The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

October 2012 Mystery Book New Releases

The following Mystery Books will be released in October 2012:

Lydia Adamson: A Cat Tells Two Tales (This will include both of the first books in the Alice Nestleton Mystery Series – A Cat in the Manger and A Cat of a Different Color.) (A Cat in the Manger is a Christmas theme mystery.)

Tasha Alexander: Death in the Floating City (This will be the 7th in the Lady Emily Mystery Series.)

Donald Bain & “Jessica Fletcher”: Domestic Malice (This will be the 38th in the Murder, She Wrote Mystery Series.)

Lorna Barrett (aka Lorraine Barrett & L. L. Bartlett): Murder in Three Volumes This will include the first three mystery books in the Booktown Mystery Series: Murder is Binding (#1), Bookmarked for Death (#2), and Bookplate Special (#3).

Melissa Bourbon (aka Misa Ramirez): Deadly Patterns (This will be the 3rd in the Magical Dressmaking Mystery Series.)

Duffy Brown: Iced Chiffon (This will be the 1st in the Consignment Shop Mystery Series.)

Dorothy Cannell: Sea Glass Summer (This will be a Stand Alone.)

JoAnna Carl (aka Eve K. Sandstrom): The Chocolate Moose Motive (This will be the 12th in the Chocoholic Mystery Series…)

Joelle Charbonneau: Skating on the Edge (This will be the 3rd in the Rebecca Robbins Mystery Series.)

Laura Childs: Postcards from the Dead (This will be the 10th in the Scrapbook Mystery Series…)

Patricia Cornwell: The Bone Bed (This will be the 20th in the Kay Scarpetta Mystery Series.)

Jeanne M. Dams: The Corpse of St. James’s (This will be the 12th in the Dorothy Martin Mystery Series.) (Actually, this is already available.)

James D. Doss: The Old Gray Wolf (This will be the 17th in the Charlie Moon Msytery Series.)

Elizabeth J. Duncan: A Small Hill To Die On (This will be the 4th in the Penny Brannigan Msytery Series.)

Ruth Dudley Edwards: Killing the Emperors (This will be the 12th in the Robert Amiss Mystery Series.)

“Jessica Fletcher” & Donald Bain: Domestic Malice (This will be the 38th in the Murder, She Wrote Mystery Series.)

David Handler (aka 1/2 of Russell Andrews): The Snow White Christmas Cookie (This will be the 9th in the Berger & Mitry Mystery Series.) (This is a Christmas theme mystery.)

Pam Hanson & Sunni Jeffers: Christmas Traditions at Grace Chapel Inn (This will be the 49th in the Tales from Grace Chapel Inn Series.) (This is a Christmas theme novel, not a mystery.)

Carolyn Hart: What the Cat Saw (This will be the 1st in the NEW Nela Farley Mystery Series.)

Ellen Hart: Rest for the Wicked (This will be the 20th in the Jane Lawless Mystery Series.)

Hazel Holt: Mrs. Malory and a Necessary End (This will be the 20th in the Sheila Malory Mystery Series.)

Elise Hyatt: A Fatal Stain (This will be the 3rd in the Daring Finds Mystery Series.)

Jane Isenberg: The Bones and the Book (This will be a Stand Alone.)

Sunni Jeffers & Pam Hanson: Christmas Traditions at Grace Chapel Inn (This will be the 49th in the Tales from Grace Chapel Inn Series.) (This is a Christmas theme novel, not a mystery.)

Iris Johansen: Sleep No More (This will be the 14th in the Eve Mystery Series.)

Jess Lourey: December Dread (This will be the 8th in the Murder-by-Month Mystery Series.) (This is a Christmas theme mystery.)

G. M. Malliet: A Fatal Winter (This will be the 2nd in the Max Tudor Mystery Series.)

Casey Mayes (aka Elizabeth Bright, Melissa Glazer, Chris Cavender, & Tim Myers): A Grid for Murder (This will be the 3rd in the Mystery by the Numbers Mystery Series)

Archer Mayor: Paradise City (This will be the 23rd in the Joe Gunther Mystery Series.)

James Patterson & Marshall Karp: NYPD Red (This will be a Stand Alone.)

Anne Perry: A Christmas Garland (This will be Anne Perry’s 10th Victorian Christmas theme novel.)

Sara Rosett: Mistletoe, Merriment and Murder (This will be the 7th in the Mystery Series.) (This is a Christmas theme mystery.)

Paige Shelton: If Mashed Potatoes Could Dance (This will be the 2nd in the Country Cooking School Mystery Series.)

