Start a New Mystery Series

June 18, 2025April 24, 2025 - Beth Leave a comment

While most mystery series do not have to be read in order, many mystery readers prefer to start at the beginning and follow the main characters through the growth of their mystery solving skills. Below you will find a few newer titles that are number one in a forthcoming mystery series, owned by the Davenport Public Library at the time of this writing. Descriptions are provided by the publisher.

Knife Skills by Wendy Church, The Shadows of Chicago series. Sagarine Pfister is a great cook but has been blacklisted by almost every restaurant in Chicago. When she finds the head chef of a below-average restaurant dead in a walk-in freezer, the owner, Russian gang boss Anatoly Morzov, offers her the head chef job. While the Chicago PD searches for a killer, the FBI pressures Sagarine to inform on the gang. As Sagarine becomes more deeply involved with the gang and one of Morzov’s lieutenants, the FBI’s demands put her at increased risk of discovery. She has to make a decision about where her loyalties lie as she finds herself running for her life.

Murder by cheesecake by Rachel Ekstrom-Courage, A Golden Girls cozy mystery. When Dorothy’s obnoxious date is found dead in a hotel freezer, it not only ruins a gorgeous cheesecake but threatens the elaborate St. Olaf-themed wedding Rose is hosting.

Midnight Streets by Phil Lecomber, A Piccadilly noir novel. When Cockney private detective George Harley saves a young girl’s life on a dark London night in 1929, he doesn’t realize it marks the beginning of an investigation which will change his life forever. The incendiary novel which inspired the girl’s abduction also seems to be linked to a series of grisly murders that are taking place on Harley’s patch. Set during the Golden Age of Crime Fiction, Harley’s world is a far cry from the country house of an Agatha Christie whodunnit.

Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd, Nora Breen investigates. The first in a cozy mystery series about a former nun who searches for answers in a small seaside town after her pen pal mysteriously disappears. Haunted by a line in her friend’s letter, Nora Breen asks to be released from her vows and arrives at Gulls Nest, a charming hotel in Gore-on-Sea in Kent. A seaside town, a place of fresh air and relaxed constraints, is the perfect place for a new start. Nora hides her identity and pries into the lives of her fellow guests. But when a series of bizarre murders rattles the occupants of Gulls Nest it’s time to ask if a dark past can ever really be left behind.

The Expectant Detectives by Kat Ailes, Expectant detectives. The Expectant Detectives is first in a delightful new mystery series following a group of pregnant women who meet at a prenatal class and team up to solve the murder of someone in their village.

I Only Read Murder by Ian Ferguson & Will Ferguson, Miranda Abbott mystery. Miranda Abbott, once known for the crime-solving, karate-chopping church pastor she played on network television, has hit hard times. She’s facing ruin when a mysterious postcard arrives, summoning her to Happy Rock, a small town in the Pacific Northwest. In dire straits, she signs up for an amateur production at the Happy Rock Little Theater. On opening night, one of the actors is murdered, live, in front of the audience. Now everyone is under a cloud of suspicion, including the town doctor, the high school drama teacher, an oil-stained car mechanic, an elderly gentleman who may have been in the CIA — and Miranda herself. Clearly, the only way to solve this mystery is for Miranda to summon her skills as television’s Pastor Fran.

Every Time I go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack, The vacation mysteries. All that bestselling author Eleanor Dash wants is to get through her book tour in Italy and kill off her main character, Connor Smith, in the next in her Vacation Mysteries series — is that too much to ask? Clearly, because when an attempt is made on the real Connor’s life Eleanor’s enlisted to help solve the case. Contending with literary rivals, rabid fans, a stalker, and even her ex, Oliver, theories are bandied about, and rivalries, rifts, and broken hearts are revealed.

The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society by C.M. Waggoner

June 9, 2025May 31, 2025 - Stephanie Leave a comment

What would you do if dead bodies kept popping up in your tiny town? Check out The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society by C.M. Waggoner to discover how the residents of one town solve the crimes!

Librarian Sherry Pinkwhistle is growing alarmed by the number of people that are dying in her small town of Winesap, New York and how seemingly unconcerned and unaffected the townspeople are. Library director by day, amateur sleuth and unofficial police investigator by night, Sherry solves murders while keeping the local library running.

Solving murders has never really bothered Sherry until her very close friend is murdered and she decides she is too close to the case and therefore can’t investigate. As soon as she tells her friends that she isn’t going to investigate, weird things start happening. The sheriff starts acting erratically and her friends are suddenly very interested in Sherry continuing her investigations. More odd circumstances occur (one specific incident involving her cat pushes her over the edge!), leading Sherry to believe that an outside influence may be behind these deaths. Something unnatural is roaming Winesap and Sherry is determined to stop them.

Sherry knows she can’t figure out who is behind these murders without help, so she reaches out to her most trusted friends. With the help of the town’s new priest and her motley crew of friends, the newly formed Demon-Hunting Society gets to work! They start working out a plan to solve the latest murder and rid the community of the demon. Even though she has a group of people to back her up, Sherry still has her doubt about who she can really trust. Going off on her own may be the only way she can solve the crime, but at what cost?

I had no idea what I was getting into when I checked out this book. Sherry and her friends are an absolute riot. The circumstances in the town are wacky, yet somehow believable within the confines of the world the author has created. The characters in this book are more complicated than they seem with backstories that end up being incredibly important to the story! The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society is described as a mix of Murder, She Wrote and Buffy the Vampire Slayer – so true! While I was invested in solving the murders, the paranormal and supernatural elements seemed like a necessary road block that readers knew the Demon-Hunting Society would eventually figure out. All in all, I really enjoyed this cozy fantasy mystery.

