The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Laredo, Brownsville, and Points In Between

My husband and I have headed down south, to Laredo and Brownsville. We have lived in San Antonio for about twenty years, and have never headed down this way.

We have no great plans. We will be looking at a few apartment complexes, since our daughter will be moving down here next year. Other than that, we’ll see what happens. It’s one of those lazy “vacations” with no place in particular to go to, but lots of possibilities.

We have never been “birders” but are thinking about possibly joining a birding expedition one of the days. Neither of us knew that this part of Texas is apparently a huge birding enthusiast’s dream!

I told my husband that I would be interested in visiting some of the birding places in this area, and there are quite a few of them. The Edinburg World Birding Center, the Sabal Palm Audubon Center and Sanctuary, several parks, and even a battlefield that all feature good bird watching possibilities and/or activities. Who knew? (Certainly not us… but we aren’t birders!)

I have to admit that I am pretty tired of only seeing doves and house finches in San Antonio. I used to get Blue Jays in the yard, but had to discontinue feeding them peanuts, since the squirrels made off with them more often than the Jays. And I haven’t seen a Cardinal in months. So, I wouldn’t mind seeing a colorful bird of some sort this weekend.

It’s odd >>> I never was interested in birds before. It seems that since Sprite has been gone (our 16 1/2 year old puppy) I have become more interested in other animals, perhaps thinking that it would make me get over Sprite. My husband and I have talked about another pet, but we’re just not sure we are ready for a big commitment like that again. As much joy as Sprite gave all of us, her last few years were very difficult for her – and for us. A lot of worrying…

I’ll let you all know about our attempt at “birding” for the first time. Neither my husband nor I would have EVER guessed we would look forward to trying this new adventure. Who knew?

Mollie Cox Bryan, Mary Jane Clark, Claire Donally, & Donna McLean : Four of the Newest Mystery Author Additions

As I recently told you all, I have been trying to get more authors posted to the Cozy Mystery site. You all have been so patient with me. I know that once you recommend an author, you would enjoy seeing that I finally get him/her up on the site, and some of you are probably frustrated with all of the waiting. Thank you for bearing with me!

Here are four of the newest mystery author additions to the site:

Mollie Cox Bryan: Cumberland Creek Mystery Series
This series features a sleuth who is an ex-investigative journalist. Now that she is a stay-at-home mom (in Virginia) she has more time to sleuth AND scrapbook. Bryan is also the author of two cookbooks: “Mrs. Rowe’s Little Book of Southern Pies” & “Mrs. Rowe’s Restaurant Cookbook“.)

Mary Jane Clark: Piper Donovan Wedding Cake Mystery Series
Even though Piper Donovan would rather be fully employed in her profession of choices (actress), she is very busy between working in her family’s New Jersey bakery business as a professional cake decorator and solving mysteries. Clark is also the author of the Key News Suspense/Thrillers.

Claire Donally: Sunny & Shadow Mystery Series
Sunny Coolidge is a newspaper reporter who has had to move back to Maine because of her ailing father. Shadow is a stray tomcat who has decided to make Sunny “his person”. These two make a great sleuthing duo.

Donna McLean: Sparrow Falls Mystery Series
Addie McRae has moved to Sparrow Falls, a delightfully quaint, little town in North Carolina. Addie is trying to find out more about her Scottish heritage. Tilda MacArdan helps Addie with her heritage questions, and she also helps Addie solve the mysteries that come her (their) way.

December 2012 Mystery Book New Releases

The following Mystery Books will be released in December 2012:

Maggie Barbieri: Extra Credit (This will be the 7th in the Murder 101 Mystery Series.)

Jessica Beck: Illegally Iced (This will be the 8th in the Donut Shop Mystery Series.)

Josie Belle (aka Jenn McKinlay & Lucy Lawrence): A Deal to Die For (This will be the 2nd in the Good Buy Girls Mystery Series.)

Juliet Blackwell (aka Hailey Lind): Murder on the House (This will be the 3rd in the Haunted Home Renovation Mystery Series.)

Lisa Bork: To Love and to Perish (This will be the 4th in the Broken Vows Mystery Series.)

Bailey Cates (aka Cricket McRae): Bewitched, Bothered, and Biscotti (This will be the 2nd in the Magical Bakery Mystery Series.)

Chris Cavender (aka Elizabeth Bright, Melissa Glazer, Tim Myers, & Casey Mayes): Killer Crust (This will be the 5th in the Pizza Lovers Mystery Series.)

