The Cozy Mystery List Blog

Mystery Woman Television Series

January 12, 2014

Have you ever wondered what a young Jessica Fletcher would be like? What if Jessica wasn’t a retired English teacher but rather the owner of a mystery bookshop? What would you think if Jessica’s sidekick was an assistant district attorney instead of Seth, the town’s doctor?

If you have ever pondered any of these questions, then have I got news for you! Just by watching one of the Hallmark channel’s Mystery Woman television movies, you will have the answers to these questions.

Mystery Woman is a series of television mystery movies that originally rotated with several other mystery shows on the Hallmark channel. The rotation included Mystery Woman, McBride, Murder 101, and Jane Doe. (The Mystery Woman‘s television movies are my personal favorites of that Hallmark mystery rotation.)

The show stars Kellie Martin as Samantha Kinsey, the owner of a mystery bookshop that she inherits from her uncle. The fact that Samantha owns a mystery bookstore makes it easy for the plot lines to include the mystery book references that are sprinkled throughout the different shows. Whether Samantha is finding a rare first edition copy of a mystery book or she is hosting a mystery author’s signing appearance, Samantha is sure to find a corpse during the (+/-) one and a half hour shows.

Samantha’s sidekick is Cassie Hillman, assistant district attorney. Cassie is played by Nina Siemaszko, and the “girls” have a very believable relationship. They seem to always be on the search for the perfect boyfriend although they don’t seem to have much luck.

The police chief (Casey Sander) usually follows a different path while solving a case. (It’s a good thing that Samantha’s path is always the correct one, and her path leads her to catch the culprit!) The police chief’s path usually means that he arrives to the crime scene (and the crime clue scenes) just as Samantha is leaving. She is always at least one step ahead of Chief Connors.

Clarence Williams III plays Philby >>> a great help to Samantha. Philby holds down the fort at the mystery book shop as well as provides all sorts of computer (and espionage!) help. It seems that Philby once worked for an agency akin to the C.I.A.

I have seen all of the Mystery Woman episodes and am currently making my way through them for the second time. It’s that enjoyable of a show. The show has a truly “Cozy” feel to it. Everyone in the community knows each other; there are “regulars” who go from one show to another. There is a sense of community, the which seems to be comprised of people who look out for each other, no matter how eccentric they are.

After watching this series, you may come away with an “aha” moment. >>> So this is what Jessica Fletcher was like years before she moved to Cabot Cove!

P.S. I didn’t mention this before, but Mystery Woman‘s pilot had several different actors in it, however Kellie Martin was the only Samantha.

P.P.S. I think this is the correct order of the Mystery Woman episodes:

Pilot (It is very difficult to get the pilot. )
Mystery Weekend
Snapshot
Sing Me a Murder
Vision of a Murder
Game Time
At First Sight
Wild West Mystery
Oh Baby
Redemption
In the Shadows

For more Cozy viewing ideas, click on my Cozy Mystery TV & Movies page.

(I have added this information on the Upcoming Television Mystery Movies for January 2014.

Mystery Books Theme: Main Sleuth Who Is a Doctor…

January 10, 2014

A while ago I got a few requests for a theme that would include medical sleuths. I started the list way back then, but for some reason I got side-tracked with other things. Recently someone asked for a medical mysteries theme, which I have finally gotten organized. This list includes sleuths from the Cozy Mystery site who are doctors. (The next theme I will be posting will be sleuths who are nurses and midwives, followed by sleuths who are simply in the medical field, but are not primarily nurses, midwives, or physicians.)

Here is a list of authors who are on the Cozy Mystery Site and who happen to write series which feature doctor / physician sleuths :

Jo Bannister: Clio Rees Mystery Series

J.S. Borthwick: Deane & McKenzie Mystery Series

Arthur Conan Doyle: Sherlock Holmes Mystery Series (Dr. Watson… not “main sleuth” but still very important!)

