I have been asked to write about some of the authors who I read. I think that I will begin by telling you about the mystery authors I follow – who have been around for many years, and whose works have withstood the test of time. I know that most of you are familiar with these authors, but if you aren’t, then do yourself a favor and check them out. (I’ll write another time about “more current” authors who I follow…)
Agatha Christie: I enjoy both her Miss Marple and her Poirot mystery series, although I am a bit more partial to Miss Marple. (since 1922)
Dorothy Gilman: I love sleuthing and traveling with Mrs. Pollifax. (since 1966)
Martha Grimes: I truly enjoy the Jury & Plant mystery series. (since 1981) (I know that 1981 doesn’t seem like “around for many years” but I went ahead and added her since I have MacLeod on the list, and she was only three years before Grimes…)
Cyril Hare: Hare’s style of writing seems effortless. I know I have mentioned (many times!) how much I enjoy his Christmas mystery called An English Murder. I also enjoy following his Inspector Mallet series, as well as his (very short) Francis Pettigrew series. (since 1937)
Reginald Hill: There’s nothing Cozy about Dalziel & Pascoe, but what a treat this mystery series is to read! (since 1970)
Charlotte MacLeod/Alisa Craig: I love her Peter Shandy mystery series, followed by her Sarah Kelling series. (I guess I prefer her MacLeod mystery series over her Craig mysteries.) (since 1978)
Ngaio Marsh: Inspector Roderick Alleyn is one of my very favorite inspectors. (since 1931)
Patricia Moyes: Here’s yet another inspector I enjoy. I also love Inspector Henry Tibbett! (since 1958)
Stuart Palmer: His Hildegard Withers Mystery series is another series I follow. (since 1931)
Ellis Peters: Her Brother Cadfael mystery series is one of the best historical mystery series that I know of. (since 1951)
Ruth Rendell: Inspector Wexford is yet another inspector I love to follow. (since 1964)
I know that I have talked about “pacing” myself before. Since most of these series are limited to a number of mysteries, I try not to read the books too often. For example, last year I read one Dorothy Gilman, two Cyril Hare, three Reginald Hill, two Ngaio Marsh, one Stuart Palmer, two Ellis Peters, and five Agatha Christie mysteries. I just don’t want to read through the series so fast that I finally run out of these authors’ books! That’s how good I think they are!
How about you? Do you have a “been-around-for-a-while” mystery author (or two, or three…) who you love to read?
Sunny says
I adore Christie, although I much prefer Miss Marple to Poirot. She also did several stories about a young married couple named Tuppence & Tommy which I always thought were cute.
When I grow up I want to be Mrs. Pollifax!! Love her!!
Have you tried the Jane Lawless Series by Ellen Hart? And I quite enjoy the Tea Shop Mysteries and the Scrapbooking Mysteries by Laura Childs. And the Lara McClintock Mysteries by Lyn Hamilton – Although I’m not sure if those really qualify as cozy, since Lara travels all over the world.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Sunny, I love Miss Marple, then comes Poirot, and last is the Tuppence and Tommy series. I just never caught-on to that pair of sleuths… although I did try several times.
Maria (BearMountainBooks) says
I love Elizabeth Peters–both her Vicky Bliss and her Peabody series. I’ll read anything by her –regardless of what name she uses, even Barbara Michaels which is more gothic!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Maria, I have a Cozy Mystery reading friend who shares your enthusiasm about Elizabeth Peters… Anything Peters writes is wonderful>>> and, since Peters/Michaels is so prolific, that suits her just fine!
Ann says
M.C. Beaton is a favorite of mine. Agatha Raisin always brings some humor to the mystery and it’s nice to have an older character.
Ann
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ann, M. C. Beaton has also given me hours of mystery-reading fun…
Laura says
I don’t know about everyone else, but when I think of classic mystery series, the Nancy Drew series is the first thing that comes to mind. I remember when I was a little girl and my mother introduced me to the series when I had grown past childrens books. I became engrossed in her adventures and attribute my love for mysteries to her. Although I had not read her books in ages, I will read the series again.
Judith says
I too loved the Nancy Drew books and reread them many times when I was growing up – but another series that I loved were the Judy Bolton books by Margaret Sutton (and not just because we had the same name!) Like Nancy, Judy started out as a teenager solving mysteries, but unlike Nancy, Judy grows up, gets married and still solves mysteries. The Judy Bolton books are harder to find (I got mine at used book sales when I was growing up), but they did re-release the first couple of books as special editions a few years ago.
Sharon says
Loved Dorothy Gilman’s Mrs. Pollifax series. Have read the whole series twice over the last ten years. Your site is great especially since I just got into “only” cozy mysteries. The regular mysteries just became too violent with what I call “slice and dice” books or in the romantic suspense with too much sex (jumping into bed for mind blowing sex every other page is really excessive and ultimately boring). So, I welcome your approach and appreciate this site. Am planning to just start with A and proceed. Another of my favorites was a series by Susan Wittig Albert and her husband under the pseudonym Robin Page called “The Victorian and Edwardian Mysteries”. This was a group of 16 books and then they just stopped writing that series. Looking forward to a new source of mysteries.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Sharon, when I started the site I could vouch for every single author I had on it. But, since then, I have added a whole lot of authors to the site who came recommended by Cozy Mystery site readers as belonging on the site. Unfortunately, since I haven’t tried all of the many new authors, I can’t vouch for their true Cozy factor. I can say, however, that I have found some new (to me) authors to “follow” through those recommendations.
