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Cozy Mysteries Recommendations – July 2013

I was in Walmart yesterday, when it finally struck me that school is almost here! They had their seasonal aisle area full of notebooks, pencils, crayons, and binders. How could the summer be slipping away so quickly? When I got home, I looked at the calendar, and sure enough >>> July is almost over!

So it is at this time that I should be “wrapping up the month” with the July 2013 Cozy Mysteries Recommendations. (I am reading Honeybee Democracy, which is not a mystery – or fiction – so I can’t include it on our July 2013 Cozy Mysteries list. My husband recommended the book to me a while back, and I finally was in the mood to put aside my Cozy Mysteries to read it. I’m enjoying it a lot. Who would have thought honeybees could be so interesting?)

I know it’s getting tedious that I remind you every month that your recommendation should be the one Cozy Mystery you read during July that you want the rest of us to know about. (If you read more than just one Cozy Mystery that you loved, let us know about those.) Please tell us why you enjoyed the book (books). That way, the rest of us can decide whether your recommended Cozy Mystery is a book we would like to try.

[As usual, I ask that you don’t tell us about the books you read that you didn’t like.]

What Cozy Mystery book (or author) have you read during July 2013, and why did you enjoy it (or him/her)?

Here are the current recommended authors who some of you have read this past month:

Jeffrey Allen: Stay at Home Dad mysteries

Donna Andrews: Meg Langslow mysteries

Annie’s Attic mysteries by various authors

Connie Archer: Soup Lover’s mysteries

Gretchen Archer: Double Whammy (Davis May Crime Caper mysteries)

Donald Bain & “Jessica Fletcher”: Murder, She Wrote mysteries

Mignon F. Ballard: Miss Dimple mysteries 

Sandra Balzo: Maggy Thorsen mysteries

Lorna Barrett (aka Lorraine Bartlett & L. L. Bartlett): Booktown mysteries

Jessica Beck: Donut Shop mysteries

Rhys Bowen: Lady Georgiana mysteries AND Molly Murphy mysteries

Emily Brightwell: Mrs. Jeffries mysteries

Duffy Brown: Consignment Shop mysteries

Lea Chan: The Chameleon Chase 

Laura Childs: Tea Shop mysteries

Agatha Christie: Miss Marple mysteries

Jane K. Cleland: Josie Prescott Antiques mysteries

E. J. Copperman (aka Jeffrey Cohen): Haunted Guesthouse mysteries

Catherine Coulter: FBI Thriller mysteries

Philip R. Craig: Martha’s Vineyard mysteries

Bill Crider: Sally Good mysteries AND Carl Burns mysteries AND Sheriff Dan Rhodes mysteries

Mary Daheim: Hillside Manor Bed & Breakfast mysteries

Elizabeth Daly: Henry Gamadge mysteries

Diane Mott Davidson: Goldy Bear mysteries

Alice Duncan: Daisy Gumm Majesty mysteries AND Mercy Allcutt mysteries

Chrystle Fiedler: Natural Remedies mysteries

“Jessica Fletcher” & Donald Bain: Murder, She Wrote mysteries

Amanda Flower: Appleseed Creek mysteries

Daryl Wood Gerber (aka Avery Aames): Cookbook Nook mysteries

Janice Hamrick: Jocelyn Shore mysteries

Carolyn Hart: Death on Demand mysteries

Betty Hechtman: Yarn Retreat mysteries

Sue Henry: Maxie & Stretch mysteries

Hazel Holt: Mrs. Mallory mysteries

Maddy Hunter: Passport to Peril mysteries

Julie Hyzy: Manor of Murder mysteries

Meg London (aka Peggy Cochran): Sweet Nothings Vintage Lingerie mysteries

Max McCoy: Of Grave Concern (Ophelia Wylde Paranormal mysteries)

Leslie Meier: Lucy Stone mysteries

Amy Metz: Goose Pimple Junction mysteries

Laura Morrigan: Woof at the Door (Call of the Wilde mysteries)

Liz Mugavero: Kneading to Die (Pawsitively Organic mysteries)

Spencer Quinn (aka Peter Abrahams): Chet and Bernie mysteries

Sara Rossett: On the Run mysteries

Hank Phillippi Ryan: Jane Ryland mysteries

Susan Santangelo: Baby Boomer mysteries

Maggie Sefton: Kelly Flynn Knitting mysteries

Susan Sundwall: Red Shoe Lace Killer

Denise Swanson: Deveraux’s Dime Store mysteries

Phoebe Atwood Taylor: Asy Mayo mysteries

Teresa Trent: Doggone Dead (Pecan Bayou mysteries)

