The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Double the Flavor, Double the Fun >>> Two Very Different Mystery Authors I’m Currently Enjoying (A Lot!)

I am in Cozy Mystery Seventh Heaven right now! What could be better (as a mystery reader) than being swept up into not one, but two different mystery reading shangrilas? Yes, I am in the enviable position to be reading one and listening to another of two of my favorite authors at the same time, and it is such a treat!

I know I have said (many times) that I space my favorite authors between new-to-me authors so that I can try new authors while still being able to enjoy authors off of my “favorite authors” list. Well, my (almost) Russian Roulette method has finally lined up to where I am able to enjoy two of my faves at the same time, and it is really great.

I am currently reading one of Hazel Holt‘s Mrs. Mallory mysteries which, although written during the last (less than) twenty years, is quite reminiscent of the classic mysteries à la Agatha Christie. You’ve got a quaint village by the sea, some great characters (including “Mrs. Malory”, her best friend Rosemary, and her son Michael), and some very realistic dialog. You also have “eccentric” characters who are believable, not outlandish. There isn’t a perfunctory romance going on and Mrs. Mallory (Sheila) doesn’t put herself in crazy, dangerous situations. And, did I mention, the mystery is really good?

The audio book that I’m listening to comes from Spencer Quinn‘s Chet and Bernie mysteries. These mysteries are extremely different from Hazel Holt’s series. Bernie is an ex-policeman and Chet is his ex-K-9 dog. (Actually Chet never graduates from K-9 school, for reasons out of his control… well, not exactly out of his control.)

I tried to explain the Chet and Bernie mysteries to my son (who reads a lot of science fiction) but he kept summing it up as a “So, you have a talking dog.” type of mystery series. For some reason, I am not able to explain that this is no normal “talking dog” mystery series. This is because Chet doesn’t actually talk, he thinks in human words. There, you see! I’m simply am not able to explain this really enjoyable mystery series.

I think that because my son read all of Brian Jacques Redwall Series when he was quite young (obviously only those that had been published by then) he thinks of talking animals as actually “talking animals”. Chet doesn’t actually “talk” per se. The Chet and Bernie mysteries are told from Chet’s perspective. Chet is a perfect personification for animal lovers everywhere.

I guess that having both of these authors on my “favorite authors” list shows how diverse mysteries are. While the Chet and Bernie mysteries are not Cozy Mysteries, they are doggone good. (Warning, however, there is some swearing in this series.) And it is very safe to say that the Mrs. Mallory mysteries are exactly what Cozy Mysteries should be.

Updates on Favorite Authors’ Mystery Book New Releases

I’ve been a little busier than usual lately. Our daughter is in the process of moving between jobs, and has been home for the last week. It has been great to have her here. We haven’t been doing much as she wanted to use the time at home to regroup (take it easy). It’s been great having her here.

In between spending time with her, I have been working on the Cozy Mystery site. Since I keep a long-running, tentative list of the monthly mystery book new releases on my computer’s desktop, I decided to not wait until I publish the official monthly mystery book new releases list, but go ahead and put the books on the authors’ individual pages as soon as I find out about them. (Hope that makes sense!) That way, if you want to know if a particular favorite author of yours will be publishing a mystery book in the near future, you will be able to find out by looking at his/her page.

I will still be doing the official monthly mystery book new releases entries, but if you absolutely cannot wait until the month before the book is released, you can check to see if your favorite author has something coming out sometime soon.

For example, on September 1 I will be publishing the October 2013 Mystery Book New Releases entry. But, let’s say that you are a fan of Donna Andrews, and you want to find out (before September 1) if she will be publishing something in the near future, you can go to her page and see. Aha, you’re in luck! Donna Andrews is publishing a Christmas theme mystery (Duck the Halls) which I already have on her page. As it turns out, I also already have it on the Christmas theme mystery page with all of the A authors, since it’s a Christmas theme mystery.

Or let’s say you’re a Heather Blake fan, and you want to know if she will be publishing any new mystery books any time soon. Rather than wait until October 1 (when I post the November 2013 Mystery Book New Releases entry) I already have her new Magic Potion Mystery Series posted on her page. That way you will know that her first book (A Potion to Die For) in that series is due to be released.

Actually, I don’t know why I didn’t start doing this a long time ago. I should have been posting the mysteries as I found out about them, not “hoarding” them on my tentative list until the monthly entry. I will blame this on me being very set in my ways, and not seeing the forest for all the books.

The Passing of Barbara Mertz / Elizabeth Peters / Barbara Michaels

Yesterday was a sad day for many Cozy Mystery readers. I know there are a lot of fans of Elizabeth Peters‘s mysteries amongst us. She left us all a wealth of mystery reading. Her Amelia Peabody and Vicky Bliss mysteries are some of the most enjoyed by many mystery readers. There are also many fans of her Jacqueline Kirby mysteries and her stand alone mysteries.

Barbara Mertz was 85 when she passed in Frederick, Maryland on August 8, 2013. She had her Ph.D. in Egyptology, which provided her with first-hand knowledge for having her wildly popular Amelia Peabody mystery series to feature an Egyptologist. Her Vicky Bliss sleuth was an historian. Mertz used the pseudonym Elizabeth Peters (both of her children’s names) for her mystery series and several stand alone mysteries. As Barbara Michaels she wrote many stand alone mysteries, and as Barbara Mertz she wrote non fiction.

Raves for MJ’s Comment…

MJ just posted a comment that I think is a great idea:

“How about another rave or two to add to the list? My new summer yummy discovery is in Walmart’s soda dept. It is ‘Coconut Wave’. Danna has told us how much she enjoys peach Fresca, as do I. However, it isn’t distributed where I live.

In June, I found this display of 2 liter beverages at Walmart. In the display was their lemonade, pink lemonade, cherry limeade, and this one called ‘coconut wave’ (ALL are carbonated and calorie free). Of course, I was intrigued and decided to try it. It’s like 7-up/Sprite with a little coconut flavoring – very refreshing. The flavor is distinctive, so if you don’t like coconut you won’t like this. It’s also good with a little of Torani’s peach/raspberry flavoring added to it.

In early July, I noticed they no longer had any of this soda. So sa-a-a-d (I thought it was gone for the summer). However, when I went back to Walmart the other day, they had a huge display with several dozen of the Coconut Wave. YEA! I bought many bottles so I have a ‘supply’ (even gave some to friends to ‘try’). It probably won’t be available in the fall.

I don’t like coffee or tea, so soda is my beverage of choice.

I also discovered Oreo’s Raspberry Fudge Crèmes. Another Yum! It’s like their fudge covered mint cookies only raspberry instead of the mint.”

MJ, I’m going to look for the Coconut Wave. Is it in Walmart’s carbonated sparkling water see-through bottles? I like two of those flavors, although all of them are pretty good.

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