I just received this letter from a Cozy Mystery Site reader:
"Subject: Help with Author List
Dear Danna: I mostly read Christian fiction because it is clean and glorifies Christ. I read your web page definition of a cozy mystery and it said that “cozy mysteries are considered “gentle” books… no graphic violence, no profanity, and no explicit sex”. I tried a few books from your list and within the first chapter there was profanity. I guess not all authors follow the guidelines for a cozy mystery. If you know of any that are a good clean read please send me a list of the authors that do follow the guidelines.
I appreciate any help you can give me.
Thank you, Tina"
Here is my (+/-) answer:
I know exactly what you are talking about… I recently finished a book by one of my favorite cozy authors, and had that very same problem! I wonder if their publishers tell them to "spice things up" these days…
I just went through the site and found these authors who might be of interest to you…
Christy 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!
Ron & Janet Benrey: the Pippa Hunnechurch Mystery Series features an executive recruiter AND the Royal Tunbridge Wells Mystery Series which is set in England and, along with the "real" people features Lapsang & Souchong (2 British Shorthair cats), Cha-Cha (a Shiba Inu…dog) and Earl, an African Grey Parrot.
Lynn Bulock pens the Steeple Hill Cafe Mystery Series. I have not read any of the books yet, but from what I could find, it is a mystery series with a Christian theme.
Christine E. Collier: the Writer's Club Mystery Series has four women who make up the club and not only write, but "right" mysteries…
Sharon Dunn writes the Bargain Hunters Mystery Series, as well as the Ruby Taylor Mystery Series. Dunn describes herself as a "Christian author" who mixes the mystery genre with some of the humor you find in "Chick-Lit"…
Margaret Grace (aka Camille Minichino): As Camille Minichino she writes the Periodic Table Mystery Series. As Margaret Grace she writes the Miniature Mystery Series. I am making my way (2009) through both of the series and enjoying them immensely.
Jan Karon is on the Cozy Mystery Site even though she does not write mysteries. The Mitford Series AND the Father Tim's Novels belong to her…
Lorena McCourtney, armed with a college degree in agriculture, is listed under "Christian Mysteries" on her site… She writes the Ivy Malone Mystery Series (which features senior citizen sleuths), the Andi McConnell Mystery Series, the Sparrow Island Mystery Series (which features a bird watcher) and the Julesburg Mystery Series…
Cyndy 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.)
Patricia Sprinkle has two established series: the Sheila Travis Mystery Series is 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.
Janice A. Thompson writes the Bridal Mayhem Mystery Series. She describes herself as a Christian author. She home-schooled her four daughters and has done her part in planning several weddings…
Chris Well writes Christian crime thrillers with a lot of humor thrown into the mysteries. His Kentucky Geezers Trilogy will be hitting the bookstores soon. Well also includes both writing and/or editing for such publications as the Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine…
Here are a few Series:
Mystery and the Minister's Wife series. This series is unique in that each book is written by different authors (some of the authors pen more than one book in the series.) Other authors of the series include Diane Noble, Traci DePree, Beth Pattillo, Carol Cox, & Eve Fisher. It is an inspirational mystery series…
Also, Heartsong Presents Mysteries is a series which includes many authors who have mystery series of their own. I have a detailed list on their own page.
I just found the Church Choir Mystery book series which also includes many different authors of mystery books.
Tales from Chapel Inn Series is a series of books which follow three sisters who inherit a Victorian style Bed and Breakfast from their father. The series is written by several Christian authors and is not a mystery series, but I think that it falls in well with the above-listed authors and series.
Between all of the above authors and series, you should be able to find a good starting point for your search… Hope that these help…
By the way, the "Previous Entry" mentioned in the title to this post is here.
If you have any authors who you think belong on this list… Please drop me a comment or contact me through the website.
14 comments - click here to see the comments or to add yours
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I have written 3 mystery novels which pass the "no profanity" test. I try to write so that I won't be ashamed for my mother to read my books!! Check out my website.
I also enjoy Lilian Jackson Braun's CAT WHO … series, as well as Leslie Meier's Lucy Stone books and Ann B. Ross' MISS JULIA series – they all provide enjoyment and great reading without the unnecessary profanity and explicit sex. Thanks, Danna, for a great website!
Petie
Thanks, Petie, for the author recommendations. I'm so glad you are enjoying the site!
Hi Danna,
There's no profanity in any of my books and some of the stories have a Christian theme. My series consist of The Writer's Club, Mystery is our Shadow, Christmas at Cliffhanger Inn and Something Borrowed, Something Blue. My book of short holiday stories is titled A Holiday Sampler. There's romance and mystery but no sexual content.
Thank you.