Lea Wait: Shadows Antique Print mysteries

Betty Webb: Gunn Zoo mysteries AND Lena Jones mysteries (not Cozy)

♦To access more Cozy Mystery Books Recommendations, click on this link♦

Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries Television Show

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries 1 The Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries television show is a familiar TV mystery series that might not be all that familiar. Most Cozy Mystery readers of this site are very familiar with Kerry Greenwood‘s Phryne Fisher Mysteries. Some of you read the series while others have probably seen it recommended (several times) by other Cozy Mystery readers in the monthly recommendation posts.

It wasn’t until very recently that I heard of this very clever television mystery series. Several Cozy Mystery readers sent me letters telling me about their enjoyment of the show. (Thank you!)

My husband and I have recently started watching the Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and we are both enjoying the shows a lot. They are based on Kerry Greenwood’s wildly popular Phryne Fisher mysteries. Phryne is a 1920s flapper (dictionary.reference.com defines flapper as  “a young woman, especially one who, during the 1920s, behaved and dressed in a boldly unconventional manner.”)

Phryne, although not born into money, is now rich enough to be able to afford the many luxuries that her bank account can buy. She is able to employ as many people as she wants, live as luxuriously as she deems necessary, and buy whatever trinkets (like airplanes!) she chooses. She is quite wealthy!

This Australian period-piece television mystery series stars Essie Davis, who plays the Phryne lead to perfection. She is brazenly upfront with her very modern 1920s views. Phryne has a deliciously wicked twinkle in her eyes.

The always-exasperated Detective Jack Robinson is played beautifully by Nathan Page. The attraction between Jack and Phryne is palpable. However, not being a girl who sits around waiting for the married Jack, Phryne is not adverse to quick romances. (Not to worry >>> nothing graphic!)

When I was doing my research for this entry, I found out that Kerry Greenwood was actually involved with this TV series as writer for all thirteen episodes of the 2012 productions. So even though the (+/-) 55 minute episodes do a lot of abridging, it’s nice that Greenwood was involved with the condensed versions of her mystery books.

We have only watched the first several delightful episodes of the Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, but from these I can say that the costumes are  absolutely wonderful. Phryne wears only the most beautiful fashions. As for the sets, they are full of  fringe, tassels, velveteen, crystal, satin, period furniture, and beautiful wall papers.

I highly recommend Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. What’s not to like about a TV mystery series that has a butler named Mr. Butler?

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

Romantic Cozy Mysteries Theme

As we just discussed, this may be a rather impossible theme, but let’s go ahead and try to make up a list of some Romantic Cozy Mysteries that are truly romantic. Let’s see if we can limit the list to those mysteries that have our sleuth meeting someone who, through either just one book or several books goes through a “courting” of sorts.

If you have any other Cozy Mysteries that you think truly qualify as romantic Cozy Mysteries, please post a comment.

I’m going to start the Romantic Cozy Mysteries theme with two of the most obvious authors: Victoria Holt and Daphne du Maurier. Let’s see what other authors Cozy Mystery readers think should be in this Romantic Cozy Mysteries theme!

Romantic Cozy Mysteries

Avery Aames (aka Daryl Wood Gerber): Cheese Shop Mysteries

P. J. Alderman: Port Chatham Mysteries

Conrad Allen (aka Edward Marston & Keith Miles): George Porter Dillman & Genevieve Masefield Mysteries

Donna Andrews: Meg Lanslow Mysteries

Nancy Atherton: Aunt Dimity Mysteries

M. C. Beaton: Agatha Raisin Mysteries

C. A. Belmond: Penny Nichols Rather Mysteries

Annette Blair: Vintage Magic Mysteries

Rhys Bowen: Royal Spyness Mysteries

Barbara Bretton: Chloe Hobb’s Sugar Maple Knitting mysteries

Rita Mae Brown: Mrs. Murphy Mystery Series

Dorothy Cannell: Ellie Haskell Mystery Series

JoAnna Carl (aka Eve K. Sandstrom): Chocoholic Mysteries

Kate Carlisle: Bibliophile Mystery Series

Agatha Christie: Tommy and Tuppence Mysteries

Agatha Christie: A lot of her Miss Marple Mysteries and Hercule Poirot Mysteries had secondary characters in the process of falling in love.