Alexander McCall Smith: The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds (This will be the 9th in the Isabel Dalhousie Series.)

Tales from Grace Chapel Inn: Christmas Traditions at Grace Chapel Inn (This will be the 49th in this series. It is written by Sunni Jeffers & Pam Hanson.) (This is a Christmas theme novel, not a mystery.)

Charles Todd: The Walnut Tree: A Holiday Tale (This will be a Stand Alone.) (This is a Christmas theme mystery.)

Lis Wiehl & Pete Nelson: Darkness Rising (This will be the 2nd in the East Salem Trilogy)

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

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day to all of you! I hope you are enjoying your extended weekend as much as we did.

I remember years ago, when I lived in Colorado, Labor Day was always the day I used as my gauge that summer was over. My mother’s cousin would always have a big family reunion in Canyon City over the Memorial Day weekend, which, for me marked the beginning of summer. These two holidays, Memorial Day and Labor Day, book-ended the summers for me.

Our family reunions became a thing of the past when my mother’s cousin passed away. And, of course, as with a lot of things that are no longer available, I miss those reunions. I never really appreciated them as much as I should have. When my children were little, it really seemed like a big hassle to attend the reunion – knowing that we were going to have to keep our little ones occupied, worrying about nap time vs. cranky time, bring baby food, etc. Looking back, what was I thinking?!? Enjoy the moment!

Getting back to my initial greeting: Happy Labor Day! I hope you all are having a restful, fun-in-the-sun type of day!

Cozy Mystery Books Recommendations – August 2012

It’s again time to post our favorite authors who we read this past month – August 2012. These are authors who we think other Cozy Mystery readers might want to try reading. As usual, I am asking you all to tell us about some of the authors you really enjoyed reading, and WHY you enjoyed these authors.

I’m going to do this a little differently this month, since I just added my author recommendation to the Cozy Mystery site. Rather than tell you why I am nominating Tarquin Hall in this entry, I will refer you to the Tarquin Hall: Vish Pury Mystery Series entry I just posted, telling you why I like Tarquin Hall so very much.

(I actually found out about Tarquin Hall because Sally recommended his books in last month’s recommendations. THANK YOU!!! I am so glad you made me aware of Tarquin Hall.)

Please do not just list a bunch of authors without telling us WHY you like each one. It’s your reasons that we would appreciate knowing, since you might enjoy the very same things we do. (And, I hate to keep adding this, please do not tell us about the authors you tried reading who you did not like.) I will add the recommended authors to this entry as they come in.

What Cozy Mystery book (or author) have you read during July 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:

Ellery Adams (aka J. B. Stanley, Jennifer Stanley, & 1/2 of Lucy Arlington): Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery Series

Donna Andrews: Meg Langslow Mystery Series

Connie Archer: Soup Lover’s Mystery Series

Kathleen Bacus: Tressa Jayne Turner Mystery Series

Ella Barrick (aka Laura DiSilverio & Lila Dare): Ballroom Dance Mystery Series

M. C. Beaton (aka Marion Chesney): Agatha Raisin Mystery Series

Josie Belle (aka Jenn McKinlay & Lucy Lawrence): Good Buy Girls Mystery Series

Dorothy Bodoin: Snowhedge, Secret of the Satyr, and The Cameo Clue

Melissa Bourbon (aka Misa Ramirez & Melissa Bourbon Ramirez): Magical Dressmaking Mystery Series

Rhys Bowen: Evan Evans Mystery Series

Mollie Cox Bryan: Scrapbook of Secrets

Meg Cabot: Heather Wells Mystery Series

Kate Carlisle: Bibliophile Mystery Series

Heron Carvic: Miss Seeton Mystery Series

Bailey Cates (aka Cricket McRae): Magical Bakery Mystery Series

Joelle Charbonneau: Glee Club Mystery Series

Erika Chase: Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery Series

G. K. Chesteron: Father Brown Mystery Series

Margaret Chittenden: Charlie Plato Msytery Series

Peg Cochran (aka Meg London): Gourmet De-Lights Mystery Series

Sheila Connolly (aka Sarah Atwell): Orchard Mystery Series

Lesley Cookman: Libby Sarjeant Mystery Series

Cleo Coyle (aka Alice Kimberly): Coffee House Mystery Series

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

Bill Crider: Dan Rhodes Mystery Series

Mary Daheim: Bed-and-Breakfast Mystery Series

Maryjanice Davidson: Undead and Unreturnable

Claire Donally: The Big Kitty

Kaitlyn Dunnett (aka Kathy Lynn Emerson): Liss MacCrimmon Scottish Mystery Series

