The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Cozy Mystery Books Recommendations – October 2012

Yes, indeed, it’s that time of the month again! Time for us to share both the new (to us) authors we have discovered and/or the authors we follow. These are authors who we have read during the month of October, who we think are so good, we just want to tell everyone. (Or at least everyone who reads the Cozy Mystery blog!)

I’m going to begin by telling you about Spencer Quinn‘s Chet and Bernie Mystery Series, which is my October 2012 mystery book recommendation. I am only a little more than half-way finished with the first book in the series (Dog Gone It) but I enjoyed the prequel story and this half of the book so much, that I simply had to tell you all.

Let me start by saying that I had been contemplating reading this series ever since the first book in the series was published back in 2009. But, as with a lot of new-to-me authors, I felt like I follow so many authors already, that I sort of put this series on the back burner. All that changed when I listed the first book in the series (and then the prequel story to the series) on the Kindle Free and Kindle Cheap mystery book list. I quickly added Spencer Quinn to my long Kindle queue.

When I finished the current mystery book I was reading, I went through my rather long list of Kindle books, and thought it might be a good time to give Chet a try. I know I should say Chet and Bernie, but I have to be honest, reading a book with the first “person” narration coming from a “canine person” intrigued me. And, I am doggone happy I tried this series!

I have a deep-seated passion for dogs, and this dog hits all the right notes for me. As I mentioned, the narrator is a dog. This dog is personified just the way we used to think Sprite was. For those of you dog (and cat) owners out there, you probably know exactly what I am saying. How often do you think you know exactly what your pet is thinking?

Chet’s attention span is rather short, he is easily distracted, he is loyal beyond that word’s description, he has his own agenda – yet is passionate about following his co-worker’s plans (and by co-worker I mean his owner, although I don’t think Chet sees their relationship quite that way!), and he eats hot dogs that have been sitting under couches with much gusto; in short, Chet’s your typical dog… almost.

The only difference between Chet and a “typical” dog is that he was a K-9 school attendee. (Notice I didn’t say “graduate”>>> but you know how I feel about posting a SPOILER.) Oh, and another difference between Chet and a “typical” dog is, of course, your typical dog doesn’t narrate mysteries. (I have to admit, there was one rather harrowing part in the book in which I had to keep reminding myself that Chet and Bernie is an ongoing series, so I knew everything would turn out OK. But, again, no SPOILER here.)

Do not be fooled by the idea of a dog narrating the mystery. This is not a mystery series that is suitable for children. This is definitely a mystery series written by an adult, for adults. But, so far, other than that one tense, small part, I have felt good while reading this mystery. Chet makes me smile. So, I guess you could say that Spencer Quinn makes me smile. I think that the Chet and Bernie Mystery Series might make you smile!

*****

I will add the recommended authors to this entry as they come in. (Please do not tell us about the authors you did not like.) Thank you!

What Cozy Mystery book (or author) have you read during October 2012, and why did you enjoy it (or him/her)?

Here are the current authors who some of you have read this past month, and wanted to tell the rest of us about:

Susan Wittig Albert: Darling Dahlias Mystery Series

Jeffrey Allen: Stay at Home Dad Mystery Series

Lucy Arlington (aka Jennifer Stanley & Sylvia May): Novel Idea Mystery Series

Jessica Beck: Donut Shop Mystery Series

Melissa Bourbon:Magical Dressmaking Mystery Series

Laura Bradford (aka Elizabeth Lynn Casey): Amish Mystery Series

Michael Brandman (Robert B. Parker’s successor): Robert B. Parker’s Fool Me Twice

Duffy Brown: Consignment Shop Mystery Series

JoAnna Carl (aka Eve K. Sandstrom): Chocoholic Mystery Series

Laura Childs: Tea Shop Mystery Series AND Scrapbooking Mystery Series

Kate Collins: Flower Shop Mystery Series

Lesley Cookman: Libby Sarjeant Mystery Series

Susan Rogers Cooper: Milt Kovak Mystery Series

Cleo Coyle: Coffee House Mystery Series

Philip R. Craig: Martha’s Vineyard Mystery Series

Isis Crawford (aka Barbara Block): Mysteries with Recipes Mystery Series

Jeanne M. Dams: Dorothy Martin Mystery Series

Dianne Mott Davidson: Goldy Bear Mystery Series

Ruth Dudley Edwards: Robert Amiss Mystery Series

Tim Ellis: Parish & Richards Mystery Series (#1 A Life for a Life)

