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One of my very favorite cozy mystery book authors is found under the Bs. I would have to say that if pressed to pick one of a handful of my
very favorite authors,
M. C. Beaton would be on that list. I started reading her Agatha Raisin books and quickly found that Agatha is one of my very favorite characters. She has a very dry sense of humor and isn't particularly nice. I think that she has a way of saying and doing things that we might think are rude or underhanded, but we might also secretly wish we could get by being that blunt... and should I say.... conniving? I have to admit that I enjoyed the first five or six novels
(possibly even seven) of the Agatha series more than the later books of the series, but still enjoy keeping up with Agatha's exploits. The books are "easy reads," which make them ideal for taking on long airplane flights or vacations that include some time for just relaxing.
Usually, if I like one series by a particular author, I find that if the author has another series (or in some cases two or three other series) I don't enjoy the other series. It is for that reason that I put off reading M. C. Beaton's other series about a Scottish constable named Hamish
Macbeth. Was I ever wrong about my "one author/one series" rule! Hamish
Macbeth has overshadowed my love for Agatha Raisin! If you haven't tried either of the series yet, I would suggest that you start reading your choice of either of the series at the beginning. I think that you might find yourself anticipating each of the next books in the series. I have spent many enjoyable hours with both Hamish and Agatha, and hope that you do, too!
(As a postscript........ I have included my VERY FAVORITE AUTHOR of all times in this list of books beginning with B...........
E. F. Benson. I must admit, he didn't write cozy mysteries, but he did write
COZY!)
Marian Babson
Although born in USA (Salem, Massachusetts), she has lived in England the
majority of her life, which is clear to see after reading one of her British
cozies.
Kathleen Bacus
A former Iowa State Trooper and investigator for the Iowa Department of Justice,
Bacus now writes the Tressa (Calamity) Jayne Turner Mystery Series...
Donald Bain w/ “Jessica Fletcher” of Murder, She Wrote... He has ghost-written many books other than the Jessica's.
I don't know why some bookstores insist on putting his "Murder, She Wrote" books
in the "F" (as in Fletcher) section...
Deb Baker Baker
writes two series... the Dolls to Die For and the Yooper Mystery series which
features a 60s-something sleuth.
David Baldacci
Not Cozy.... Not only is he a best selling author of books for adults, but now he has a series for children, which looks phenomenal. My children are now grown up, but these Freddy and the French Fries books would have definitely been the types of books they would have "devoured." How can a series with a main character named Freddy T. Funkhouser
not be a fun read!
Patrick Balester
Having enjoyed hiking in Great Dismal Swamp Wildlife Refuge and
having a childhood buddy who later became a law enforcement agent set the path
for Balester to write his Greg Parnell Mystery Series, featuring a Fish &
Wildlife agent...
Donna Ball
Donna has been writing books for over twenty years, using five
different pseudonyms. It is no wonder that she is currently writing a series
about an ex-tracker and her Golden Retriever... Donna is a volunteer of her
local humane shelter, Therapy Dogs International, and the Canine Companions for
Independence, as well as different animal rescue groups. She is also an active
member of her local Friends of the Library. Books and Dogs! What a great
combination for a dog-lover's mystery series!
Mignon F. Ballard Her series features a guardian angel... Augusta Goodnight
Sandra Balzo
Balzo writes a mystery series that features an ex-PR executive who owns a coffee
shop in Wisconsin...
Jo Bannister
Several British series to pick from...
Maggie Barbieri
Barbieri writes the Murder 101 Mystery Series which has, as
its sleuth, an English Professor at a small New York City college...
Robert Barnard
British Police Procedural, an Agatha Award Winner....
Linda Barnes Two series to pick from: one with
an actor/detective and the other with a redhead, 6'1" female Boston private eye...
Nevada Barr
Barr started out as an actress, but found she loved working in national parks, which led to her series about a park ranger...
Lorna Barrett
aka L. L. Bartlett
A new author is here.... and she writes under two pen names. As Barrett she
writes the Booktown Mystery Series which is a cozy mystery series that involves the owner of the Haven't Got A Clue
bookstore, and as Bartlett she writes a series based on a mugging victim who now
has a sixth sense for solving crimes.
Christy Barritt
Barritt writes the Squeaky Clean Mystery Series which features the
owner of a very unusual business: a crime scene cleaning service. The amateur
sleuth almost completed her college degree in forensic science, which comes in
very handy while being able to get a first hand view of the evidence!
Stephanie Barron
aka Francine Mathews…. Barron writes a
series with Jane Austen as the heroine/sleuth.
L. L. Bartlett
aka Lorna Barrett & Lorraine Bartlett If
you're looking for a new author to try... look no farther. Bartlett writes a
series featuring a mugging victim who possesses sixth sense gifts. As Barrett,
she writes a cozy series that even includes a cat named Miss Marple!
