The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

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.

The Jury Miniseries…

The Jury If you have read the other TV and Movie Reviews on the Cozy Mystery site, then you have probably figured out that I only post reviews about shows that I enjoy. Why waste time on the bad when there are so many good? And, The Jury is yet another example of a British miniseries that does not disappoint.

The Jury follows a trial that is a media frenzy. It shows how juries of such “made-for-television-ratings” crimes are affected by the constant barrage of reporters and “looky-loos” who feel that the public’s “need to know” far outweighs the biased agenda that spins uncontrollably…. out of control!

The jury members not only have issues trying to understand the crime, they also have issues in their private lives. This series left me wondering how jury members really relate to the particular crimes they are called to hear and how their different daily moods can affect the outcome of their verdicts.

For you Sir Derek Jacobi fans: he gives yet another great performance. Hopefully a lot of Gerard Butler fans will be attracted to this miniseries and be treated (possibly introduced?!?) to several other exceptional actors.

By the way>>> This is NOT a miniseries for the entire family!

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

It Looks Like the Holiday Season is Here!

I guess that it’s official! The December holidays are upon us.

I still haven’t done much about decorating the house, although I did manage to have my husband and son bring the big bins in from our garage. Unfortunately, that’s about as far as I have gotten… except that I did pull my Corelle Winter Holly holiday dishes out>>> I simply could not wait to use those doggone dishes!

And, today was the first day that I had my morning coffee in my “official” Christmas coffee cup. It’s a lot smaller than my regular mug, but that’s OK>>> I love it anyway.

My college roommate wrote and told me that they just got their first snowfall of the season today. We may not be blanketed in a snowy, white wonderland down here in San Antonio, but with holly leaves and berries on my coffee cup, I feel like the “winter season” has finally started.

Manor House Miniseries…

Manor House To those of you who have read some of my other TV & Movie reviews>>> you probably have guessed that It was only a matter of time before I reviewed yet another of Sir Derek Jacobi’s works. Manor House is a departure of sorts, as he is the narrator, not actually one of the stars of the show. But his narration is a true joy to listen to… especially if you’re one of his many fans.

The premise of this six part miniseries: People from 2002 are transplanted back in time – the Edwardian period (early 1900s) – to a manor house in Great Britain. This was a time with vastly differing social classes. Upon entering the grounds of this particular manor house world, the twenty first century inhabitants lost all of their twenty first century technology. YOW! Have we improved our circumstances since then!

For those participants of the televised experiment who were lucky enough to portray (as in LIVE!!!) the aristocratic family>>> bravo for you! For those participants who were “lucky enough” to live the parts of scullery maids, stable boy, butler, cook, ETC>>> YIKES! Times were tough! (I don’t personally know anybody who could survive, let alone flourish, in the life of a scullery maid!) And, of course, as expected, the family living the aristocratic family’s part becomes…. Oops! No spoilers here!

My husband and I enjoyed this show immensely and looked forward to each and every episode. The one big draw back for us: we would have enjoyed spending even more time with the inhabitants of this particular Manor House!

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

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