The first book of the "Number One Ladies' Detective Agency" series (by Alexander McCall Smith) proves to be a very good start for this series about Precious Ramotswe. I listened to the audio book version (narrated by Lisette Lecat) and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The novel focuses on Precious solving several little mysteries rather than just one main mystery being solved, as most cozy mystery books do.  (I have Alexander McCall Smith under both the "M" and "S" pages, since a viewer of this site thought he should be on the "M" page...)

Also included in the "S" list of mysteries are Rex Stout and Dorothy L. Sayers. Both Stout and Sayers are mystery authors who are considered staples of the genre. The "S" list of cozy mystery book authors isn't complete without them! 

Arlene Sachitano    Sachitano worked in the world of high tech industries, but is now enjoying the world of quilting. What better sleuths to have than a quilt shop owner and a high tech supervisor?

Medora Sale  (aka Caroline Roe)    Roe holds her Ph. D. in Medieval Studies, so it is no small wonder that she writes the Isaac from Girona Mystery Series, which features a blind doctor in Spain during the mid 1300s. As Sale she writes the John Sanders/Harriet Jeffries Mystery Series which features a Canadian police detective.

Cyndy Salzmann Salzmann writes the Friday Afternoon Club Mystery Series which features a group of stay-at-home mothers who are good friends, and great sleuths! (Salzmann bases her novels on her Christian faith.)

Lawrence Sanders    Sanders wrote the Archibald McNally Mystery Series, among MANY other best sellers... (Not Cozy)

Eve K. Sandstrom   aka JoAnna Carl... Her more recent novels have been written as Joanna Carl. I love how this ex-journalist came up with that pseudonym...  Apparently, when her editor asked her to come up with a "new name" for herself, she blended her three children's middle names: Jo, Anna, and.... Carl!

Walter Satterthwait   Satterthwait has two mystery series and several stand alone novels that are based on historical mysteries. He can be found on the Agatha Award page.

Mary Saums   Saums has a degree in Commercial Music, and has been able to incorporate her musical background by writing the Willi Taft Mystery Series about a backup singer in Nashville. Her newer series is about two 60s something, widowed best friends...

Corinne Holt Sawyer   Two California widow sleuths and a retirement community with lots of "goings on" to investigate...

Dorothy L. Sayers    The wonderful Lord Peter Wimsey series, which of course, includes the wonderful  Harriet Vane...

Aileen Schumacher   Schumacher is a Civil Engineer who writes a mystery series, set in Texas,  that features an engineer...

Christina Schwartz   Not Mysteries....

Sandra Scoppettone  aka Jack Early... Two series to pick from, the more recent one is set in 1940s New York...

Jack S. Scott   Very British....

Michele Scott   Scott writes two mystery series: the Wine Lover's Mystery Series and the Horse Lover's Mystery Series...

Lisa Scottoline     Scottoline, previously a trial lawyer, is a New York Time’s bestselling author. She is the author of the Rosato and Associates Mystery series, and is (also) currently writing bestsellers that are stand-alones.

Margaret Searles   An ex-teacher, Margaret Searles writes the Mrs. Millet & Mrs. Hark Mystery Series, which features two senior sleuths.

Kate Sedley    Sedley writes the Roger the Chapman Mystery Series. I had to look up the word "chapman"... It's a peddler! The series is set in medieval England...

Maggie Sefton   Her first series is the Knitting Mystery Series which takes place in the House of Homespun and her new series has a main character who is a realtor.....

Dianne Setterfield    Setterfield became a bestselling author when The Thirteenth Tale (her first novel) was published. She has been compared to the likes of Charlotte Brontë and Daphne du Maurier... classic/gothic mystery...

Sarah R. Shaber   Shaber is a Duke University history graduate with a passion for writing.... and mysteries!

Laurence Shames   aka Gary Troup.....  As Shames, he writes a series set in Key West.

Sarah Shankman    Pick between a singer/songwriter series or a crime reporter series...

Dell Shannon    aka Leslie Egan, Elizabeth Linington, & Anne Blaisdell.....   A lot of series to choose from...

Deborah Sharp   Armed with her Ph.D. in Journalism, Sharp decided to leave the life of reporting (USA Today, among others) to write funny mysteries set in the south (Florida.)

Connie Shelton   Shelton writes the Charlie Parker series.  Charlie is a CPA who solves crimes when she's not too busy filing income tax returns!

Beth Sherman    Sherman is the author of the Jersey Shore Mystery Series which features a New Jersey ghostwriter...

Steve Sherman    It sounds to me like Steve Sherman comes from the exact setting he uses in his series... He writes the New England Cozy Mystery Series! (Sherman is also the author of country-roads guides, as well...)

John Sherwood   Celia Grant is Sherwood's main character in this series set in London.  Celia happens to be a botanist...

Sharon Short   Short writes the Stain-Busting Mystery Series, which I just discovered. I have yet to read them, but plan to, since I enjoy humor with my mysteries.

Celestine Sibley     Sibley's series is set in Atlanta, Georgia and features a woman journalist.

Georges Simenon    If you have seen (and liked) the Maigret television series, you will like these books.  I loved the Maigret shows (and plan to do a blog on them in the near future.)