(I am with you on the explicit language, sex, and violence that is now infiltrating more and more of what is passing as Cozy these days. Imagine Agatha Christie or Charlotte MacLeod having to rely on those types of descriptions in their Cozy Mystery books!)
I just re-read that last paragraph, and I KNOW I sound like an old fuddy-duddy! (And, that “fuddy-duddy” makes me sound even older!!!)
Mary says
My “go back to” mysteries may not seem “cozy” to all, but I’ve been in love with Travis McGee Mysteries by John D. McDonal for over 30 years. I even have pictures of the dock in Florida called “Lucky Aces.” I could re-read these little books often and when I mix them up with Agatha, Dorothy and Lillian I’m just a very happy and “cozy” reader! When the world gets crazy I get cozy with “tried and true” friends!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Mary, I have never read a Travis McGee. I have a “go back to” series which isn’t even a mystery series… Although E. F. Benson’s Lucia books are dated, I just can’t tire of reading them!
Shirley says
Hi Danna;
Agatha Christie I started reading 50 yrs ago, & have enjoyed reading them for many yrs. smile.
Another mystery I’ve enjoyed is the team (man & wife) Richard & Frances Lockridge .They did two series; a husband and wife team and they are good mysteries and funny. The other series was different. I think they were written in the 30’s. I do hope they do reissue them, although you probably can find them in your library, or a used bookstores.
Another I always enjoyed was the older Ellery Queen mysteries that started in the thirties…..Not the mystery magazine, but books….they were very interesting and some were like mazes that made you follow the clues…alot of the times I could not figure it out…grin.
E. X. Ferrars is another great series, English and some of them were series and some different. The first one I read was called The Pink Shroud…..and the mystery starts in a used clothing store….very interesting is all I can say. smile.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Shirley,
Your list of favorite classic mystery authors includes some of the greats!
Carole says
So many great authors mentioned here – many which I already read and some I plan to try. These are some of my favorites which I don’t believe have been mentioned yet:
Elizabeth George – Inspector Lynley
Rhys Bowen – Constable Evans
Earlene Fowler – Benni Harper
Anne George – Southern Sisters
Margaret Maron – Judge Deborah Knott
Victoria Thompson – Gaslight
Philip R. Craig – Martha’s Vineyard
Bill Crider – Sheriff Dan Rhodes
Erle Stanley Gardner – Perry Mason
Tony Hillerman – Leaphorn/Chee
Ed McBain – 87th Precinct
Louise Penny – Insp. Armand Gamache
Peter Robinson – Insp. Alan Banks
Aimee & David Thurlo – Ella Clah
Faye Kellerman – Decker/Lazarus
Barbara says
I have to say my very, very authors now are:
– Leslie Meier – the Lucy Stone mysteries
– Jo Dereske – the oh-so-proper Miss Helma Zukas mysteries
– Ann B. Ross – the Miss Julia series
I am so, so glad these authors were recommended to me & I will read anything they write. Better to start at the beginning of the series with all 3.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Carole and Barbara,
Some of your favorite authors are authors I have been reading for years…
Eveline says
It’s been so many years since I last saw Inspector Roderick Alleyn mysteries on TV. I often wonder why they were never shown anymore. That series was truly delightful to watch, and I think it was the presence of the inspector’s lady love that adds so much to the beauty of the series.
On another note, I read somewhere that there will be a continuation of the Midsomer Murders series, but without Inspector Barnaby. Does anybody know if this is true?
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Eveline, I truly enjoyed all of the Inspector Alleyn episodes. It is a shame that one of the networks can’t show them again… sort of like A & E USED to do several years ago.
(I enjoyed the show so much that I wrote a TV & Movies entry about the show.)
Nancy says
Cozy Mystery is wonderful. I can find the latest releases by my favorite authors plus I’ve been introduced to so many new, wonderful cozy authors. Thanks for making this a happy place!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Welcome to the site, Nancy!
Ann says
I think I’ve run out of cozy mystery books to read! Most likely because I’m so fussy: no detective as main character, prefer England, Scotland or New England as the setting, prefer female as the main character, no medical settings, etc. I loved the Mrs. Mallory series but wonder if any more will be written. And I’ve stopped reading M. C. Beaton’s two series as the writing IMO has changed for the worse (stilted, lacks good scene settings). Wish I could find a new series similar to Anthea Fraser’s Rona Parish mysteries. Has the Miss Zukas series ended? I’ve re-read that series a couple times (also re-read Anne George’s series–what a great writer!). Is Simon Brett still writing?
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ann, I know about Simon Brett. Yes, he’s still writing…
(And, I’m glad you commented on Anthea Fraser… I missed posting her 7th Rona Parish mystery…)