D. B. Barton
Barton writes The Singing Sleuth Mystery Series. If you're thinking about going
on a cruise... you just might want to take along one of her cozies, which are
set on cruise ships!
Patricia Batta
Batta has worked as an elementary school teacher, as well as a (document)
librarian. She writes the Marge Christensen Mystery Series...
George Baxt
Celebrity Sleuth Mysteries...
Cynthia Baxter
A series for both dog and cat lovers......
M. C. Beaton aka
Marion Chesney Very Cozy! I follow both of her series, preferring
Hamish Macbeth, yet loving her earlier Agatha Raisin books.
Simon Beaufort
Beaufort is the writing husband and wife team of Beau Riffengburgh and Susanna
Gregory. They write the Geoffrey Mappestone Mystery Series which is set during
the 1100s in Great Britain. Susanna Gregory
writes the Chronicles of Matthew Bartholomew Mystery Series and the Thomas
Chaloner Mystery Series, both of which are set in Great Britain, one during the
1300s and the other during the 1600s.
Carrie Bebris
Bebris has an MA in English Lit, has been an editor, freelance writer, and
college instructor. Her Mr. and Mrs. Darcy series features the two main
characters from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
K. K. Beck
Her series include one revolving around a flapper and the other involving a lounge singer...
Nancy Bell Biggie Weatherford Series... It's
nice to have a grandmother-age sleuth! (Also, the Judge Jackson Crain Mystery
series...)
C. C. Benison
aka Doug Whiteway Benison is a Canadian journalist and author who
has created a mystery series (Her Majesty Investigates) that features Jane Bee,
a Canadian housemaid who solves crimes... with the Queen's help, no less!
Carol Lea Benjamin
Dog Trainer Sleuth (Rachel Alexander Mystery series)
Ron & Janet Benrey
The Benreys write three very cozy mystery series, one set in England, one in Maryland,
and the other in Glory, North Carolina.
E. F. Benson Although these are not mysteries, I would have to say that this series is by far
my absolute favorite sequence of books, and I have read many! They are about the everyday "goings on" in quaint British villages of yesteryear. If you are lucky enough to find these books, by all means try them! They are wonderful books that highlight the hierarchal struggles in small towns, struggles between friends to achieve and maintain the "Alpha-dog" status. They are truly delightful books that will make you smile, grin, chuckle, ponder, and laugh out loud.
Jennie Bentley
Bentley pens the Do It Yourself Mystery Series and gets her
inspiration from the professional house renovations that she has done.
Laurien Berenson Special Ed
Teacher Sleuth.....
Carole Berry One of this
site's viewers recommended Carole Berry's Bonnie Indermill Mystery series, and I
am adding her to my list (after looking at Amazon's reviews, but before actually
having had the time to read one of her novels.) She looks like an author cozy
mystery readers might really enjoy!
Linda Berry Berry writes the Trudy Roundtree Mystery Series which takes
place in a small Georgian town where the main character is hired into an
all-male police department.
Cordelia Frances Biddle
Biddle is half of the Nero Blanc writing duo, the
other half being her husband, Steve Zettler. Biddle writes the Martha Beale
Mystery Series. Martha is a mid 1800s sleuth in Philadelphia...
Maeve Binchy
Not cozy mysteries... I read one of her novels and really enjoyed it...
Ruth Birmingham (aka
Walter Sorrells &
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.
Claudia Bishop
(aka Mary Stanton) 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!
Veronica Black
Her Sister Joan series is set in Cornwall........
Juliet Blackwell (aka
Hailey Lind) Blackwell writes the Witchcraft Mystery Series
and Lind (a sister writing duo) writes the Art Lover's Mystery Series...
Annette Blair Blair is a best selling author of historical romances, writing
both the Accidental Witch and the Triplet Witches series, which are humorous
contemporary romance novels. She has recently (2009) started writing the
Vintage Magic Mystery Series...
Nicholas Blake
Blake started out as a poet, and only started writing his Nigel Strangeways
mystery series so that he could “support” his poetry writing. (He was also a
professor of poetry at Oxford.)
Nero Blanc
Wife & husband writing team:
Cordelia Frances Biddle & Steve Zettler..... Nero=black in Italian, Blanc=white in French
Jerry Bledsoe
True Crime... Terrific books, but definitely don't qualify as cozy!
Miranda Bliss
Bliss writes a cozy culinary mystery series about two women who
aren't at all gifted in the culinary skills. Luckily, one of them has a man in
her life who is a chef!
Barbara Block
aka Isis Crawford...
As Block, she writes the Robin Light series..... which takes place in and out of
the pet store her main character owns. As Crawford, she writes a series about a
couple who own and operate a catering and bakeshop establishment.
Lawrence Block
aka Paul Kavanagh Block's
Bernie Rhodenbarr series is very popular, as are his other
series. Lucky for us that he writes several series, both as Block and Kavanagh!
Michael Bond
Some may recognize him from his Paddington Bear series for
children....
