One of the last comments the site received was a note that told us about a Cozy Mystery author who a site reader is enjoying. I thought that was a great thing to find out about…. and decided to ask you all if you would tell us about a Cozy Mystery author you are currently reading, and why you enjoy him/her. What a great way to get some new ideas for authors to try reading.
So, if you wouldn’t mind >>>
Which Cozy Mystery Author are you currently reading and why are you enjoying him/her? If,on the other hand, you are reading a Cozy Mystery author who you aren’t enjoying… remember what Vickie (“V”) says about life being too short to waste time on authors you don’t enjoy!
On another note: Please don’t forget to enter Camille Minichino‘s Miniature Reading / Crime Scene Drawing. Good luck!
Dru says
I just finished Killer Cruise by Laura Levine and I love her Jaine Austen books. Jaine’s nosiness into involving herself in cases and somehow her life is always threatened is a hoot. Her friends and the email interplay between her mother and her father adds to the laughs while reading these stories.
Bernadette says
I recently discovered Julie Hyzy who has written two books (so far) featuring a White House chef as the main character. I like the ‘insider’ stuff about the workings of the White House plus the characters seem to be enjoyable. I also like the fact it’s a new series and I don’t have loads of books to catch up on
Beth says
I just finished reading “The Thin Woman” by Dorothy Cannell, the first book in her Ellie Haskell series. I learned about the series on this website (fabulous site!!) and loved the book. Interesting twists, engaging characters. I was interested enough to see if I could find a website for Dorothy Cannell, and came across this interview with her. She sounds like a wonderful woman.
http://www2.pjstar.com/index.php/legacy/article/writer_says_her_heart_is_at_home/
Amy says
I just finished Blaize Clement’s newest petsitter mystery: Petsitter on a Hot Tin Roof.
Love her funny, complicated heroine – and bonus cat care tips
Laura says
I am in the midst of reading “Eggs in Purgatory” by Laura Childs and I am thoroughly enjoying it. It is the first book in the Cackleberry Club series. The main characters are three friends who own a combination breakfast cafe, yarn shop and book store (what’s not to love about that!) and the setting is the midwest. There are some side stories that keep it interesting without making you lose sight of the main suspects.
Petie says
I’ve just started Nancy Atherton’s Aunt Dimity series (Aunt Dimity’s Death) and am thoroughly enjoying it. It was one of the easiest books to ‘get into’ and I hate to put it down! I have purchased the next 2 in the series hoping they are as good as the first. I’m a big fan of “Cat Mysteries” and this is the first series I’ve started without a cat solving anything or being right in the middle. But so far it’s really good.
To Beth, you will love THE THIN WOMAN series! My twin sister got me acquainted with it and they are wonderful! And Laura, the Cackleberry Club series is on my Wish List for one of the next series I read. Your comments really helped. Thanks!
Maria BearMountainBooks says
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, but I have an adopted feral cat (two really, a kitten and a mom). The third book in the series had mention of a feral stray so that was kind of funny.
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!
I read a lot of short stories because I write them and I have yet to find a good book that has cozies in it. Mostly shorts in mystery seem to lean towards horror/serial killer/weird.
marie says
Blaize Clement really is a fine writer and most of her books are well worth reading. However, I’d avoid “Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund.” It features several nasty episodes of animal cruelty. I don’t know what Ms. Clement was thinking when she wrote this book.
Maria BearMountainBooks says
Duplicity was my least favorite so far, although not necessarily because of the descriptions of animal cruelty (which were there, but I thought were handled as well as possible and were not dwelt upon or hammered on–I completely understand where you are coming from, however.) Sadly, animal cruelty is a reality and the author chose to use that reality as part of the story.
I found that in “Duplicity…” the choices made by the main character, Dixie, made the least sense of any of the novels. It wasn’t enough to make me stop reading the series, but it bugs me when I don’t believe the actions taken by the main characters (ie, no one would do that in real life–it simply makes no sense!)
For anyone wondering, you probably can skip “Duplicity” without missing much in the series. Clement does a good job “reminding” of past events without info dumps in each of the books so I don’t think it will be much of a problem.
I do have the fourth in the series on hold at the library and I’m ever hopeful that it will be the best yet!!!
Keri says
I am currently reading Anne Perry’s “Rutland Place” it’s the 6th book in her Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series. The series is about a husband who is an inspector and wife who marries beneath her in Victorian London. Since Charlotte’s family is high society she gets to go where Thomas doesn’t. The series is really good and there are a lot more left in the series to read.
I also like Deanna Raybourn. She’s also a Victorian author and she has the Lady Julia Grey series. There’s more to her books than Perry’s but I like them both just the same.
-V- says
Danna: Thanks sweetie! = )
Current Cozy is Alice Kimberly – THE GHOST AND THE FEMME FATALE. I love this series. I also love the alter ego Cleo Coyle Coffeehouse Mystery series.
Favorite cozy authors:
Nancy Atherton – Aunt Dimity
Susan Wittig Albert – China Bayles
Laura Child – Teahouse Mystery
Meg Cabot – Heather Wells mysteries
Ann B Ross – Miss Julia
Ellis Peters – Brother Cadfael
Elizabeth Peters – Vicky Bliss
I’ll have to take a look at Mt Git’r’Read and see who else is on there….
Jan says
Uh oh, I’m late to the party but I’ll add my 2 cents in anyway
I’m currently listening to The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith. This is one of the Ladies Detective Agency books and all are absolutely delightful to listen to. The narrator has a beautiful lilting accent that is perfect for this series. Highly recommended!
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.
In the “read as soon as possible” pile by my bedside are new (to me) authors Elizabeth Peters’ Crocodile on the Sandbank, Susan Wittig Albert’s Thyme of Death, and Laura Child’s Death by Darjeeling. And I just snagged 2 Ruth Rendell books for 50 cents each at a book sale! I recognized the name from this site and quickly grabbed them.
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.
From this site I’ve read and enjoyed MC Beaton’s Hamish series as well as Atherton’s Aunt Dimity books (thanks Danna!)
Kathy Reich’s Tempe Brennan series.
PD James
Love Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar series…not exactly cozy but worth the read!
And I have to add way back in my 20s…farther back than I like to admit, haha…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.
Thanks Danna for maintaining such a great site!
Kathy says
I just finished the Paul Doherty writing as CL Grace series. I loved this series but I don’t care for the other series he has written under different names. I loved the character & how the doctor logically solves the crimes. I also like that there are more than 1 mystery per book to solve, like Janet Evanovich’s Plum series. Nothing is more boring then 300 + pages of going over the same clues again & again.
Written as C.L. Grace, the Kathryn Swinbrooke series.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
I want to thank all of you for the above comments. I am in the process of writing an entry with all of your ideas of Cozy Mystery authors you are currently enjoying. Thanks!
Glenda says
I LOVE (!!) Mary Daheim. I read one of the early B&B books and got hooked. Now my sister and I trade off buying/reading the latest in both her series, The Alpine series and Judith & Renie (B&B)…although Renie has been getting “strange” lately. Another favorite is Diane Mott Davidson. Both authors draw me into the ambiance of the story; I feel like I really KNOW these people.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Hi Glenda,
You are amongst many of us who appreciate both of these Cozy Mystery authors… Character development is a strong suit for us, isn’t it?