Joanne Fluke: Hannah Swensen Cookie Jar Mystery Series

Shelley Freydont: Celebration Bay Mystery Series

Anne George: Southern Sisters Mystery Series

Carolyn Hart: Nela Farley Mystery Series

Ellen Hart: Jane Lawless Mystery Series

Veronica Heley: Ellie Quicke Mystery Series

Ellen Elizabeth Hunter: Magnolia Mystery Series

Judith K. Ivie: Kate Lawrence Mystery Series

Miranda James (aka Jimmie Ruth Evans, Honor Hartman, & Dean James): Cat in the Stacks Mystery Series

Sofie Kelly: Magical Cats Mystery Series

Janice Law: Anna Peters Mystery Series (A Safe Place to Die)

Meg London (aka Peg Cochran): Sweet Nothings Vintage Lingerie Mystery Series

Susan Elia MacNeal: Mr. Churchill’s Secretary

Jenn McKinlay (aka Lucy Lawrence & Josie Belle): Cupcake Bakery Mystery Series

Spencer Quinn (aka Peter Abrahams): Chet and Bernie Mystery Series

Cynthia Riggs: Martha’s Vineyard Mystery Series

Sara Rosett: Ellie Avery Mystery Series

Paige Shelton: Country Cooking School Mystery Series

Denise Swanson: Scumble River Mystery Series

Victoria Thompson: Gaslight Mystery Series

Elaine Viets: Dead-End Job Mystery Series

Peggy Webb: Southern Cousins Mystery Series

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

Our Main Sleuth’s Reprieve

I was just re-reading all of your comments about an author killing off the main sleuth because she/he thought the sleuth is boring. (My last entry.) It looks like the definite consensus is “No! Don’t do it!” Most of us seem to feel the same way about taking our sleuths away: One of the things we enjoy about our Cozy Mystery series are the characters and their development. Killing the sleuth would be a development we would rather avoid, at least until the author is pulling the plug on the series.

I totally agree with the sentiment that it would be almost disrespectful to the fans who actually like the series. What a way to repay them >>> bring on a sleuth who makes it more enjoyable to the author? What about the fans who bought your books? Perhaps the sleuth has gotten stale for the author, but as long as there continue to be fans who are buying the books, apparently the sleuth isn’t boring to everyone – the fans.

Who would have thought that Sherlock Holmes would rise from the dead? As for Poirot, I knew that Christie got tired of him, but she continued because of her (or should I say “his”?) fans. ‘Cause, let’s face it, when we like a mystery series, we’re not only fans of the author, but also of the sleuth.

I’m sure we all enjoy it when an author actually writes the last mystery in a series, and wraps it all up, so why not go that course? I get quite annoyed when I have stayed with a series through several books and then find out the publisher no longer wants to let the author continue with the series. I would always appreciate it if the publisher would let the author write one more mystery – just to wrap things up.

So, here’s a helpful suggestion to authors with this predicament. Retire your sleuth gracefully, before your fans think your sleuth is just as boring as you think he/she is!

To Kill, OR Not to Kill, That Really Is the Question!

I received a really good idea for an entry from one of you, who wishes to remain anonymous. Actually, I think it’s a really, really good idea, and would have loved to give credit to the person posing the question, but will go with what he/she asked.

“I was having a conversation with a mystery writer whose books feature an amateur sleuth. He mentioned he was thinking of killing her off a few books in, and having another younger (more interesting) character take over the crime solving business. Now my instinct as a reader was “No! Don’t do it!”, but I was really curious whether you or your readers knew if a mystery writer has gotten away with this successfully, or did it destroy the series. I don’t mean spin-off series, but out-and-out remove the main sleuth permanently and replace with a whole different lead sleuth. What do you think?”

