The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

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!

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!

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