Jill Churchill: Jane Jeffry Mysteries

Kate Collins: Flower Shop Mysteries

Cleo Coyle (aka Alice Kimberly): Coffee House Mysteries

Mary Daheim: Hillside Manor Bed & Breakfast Mysteries

Diane Mott Davidson: Goldy Bear Mysteries

Jana DeLeon: Ghost-in-Law Mystery Series

Daphne du Maurier: Stand Alone Mysteries

Carola Dunn: Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries

Joanne Fluke: Hannah Swensen Mysteries

Earlene Fowler: Benni Harper Mysteries

Victoria Gilbert: Blue Ridge Library Mystery Series

Carolyn Haines: Sarah Booth Delaney Mysteries

Linda Hall: Whisper Lake Mysteries AND Shadow Mysteries

Charlaine Harris: Aurora Teagarden Mysteries

Carolyn Hart: Death on Demand Mysteries

Joan Hess: Claire Malloy Mysteries

Victoria Holt: Stand Alone Mysteries

Maddy Hunter: Passport to Peril Mystery Series

Julie Hyzy: White House Chef Mysteries

Sofie Kelly: Magical Cats Mysteries

Diana Killian: Poetic Death Mysteries

Kate Kingsbury (aka Allison Kingsley & Rebecca Kent) Pennyfoot Hotel Mysteries AND WW II Manor House Mysteries

Joyce and Jim Lavene (aka J.J. Cook & Ellie Grant): Renaissance Faire Mystery Series

Kylie Logan (aka Miranda Bliss & Casey Daniels): League of Literary Ladies Mysteries

Charlotte MacLeod (aka Alisa Craig): Peter Shandy Mysteries AND Sarah Kelling Mysteries

Margaret Maron: Deborah Knott Mysteries 

Nancy Martin: Blackbird Sisters Mysteries

Jenn McKinlay: Cupcake Bakery Mysteries AND Library Lover’s Mysteries

Elizabeth Peters (aka Barbara Michaels): Amelia Peabody Mysteries

Ann B. Ross: Miss Julia Mysteries

Hank Phillippi Ryan: Jane Ryland & Jake Brogan Mysteries

Dorothy L. Sayers: Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries

J.B. Stanley (aka Jennifer Stanley, Ellery Adams, & 1/2 of Lucy Arlington): Supper Club Mysteries

Denise Swanson: Scumble River Mysteries

Victoria Thompson: Gaslight Mysteries 

Heather Webber (aka Heather Blake): Lucy Valentine Mysteries

Phyllis A. Whitney: Stand Alone Mysteries

Lauren Willig: Pink Carnation Mysteries

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

A Little Romance with My Mysteries, Please

I have gotten quite a few letters and comments asking for me to add a Cozy Mystery theme that includes Romantic Cozy Mysteries. I have thought quite a bit about how long this list of romantic mysteries could end up being.

Should this list include every series of mysteries that has two characters who are clearly made for each other?

Should this list include only the mysteries you think of when you think of the Gothic romance mysteries?

Should this list include all authors who have a sleuth who just can’t seem to make up her mind between two (or more!) suitors?

Should this list include mysteries that have sleuths who are married couples?

Should this list include mysteries that I think are romantic, but that perhaps you wouldn’t?

I just keep coming back to the fact that romance is so subjective. Clearly some authors make it very easy to identify. Daphne du Maurier and Victoria Holt are two such examples. But they are both Gothic Romance Mystery authors, making it very easy to label them as Romantic Cozy Mystery authors.

However, how about  a series like the Leigh Koslow mysteries by Edie Claire? I think of those as romantic. Yep, Leigh and  Warren may not be as “romantic” as a Charlotte Brontë’s Jane and Rochester, but they are a very interesting couple to me.

I started to have this discussion with my husband because I told him I was at a loss as to how to proceed and he suggested that I ask you all. So I’m left with this dilemma: How would we define Romantic Cozy Mysteries when making up a list, keeping in mind that the list has to have some reasonable boundaries or else it won’t be a useful list for anyone?

If you have any ideas on how to define Romantic Cozy Mysteries for the purpose of this list, please post a comment. At this point I’m not asking for you to provide authors for inclusion to this hypothetical list. If you need to mention an author as an example for the point you are making, that would be fine. Once we determine if this list is even feasible (i.e. doesn’t include almost every author under the sun) then we’ll proceed to making the list.

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