The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

I’m a Little Early in My Preparations…

You’ll never guess what I am doing >>> a week before Thanksgiving. I am actually putting up our Christmas decorations. (Of course, the graphic probably gives it away…)

In the past, when our children were young, I would never have thought of doing this “fun activity” without their little hands helping me strategically place their favorite ornaments on the tree. Those days are long gone.

My daughter is coming home next week for the Thanksgiving holiday, which is already upon us. I thought that if I gave myself a few days before she is due to come home, I would be finished and have the house back to normal. However, it is taking me more time to get this chore done. (Yes, I’m afraid that I now consider this all a chore to get done!)

Everything seems to be a lot more difficult to do. Either the tree has gotten lower to the floor, or I have gotten a little older! I used to be able to kneel down to arrange the lower branches. (Yes, I have an artificial tree >>> I don’t see the point of cutting down a beautiful pine just so that I can drag it out to the curb at the end of December. Besides, I use the pine scented candle/melts to make the house smell like perhaps the tree could be a real pine… perhaps…)

This marks the first year that I have used a chair to sit on while arranging the limbs and lights at the bottom of the tree. This way I don’t hear my knees making all-too-familiar creaking noises, and hopefully I won’t be sore tomorrow.

It is also taking me more time to go through all of the decorations that both my son and daughter made while they were growing up. I have toilet roll tubes painted up as toy soldiers, little ceramic cups made into pipe-cleaner poinsettia vases, toothpick stars, paper plate doves, pony bead streamers and candy canes, and other home-made and school-made treasures which I reserve to go on the most prominent limbs of our tree.

So, as you probably can guess, it’s not the actual decorating that is taking so much longer this year, it’s the memories that these wonderful heirlooms are triggering in my mind, of the days when decorating our house for Christmas was indeed a fun activity.

Laura DiSilverio, Mitzi Kelly, Cindy Sample, & Susan Santangelo : Four New Authors on the Cozy Mystery Site

I have just added four “new” authors to the Cozy Mystery site. All four of them have been recommended by site readers – as belonging on the site.

Laura DiSilverio  (aka Lila Dare & Ella Barrick) DiSilverio was an Air Force intelligence officer who went on to teach English at the Air Force Academy. She writes the Charlie Swift Mystery Series which features a former Air Force intelligence officer. DiSilverio also writes the Mall Cop Mystery Series which has, as its sleuth, a security officer at a mall in Virginia.

Mitzi Kelly   Kelly writes the Silver Sleuths Mystery Series which is set in Texas. The three senior citizen sleuths are: bossy Millie, nice Edna, and always-dieting Trish. These three ladies have a penchant for solving mysteries.

Cindy Sample   Sample writes the Laurel McKay Mystery Series. Laurel has recently gone through a divorce. She is now a single soccer mom living in California who works at a bank, and solves mysteries.

Susan Santangelo  Santangelo writes the Baby Boomer Mystery Series, which is set in Connecticut. Carol & Jim Andrews are recently retired baby boomers. They may have just retired, but they certainly aren’t slowing down – not when there are crimes to be solved!

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Television series (HBO)

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: Season 1 [DVD] I should preface this entry by saying that I absolutely love Alexander McCall Smith‘s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency mystery books. While I have them listed as Cozy Mystery books, I have to say that in my opinion, they are more beautiful, character-driven pieces of fiction>>> in which the “mystery part” of the novel is secondary. (I emphasize that this is only my opinion! I consider Alexander McCall Smith one of today’s best storytellers.)

This HBO series was a collaboration with the BBC, and it shows! The episodes are quite true to Alexander McCall Smith’s mystery books, except for the addition of a secondary character (hair dresser) who, to me, is a nice addition. HBO has not added (again my opinion!) their almost-perfunctory nudity and sex scenes… which totally delights me.

The African (Botswana) setting is phenomenal. I am struck by the realistic “look” of the episodes… no slick Hollywood gloss-overs here! The cattle you see are not corn-fed, “beefed-up Hollywood” animals. The roads are dusty, the houses are modest, and the cars look like the type which would keep Mr. J. L.B. Matekoni (Lucian Msamati) busy at his auto repair shop.

Mma Ramotswe (Precious) is superbly played by Jill Scott, but to me, the stand-out performance is Anika Noni Rose as Mma Makutsi (Grace).

I strongly recommend the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency television series. In the past, I have often had problems watching a screen production of a favorite book/series of mine. There have been a few exceptions to this, the Princess Bride is one that comes to mind. This production of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency is yet another exception!

If you would like to see more TV and Movies suggestions, click here.

My Current Reading Picks: Phoebe Atwood Taylor and Ellery Queen

I just finished one of my Christmas mystery books, but have decided that since frosted windows and swirling snowflakes are really what I was missing, I’m going to go ahead and make my way through some Snowed-In/Snow Bound mystery books in my TBR bookshelf. There will be plenty of time for my Christmas theme mysteries a little later.

I am currently reading my first of Phoebe Atwood Taylor‘s Asey Mayo mysteries. I know I never read mystery series books out of order… but never say never. As I have never read any of Taylor’s mysteries, you might be surprised to see that  Death Lights a Candle is the second in this particular mystery series. Yes, that’s right! I am breaking one of my own “Rules to Read By” >>> and so far, I am enjoying it. The gathering takes place in a huge estate in Cape Cod, during a blizzard in March. Lots of snow, snow, and more snow.

As for the audible book in my car, I am reading Ellery Queen‘s The Siamese Twin Mystery. The gathering in this book is at a large house, but so far there is no sign of snow, icicles, or one cup of  hot chocolate. But, that’s OK with me>>> I didn’t expect it to be a Snowed-In/Snow Bound mystery.

I would love to know what mysteries (Cozy and not so Cozy) you all are currently reading. Please post a comment if you don’t mind telling us…

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