The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Memphis Beat is Back…

Just a quick reminder for all of you who started watching Memphis Beat last summer… It’s back! It stars Jason Lee (main character), Alfre Woodard (boss), Sam Hennings (partner), DJ Qualls (comic relief/young cop), & Celia Weston (Lee’s mom) — with the wonderful music of Keb’ Mo’.

This is one of the non-British “cop shows” that I truly enjoy. This show has something in common with the other three “cop shows” I watch: It’s on a non-major-network channel. Memphis Beat (TNT), The Closer (TNT), In Plain Sight (USA), and Law & Order: Criminal Intent (USA). ***Yes, I have to finally come clean… I am seriously thinking about dropping Castle from my television viewing. The cliff hangers at the end of the first half of the season (right before the month and a half hiatus) and at the end of the season just aren’t doing it for me any more.  Also, having gone through the mid/late 1980s Moonlighting romantic tension between the two main characters, I find this one absolutely too much. How many times are we going to see Castle tell Kate he loves her… while she is either frozen, out cold from being shot, ETC? Good grief!***

I certainly didn’t mean to go on and on… I just want to remind those of you who enjoy Memphis Beat that it is finally back. And, the good thing about being on a non-major-network-channel is that they repeat shows during the week. If you enjoy the show, or are in the market for possibly picking up a new “cop show”… stay tuned to your TVGuide!

My Prerogative to Change My Mind…

I think it was only the middle of May when I wrote that my husband and I had decided not to visit our daughter while she interned in Washington, D. C. this summer. Well— that was last month! This month we have changed our minds, and are both looking forward to our mini-vacation. [Lucky for us that our son will be able to take care of our puppy, Sprite. As I have written before >>> She has become VERY finicky at her age -16 1/2 years old!]

Earlier this year, my husband thought that he was going to retire, which meant we would put off taking little trips during the year, until he retired. But he has since then decided not to retire, which means we can take a few days off here and there.

We visited all of the local places that meant a lot to us during our trip last year:  Two houses we had lived in, and places we took the children when they were little. This year, with all of the sentimental places already “taken care of”>>> We are going to sort of wing-it, and go wherever we want. My husband has been talking about Charlottesville, Virginia, including Monticello. Now that we don’t have little children, we are able to go places that would truly bore little ones.

I’m looking forward to finding out which places we “wing-it” to, but mostly, I’m looking forward to spending time with our daughter.

“Do You Prefer to Be Right or Happy?”

Hmmm… I’m in a pensive mood! As this is a time when I am just sitting around thinking, and then thinking some more, I’m going to share some quotes I’ve had written down for a while… for times like this when I am in a thoughtful mood:

“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” (Abraham Lincoln)

“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” (Abraham Lincoln)

“Experience is what you get, when you don’t get what you wanted.” (Randy Pausch)

“Rejection is life’s protection.” (Alice Hunt)

Question: How are you?
Answer: Better than I deserve to be.

On tombstone: “I told you I was sick.”

How about you? Do you have any favorite quotes/thoughts?

PS>>> I’m working on taking the HAPPY over the RIGHT… but sometimes it’s just plain tough!

Mystery Books with Mothers as Sleuths (Single, Married, Widowed, or Divorced)

Barbara recently asked:

… Does anyone know of another cozy series where the lead character is a woman (single, divorced, or married) with kids?… I was wondering if there was another cozy series where the “heroine” has children. Thanks for any input…

Here is a list of mystery books that feature Mothers as Sleuths. These moms are either single, married, widowed, or divorced. I have only listed the authors who can be found on the Cozy Mystery site…

Susan Wittig Albert: China Bayles Herbal Mystery Series

Laura Alden: PTA Mystery Series

Donna Andrews: Meg Langslow Mystery Series

C. C. Benison: Father Christmas Mystery Series (Tom Christmas is a widowed father.)

Kate Borden: Peggy Jean Turner Mystery Series

Dorothy Cannell: Ellie Haskell Mystery Series

Kaye George (aka Janet Cantrell): Imogene Duckworthy Mystery Series

Nora Charles (aka Noreen Wald): Kate Kennedy Mystery Series

Jill Churchill: Jane Jeffry Mystery Series

E. J. Copperman (aka Jeffrey Cohen): Haunted Guesthouse Mystery Series

Deborah Crombie: Kincaid & James Mystery Series

Mary Daheim: Hillside Manor Bed & Breakfast Mystery Series

Diane Mott Davidson: Goldy Bear Mystery Series

Carola Dunn: Daisy Dalrymple Mystery Series

Nancy Fairbanks (aka Nancy Herndon): Culinary Food Writer Mystery Series

Sharon Fiffer: Jane Wheel Mystery Series

Yasmine Galenorn (aka India Ink): Chintz ‘n China Mystery Series

Sarah Graves: Home Repair is Homicide Mystery Series

Kerry Greenwood: Phryne Fisher Mystery Series

Terris McMahan Grimes: Theresa Galloway Mystery Series

Joan Hess: Claire Malloy Mystery Series

Lee Hollis: Hayley Powell Food & Cocktail Mystery Series

Jane Isenberg: Bel Barrett Mystery Series

J. A. Jance:Joanna Brady Mystery Series

Alice Kimberly (aka Cleo Coyle): Haunted Bookshop Mystery Series

Evan Marshall: Jane Stuart & Winky Mystery Series

Tamar Myers: Den of Antiquity Mystery Series

Diana Orgain: Maternal Instincts Mystery Series

Katherine Hall Page: Faith Fairchild Mystery Series

Sara Rosett: Mom Zone Mystery Series

Cindy Sample: Laurel McKay Mystery Series

Joanna Campbell Slan: Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-n-Craft Mystery Series

Sarah Stohmeyer: Hairdresser Mystery Series

Teresa Trent: Pecan Bayou Mystery Series

Elaine Viets: Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper Mystery Series

If you can think of any other sleuths who are mothers of children still at home, please post a comment.

PS>>>> GOOD GRIEF!!!! How about my Stay-at-Home Moms Mystery Series?!?

You would think I could have remembered this theme!!! My excuse is that I wrote it in April of 2008>>> which clearly is not a valid excuse! But, in all fairness, this is not limited to Stay-at-Home Moms. For example, Kate Borden’s Peggy Jean Turner is the mayor of her town AND Diane Mott Davidson’s Goldy Bear runs a successful catering business. Claire Malloy (Joan Hess) is the owner of a book store. So for a more in-depth list of Mothers as Sleuths, you could incorporate both of these themes…

♦To access more Cozy Mysteries by Theme, click on this link.♦

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