Clea Simon   Simon graduated Harvard with a degree in English and American Language and Literature. Her published works are both in fiction and non-fiction. She writes the Theda Krakow Mystery Series which features "Musetta," both her fictitious and "real life" cat. And, Simon also pens the Dulcie Schwartz Mystery Series which features a deceased cat who helps his owner solve crimes...

Dorothy Simpson    Police Inspector Luke Thanet series, set in  England.....

Joanna Campbell Slan   Slan's new Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-N-Craft Mystery Series will be sure to please all of the cozy mystery readers with a passion for scrapbooking... She has published several non-fiction scrapbooking books as well!

Patricia Smiley   With titles like " False Profits, Cover Your Assets, and Short Change, can this series' sleuth be anything but a financial adviser?

Susan Smily    Smily writes the Ariel Quigley mystery series with Honora Finkelstein. Smily is an ex-teacher, who has been involved in creating educational materials. The Smily/Finkelstein series is unusual in that each mystery novel has a recipe book that features the recipes described/used in the novel. 

Alexander McCall Smith  Alexander McCall Smith is a professor of medical law, with a passion for music. I am a fan of both of his "mystery" series: the Number One Ladies' Detective Agency and the Isabel Dalhousie (Sunday Philosophy Club) series. He is also the author of the Professor Doctor Moritz-Maria Von Igelfeld trilogy, as well as the author of the the 44 Scotland Street goings-on.... both of which I am a fan.  His Number One Ladies' Detective Agency series is the closest to being a mystery series, although I'm not sure if it would truly qualify as that... To me, it is more like a delightful work of fiction which happens to take place in a detective agency.

Barbara Burnett Smith    Purple Sage series & a Beading series...

Julie Smith   Rebecca Schwartz, Skip Langdon, & Paul McDonald series...

Walter Sorrells (aka Ruth Birmingham & Lynn Abercrombie) Sorrells is an Edgar Award winning author who writes suspense novels for both adults and young adults. He is an expert in the martial arts and is a bladesmith of modern swords.

Suzy Spencer   True Crime..... 

Julia Spencer-Fleming    Spencer-Fleming, and ex-lawyer, writes a series set in the Adirondacks which features an Episcopal priest. Some of Spencer-Fleming's work can be found on the Agatha Award pages.

Patricia Sprinkle    Sprinkle has two established series,: the Sheila Travis Mystery series set in Georgia, and the MacLaren Yarbrough Thoroughly Southern Mystery series. She is currently starting a new Family Tree Genealogy Mystery series which her readers are sure to enjoy.

Elizabeth Daniels Squire   Squire, previously a reporter, created the Peaches Dann Mystery Series which revolves around an absent-minded "mature" sleuth.

Morgan St. James & Phyllice Bradner   These sister novelists write the Silver Sisters Mystery series which features two "curvy" sister sleuths. With names like Goldie Silver and Godiva Olivia Dubois, how can they not be a zany duo?!?

Dana Stabenow Stabenow writes two series that are set in Alaska. The first book in the Kate Shugak series won an Edgar.

Veronica Stallwood   Stallwood lives near Oxford, so what better place to set her series featuring an historical novelist?

J. B. Stanley   With a Master's in English Literature, it is no wonder that Stanley decided to write novels. She has two cozy mystery series... One is the Collectible Mystery Series which features a reporter who solves mysteries in and out of antique shows. The other is her Supper Club Mystery Series which features a retired English Literature Professor (James Henry) who gets together with four friends ("The Flab Five") to sup... and solve crimes!

Mary Stanton (aka Claudia Bishop) Bishop's very popular Hemlock Falls Mystery Series was a great beginning, and was followed by her popular Casebook of Dr. McKenzie Mystery Series. What a treat to find out that in 2008 Stanton/Bishop began the paranormal Beaufort & Company Mystery Series!

Wendy Corsi Staub   Not Cozy.  Staub is a New York Times Best Selling author, and is known for her psychological mysteries... mystery/thrillers.

Rosemary Stevens   aka Rosemary Martin…As Stevens, the author writes a mystery series which takes place during the Regency period (1790-1820) in London. Her Martin’s series is quite different, with a name like Murder A-Go-Go, it could only take place during the 1960s in a very groovy New York.

Fran Stewart   Stewart writes the Biscuit McKee & Marmalade Series which features a librarian and her tabby cat in Georgia...

Rex Stout    The classic Nero Wolfe series, starring Nero Wolfe, detective extraordinaire.... who doesn't even need to leave his apartment in order to solve crimes. Of course, with his assistant Archie Goodwin doing all of the detective legwork, Nero has plenty of time to tend his orchids!

Sarah Strohmeyer    Strohmeyer writes the Bubbles series, which features a hair dresser/sleuth with a penchant for gossip.

Jennifer Sturman    Sturman's series involves an investment banker/sleuth....

Winona Sullivan    Sullivan's series features a nun with a devotion to solving crimes....

Denise Swanson    Swanson's main character is a school psychologist who lives in Illinois.

Leann Sweeney    Sweeney's main character, Abby Rose, is a private investigator living in Houston in the Yellow Rose Mystery Series. Sweeney is also the author of the Cats in Trouble Mystery Series...

Back to "R" Authors *****          ***** "T" Authors