Mrs. Christine E. Collier
Love Jan Karon. Have read all of her books. Would like to read more like Father Tim, but I did not like her Holly Springs books. I had expected the boy (Dooley) and girl to start a new series.
Love Pat Sprinkle, too.
Read the first Sue Grafton. I did not like the language. Wish someone would tell her to leave it out and then my hubby and I would read them. They are good, but Oh, that language.
Do you know an author who writes about an 80 year old woman who lives on a northeastern island? She is a writer for a small paper and does some sleuthing. The books usually have the name of a flower in the title. Any suggestions on other authors without the language.
Also love the 7 books that Anne George wrote before she passed away.
Nancy Atherton's Aunt Dimity series, Earlene Fowler (Christian mystery author. Scripture is in a lot of her books. Started with first one and each one gets more scripture. Think she is growing spiritually.) Ginny
Heartsong has a new mystery line. They are almost all cozies.
Hi Konnie,
Thanks for reminding me… I have accumulated the entire list of the authors (I think it's all of them!) and their books but still haven't figured out how to post them. I am thinking that I might just post all of the authors on one main page instead of trying to do each author with an individual page. The books look really interesting, and I like the idea of getting a lot of authors together to make up a "sort of" series of books…
I'll keep working on it, and hopefully come up with an idea of how to post them.
I happened upon the Dorothy Martin Mystery series by Jeanne M. Dams at my local library, and I enjoyed reading all of them. Dorothy is an older American widow transplanted to a quaint English village with a knack for nosiness and stumbling into murder cases. The stories are enjoyable, the characters are likeable, the plot is very clean, there's no profanity that I recall, and Dorothy has a solid moral basis to her character. There's a blossoming romance through the early books, but the mystery remains the main theme. The first book in the series, "The Body in the Transept", won an Agatha Award.
As an aside, I would note that "Killing Cassady" had a noteable number of within-marriage sexual inuendoes scattered throughout. Certainly nothing explicit–more like the inuendoes on the old Cosby show between Bill Cosby and his wife. Completely appropriate for a married couple, and not in poor taste. Thankfully for me (since I'm single), that was the only book that has so many.
Since I'm always on the hunt for a clean mystery that I won't regret having read, I wanted to mention a couple more clean mystery series that I have enjoyed:
1) "A Thyme Will Tell" mystery series by Audrey Stallsmith. These are set in a family-owned garden shop and would probably fall into the "cozy" category. All the main characters are flawed individuals, but it is satisfying to see them develop throughout the first book. I personally preferred the first book, "Rosemary for Remembrance", over the rest, as the antagonism between the two main characters lingered too long for my taste. I don't think this series was marketed very well, so they may be difficult to find.
2) Cindy McCormick Martinusen's trilogy, "Winter Passing", "Blue Night", and "North of Tomorrow". These mysteries harken back to events during WWII that are tied into the present day. The last two are a bit more dark, and the settings are far from "quaint", so I don't think these fit the "cozy" category exactly. However, they are very clean, no profanity, and the mystery element is very intriguing, particularly if you have any interest in WWII. The story lines between books seem somewhat unrelated, but all are neatly tied together in the last book.
This is in response to a question asked by Ginny. The author she is seeking is Cynthia Riggs. The character is Victoria Trumbull. And the book titles are: Indian Pipes, The Paperwhite Narcissis, and Shooting Star. There may be more, but those are the only ones I've read so far.
The Heartsong mysteries were part of a "club." You received four books about once a month. Unfortunately, after about two years, the program ceased. I LOVED the books – well, most of them, anyway. When about the cancellation, they said it was because they didn't have the response they'd anticipated; meaning not enough members to make it worthwhile. Too bad. Am hoping some of the authors continue to find outlets for their work.
Just discovered your website and love it! Thanks.
I am so happy to find a cozy series list free from any profanity. I want to read a trailer park and also a country inn cozy, do you know of any? I do not care for the trailer park series by a writer named … I cannot recall the name, something like Jimmie Ruth Dean??? Something like it, I do not care for those. Do you know of any trailer or inn cozies that make a decent reading? Thank you, Nan
Nan,
When I first began this website, I was familiar with every single author who I included on the site. Thanks to many site readers' recommendations, the site has grown WAY larger than I had ever anticipated. I love adding more authors to the site, but since I add more authors than I have time to read, I cannot vouch for all of them.
I hope that some of the readers can come up with ideas for you, but I can give you this list of Bed and Breakfast mystery series and hope that you are able to sift through them and find a few that you might be interested in.
I can send you a list of Christian authors who write mystery/suspense novels. They wouldn't be classified as cozy I don't think, but are very good reads. If you're interested let me know. BTW LOVE THIS SITE you've made it so easy to find what I am looking for.
Thank you
Beckie
Thank you, Beckie. That would be GREAT!