The Cozy Mystery List Blog

Mystery Books that Take Place in Michigan:

Danna - cozy mystery list — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:53:58 +0000

Here are some Fun Michigan Facts:

Michigan gets its name from the Indian word "Michigana" (great lake). Lansing is the state capital. State Motto: "If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you." State Flower: Apple Blossom. Michigan is sometimes called the "Wolverine State." If you love lighthouses, Michigan is the state for you! It has (+/-) 110 of them.

Authors who are found on the Cozy Mystery Site and who feature Michigan locations in their books:

Deb Baker: Yooper Mystery Series…

Lilian Jackson Braun: The Cat Who *** Mystery Series… (There is some speculation that Moose County actually is situated in Upper Michigan.)

JoAnna Carl (aka Eve K. Sandstrom): Chocoholic Mystery Series…

Jo Dereske: Ruby Crane Mystery Series…

Paula Gosling: Blackwater Bay Mystery Series AND Stryker & Trevorne Mystery Series…

Susan Holtzer: Anneke Haagen Mystery Series…

William X. Kienzle: Father Koesler Mystery Series…

Nina Wright: Whiskey Mattimoe Mystery Series…

♦To access more Cozy Mysteries by Theme click on this link.♦

December 2008 Mystery Book New Releases:

Danna - cozy mystery list — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:56:22 +0000

The following mystery books will be released in December 2008:

Miranda Bliss: Dying for Dinner (This will be the 4th in the Cooking Class Mystery Series…)

Jan Burke: The Messenger (This will be a Stand Alone…)

Laura Childs: Eggs in Purgatory (This will be the 1st in the NEW Cackleberry Club Mystery Series…)

Patricia Cornwell: Scarpetta (This will be the 16th in the Kay Scarpetta Mystery Series…)

Shirley Damsgaard: The Witch’s Grave (This will be the 6th in the Ophelia & Abby Mystery Series…)

Monica Ferris: Thai Die (This will be the 12th in Needlecraft Mystery Series…)

Lee Goldberg: Mr. Monk is Miserable (This will be the 7th in the Mr. Monk Mystery Series…)

Sarah Graves: A Face at the Window (This will be the 12th in the Home Repair is Homicide Mystery Series…)

Betty Hechtman: Dead Men Don’t Crochet (This will be the 2nd in the Crochet Mystery Series…)

Hazel Holt: Mrs. Malory and a Time to Die (This will be the 18th in the Mrs. Malory Mystery Series…)

Kay Hooper: Blood Sins (This will be the 2nd in the Bishop Special Crimes Unit Trilogy…)

Julie Hyzy: Hail to the Chef (This will be the 2nd in White House Chef Mystery Series…)

J. A. Jance: Cruel Intent (This will be the 4th in the Alison Reynolds Mystery Series…)

Michael McGarrity: Dead or Alive (This will be the 12th in the Kevin Kerney Mystery Series…)

G.A. McKevett: A Body To Die For (This will be the 14th in the Savannah Reid Mystery Series…)

Perri O’Shaughnessy: Show No Fear (This will be the 12th in the Nina Reilly Mystery Series…)

Charles Todd: A Matter of Justice (This will be the 11th in the Ian Rutledge Mystery Series…)

♦To go back to the Cozy Mystery New Releases page click here♦

Kung Fu Panda… It's Not Just for Kids!

Danna - cozy mystery list — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:41:48 +0000

I know that I have written about my two children from time to time… Our son is 24 and our daughter is 22. Since we live far from our extended families, we don't have young relatives to take to the movies. With that said, let me also add that my husband and I do not miss seeing the cartoon movies when they come out… We happen to (still) enjoy them!

The latest cartoon movie that we saw was Kung Fu Panda, and we both enjoyed it immensely. I should probably have premised this paragraph by saying that I was in a lousy mood the night we watched it… At first I told my husband that I didn't want to watch Kung Fu Panda that night because I didn't want to "waste a good movie on a bad mood." (Does that make any sense?!) But then I decided… since I am in a bad mood, why not try the movie and see if I can shake it (the bad mood, not the movie!) And, sure enough, that's what the movie did!

It was absolutely a delightful movie romp… watching the under-dog (in this case the "dog" is the panda) work, work, work, until he triumphs. Jack Black does a wonderful job voicing Po, the overweight Panda who is given a task so large that most of us would not accept it, knowing that it would be impossible to achieve. Dustin Hoffman rivals David Carradine's "Master" on the old Kung Fu television series. (Remember all of the "Grasshopper" talk?!)

Our daughter has seen the movie several different times, with different people, and she highly recommended it to us. We usually enjoy her recommended movies, and this one surely didn't disappoint. We loved Kung Fu Panda. If you get a chance to see it, go ahead… (DON'T!!!) act your age, and enjoy it!

Florida Series (Possibly) Involving Realtors and Bar/Restaurant Close to Real Estate Office…

Danna - cozy mystery list — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:35:27 +0000

I just received this request from Sandra and thought that it would make a perfect blog. If any of you out there have any ideas, please send a comment.

"I read some books in a series a few years ago that took place in Florida. The characters were friends (male and female, some worked in a real estate office, and would meet each day for lunch and happy hour at a bar/restaurant real close to the realtor office. They were such regulars there that they had there own table and chairs. I enjoyed this series so much but evidently read what I could get at that time and if I wrote the author and titles down for future reference, I have lost it. That is all I can really remember other than they were cozy mysteries and I definitely enjoyed them. Any ideas who the author was or character/titles? It may have been on one of the islands close to Florida but I keep thinking Florida."

Mystery Books that Take Place in Connecticut:

Danna - cozy mystery list — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:53:18 +0000

Here are some Fun Connecticut Facts:

Connecticut's State Motto: "He Who Transplanted Still Sustains." Connecticut's name comes from an Indian word ("Quinnehtukqut") which means “beside the long tidal river.” Connecticut State Flower is the Mountain Laurel Connecticut's Capital is Hartford.

Authors who are found on the Cozy Mystery Site and who feature Connecticut locations in their books:

Laurien Berenson: Melanie Travis Mystery Series…

Joyce Christmas: Betty Trenka Mystery Series…

Hildegarde Dolson: Ramsdale/McDougal Mystery Series…

Parnell Hall: the Puzzle Lady Mystery Series…

Roberta Isleib: the Advice Column Mystery Series…

Valerie Wolzien: Susan Henshaw Mystery Series…

♦To access more Cozy Mysteries by Theme click on this link.♦

Mystery Series Set in World of Collectible Rare Books…

Danna - cozy mystery list — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:24:42 +0000

I just recently received a letter from a site reader asking these questions:

(1.) What about murder by diary/journal? How many can we come up with where the dastardly deed is revealed during the course of a series of diary entries? The original great must be Les Liaisons Dangeureuses - though the deaths come at the end - but are there any contemporary ones?

(2.) Also I remember reading a few books where the murder was set against the background of collectible rare books - the chapter headings were descriptions of rare books taken from auction catalogues, (sorry about all these extra 'u' -I'm in England!) - and the book sale somehow tied in with the plot? Does anyone remember these?

Please leave a comment if you think that you have a book or book series which might be relevant to either of these questions.

Why Are the Majority of the Cozy Mystery Site's Authors Women?

Danna - cozy mystery list — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 13:18:35 +0000

Something that I have (quite obviously) noticed is that most of the authors on the Cozy Mystery site are women. That's not to say that I don't enjoy mysteries written by men… But, I think that it gets back to the fact that female authors simply have a better grasp of what women want to read, and also of what women find "acceptable"… The women authors tend to "play down" the rather unrealistic … let's just call them… "male fantasies." (You know the type… gorgeous blond with legs that don't stop on Monday, beautiful brunette with over-developed bust on Wednesday, phenomenally sexy red head with… whatever! on Friday… only sleuthing while taking a break between the "knock 'em dead women" >>> or better said "girls" … who quite obviously love the leading men.)

I hope that this does not make me a female chauvinist cozy-reader… I am more than happy to read books by men who write cozies… and indeed I do!

Jackie Griffey, Margaret Miles, Cynthia Peale, Marcia Talley: Four New Authors on the Cozy Mystery Site…

Danna - cozy mystery list — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:15:39 +0000

Here are four new authors I have placed on the Cozy Mystery Site after getting recommendations from you all:

Jackie Griffey: Maryvale Mystery Series: This series features a sheriff in Tennessee…

Margaret Miles: Bracebridge Mystery Series: This series is set in a little village in Colonial Massachusetts…

Cynthia Peale: Beacon Hill Mystery Series: This series features a brother and sister in Victorian Boston…

Marcia Talley: Hannah Ives Mystery Series: This series features a cancer survivor in Annapolis…

Mystery Books that Take Place in Colorado:

Danna - cozy mystery list — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:32:40 +0000

Here are some Fun Colorado Facts:

"The Centennial State" Denver is the capital and the largest city. State Motto: "Nothing without the Deity" State Flower: Rocky Mountain Columbine Colorado was named for the red/ruddy color of the mountains.

Authors who are found on the Cozy Mystery Site and who feature Colorado locations in their books:

Leslie Caine (Leslie O’Kane): Domestic Bliss Mystery Series…

Sammi Carter: Candy Shop Mystery Series…

Diane Mott Davidson: Goldy Bear Mystery Series…

Denise Dietz: Diet Club Mystery Series…

James D. Doss: Charlie Moon Mystery Series…

John Dunning: Cliff Janeway Mystery Series…

Christine Goff: Birdwatcher's Mystery Series…

Beth Groundwater: Claire Hanover Mystery Series…

Dolores Johnson: Mandy Dyer Mystery Series…

Sherry Lewis: Senior Sleuth Fred Vickery Mystery Series…

Leslie O’Kane (Leslie Caine): Allie Babcock Mystery Series…

Maggie Sefton: Knitting Mystery Series AND Kate Doyle Mystery Series…

♦To access more Cozy Mysteries by Theme click on this link.♦

Why Are Some Cozies Not So Cozy?

Danna - cozy mystery list — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 13:21:47 +0000

Sometimes, when I go through all of the authors on the Cozy Mystery Site to try to come up with the themes that each series belongs to, I am often left wondering if an author is truly COZY or not. A week ago I had a site reader ask me about a particular character… Lily Bard (from the Charlaine Harris Shakespeare Mystery Series) and I responded (somewhat) in this manner:

I happen to have loved Lily Bard… I was never quite sure if she was cozy, though. I just talked to a very good cozy-reading friend of mine last night (Yes, Cora, that would be you! You might be wondering if it was indeed last night… which it wasn't… but I am post-dating this particular blog.) and we talked about just that>>> I asked her what she thought about Lily's series being cozy. For those of you who have read the Shakespeare mysteries (I have read all of them and truly wish that Harris would write more. It does, however look like Lily might be a thing of the past, with Harris now focusing on her very popular Southern Vampire Mystery Series.) The Lily Bard series is grittier than most, but it comes from a woman's perspective, and seems realistic. Does that make sense? I wonder if that is the reason that most of us cozy mystery lovers love characters like Lily.