Janet Evanovich: Stephanie Plum Mystery Series

Amanda Flower: Appleseed Creek Msytery Series

Anne George: Southern Sisters Mystery Series

Rebecca M. Hale: Cats and Curios Mystery Series

Tarquin Hall: Vish Puri Mystery Series

Victoria Hamilton: Vintage Kitchen Mystery Series

Lynette Hall Hampton: Jilted by Death

Janice Hamrick: Jocelyn Shore Mystery Series

Veronica Heley: Ellie Quicke Mystery Series

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

P. D. James: Adam Dalgliesh Mystery Series

J. A. Jance: Joanna Brady Mystery Series

Dardyna Jones: Second Grave on the Right

Rita Lakin: Gladdy Gold Mystery Series

Victoria Laurie: Psychic Eye Mystery Series

Victoria Laurie: Ghost Hunter Msytery Series

Joyce and Jim Lavene: Sheriff Sharyn Howard Mystery Series

Nancy Martin: Blackbird Sisters Msytery Series

Francine Mathews (aka Stephanie Barron): Jack 1939 (This is a Stand Alone)

Members of the Detection Club: The Floating Admiral

Katherine Hall Page: Faith Fairchild Mystery Series

Elizabeth Peters (aka Barbara Michaels): Jacqueline Kirby Mystery Series

Cynthia Riggs: Martha’s Vineyard Mystery Series

Ann B. Ross: Miss Julia Mystery Series

Mary Saums: Thistle and Twigg Mystery Series

Maggie Sefton: Molly Mallone Mystery Series (not Cozy)

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

Leann Sweeney: Cats in Trouble Mystery Series

Marcia Talley: Hannah Ives Mystery Series

Charles Todd: Ian Rutledge Mystery Series

Kari Lee Townsend: Fortune Teller Mystery Series

Peter Tremayne: Mystery of Ancient Ireland

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

Tarquin Hall: Vish Puri Mystery Series

The Case of the Missing Servant: From the Files of Vish Puri, Most Private Investigator (A Vish Puri mystery Book 1) I just added a new (to me) author on the Cozy Mystery site. I was in a hurry to add him, since I will be recommending him as my July 2012 Cozy Mystery Books Recommendation in just a few minutes.

Tarquin Hall writes the Vish Puri Mystery Series, which is an absolute delight to read. It is set in Delhi, India – not your typical mystery series setting. (Last month, it was recommended as one of June 2012 Cozy Mystery Books Recommendations, so this series will be making the list two months in a row.)

Tarquin Hall, a journalist, has begun a mystery series that I will liken to three of my favorite mystery series. I can definitely see some Hercule Poirot in Vish Puri, as well as some Sherlock Holmes, mixed in with a little No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Series. (Yes, I am aware that Vish would not like me to say he is anything like Sherlock Holmes!)

Vish reminds me a lot of Poirot because of his inflated (but accurate!) view of his own abilities, especially vis-à-vis the police. Vish (or “Chubby” – as his close friends and family call him) is the founder of the Most Private Investigators agency, and seems genuinely preoccupied with righting wrongs. Vish  is able to overlook a lot of society’s prejudices, and seems comfortable relating to both rich and poor. Vish, like Poirot, seems to have a canny ability to size up people.

Vish reminds me of Sherlock Holmes because of his inflated (but accurate!) view of his own abilities, especially vis-à-vis the police. (Hmmm, haven’t I said this very same thing before?) Vish enjoys amazing people with his powers of deductions, almost to the point of playing parlor tricks. Vish uses all sorts of disguises for himself, as well as his staff. He involves himself in the actual story, putting himself right into the action, rather than simply observing all of the facts.

Enter, the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series. As I have said many times, I am a huge fan of Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series. Hall manages to do for India, what McCall Smith does for Botswana. Hall is able to fill all of our senses with India. He acquaints us with the sounds, smells, bright colors, and human conditions of Delhi. Tarquin Hall is a wonderful storyteller. As in McCall Smith’s series, we are able to see Vish in both his professional capacity, as well as his home life. (I hope to see a lot more of his interfering Mummy-ji in the following mystery books!) All of the characters are three dimensional, and have back stories.

If you are looking for a new a mystery series to follow that is humorous, smart, entertaining, different, and downright fun, I recommend you take a look at Tarquin Hall’s Vish Puri Mystery Series. I’m glad I did!

If you’re interested in reading more of these brief revisits of some of the more popular Cozy Mystery Series that I’ve written in the past, you can find them at the Most Recommended Cozy Mystery Series page on my site.

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