Stephen Booth Booth worked as a journalist for years before becoming a
full-time author of the Cooper & Fry Mystery Series (not cozy)... AND
he is an expert of ... goats! The Cooper & Fry Series has garnered (what
seems to me!) almost every award given to mysteries...
Kate Borden
aka Kate Grilley……Writes two series, one set in
New England and the other set on a Caribbean Island.
J. S. Borthwick Sarah Deane series... a graduate student on a campus in beautiful Maine...
D. B. Borton (aka
Della Borton) Borton is a pseudonym for Lynette Carpenter, a
professor of English. Her Cat Caliban mystery series features a 60s something
sleuth. As Della, she writes the Movie Lovers' mystery series.
Gail Bowen Bowen is a professor of English in Canada, so it is no wonder
that her Joanne Kilbourn Mystery Series features a professor in Canada.
Several of her novels have been made into television movies in Canada!
Rhys Bowen
Two series, one about a mild-mannered village constable, the other a very opinionated immigrant in early 20th century New York.
And, now she has a third series set in the 1930s, featuring a flat-broke
daughter of a duke..... who is 34th in line for the throne!
Laura Bradford (aka
Elizabeth Lynn Casey) Bradford writes the Jenkins & Burns
Mystery Series which feature a journalist/sleuth and a police detective in New
Jersey. As Casey, she writes the Southern Sewing Circle Mystery Series...
Laura Bradley
Bradley writes a series about a hair stylist who has a head for
solving mysteries.
Phyllice Bradner &
Morgan St. James 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?!?
Christianna Brand
Brand wrote a series of seven mystery novels featuring Inspector Cockrill. She
also wrote children’s novels….. one of which was the basis for the Nanny McPhee
movie starring Emma Thompson.
Lilian Jackson Braun
The Cat Who ***** series...
Simon Brett Three English series to pick from...
Barbara Bretton
Although Bretton may be better known for her romance novels, she is now writing
the Chloe Hobbs' Paranormal Mystery Series which takes place in Sugar Maple, Vermont. Chloe is half sorceress, half
human.
Elizabeth Bright
(aka Tim Myers,
Melissa Glazer, & Chris Cavender) As Bright, the author writes a
card-making mystery series. As Myers, he has three series: Soapmaking,
Candlemaking, and Lighthouse Inns. As Chris Cavender, he has the Pizza
Mystery Series and as Glazer, he writes the Clay & Crime Cozy Mystery
Series...
Emily Brightwell
Mrs. Jeffries series: English Victorian housekeeper working for inspector...
Grace Brophy
Brophy worked as a systems engineer as well as teaching university-level
literature and writing before penning her Commissario Cenni Investigation
Mystery Series...
Lizbie Brown
Brown taught English before deciding to write the Elizabeth Blair Mystery
Series, which is set in Bath, England... where Brown resides. As the names of
her novels suggest (Broken Star, Turkey Tracks, Double Wedding Ring, among
others), this is a quilting-themed mystery series...
Rita Mae Brown You can pick between a young postmistress who owns a cat & dog
(Mrs. Murphy series), or an older Master of the Fox Hunt, both set in Virginia.
Jill Conner Browne Not
Mysteries......
the Sweet Potato Queen books....
Maggie Bruce aka
Marilyn Wallace.....Bruce writes a mystery
series that features "gourd crafting."
Kate Bryan Bryan
writes the Maggie Maguire Mystery Series which features Maggie and her cousin
Grady as the sleuths. Grady is an unusual sleuth, being Maggie's pickpocket
cousin...
Edna Buchanan Not cozies, but I like these mysteries
a lot. Buchanan won a Pulitzer Prize in '86...
Marie Buchanan
aka Clare Curzon, Eileen-Marie Duell Buchanan,
Rhona Petrie... That's a lot of pseudonyms/names
for a Vedy British author of Vedy many series...
Fiona Buckley
Historical Mysteries set in England... A Lady in Waiting in Queen
Elizabeth I's court... D. W. Buffa
Not Cozy... Courtroom/Legal
Lynn Bulock Bulock pens
the Steeple Hill Cafe mysteries. I have not read them yet, but from what I could
find, it is a mystery series with a Christian theme.
Joyce Burditt Writer & producer on TV series: Diagnosis: Murder, Perry Mason, Matlock, Father Dowling Mysteries...
James Lee Burke Not
Cozy... Police Procedural
Jan Burke
Irene Kelly series....
W. J. Burley aka
William John Burley Burley wrote the highly successful Inspector
Wycliffe Mystery Series...
Nancy Bush (aka
Nancy Kelly & Natalie Bishop) Bush writes the Jane Kelly Mystery Series
which not only features Jane, but her Pug, The Binkster (aka Binks and Binkster)...
Ellen Byerrum Crime of Fashion Series...
Back to "A" Authors *****
***** "C" Authors
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