The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

January 2009 Mystery Book New Releases…

The following mystery books will be released in January 2009:

Suzanne Arruda: The Leopard’s Prey (This will be the 4th in the Jade del Cameron Mystery Series…)

Jan Burke: The Messenger (This will be a Stand Alone…)

Stephen J. Cannell: On the Grind  (This will be the 8th in the Shane Scully Mystery Series…)

Alys Clare: The Joys of My Life (This will be the 12th in the Hawkenlye Mystery Series…)

Blaize Clement: Cat Sitter on a Hot Tin Roof (This will be the 4th in the Dixie Hemmingway Mystery Series…)

Susan Rogers Cooper: A Shotgun Wedding (This will be the 9th in the Milt Kovak Mystery Series…)

Tim Dorsey: Nuclear Jellyfish (This will be the 11th in the Serge a. Storm Mystery Series…)

Sharon Dunn: Death at a Discount (This will be the 3rd in the Bargain Hunters Mystery Series…)

Hallie Ephron (1/2 of the G. H. Ephron duo): Never Tell a Lie (This will be a Stand Alone…)

Janet Evanovich: Plum Spooky (This will be a Stephanie Plum Between-the-Numbers Novel…)

Tami Hoag: Rumor Has It (This will be a Romance Novel…)

Sue Ann Jaffarian: Booby Trap (This will be the 4th in the Odelia Grey Mystery Series… Actually Feb. 1…)

Alice Kimberly (aka Cleo Coyle): The Ghost and the Haunted Mansion (This will be the 5th in the Haunted Bookshop Mystery Series…)

Margaret Lawrence: Roanoke: A Novel of Elizabethan Intrigue (This will be a Stand Alone…)

Ralph McInerny: The Wisdom of Father Dowling (This will be a Father Dowling Novel…)

G. A. McKevett: A Body to Die For (This will be the 14th in the Savannah Reid Mystery Series… Actually Dec. 30…)

Richard North Patterson: Eclipse (This will be a Stand Alone…)

Louise Penny: A Rule Against Murder (aka The Murder Stone) (This will be the 4th in the Three Pines Mystery Series…)

Rhonda Pollero: Fat Chance (This will be the 3rd in the F.A.T. Mystery Series…)

Dana Stabenow: Whisper to the Blood (This will be the 16th in the Kate Shugak Mystery Series… Actually Feb. 17…)

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

Midsomer Murders series…

Midsomer Murders, Series 1 (Reissue) I have put off writing this review because most people who visit the Cozy Mystery Site are already aware of this deliciously fun, long-running ITV mystery series: Midsomer Murders. The episodes are based on (inspired by) Caroline Graham’s Inspector Barnaby Mystery Series.

Nope, it is not “mid-summer murders”>>> the Midsomer in the title refers to the county area in which DCI Barnaby (John Nettles) and his loyal sidekick sergeant (Daniel Casey in the first several seasons, John Hopkins in the middle seasons, and Jason Hughes in the last few seasons to date) are charged with keeping the peace and solving the crimes. And, lucky for us, we get to meet Barnaby’s wife (Jane Wymark) and daughter (Laura Howard) and watch as they both evolve.

The scenery is phenomenal>>> I love all of the different cozy village settings they show in the episodes. Since Midsomer is a county made up of several villages, we are treated to many quaint villages with the traditional cozy mystery characters— including a few totally eccentric busybodies! And, even luckier for us, Barnaby has a civic duty to perform, so we see him officiating/participating in several fêtes>>> More cozy village ambiance for us to enjoy!

Midsomer Murders is now in its eleventh season (I think!) although we (in the USA) are no longer having the privilege of watching this truly cozy mystery show. (A&E stopped showing the series several years ago.) I wish A&E hadn’t decided to change its line-up years ago. It was truly one of my favorite television channels back when they showed us shows like Sherlock Holmes with Jeremy Brett, Miss Marple with Joan Hickson, and Poirot with David Suchet.

If you’re looking for the ambiance of a truly cozy British mystery setting… you might want to introduce yourself to Midsomer Murders. That is, if you aren’t one of its many fans already!

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

Mystery Books that Take Place in Minnesota:

Here are some fun facts about Minnesota:
Minnesota is an Indian word that means “sky-tinted water.” St. Paul is the capital, Minneapolis is the largest city. State Motto: The Star of the North. State Flower: Minnesota Pink and White Lady’s-Slipper. Minnesota was named for the sky blue waters.

Authors who are found on the Cozy Mystery Site and who feature Minnesota locations in their books:

John L. Betcher: James Becker Mystery Series

Janet Cantrell (aka Kaye George): Fat Cat Mystery Series

Jessie Chandler: Shay O’Hanlon’ Caper Series

Carole Nelson Douglas: Kevin Blake Mystery Series

Jan Dunlap: Bob White Birder Murder Mystery Series

J.C. Eaton: Sophie Kimball Mystery Series

Monica Ferris: Needlecraft Mystery Series

Joanne Fluke: Cookie Jar Mystery Series

Ellen Hart: Sophie Greenway Mystery Series AND Jane Lawless Mystery Series

Tami Hoag: Sam Kovac Mystery Series

Christine Husom: Snow Globe Shop Mystery Series

Sofie Kelly: Magical Cats Mystery Series

Mary Lou Kirwin: Librarian Mystery Series

William Kent Krueger: Cork O’Connor Mystery Series

M.D. Lake: Peggy O’Neill Mystery Series

Jess Lourey: Murder by the Month Mystery Series

Diane Morlan: Jennifer Penny Mystery Series

Annie Knox (aka Wendy Lyn Watson): Pet Boutique Mystery Series

Beth Solheim: Sadie Witt Mystery Series

Please feel free to contact me if you see an author from the Cozy Mystery Site who belongs on this list, or if you have any comments.

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

Christopher Lane, Barbara Paul, Steve Sherman: Three New Authors to the Site…

Here are the latest three new authors who you all have recommended for the site:

Christopher Lane writes the Inupiat Eskimo Mystery Series  which features a police officer who is brought up in Anchorage and who then goes to live in a more desolate area. (Amazon’s blurp says Lane writes “for the Christian market.”)

Barbara Paul writes the Opera Mystery Series which features an early 1900s Italian tenor living in New York and the Marian Larch Mystery Series which features a New York police sergeant.

Steve Sherman pens the New England Cozy Mystery Series, which takes place in New Hampshire and features a private investigator. Sherman also authors country roads guides, as well.

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