The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Marnette Falley, Karen E. Olson, Wendy Roberts, & Beth Sherman : Four New Mystery Authors on the Cozy Mystery Site

As most of the regular readers of the Cozy Mystery Site already know, I add new authors (to me, anyway!) to the site that you all have recommended. When I post the new authors, I haven’t read any of them (yet!) >>> but I must say that some of the recommended authors really do look interesting to me.

Marnette Falley: Falley wrote the latest (fourth) book in the popular Queen Bees Quilt Mystery Series, which was started by Sally Goldenbaum.

Karen E. Olson: Olson writes the Tattoo Shop Mystery Series which is set in Las Vegas. (I believe this is the first with the tattoo theme.) She also writes the Annie Seymour Mystery Series…

Wendy Roberts: Roberts writes the Ghost Dusters Mystery Series which features a death scene cleaning company. The main character gets help solving mysteries from ghosts.

Beth Sherman: Sherman writes the Jersey Shore Mystery Series which features a ghostwriter (as in “author” not the 6th sense!) from the Jersey Shore…

“Thank you” to all of you who have made author recommendations!

Cozy Mystery Authors Who are Currently Being Enjoyed by Some of the Site Readers…

A few days ago I asked if you all would let the rest of us know about some of the Cozy Mystery authors who you are enjoying. Here are some of the comments that some of you posted.

♦♦♦♦♦DRU: Laura Levine‘s Jaine Austen Mystery Series “…I love her Jaine Austen books. Jaine’s nosiness into involving herself in cases and somehow her life is always threatened is a hoot.”

♦♦♦♦♦BERNADETTE: Julie Hyzy‘s White House Chef Mystery Series “I like the ‘insider’ stuff about the workings of the White House plus the characters seem to be enjoyable.”

♦♦♦♦♦BETH: Dorothy Cannell‘s Ellie Haskell Mystery Series “Interesting twists, engaging characters.”

♦♦♦♦♦AMY: Blaize Clement‘s Dixie Hemingway Mystery Series “Love her funny, complicated heroine – and bonus cat care tips.”

♦♦♦♦♦LAURA: Laura Child‘s Cackleberry Club Mystery Series “I am in the midst of reading “Eggs in Purgatory”… and I am thoroughly enjoying it. It is the first book in the Cackleberry Club series… There are some side stories that keep it interesting without making you lose sight of the main suspects.”

♦♦♦♦♦PETIE: Nancy Atherton‘s Aunt Dimity Mystery Series “I’ve just started… and am thoroughly enjoying it. It was one of the easiest books to ‘get into’ and I hate to put it down!”

“To Beth, you will love THE THIN WOMAN series! My twin sister got me acquainted with it and they are wonderful!”

♦♦♦♦♦MARIA: “I just finished the third in the Blaize Clement series and have the fourth on hold at the library. (These are the pet sitter mysteries. I get a kick out of the pet advice too…”

“I am waiting on “Criminal Tendencies” a book of short stories (that I hope contains cozies). It was put out by Creme de la Crime to be sold to support Breast Cancer Research. Besides that, it has a story by Kaye C. Hill in it and I LOVED her “Dead Woman’s Shoes.” Since that was a cozy, I’m hoping that the stories in Criminal Tendencies will be mostly cozy/funny stuff!”

♦♦♦♦♦KERI: Anne Perry‘s Charlotte & Thomas Pitt Mystery Series “The series is really good…”

Deanna Raybourn‘s Lady Julia Grey Mystery Series “She’s also a Victorian author…”

♦♦♦♦♦-V- VICKIE: Alice Kimberley‘s Haunted Bookshop Mystery Series “I love this series.”

Cleo Coyle‘s Coffeehouse Mystery Series “I also love the alter ego…” (Referring to the fact that Kimberley and Coyle are both the same author, or should I say authors… a husband/wife writing team.) 

“Favorite cozy authors:

Nancy Atherton – Aunt Dimity

Susan Wittig Albert – China Bayles

Laura Childs – Tea Room Mystery Series

Meg Cabot – Heather Wells Mysteries

Ann B. Ross – Miss Julia

Ellis Peters – Brother Cadfael

Elizabeth Peters – Vicky Bliss”

♦♦♦♦♦JAN: Alexander McCall Smith‘s The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Series “… and all are absolutely delightful to listen to. The narrator has a beautiful lilting accent that is perfect for this series. Highly recommended!”