Jonathan Gash: Clare Burtonall Mystery Series

Lee Goldberg: Diagnosis Murder Mystery Series

Susanna Gregory (aka 1/2 of Simon Beaufort): Chronicles of Matthew Bartholomew Mystery Series

Tessa Harris: Dr. Thomas Silkstone Mystery Series

Robin Hathaway: Dr. Fenimore Mystery Series

Robin Hathaway: Dr. Jo Banks Mystery Series

Paula Paul (aka Paula Carter): Dr. Alexandra Gladstone Mystery Series

Caroline Roe (aka Medora Sale): Chronicles of Isaac of Girona Mystery Series

Lis Wiehl & Pete Nelson: East Salem Trilogy (Forensic Psychiatrist)

If you are interested in finding a Sleuth Who Is a Nurse or a Sleuth Who Is a Midwife, click here.

If you are interested in finding a Sleuth Who Works In the Medical Field, click here. (herbalist, apothecary, ambulance driver, medical fraud investigator, medical examiner, deputy coroner, forensic pathologist, forensic anthropologist, forensic sculptor, hospital patient representative, forensic psychiatrist, meal delivery program director, undertaker, alternative healer, naturopathic doctor)

If I have missed any other Cozy Mystery site authors who have a doctor/physician sleuth, please post a comment so that I can add the omission.

♦To access more Cozy Mysteries by Theme click on this link.♦

Our Visit to Laredo to See Our Daughter

January 8, 2014

My husband and I just visited our daughter in Laredo, Texas. She has been living there for about half a year, and since she has been so busy, this is the first time we have been down to visit. (She will be working there until this summer when she will be moving to New Orleans for a year. Ever since college, her life has been pretty nomadic. We are hoping that after next year she will return to live in Texas permanently.)

My husband and I have visited Laredo twice before. Both times were while looking for an apartment for her. It just seemed easier for both of us to go down and scope things out for her, rather than for her to take time off from her (then) job in Austin.

We really enjoyed our three days in Laredo. While our daughter was at work on Friday, my husband and I spent the day walking around. We went to Casa Blanca State Park and North Central Park, as well as Laredo’s absolutely beautiful mall. The weather cooperated during our visit. It was gorgeous!

She took us to some local restaurants, which was a nice change for us. (We tend to go to chains.) She has found out about some great places from her co-workers. We had really good breakfast tacos at Pano’s Bakery Internet Café and absolutely delicious panini sandwiches and salads at Caffe Dolce. (I am not exaggerating when I say “absolutely delicious”!)

She is enjoying her job a lot, and I think she is going to miss it (and her co-workers) when she leaves. Laredo is about three hours from San Antonio, and her job last year in Austin was about 1 1/2 hours from our house. I am definitely not looking forward to next year’s day-long drive to New Orleans! I wish my husband and I were more positive about flying!

Favorite Cozy Mystery Books for 2013

January 4, 2014

We started the “Favorite Cozy Mystery Books for the Year” last year when Lynn T proposed that we list our very, very favorite-est (my words, not hers!) mysteries of the year. We already do our monthly favorite mysteries, so these Favorite of the Year should be the very best of the best we have read.

I have read many good Cozy Mystery books this year. I have also read some not-so-good Cozy Mysteries. (Haven’t we all?!?) I have mentioned several of the authors who are on my Favorite Authors list. But who wrote my very favorite mystery read of the year?

When I was talking to my husband about this entry, I asked him how I could ever pick just one mystery book and say it was my very favorite of the year. I have enjoyed so many, how would I be able to pick just one? I then told him about several of my favorite authors who I have read this year. Since this list is not comprised of just brand new authors who started being published this year, it includes ALL Cozy Mystery authors. Hmmm… That’s a whole lot of authors! He then asked me who I thought is my very favorite Cozy Mystery author, to which I responded, Agatha Christie.

Christie is one of the very few authors who I have read, re-read, and plan to re-read again. She was a formidable story-teller. Her characters always ring true to me. There’s a reason her books are still so popular; although written many years ago, they seem almost ageless. She is able to describe/depict the very nature of people and their quirks. Her writing style is flawless and flows so easily. Her mysteries are perfect.

So, I will nominate Agatha Christie’s (1957) What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw (aka 4:50 from Paddington) since it is the last Miss Marple mystery I have read by this phenomenal author.

So please tell us about your Favorite Cozy Mystery Read for 2013, and why you are picking this book or author. Thank you!

As usual with these types of entries, I will add the books/authors who you all comment about to the list: