The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Tasha Alexander, Joan Blacher, Christy Fifield, & Janice Hamrick : the Four Newest Additions to the Cozy Mystery Site

I know I have really been bad about adding new authors to the Cozy Mystery site. I am (again!) going to try to get more of them posted. I mean, if you all are recommending mystery authors you think belong on the site, then I really should get them posted!

Here are the four newest additions of mystery authors to the Cozy Mystery site:

Tasha Alexander   Alexander writes an historical mystery series which is set in Victorian London: the Lady Emily Mystery Series. Lady Emily is a young widow of a viscount. (Alexander has her B.S. in English/Medieval Studies, which obviously helps a lot when writing an historical series.)

Joan Blacher    Blacher is a psychotherapist who worked as both a professor and counselor at the university level. She writes the Ardis  Jensen Mystery Series, which features a counselor at a university who used to be a forensic psychologist.

Christy Fifield (aka Christy Evans & Christina F. York)   Fifield writes the Haunted Souvenir Shop Mystery Series which features, as its sleuth, a Florida souvenir shop owner. As Christy Evans she writes the Georgiana Neverall Mystery Series.

Janice Hamrick  Hamrick pens the Jocelyn Shore Mystery Series which is set in Austin, Texas. Jocelyn is a high school teacher/sleuth. Hamrick got her Bachelor’s in English, and has worked as a technical writer for a computer software company.

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Too Many Significant Others Who Happen to Be Private/Police Detectives?

At the end of last month, as MJ was recommending three authors to us, she brought up a really good point about a lot of our sleuths’ love interests. (Keep in mind that MJ liked all three of the authors.)

MJ:
Re: Author #1:
“… has some quirky characters, and the ‘requisite’ (of many cozy writers) police boyfriend love interest…”

Author #2:
“…This author ALSO follows the ‘cozy’ formula of the love interest being a police detective…”

Author #3:

“…It appears *** is utilizing the same love interest formula as the previous two – police dept. boyfriend to-be!

I know several mystery cozies have love interests with OTHER occupations. But many (if not most) love interests are detectives (police or private), which is why I jokingly call them ‘formula’.”

My answer was:

“MJ, I totally agree about the ‘requisite” detective love interest! Either that, or the detective is their niece, nephew, son, daughter, best friend, neighbor, ETC! Sure helps the sleuth gather interesting clue-solving tidbits…”

Susie followed our line of conversation by adding:

“MJ’s point both intrigues and worries me. In the series I’m developing, I don’t have a detective as a love interest in the first book, but I do for the second. But the problem is, as Danna suggests, that the detective (or in my case, constable) comes in handy when you have an amateur sleuth, especially in a time period when women couldn’t serve as police, detectives, etc (my books are set in early modern England). But I suppose he doesn’t need to be a detective, but for a series you need a reason to keep bringing them together. Do you think a lawyer as the love interest is equally formulaic? And if so, do you mind? (I can think of the Anne Perry novels, but not too many others). I would love to know your thoughts on this.”

What do you all think? Do too many sleuths have too many police/private detective significant others?

Cozy Mystery Books Recommendations – February 2012

This will be the second entry in the Cozy Mystery Books Recommendations theme. The authors who we will be recommending are Cozy Mystery authors who we have read this month (February 2012) who we think other Cozy Mystery readers should give a try.

Again, if you are currently reading a Cozy Mystery author, or can think of one (or two, or three!) who you read this month, who you think everyone else should try, please post a comment with his/her name and tell us why.

(Please only post about those Cozy Mystery authors and books you have positive things to say about, not who you think we should stay away from!)

What Cozy Mystery book (or author) are you reading (or have read during February 2012), and why are you enjoying it (or him/her)?

February 29, 2012:

Here are the recommendations you all sent in about the Cozy Mystery books you have read (and enjoyed!) during the month of February 2012:

Avery Aames: Cheese Shop Mystery Series

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

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

Sarah Atwell (aka Sheila Connolly): Glassblowing Mystery Series

Lorna Barrett (aka Lorraine Bartlett & L. L. Bartlett): Booktown Mystery Series

Lorraine Bartlett (aka L. L. Bartlett & Lorna Barrett): Victoria Square Mystery Series

M. C. Beaton (aka Marion Chesney): Hamish Macbeth Mystery Series

Carrie Bebris: Mr. & Mrs. Darcy Mystery Series

Fiona Buckley: Ursula Blanchard Mystery Series

Lucy Burdette (aka Roberta Isleib): Key West Food Critic Mystery Series

Caroline Cousins: Pinckney Plantation Mystery Series

Deborah Crombie: Kincaid & James Mystery Series

Casey Daniels (aka Miranda Bliss & Kylie Logan): Pepper Martin Mystery Series

Krista Davis: Domestic Diva Mystery Series

Carola Dunn: Daisy Dalrymple Mystery Series

Fish Tales: The Guppy Anthology – Ramona DeFelice Long (Editor), Chris Roerden (Introduction)

B. B. Haywood: Candy Holliday Mystery Series

Veronica Heley: Ellie Quicke Mystery Series & Abbot Agency Mystery Series

Joan Hess: Claire Malloy Mystery Series

Maddy Hunter: Passport to Peril Mystery Series

Faye Kellerman: Decker & Lazarus Mystery Series

Sofie Kelly: Magical Cat Mystery Series

Liz Lipperman: Clueless Cook Mystery Series

Judi McCoy: Dog Walker Mystery Series

Leslie Meier: Lucy Stone (Holiday) Mystery Series

Ann Purser: Ivy Beasley Mystery Series

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

Sarah R. Shaber: Professor Simon Shaw Mystery Series

Paige Shelton: Country Cooking School Mystery Series

Dana Stabenow: Kate Shugak Mystery Series

Rex Stout: Nero Wolfe Mystery Series

Victoria Thompson: Gaslight Mystery Series

Kathy Hogan Trocheck (aka Mary Kay Andrews): Julia Callahan Garrity Mystery Series

Livia J. Washburn: Fresh Baked Mystery Series

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

Sheila Connolly aka Sarah Atwell: Orchard Mystery Series, Museum Mystery Series, or Glassblowing Mystery Series… Which one would you recommend reading first?

The final Cozy Mystery author from the March 2012 Mystery Book New Releases page to be highlighted is Sheila Connolly, who actually debuted writing Cozy Mystery books as Sarah Atwell. Sarah Atwell (pseudonym) published the first in her Glassblowing Mystery Series in 2008. This was quickly followed with Sheila Connolly’s Orchard Mystery Series being published. Two years later brought us the Museum Mystery Series, under her own name, Sheila Connolly.

Sheila Connolly is a very prolific best selling author. So, for the last time this month I will pose the question: If you were to recommend one of these three mystery series to a “hypothetical newbie” (to Sheila Connolly/Sarah Atwell) – which of these Cozy Mystery series would you want the newbie to start with?

As Connolly:

Orchard Mystery Series: Our sleuth, Meg Corey, is an apple orchard owner in Massachusetts.

Museum Mystery Series: Nell Pratt is a fundraiser for the Preservation of Pennsylvania Antiques, and she happens to also be our sleuth.

As Atwell:

Glassblowing Mystery Series: The sleuth, Em Dowell, is an artist you owns a glassblowing studio in Tucson, Arizona.

Which one of Sheila Connolly’s/Sarah Atwell’s three series would you recommend a newbie to the Cozy Mystery genre to begin with? (And, would you mind telling us why?)

PS>>> Great news for all of you Sheila Connolly/Sarah Atwell fans: She will be publishing an Irish mystery series starting next year!

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