I posed a question to myself the other day… If I was to try to convince a non-cozy "addict" (I'm afraid that the word "addict" does indeed describe some of us!) that the cozy mystery genre is worth pursuing, what would I do? Hmmm… I could give the person the definition of a cozy mystery novel and then try to convince the person that everyone who tries one goes back for another… sort of like potato chips. OR, I could try to liken cozy mystery books to books that the person had more than likely read. OR, I could pay the person a large amount of money to make it worth his/her while to read a cozy mystery novel, knowing that, again, the analogy with the potato chips. OR, I could give the person the first novel from Anne George's Southern Sisters cozy mystery series.
Now, I know that a lot of people prefer the ve-dy British types of cozy mystery series, and a lot of people prefer the cozy mystery series that feature… oh, say an older spinster aunt-type, or an unmarried, cerebral bachelor-type. But, if you haven't yet tried "Murder on a Girls' Night Out" (#1 in the series) then you should reserve your comments!
I read the first of the eight books of Anne George's series as a monthly pick for one of my reading groups… I think it was the (now defunct) Mystery in the Morning… It was the chosen book of the month for all of us to read.
I might have "gone into" the book thinking… hmmm… another southern cozy… just what I need! Well, let me tell you, it was just what I needed! I cannot say enough good things about the Southern Sisters series of books.
The books feature Patricia Anne "Mouse" Hollowell, and Mary Alice "Sister" Crane. You can probably tell which one of the sisters is the ex-teacher and which one is the country western tavern owner…by their nicknames… If you guessed that "Mouse" didn't own the tavern, you are right!
These two sisters actually talk and act like sisters. There is nothing false about their relationship… and, as a sister to my sister, I can vouch for that! Anne George based Mary Alice's character on her cousin, and Anne shared the fact that she had been a school teacher with Patricia's character… Hmmm….
The mysteries the two sisters solve involve a whole lot of fun for the reader, and the characters really are three dimensional, not flat cardboard personalities that lay flat on the paper.
The next book in the series, Murder on a Bad Hair Day ( #2) continues with the fun… as do the rest of the books:
Murder Runs in the Family (#3)
Murder Makes Waves (#4)
Murder Gets a Life (#5)
Murder Murder Shoots the Bull (#6)
Murder Carries a Torch (#7)
Murder Boogies with Elvis (#8)
As I sit here typing this blog, I am smiling to myself as I remember how much enjoyment I got when I read these books. Also, I am thinking about a very good friend of mine who absolutely loves Anne George's books. This particular friend found out that Anne George had been nominated for a Pulitzer for one of her poetry books. My friend wrote to Anne George and asked her where the book was available to buy. The very gracious Ms. George lost no time in sending my friend a signed copy of the particular poetry book. So, my friend and I found out that "Mouse" and Ms. George had more than just being school teachers in common… they were both very caring and generous.
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Anne George's books are on my very favorites list too. I was so saddened when she died before her time…
Jan, I feel the same…. way before her time…
I, too, love Anne George. I read her books over and over again. Does anyone know of another series similar to Mouse and Mary Alice?
I love the Southern Sisters mysteries, too! I just finished reading "Murder Shoots the Bull" and enjoyed every minute of it! I also have enjoyed listening to them. The person who performs these books is great. I enjoyed having a voice to associate with two of my favorite characters.
Sharon,
I didn't know that the books were out in audio. I will have to check and see who performs them… I would have loved listening to them!
I love her books and was really saddened when she passed away. I sent her son a card and he responded to me with a very nice letter. What a wonderful read.
Kitty,
It sounds like her son is as gracious as she was…
Nancy:
Stumbled upon your blog – did you find an answer to a series like Anne George's "sister" series? I loved all those books.
I loved the southern sisters books too. I wish Anne George was still with us. If anyone knows of another author similar would you please let me know?
I also fell in love with Anne George's books upon reading the first one. I will be checking back in the hopes someone does have an author to recommend with a similar style. Anne will certainly be a hard act to follow. Thanks!
I loved these books too. I also like the Hannah Swenson series by Joanne Fluke. It is small town, family oriented, fun, and of course a murder or two.
I am a huge fan of the late Anne George. Her death was a great loss to the mystery world.
She's one of the reasons I became a mystery writer after many years as a journalist. I wanted to write funny mysteries, and Anne's success (and her wonderfully humorous stories) made it seem like that was a goal worth achieving.
I've been thrilled that my "Mace Bauer Mystery" series, featuring three sisters and the mama who drives them all crazy, has been compared to Anne's Southern Sisters books. What an honor! Check out the family relationships in MAMA DOES TIME (Midnight Ink, 2008), or the just released MAMA RIDES SHOTGUN (2009), and let me know what you think.
Hi Deborah,
Thank you so much for posting in this entry's comments area. As you can see, there are a lot of Anne George fans who are saddened that she passed away.
I can imagine how thrilling it must be to see that your Mace Bauer Mystery Series has been compared to Anne George's Southern Sisters Mystery Series. That is a wonderful honor, indeed! I am going to have to move your new series up on my "To Be Read" list.
Thanks, again!
My little sister (we'll call her Mouse) had me read this book "Murder on a Girl's Night out". It was wonderful , it kept me on the edge of my seat, I could hardly put it down. We'd love to find more of Anne's novels.
I just read the first in the Anne George series–what an absolute DELIGHT!!!! I completely loved it. I have the next one sitting here. Such great characters. I enjoyed it thoroughly and I agree–it would be a great intro to "cozy."
If I could learn to write half as well as she did…
Hello All,
I am glad to see that others get as much pleasure reading about Anne George's Southern Sisters as I do. I am so sad to be half-way through her last book, and have already started looking for a replacement. Though I haven't read them, I was doing some research for a similar series, and came across Livia J. Washburn's "Fresh Baked". It is a culinary mystery series, but has the same southern feel as Southern Sisters and even features retired teachers too! I am looking forward to reading these! Thought I'd share…