I don’t know of any mystery series where the author has killed off the main sleuth and brought in a more “interesting” sleuth to take his/her place. I wonder just how boring (my word, not anybody else’s) this particular author’s main sleuth is. Is she/he boring to readers? (The sleuth, not the author!) Is he/she boring to just the author? Is this particular author’s mystery series a well-known and well-established mystery series?

If this particular author’s series is popular, my advice would be to: “Get over it! Don’t tamper with success! Go get yourself a pseudonym and start another series with a more interesting (to you) main sleuth.” (Many other authors are going the pseudonym route, so just join them. It makes it more difficult for the readers to keep the particular authors with pseudonyms straight, but apparently that doesn’t seem to bother the authors. And, let’s face it, with pseudonyms, if people don’t like one of your series, they may still give another one of your series a try.)

I am one of those people who missed Captain Hastings when he moved to Argentina. Yes, I know he wasn’t the main sleuth in Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot Mystery Series, but he sure was a great secondary character. And as such, he added a lot to the series. Imagine, though, that Christie has gotten rid of Hercule instead, and made Hastings the sleuth. So much more exciting: a military hero and a gaucho, to boot! Can’t get more “interesting” than that! Good thing Christie didn’t, or we would be reading the Captain Hastings Mystery Series!

So, although I don’t know of any successful mystery authors who have managed to pull the old bait and switch routine, I will agree with the person who sent me this entry’s subject:

“No! Don’t do it!”

Getting back to the actual topic of this entry:

“I was really curious whether you or your readers knew if a mystery writer has gotten away with this successfully, or did it destroy the series. I don’t mean spin-off series, but out-and-out remove the main sleuth permanently and replace with a whole different lead sleuth. What do you think?”

One of My Fall Rituals OR How I Do (Plan) My Television Viewing

With all of these current comments about television shows, I decided to share a little about what I do each year at this time.

Every new fall television season, I tape all of the new shows and watch them. (We have a Sage television recorder which is fabulous – although “extinct”. It enables us to record a lot of different shows at the same time.) I actually go through the television roster and pick out all of the new shows. I then record and watch them, to determine whether they are keepers or not.

You might think that I must devote hours and hours to watching all of the new shows the four major networks have to offer. Actually, I wish that were the case! Unfortunately, I usually don’t last more than ten minutes for most shows. I try to “force” myself to watch at least ten minutes, but sometimes I don’t even last that long. I can usually tell if the show is something that will “last” for me rather quickly. Some of the time, all I need to see is a “funny” sex joke. If a show’s writers think they have to rely on a “funny” sex joke within the first ten minutes to catch the viewer’s attention, then they are looking for a different type of viewer than me.

Another thing that tells me the show isn’t for me is when I see a cute, angelic, little child doing quick double-take looks at the parents. That or the “always funny” same sweet child rolling his/her eyes at something one of the parents said. Relying on that is a definite turn-off to me. I guess I just don’t agree with the laugh-track technician.

Let’s see, what are some other pet peeves of mine… (I think I’m on a roll!!!)

How about doctors and lawyers on these shows who look like they are nineteen years old? >>> And I’m not talking about Dougy Hauser, MD! What happened to all of those years of college and then medical school, interning, residency, etc.? At least give me a lawyer with four years of college, followed by three years of law school, I’ll give it a break and not put in the LL.M.s!

Here’s yet one more thing that will determine if I’m able to last longer than ten minutes watching a new show: Give me some actors who are not “generic” looking actors. I’d like to be able to differentiate between the actresses and actors. I mean, do all of the actors have to be buff, Chippendale looking men? Do all of the actresses need to look like they all received the same cosmetic surgery upon graduating from high school? And, when I say I’d like them not to all look alike, I don’t mean throw a blonde in amongst the brunettes!

Yes, I know, I’m a tough crowd!!!

So far, this season, I have two possible shows that I will continue watching. Two out of the entire new television roster for all three channels. That’s pretty telling, isn’t it? But, at least I have two possible shows. Some years I don’t even have one!

How about you? How do you find new shows to follow? Do you have any pet peeves when it comes to finding a new show?

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