The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Another Rant and Rave… No Mystery Here!

I’m going to start this out by saying that I am going to try not to heat-up over this while writing about it. I have already gotten heated, and no good came from it, so… here goes>>>

About two months ago I came out of the grocery store and noticed that my car looked a little dusty. It’s gray, and I have to admit that I am not keeping it as clean as I should be keeping it. It is simply too hot to get out of the car and wash it with the little soapy-wand. Once the weather gets a little more reasonable, I’ll get to it…

Anyway, the reason I noticed it was dusty is that some kind soul had wiped a four inch by three inch section of it. Wasn’t that a friendly thing for a stranger to do? Yep…

Upon inspection of the 4-3 inch wiped area I saw the reason this kind person dusted my car… The person had clearly scraped my car and, feeling guilty, checked to see the damage he/she had done. Upon finding out that yes, he/she had scraped the paint off my car, he/she left.

Hmmm… Not such a kind person after all! Of course, this person felt guilty enough to check and see if he/she had done some damage, but certainly he/she had not felt guilty enough to leave a note with his/her phone number.

This brings me to something that happened about a month ago… More on that tomorrow…

Inspector Lewis : Counter Culture Blues – PBS NEW Masterpiece Mystery! (Season 3)

Masterpiece Mystery! will start airing Season 3 of Inspector Lewis – beginning this Sunday (tomorrow) night on your local PBS station. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Inspector Lewis, he used to be Inspector Morse’s side-kick. The Inspector Lewis 90-minute episodes are inspired by Colin Dexter’s Inspector Morse mystery books. Counter Culture Blues is a 2008 ITV production. (This is its first airing in the USA.)

With the passing of John Thaw (Inspector Morse), we would have understood if the production of these wonderful television movie episodes had stopped. I am so glad ITV decided to continue making these really good episodes based on Colin Dexter‘s Inspector Morse mystery books. 

Instead of having Inspector Morse at the helm of the investigations, Morse’s sergeant has been promoted, and given a side-kick of his own. Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox are very convincing as Inspector Lewis and Detective Sergeant Hathaway. Lewis is a working-class bloke while Hathaway is a Cambridge graduate, and very much like Lewis’s previous partner, Inspector Morse.

This particular episode boasts the truly versatile Joanna Lumley. Lumley has such a diverse repertoire >>> She was terrific as one of Roald Dahl’s terrible aunts in James and the Giant Peach, fabulous as the aging drug and alcohol laden hippie in Absolutely Fabulous, and touchingly desperate in A Rather English Marriage. All in all, I cannot wait to see what she does portraying a dead rock star who, perhaps wasn’t that dead…

Some More of My Favorite Narrators of Books on Tape… Pt. 3

Here is the last of the three entries I have written about my favorite narrators of Books on Tape. 

Lisette Lecat
Lisette Lecat was born in South Africa. This accounts for the wonderful accent she lends the characters as she narrates Alexander McCall Smith‘s the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency mystery series. Her voice has a melodious quality which brings a humanity to all of the novels’ characters. It is truly a delightful experience to listen to Lecat’s narrations.

Nadia May, Wanda McCaddon, Donada Peters
Wanda McCaddon is an audio book narrator who has won many awards. She has a tremendous ear for accents, and is able to take the audio book listener to distant locations using her incredible mastery of accents. Elizabeth George, Ruth Rendell, Agatha Christie, and Ngaio Marsh are just a few authors whose mystery books have been brought to life by May/McCaddon/Peters

Stephen Thorne
If you are an Ellis Peters audio book fan, then no doubt you have heard the wonderful work of Stephen Thorne. He has performed in television, movies, radio, and on stage, as well as his accomplished performances in well over 300 audio books.

Colin Buchanan
Actor Colin Buchanan is probably best known for his portrayal of Pascoe in the television productions of Reginald Hill‘s Dalziel & Pascoe mysteries. This Scottish graduate of the London Drama Centre has narrated several of Reginald Hill’s audio book mysteries.

Len Cariou
Tony Award winning actor Len Cariou has had a long and distinguished dramatic career in both the USA and Canada. He has appeared in movies as well as on stage. He has also garnered high praise for his audio book narrations, which include books by best-selling authors Michael Connelly and James Patterson.

Boyd Gaines
Boyd Gaines joined the television cast of “One Day at a Time” years before becoming a mystery audio book narrator. He has brought Caleb Carr‘s mysteries to life, and has also won Tony Awards, as well!

James Saxon
James Saxon is a very distinguished British actor who has also leant his talents to audio books. Ngaio Marsh, P. G. Wodehouse, and Agatha Christie are amongst the authors for whom he has narrated.

Brian Glover
Glover is memorable in Margery Allingham’ Albert Campion television productions, where he portrays Campion’s butler, Lugg. He has lent his acting skills to Reginald Hill‘s Dalziel & Pascoe mystery audio books. (I have to admit that some people find his accent a little difficult to understand…)***I just corrected this… I got my sleuths all mixed up! Thanks, Carol!

These are just several of the audio book narrators who I feel a particular allegiance to. Do any of you have favorite audio book narrators who you wouldn’t mind sharing with us?

Part 1 of Audiobook Narrators

Part 2 of Audiobook Narrators

Great Narrators of Mystery Books on Tape… Pt. 2

In my previous entry I talked about Barbara Rosenblat and Derek Jacobi, two people who really know how to narrate a mystery book on tape! Today I want to add the following people to my list of (mystery) book narrators who help bring a book to life. 

Davina Porter
Davina Porter narrates best selling books in a manner that allows the listener to enjoy every aspect of the mystery novel. Porter is one of the pioneers in audio books. Her ease with mastering accents (whether for male or female protagonists) is truly an art form. She narrates the Isabel Dalhousie (non-mystery) series by Alexander McCall Smith, the Charlotte & Thomas Pitt mystery series by Anne Perry, Cynthia Riggs’ Martha’s Vineyard mysteries, and mysteries by such masters as Ruth Rendell and Elizabeth George.

Barbara Caruso
Mystery fans who have listened to audio books by Edna Buchanan or James Patterson have no doubt enjoyed the narrations of Barbara Caruso. Caruso is also an actress, which helps explain her rich portrayals. Caruso first started narrating audio books for the American Foundation for the Blind. She received the Alexander Scrouby Award, which is a very high award given by the American foundation for the Blind for excellent work in audio books.

John McDonough
Perhaps a lot of people visually recognize John McDonough as the second Captain Kangaroo, but a lot of people also recognize his voice as the terrific narrator of Jan Karon‘s Mitford (non-mystery) series. McDonough’s voice is so peaceful to listen to, with very soothing qualities. Once you have heard McDonough, he will become instantly recognizable to you.

Joan Hickson
Joan Hickson is a treat to watch and hear. She portrays Miss Jane Marple in the BBC’s Miss Marple mystery series. She also narrates several of the Agatha Christie Miss Marple novels. What a treat! She is a perfect choice for the Miss Marple readings and portrayals. Agatha Christie actually thought she would be a perfect Miss Marple.

David Suchet
Who better to narrate Agatha Christie‘s Hercules Poirot mystery books than the actor who personified the fictional detective? In 1991, Suchet was nominated for the BAFTA (comparable to the Emmy) for his portrayal of Hercules Poirot, and in 2008, he won an Emmy for his roll in “The Way We Live Now. His narrations are true treats to hear.

Part 1 of Audiobook Narrators

Part 3 of Audiobook Narrators

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