The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Mary Kay Andrews Writing As Kathy Hogan Trocheck

I should start out by telling you that I actually remember back in the early 2000s, when I figured out that Kathy Hogan Trochek had finished writing her Callahan Garrity Mystery Series. I was bummed … royally bummed! I had come to look forward to spending time with Callahan, Edna (her mother), and the rest of the House Mouse company’s cleaning group.

I was given Strange Brew as a gift, when it was just published in 1997. Even though it was the sixth book in the mystery series, I decided to go ahead and read it. Sure, I don’t like to read my books out of sequence, but since it was a Halloween mystery and I had received the book during October, why not? (I can be flexible sometimes…)

After I finished Strange Brew, I quickly read Every Crooked Nanny, the first in the series. Hmmm… This Kathy Hogan Trocheck was equally good in her first mystery book. How neat was that? You know how sometimes a new author takes a few books to reach a really good level of writing? Not so with Trocheck, she started out really good, and just kept going!

By the time Trocheck’s seventh mystery came out in 1998, I was all caught up with Callahan, Edna, and the rest of the gang. I couldn’t wait to read about Callahan’s Christmas season in Midnight Clear.

Oh, oh… I had to wait two years for Trocheck’s eighth mystery, Irish Eyes, a St. Patrick’s Day mystery. Well, that’s OK. I can certainly wait two years for one of my favorite authors to release another mystery.

Hmmm… Then two more years passed, three years, doggone it, what’s going on here?

It was at this time that I finally found out what was going on. Kathy Hogan Trocheck was releasing her Weezie & Bebe Mystery Series as Mary Kay Andrews. (Andrews was also publishing non-mystery stand alones.) Trochek was finally back on my radar!

Imagine how happy I was to find that she is now writing more Callahan Garrity mysteries. Andrews/Trocheck has released three stories in the mystery series, and I am hoping she will be writing more book-length Callahan Garrity mysteries.

So I guess it just goes to show that sometimes you have to be a detective just to be able to follow your favorite Cozy Mystery authors!

Alice Duncan Has 20 Daisy Gumm Majesty Mysteries to Give Away

I thought I would make this “public” for all of you who may want to participate. On Thursday, February 20, I asked for help to identify an author for Tessa. It turns out that the author Tessa was looking for is Alice Duncan. Yesterday we heard from Alice Duncan with this great give-away she has going. I thought several of you might want to participate, so here is the information:

Alice Duncan:

Thanks for looking for my books! I’m giving the first one (Strong Spirits) in audio this month, if you’d like to enter my contest. I have about 20 copies to give to folks, so if you’re interested, just email me at alice@aliceduncan.net

Thanks!

Good luck!

Cozy Mystery: Mother Sleuth, Mooching Sons…

So, here is the third (and for the time being, final) question I received asking for help identifying an author. This one is from Donna B:

” … Over a year ago, I was in my grandmother’s assisted living facility and they have book racks there. I was browsing and found a great cozy mystery but I can’t remember the name of it or even the author. It was about a slightly older mom of two young adult mooching sons. I don’t remember if she has a job. She may have been a real estate agent. The two sons don’t treat her very well and I think she was divorced so she’s alone, which frees her up to solve mysteries. There’s nothing more frustrating than reading a few pages of a mystery and not being able to take it with you at the time and then you end up losing it! Of course the book was gone when I went in for my next visit…”

Hmmm, this one does not ring any bells for me. I’m hoping that one of you can help Donna B find the author for whom she is looking. If you think you might know who the author of this book is, please post a comment. Thank you!

P.S. #1  Janet thinks Donna B may be looking for:

Tierney McClelland: Schuyler Ridgway Mystery Series

P. S. #2  Donna B wrote this comment:

Hi everyone, just wanted to let you know that I looked up Heir Condition and my library system had it here in Western Mass.! The cover art and the story description seem familiar. I’ve ordered it and we’ll know shortly. Thanks for all the tips and suggestions!

Cozy Mystery: Kind but Dishonest Medium/Sleuth…

Today I am going to (again!) ask your help in identifying a Cozy Mystery author. This letter is from Tessa:

“I am trying to remember a series with a lady who is a kind, but dishonest medium. She uses her common sense to guide her clients and of course she winds up catching killers and bad people. Her husband was horribly wounded in the war and is wheel-chair bound. The word Spirit is in all the titles, I think.”

If any of you know who the author of this mystery series might be, would you please post a comment? Thank you!

P.S. Thank you, ALL! The consensus says the author who Tessa is looking for is:

Alice Duncan: Daisy Gumm Majesty Mystery Series

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