The Cozy Mystery List Blog

Cozy Mystery Books Recommendations – May 2012

May 30, 2012

I can’t believe that May is almost over! What a month!!! School terms are over, neighborhood pools are opening, barbecues are being heated up, and birds are VERY abundant. (I wish we got more Cardinals here, and less of those drab-colored Doves and House Finches!)

Since it is the end of May, how about if we share the Cozy Mystery books we have enjoyed this month? Let’s tell each other why we are “nominating” these authors as writers we think other Cozy Mystery readers should try reading >>> it they aren’t already.

Once you tell us about the author you really enjoyed, and of course, why you enjoyed him/her, I will start accumulating the authors names on a list below. Please tell us a little about why you are recommending this author/book, >>> we’d especially like to know why the author is good. (I hate to keep droning on about this next thing, but please don’t tell us about the authors you tried reading and disliked.)

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

The Cozy Mystery author who I read this month, who I think others might really enjoy is Margaret Grace. She’s also known as Camille Minichino and Ada Madison.

Perhaps the reason I enjoy Grace so much, is that her main sleuth has a lot of the same thoughts as I do. I find her main sleuth, Gerry Porter, thinking a lot of the same things I would have thought if I had encountered the exact event. Does that make sense? I hope so. I am sure I would not be able to identify with some of Gerry’s thoughts if she weren’t such a three-dimensional character. Grace’s characters are three-dimensional characters, much like those you would encounter in “real life”.

The main characters of the Miniature Mystery Series are Gerry and her granddaughter, Maddie, who is an elementary school age girl. Their relationship is a joy to read about. Gerry simply dotes on Maddie, and the feelings are mutual. Gerry’s nephew, Skip, is a police officer in this Cozy almost-everybody-knows-everybody town. Skip is (quite often!) aggravated by his Aunt Gerry, but he loves her all the same. The relationships between all of the characters ring true to me, and very life-like. These are “people” who I would love to know!

I really enjoy the writing style of Grace. It isn’t super flowery, with big words sprinkled in to show us just how intelligent the author is, and it also doesn’t rely on profanity to get the different moods across. We “get it” when a character is mad, even without “*!#^*” being used as adjectives and adverbs. Her writing style is effortless and smooth, a very conversational tone, without being simplistic.

I strongly recommend the Miniature Mystery Series by Margaret Grace.

April 2012 Author and Series Recommendations:

Ellery Adams (aka J. B. Stanley, Jennifer Stanley, & 1/2 of Lucy Arlington): Books by the Bay Mystery Series

Charlotte Armstrong: The Turret Room & A Dram of Poison

Nancy Atherton: Aunt Dimity Mystery Series

Melissa Bourbon: Magical Dressmaking Mystery Series

Barbara Bretton: Chloe Hobbs’ Paranormal Mystery Series

Emily Brightwell: Mrs. Jeffries Mystery Series

Frances Brody: Kate Shackleton Mystery Series

Dorothy Cannell: Ellie Haskell Mystery Series

Sheila Connolly (aka Sarah Atwell): Orchard Mystery Series

Deborah Coonts: Lucky O’Toole Mystery Series

Ellen Crosby: Wine Country Mystery Series

Diane Mott Davidson: Goldy Bear Catering Mystery Series

Anna Dean: Dido Kent Mystery Series

Laura DiSilverio (aka Lila Dare & Ella Barrick): Mall Cop Mystery Series

Carola Dunn: Daisy Dalrymple Mystery Series

Anne George: Southern Sisters Mystery Series

Margaret Grace (aka Camille Minichino and Ada Madison): Miniature Mystery Series

Victoria Hamilton: Vintage Kitchen Mystery Series

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

P. D. James: Adam Dalgliesh Mystery Series

Diane Kelly: Tara Holloway Mystery Series

Sofie Kelly: Magical Cats Mystery Series

Liz Lipperman: Clueless Cook Mystery Series

Nancy Martin: Blackbird Sisters Mystery Series

Amy Patricia Meade: Rosie the Riveter Mystery Series

Katherine Hall Page: Faith Fairchild Mystery Series

Mark Schweizer: Liturgical Mystery Series

Paige Shelton: Farmers’ Market Mystery Series

Alexander McCall Smith: No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Mystery Series

Leann Sweeney: Cats in Trouble Mystery Series

Marcia Talley: Hannah Ives Mystery Series

Elaine Viets: Dead End Job Mystery Series

Dornford Yates: Jonathan Mansell Mystery Series

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

Memorial Weekend, a Time for Reflection

May 28, 2012

Happy Memorial Day to all of you in the USA.

It is a time for us to remember those brave people who died while serving in the armed forces. I am guessing that most of us take this very special day/weekend to also remember those we loved – who are no longer with us.

It is also a time to think about those who are currently in the armed forces, and to thank them for the many sacrifices they make for all of us.

If You Get PBS on Channel KQED: Midsomer Murders Marathon

May 27, 2012

Alfred sent me a letter telling me about a special “marathon running” of Midsomer Murders on the PBS channel KQED. It starts June 1:

“Danna Just wanted to give you an early warning that the entire month of June starting June 1st Midsomer Murders will be on KQED plus from 8 to 10pm The first one they will be showing is Tainted Fruit, part one at 8pm and part 2 at 9. Just wanted to let you know so you can do some research on it.”

Thank you, Alfred! I did do some research, and found that Midsomer Murders will be airing on the PBS station KQED during the months of June and July of this year (2012).

Lucky you if you get this PBS channel in northern California! (Takes me back to when the A&E channel ran these types of shows!)

Annie’s Attic Mystery Series – Chronological Order

May 27, 2012

Here is the chronological list of these mysteries:

ANNIE’S ATTIC MYSTERY SERIES

Main Character: Annie Dawson, Widow, Cleaning Out Grandmother’s Attic, Maine Coast

The Lady in the Attic by Tara Randel
Medals in the Attic by Cathy Elliott
The Photo Album by Marlene Chase
Letters in the Attic by DeAnna Julie Dodson
The Package by Sharon Dunn
The Map in the Attic by Jolyn Sharp
Rag Doll in the Attic by Jan Fields
Boxed In by Karen Kelly
The Deed In the Attic by K. D. McCrite
Emeralds in the Attic by Jan Fields
The Wedding Dress by Mary O’Donnell
The Valise In the Attic by Jan Fields
The Unfinished Sonata by K.D. McCrite
The Stolen Canvas by Marlene Chase
A Man of His Word by Karen Kelly
The Key in the Attic by DeAnna Julie Dodson
Road Trip! by Jan Fields
The Tapestry in the Attic by Mary O’Donnell
Gunns and Roses by Karen Kelly
The Legend of Fuller’s Island by Jan Fields (aka Ghost Island)
A Stony Point Christmas by K.D. McCrite
A Spicy Secret by D. Savannah George
The Cats & the Riddle by Jan Fields
Jazzed by Donna Kelly
The Diary in the Attic by DeAnna Julie Dodson
Angels in the Attic by Mary O’Donnell
Wild Things by Karen Kelly
The Kennel Caper by Jan Fields
The Legacy in the Attic by DeAnna Julie Dodson
Ring in the Attic by K.D. McCrite

Annie’s Crafts Company is the publisher of this series, as well as the three mystery series listed below. They are mysteries without profanity, and each book is written by a different author.

If you go to this page on my site, there is a list of all of the Annie’s mystery series: