Monday, October 27, 2008

Cozy Mysteries by Tim Myers, Maggie Sefton, and Donna Andrews

Tim Myers writes cozy mysteries. He wrote series about a lighthouse inn, soap making, and candle making. He also writes under the names Elizabeth Bright (a series of three books set in a cardmaking store) and Melissa Glazer (about a paint-your-own pottery shop). I guess he uses the female pseudonyms because cozy mysteries appeal to more women than men. Glazer is a good name -- get it? Such as the glaze on the pottery? There are two in this series so far and the third is due out in November 2008.

Maggie Sefton writes a knitting series. Her latest is Fleece Navidad, a special Christmas mystery. The previous book in this series came out in June, Dyer Consequences. Her sleuth, Kelly, likes to drink coffee and knit. Luckily, the knitting shop has a cafe. Her friends Meg and Jennifer, among others, hang out there. Kelly does accounting work in Colorado (the town is based on Fort Collins, but is called something else). She recently bought an alpaca ranch.

Donna Andrews writes a humorous series with birds in most of the titles: Murder with Peacocks, etc.

Classic Mysteries

I love to read mysteries, especially cozy and historical ones. I also like classic mysteries such as Agatha Christie and the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I thought I'd start a blog so I could recommend some of my favorites to other people.

When I was a kid I read Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Trixie Belden, and the Three Investigators. When I was about 13 I read an Alfred Hitchcock book of short stories from the library that introduced me to Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes, and Ngaio Marsh. Those stories interested me so I went back to the library and started reading Marsh, Christie, and Conan Doyle. I've read most of the Agatha Christies, but there's a few I haven't read. I like Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, and Tommy and Tuppence.

I've read all the Sherlock Holmes stories; I had them all in one book. It took me a while (56 short stories and four novels), but I eventually finished the book. At least with the short stories you can finish one and go back to the book later and not forget what you've read.

I think I should read some Margery Allingham books. I will read Police at the Funeral this year. I have a new edition of it, versus the older paperbacks that I have that are kind of yellowed. I also have Mystery Mile in a newer edition (these are published by Felony and Mayhem).