughter in New Orleans several times, and that’s when we will be exploring New Orleans. Plus, it’s almost as hot here as it is in San Antonio at this time of year. Certainly it is not an optimal time to vacation in ether place!
I have a confession to make >>> one of my favorite detectives of all time doesn’t come from a long pedigree of books written over the last century. He wasn’t the original brainchild of some brilliant British author, laboring alone long into the night over their antique typewriter. Instead, he originated in a television anthology series, and all his greatest works were written by… *shudder* television writers.
OK, so this isn’t strictly true – Columbo was adapted from a short story that first appeared in the Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine… but he apparently wasn’t an actual character in that short story, which unfortunately I’ve never been able to track down. Instead he first appeared in a 1960s episode of The Chevy Mystery Show, back in an era when evidently any self-respecting automobile manufacturer absolutely must have its own mystery-themed anthology series. This is all true – I cannot make this stuff up, I’m not that clever.
Anyway, the character certainly isn’t a literary powerhouse with dozens of books to his name, unless you count the adaptations from television to book – hardly the standard for a classic mystery character. And that’s just fine – it actually fits his character perfectly. All joking aside, Columbo truly is one of the great mystery detectives – he’s clever and tenacious, observant and perceptive. But Columbo’s true genius is that he doesn’t show his genius. Although Peter Falk wasn’t the first pick to play Columbo, after you have watched a few of the episodes you will see that the part was absolutely written for him! He is phenomenal in this part.
From the moment Columbo (Peter Falk) arrives on the killer’s doorstep, he looks like a tired little man in a rumpled suit, chewing a cheap cigar and driving a battered, beat-up old import car that should terrify anyone who sees it on the road. The killer is usually some educated, wealthy, “clever” guy – the sort who sees Columbo and thinks “I’m free and clear – this guy will never catch me.”
But catch them he does! Columbo might not look it, but he’s always paying attention, and even the slightest detail out of place will let him know who REALLY did it… and from then on, he’s the best friend the killer wishes he didn’t have. He’s always there, an unwanted presence asking “just one more question” and “maybe you can help me clear this up, just to make my boss happy.” By the end, most of the killers seem to confess just to get some time alone, even if it is in a prison cell.
Perhaps the greatest twist the Columbo television mystery series has for us long-time mystery viewers is that it isn’t a mystery for us – it’s a mystery for Columbo. In almost every episode of Columbo, we the audience have the privilege of seeing the act itself – the preparation, the execution, and the aftermath. After seeing even a few episodes of the show, the savvy viewer will be watching the tiny mistakes that Columbo will later latch onto and worry about – like a dog with a bone. We already know, and we know that despite his bedraggled appearance, despite the cheap cigars, despite his fumbling attitude, Columbo knows almost as quickly as we do!
For more Cozy viewing ideas, click on my Cozy Mystery TV & Movies page.
P.S. These are available on Netflix.