Cleo Coyle‘s Coffeehouse Mystery Series “I recently read the first book in the Coffeehouse mysteries by Cleo Coyle and really enjoyed it. #2 is sitting here waiting to be read.”

“I can’t resist listing some favorite authors:

Love, love, love the Southern Sisters series by Anne George! I devoured each as quickly as I could get my hands on them. Not cozy but Elizabeth George‘s Lynley/Havers series is a favorite…  I’ve read and enjoyed M. C . Beaton’s Hamish series as well as Atherton‘s Aunt Dimity books … Kathy Reich‘s Tempe Brennan series.

P. D. James

Love Harlan Coben‘s Myron Bolitar series…not exactly cozy but worth the read!

… back in my 20s… I devoured all of Agatha Christie‘s books. Does it get any better than that?! Then I moved on to Rex Stout. I’ve had a life long love affair with mysteries.”

♦♦♦♦♦KATHY: C. L. Grace’s Kathryn Swinbrooke Series “I just finished the Paul Doherty writing as C. L. Grace series. I loved this series… I loved the character & how the doctor logically solves the crimes.”

Since the above quotes are simply little snippets of the actual comments, if you are interested in seeing the comments in full, just go to the May 18, 2009
Would You Mind Sharing Your Latest & Greatest Cozy Mystery Author? entry.

New Cozy Mystery Shows Coming Soon!

Good news, Cozy Mystery lovers! A site reader (Thank you, Alfred!) just told me about some upcoming shows on PBS… So>>> mark your calendars!

PBS is calling this the “Six by Agatha” event. It all kicks off with two new Hercule Poirot episodes (Hercule Poirot Series X) at the end of June. Of course, we wouldn’t want them with any other actor than David Suchet… And, lucky for us, he will be starring in them. Both of these Agatha Christie episodes are ninety minutes long:

June 21….. Cat among the Pigeons

June 28….. Mrs. McGinty’s Dead

And then on to four brand new Miss Marple (Miss Marple, Series IV) shows. This time Julia McKenzie will be starring as Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple. If you were lucky enough to catch Cranford when it aired on PBS earlier this year, then you already know what an exceptional actress she is. These episodes are also ninety minutes long.

July 5….. A Pocket Full Of Rye

July 12…..  Murder is Easy

July 19….. They Do It with Mirrors

July 26….. Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?

Now that the major television stations have all run their two hour season finales, what better way to celebrate the summer than with some brand new Mystery! shows on PBS?

Thanks, again, Alfred!

Cozy Mystery Authors with Coffeehouse and Tea Shop Settings, and Ice Cream Parlors, Too!

Here is a theme for all of you Cozy Mystery readers who like coffeehouse and tea house settings. I have only included authors who are found on this site. If you know of any other Cozy Mystery authors who use these settings, please post a comment.

Sandra Balzo: Maggy Thorsen Mystery Series… Maggy, and ex-PR executive, owns and runs the Uncommon Grounds coffeehouse in Wisconsin.

Lynn Cahoon: Tourist Trap Mystery Series… Jill Gardner owns the Coffee, Books, and More store in the California.

Laura Childs: Tea Shop Mystery Series… Theodosia Browning owns a Tea Room in Charleston.

Laura Childs: Cackleberry Club Mystery Series… The café is owned by single women (good friends) who not only sleuth, but also provide a nice little book corner and a knitting shop for their patrons.

Amanda Cooper (aka Victoria Hamilton & Donna Lea Simpson): Teapot Collector Mystery Series… Sophie Taylor works at her family-owned Victorian Tearoom in New York.

Cleo Coyle (aka Alice Kimberley): Coffeehouse Mystery Series… Clare Cosi manages the Village Blend Coffeehouse in Greenwich Village.

Yasemin Galehorn (aka India Ink): Chintz ‘n China Mystery Series… Emerald O’ Brien owns the Chintz ‘n China Tea Shop and she happens to be a psychic.

Terrie Farley Moran: Read ‘Em and Eat Mystery Series… Sassy Cabot and Bridgy Mayfield own this combination bookstore/café.

Wendy Lyn Watson writes the Mystery à la Mode Mystery Series which has an icecream parlor owner who is also a sleuth.

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

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