The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Robert B. Parker :Jesse Stone Mystery Series, Spenser Mystery Series, & Sunny Randall Mystery Series…

Sandra wrote to me with this very sad news about Robert B. Parker:

“FYI: Robert B. Parker, one of my top 5 all time favorite authors passed away suddenly while sitting at his desk in Cambridge, Mass on Jan. 18th. He was 77 yrs old and it was reported this A.M. that the cause of death was heart attack.

While not “cozy”, Mr. Parker wrote over 50 books mostly in the Jesse Stone (tv shows starred Tom Selleck) and Spenser private detective very long series which were the basis for the 1980’s tv series, Spenser for Hire. A less known fact is that a smaller book series “Sunny Randall” was created for actress Helen Hunt(at her request) to star in but the shows never materialized but Parker continued to write the book series.

The latest Spenser novel was just released, The Professional, top 10 on the NY Times list now. I just today finished this book and wow, it was as good as any of the others that I have enjoyed.

His last Jesse Stone novel will be released 2/23/10, Split Image. He completed this but alas never got to see it published.

If you go to his website, www.robertbparker.net you can find so much info and good interviews but an added little treasure is in the “press room” button where you can listen to “Moon River” as sung by Robert B. Parker and his son Dan Parker.

Danna, if you could post news on Mr. Parker’s death, I am sure others would like to know and comment. Thank you, Sandra”

I know that he will be missed by many!

Pie In the Sky Mystery (Television) Series…

Pie in the Sky: Series One Here’s another British mystery “dramedy” (drama & light comedy) series that might have been “undiscovered” by many people outside of the United Kingdom. Pie in the Sky stars Richard Griffiths as Henry Crabbe, the main character of the series.

When we first meet Crabbe, we find out that he wants desperately to retire from the police force in order to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time chef in his very own restaurant. This is not to be!

Crabbe (deliciously portrayed by Griffiths!) is left to be a part-time chef and restaurateur, having to solve crimes while planning the menu, collecting the eggs from his chicken coop, and supervising his ex-convict sous chef. The name of his restaurant: Pie in the Sky.

Maggie Steed is perfectly cast as his wife Margaret, an accountant who eats to live, prefering numbers over the delectable fare Crabbe prepares at his restaurant. They make a delightful “opposites attract” couple. She simply does not enjoy food, even though they own a restaurant and he is a wonderful chef.

Bella Enahoro plays the detective who is assigned to Crabbe. Her purpose is to spy on Crabbe and keep his boss (Malcolm Sinclair) informed of everything Crabbe is up to. However, sometimes things don’t work out as intended…

Pie in the Sky is one of those detective series that is character-driven. There isn’t a fast chase scene in each episode, or a shoot-out that climaxes with several close-ups of the wounded. This is not to say that there is no plot!

My husband and I finished watching Pie in the Sky – second season. We think that the show improved with each episode, and that’s saying  a lot, since we both really enjoyed the first show!

We have yet to watch the Pie in the Sky third season, but are really looking forward to seeing it.

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

Carole Buggé, Jana DeLeon, B. B. Haywood, and Mary Kennedy … Four Mystery Authors Added to the Site

The four latest mystery book authors who some of you have recommended to be included on the site are:

Carole Buggé: Claire Rawlings Mystery Series which has an editor in New York as its sleuth (who is helped by her young ward) AND the Sherlock Holmes Mystery Series which involves the fictional Holmes character as the sleuth… 

Jana DeLeon: Ghost-in-Law Mystery Series takes place in Louisiana and features a botanist and her best friend who are the sleuths. They happen to be helped by the botanist’s mother-in-law… that’s dead mother-in-law… 

B. B. Haywood: Candy Holliday Mystery Series features a sleuth who returns home to Maine to co-manage Blueberry Acres Farm. Blueberry-based recipes are included…

Mary Kennedy: Talk Radio Mystery Series features an ex-clinical psychologist who takes to the air waves as a talk show radio hostess in Florida. (Mary Kennedy is a psychologist who has also worked as a radio copywriter…)

February 2010 Mystery Book New Releases

The following mystery books will be released in Feb. 2010:

Nancy Atherton: Aunt Dimity Down Under (This will be the 15th in the Aunt Dimity Mystery Series…)

Kate Carlisle: If Books Could Kill (This will be the 2nd in the Bibliophile Mystery Series…)

Laura Childs: The Teaberry Strangler (This will be the 11th in the the Tea Shop Mystery Series…) (Actually March 2…)

Kate Collins: Sleeping with Anemone (This will be the 9th in the Flower Shop Mystery Series…)

Clive Cussler & Jack Du Brul: Corsair (This will be the 6th in the Oregon Files Series…)

Krista Davis: The Diva Paints the Town (This will be the 3rd in the Domestic Diva Mystery Series…)

Joanne Fluke: Apple Turnover Murder (This will be the 13th in the Hannah Swensen Mystery Series…)

Parnell Hall (aka J. P. Hailey): The Puzzle Lady vs. the Sudoku Lady (This will be the 11th in the Puzzle Lady Mystery Series…)

B. B. Haywood: Town in a Blueberry Jam (This will be the 1st in the NEW Candy Holliday Mystery Series…)

Betty Hechtman: A Stitch in Crime (This will be the 4th in the Crochet Mystery Series…)

Sue Ann Jaffarian: Corpse on the Cob (This will be the 5th in the Odelia Grey Mystery Series…)

Tamar Myers: Butter Safe than Sorry (This will be the 18th in the Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery Series…)

Robert B. Parker: Split Image (This will be the 9th in the Jesse Stone Mystery Series…)

James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge: Worst Case (This will be the 3rd in the Michael Bennett Mystery Series…)

J. D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts): Fantasy in Death (This will be the 31st in the Eve Dallas Mystery Series…)

Dana Stabenow: A Night Too Dark (This will be the 17th in the Kate Shugak Mystery Series…)

Mary Stanton (aka Claudia Bishop): Avenging Angels (This will be the 3rd in the Beaufort & Company Mystery Series…)

Penny Warner: How to Host a Killer Party (This will be the 1st in the NEW Party Planning Mystery Series…)

Heather Webber: Truly, Madly (This will be the 1st in the NEW Lucy Valentine Series…)

Melinda Wells: The Proof Is in the Pudding (This will be the 3rd in the Della Cooks Mystery Series…)

♦To go back to the Cozy Mystery Book New Releases page click here♦

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