Erika Chase: Read and Buried (This will be the 2nd in the Ashton Corners Mystery Series.) (This is a Christmas theme mystery.)

Cleo Coyle (aka Alice Kimberly): Holiday Buzz (This will be the 12th in the Coffee House Mystery Series.) (This is a Christmas theme mystery.)

Carola Dunn: Valley of the Shadow (This is the 3rd in the Cornish Mystery Series.)

Aaron Elkins: Dying on the Vine (This will be the 17th in the Gideon Oliver Mystery Series.)

Monica Ferris: And Then You Dye (This will be the 16th in the Needlecraft Mystery Series.)

Christy Fifield (aka Christy Evans): Murder Hooks a Mermaid (This will be the 2nd in the Haunted Souvenir Shop Mystery Series.)

Earlene Fowler: The Road to Cardinal Valley (This will be the 2nd in the Ruby McGavin Mystery Series.)

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles: Blood Never Dies (This will be the 15th in the Bill Slider Mystery Series.)

Julie Hyzy: Fonduing Fathers (This will be the 6th in the White House Chef Mystery Series.)

Victoria Laurie: What a Ghoul Wants (This will be the 7th in the Ghost Hunter Mystery Series.)

Joyce and Jim Lavene: A Haunting Dream (This will be 4th in the Missing Pieces Mystery Series.)

Amanda Lee (aka Gayle Trent): Thread on Arrival (This will be the 5th in the Embroidery Mystery Series.)

Liz Lipperman: Murder for the Halibut (This will be the 3rd in the Clueless Cook Mystery Series.)

Kylie Logan (aka Miranda Bliss & Casey Daniels): Panic Button (This will be the 3rd in the Button Box Mystery Series.)

Ada Madison (aka Camille Minichino & Margaret Grace): A Function of Murder (This will be the 3rd in the Sophie Knowles Mystery Series.)

Jenn McKinlay (aka Lucy Lawrence & Josie Belle): Book, Line, and Sinker (This will be the 3rd in the Library Lover’s Mystery Series.)

J.J. Murphy: A Friendly Game of Murder (This will be the 3rd in the Algonquin Round Table Mystery Series.)

Andrea Penrose: Recipe for Treason (This will be the 3rd in the Lady Arianna Regency Mystery Series.)

Ann Purser: Found Guilty at Five (This will be the 12th in the Lois Meade Mystery Series.)

Hannah Reed (aka Deb Baker): Beeline to Trouble (This will be the 4th in the Queen Bee Mystery Series.)

Delia Rosen: A Killer in the Rye (This will be the 3rd in the Deadly Deli Mystery Series.)

Betty Rowlands: Unnatural Wastage (This will be the 12th in the Sukey Reynolds Mystery Series.)

Paige Shelton: A Killer Maize (This will be the 4th in the Farmers’ Market Mystery Series.)

Clea Simon: True Grey (This will be the 5th in the Dulcie Schwartz Feline Mystery Series.)

Barbara Vine: The Child’s Child (This will be a Stand Alone.)

Sharon Wildwind: Loved Honor More (This will be the 5th in the Elizabeth Pepperhawk & Avivah Rosen Mystery Series.)

To go back to the Cozy Mystery New Book Release page, click here.

Simon Brett: Christmas Crimes at Puzzle Manor

Now that Halloween is a thing of 2012’s past, I thought I would share this letter I received about a Christmas mystery book that looks like it might be a lot of fun. I haven’t read the book, but from what Kerryn told me, it’s sort of a fun book that you can read chapter by chapter, solving the mystery along with its author, Simon Brett. (Kerryn, thank you for telling us about this pretty novel Christmas mystery novel!)

Kerryn:

“A number of years ago I bought a second hand copy of Simon Brett’s Christmas Crimes at Puzzle Manor. I noticed it listed on your website but unsure if you’ve read it. Basically each chapter ends with a puzzle to solve of various types (crossword, anagram, music etc). Solutions are given in the following chapter, if you don’t wish to do it yourself. However, I was very determined when I read the book not to continue with the story until I had solved each puzzle (some which took me several days before it clicked into place and worked out the solution). I loved the puzzles, and the fact that they were not basic, simple ones. I have never come across a book like this before or since and wondered if you possibly knew of any other books similar to this? Would be great to hear from you if you could point me in the right direction.”

This sounds like a lot of seasonal, holiday fun to me, and I think Kerryn has a great question. Do any of you know of any other mystery books that have the same ‘solve-the-puzzle’ as this Simon Brett The Christmas Crimes at Puzzle Manor? If so, please post us a comment. Thank you!

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