Tea and Treachery : a Tea by the Sea Mystery by Vicki Delany

May 2, 2025April 28, 2025 - Michelle Leave a comment

Tea & Treachery is the first book in the Tea by the Sea Mystery Series by Vicki Delany. Delany is a powerhouse in the genre of cozy mystery writing with many unique and interesting reads. She has about a half dozen series under her belt, and you can always count on her for a fun, yet complex cozy mystery! I was looking to start a new series and came upon Delany’s latest, and I am glad that I did.

Lily Roberts is the proprietor of the quaint tea shop, Tea by the Sea, in picturesque Cape Cod. In this vacation mecca, Roberts stays busy with the shop thanks in part to her grandmother’s Victorian B&B next door where her tea is a hit with guests. Her grandmother, Rose, has inspired much in Lily’s life, especially the tea shop whose British theme pays homage to Rose’s homeland. Rose is feisty, sassy and holds no opinion back. One of Lily’s main jobs is reining in her grandmother and keeping her out of trouble!

Both the tea shop and the B&B rely on summer tourism to keep the doors open. A real estate developer named Jack Ford arrives in town and hints that he will be purchasing the adjacent land to the shop and B&B. His purchase of the adjacent land would turn it into a large complex with a golf course. With this news, Rose goes on the offense and prepares to battle against the development. Developer Jack Ford will hear none of the objections from Lily, Rose and the other residents who fear the new development will change the charm of the cape. Tempers flare and words are exchanged between Rose and Jack with both drawing a line in the sand.

Everything soon changes when Jack is found dead at the bottom of the beach access stairs on Rose’s property! Law enforcement knows that she had a motive to want Jack Ford dead. Lily steps in and plays intermediary with the police when Rose is questioned as a suspect. After the police release Rose after questioning, Lily knows that things aren’t looking good for her grandmother and time is of the essence for her to find the real killer!

This series has a bit of everything – a beautiful setting, a fun cast of characters (especially entertaining is the banter between Lily and Rose), an interesting “who done it” and scrumptious descriptions of food and tea! If you are looking for a new cozy series, think about Tea by the Sea!

May is Mystery Month!

May 14, 2024April 30, 2024 - Michelle Leave a comment

One of my favorite months of the year is May, which is Mystery month! With dozens and dozens of new releases out this spring, below are a few noteworthy releases. As this is just a sampling, visit Reading Recommendations on the library’s website for many more mysteries. This is the perfect time to check in with your favorite author and see if a new title is on the horizon.

Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz – In this novel, the fifth installment of the Hawthorne and Horowitz series, Detective Hawthorne is called on to investigate the apparent murder of an unpopular resident who resides on a quiet street inside a gated community. The residents of the community have paid large amounts of money to feel safe and secure, seemingly protected from the outside world. The murder victim was a known troublemaker and strayed from the strict community rules which made him very unpopular with his neighbors. Was someone mad enough with him breaking the rules to resort to murder?

Clock Struck Murder by Betty Webb – Expat Zoe Barlow is at it again in 1920s Paris in the second book in the Lost in Paris series. During the weekly poker game hosted at her apartment, a fellow player accidentally breaks Zoe’s beloved vintage clock. On a quest to find a replacement in the Montparnasse neighborhood flea market, Zoe finds the perfect replacement clock and purchases it immediately from her favorite shopkeeper, Laurette. Upon arrival at home, Zoe discovers her clock is wrapped in the most beautiful Chagall canvas, which Zoe recognizes immediately. Almost more impressed with the artwork, Zoe is desperate to find out more about the paintings and tracks down the vendor only to find her murdered! With police resources scarce, Zoe turns into an amateur detective and finds out the paintings are stolen and may have been played a role in the murder of Laurette.

Death in the Details by Katie Tietjen – A historical mystery based on the life of the “mother of forensic science”, Katie Tietjen has written a unique mystery where a skilled creator of doll houses uses her talent to recreate crime scenes in miniature. In the years after WWII Maple Bishop is still learning to live without her husband, Bill, who was killed in the war. She soon learns that he has left her with no income and she risks losing their family home in Vermont. Maple has no choice but to turn to her natural talent to earn a living – making miniatures for dollhouses. On her way to make a delivery to her first customer, she discovers his lifeless body in a barn. She decides to make a miniature of the crime scene in the hopes of putting the pieces together as an amateur sleuth. She teams up with a new police officer to get to the bottom of the crime before she risks becoming a victim herself.

Locked in Pursuit by Ashley Weaver – Electra McDonnell’s safecracking skills have made her indispensable to the British Government in this fourth installment of Ashley Weaver’s Electra McDonnell series set in WWII London. Electra gets wind of a series of burglaries carried out by expert thieves and contacts her elusive handler, Major Ramsey, who just happens to be a member of the British government in order to garner more information. The two of them start on a journey that leads to Portugal and includes the delivery of a mysterious package that could break the case wide open. As the group of thieves grow bolder, Electra and Ramsey hope to outwit the thieves with their own game.

Other exciting mystery titles coming out this spring :

Murder in Rose Hill By Victoria Thompson

Patchwork Quilt Murder by Leslie Meier

Nest of Vipers by Harini Nagendra

The Last Hope by Susan Elia MacNeal

The Comfort of Ghosts by Jacqueline Winspear

Dead Tired by Kat Ailes

Cozy Mysteries set in a Library

April 22, 2024April 1, 2024 - Beth Leave a comment

What’s cozier than a cozy mystery that takes place in a library? A cozy mystery falls in the mystery / crime genre. Some of the traits of a cozy mystery are the violence taking place off-page, a cast of quirky supporting characters, and an amateur sleuth. In our case today, we are looking at cozy mysteries where the crime-solver’s day job is working as a librarian!

42nd Street Library Mysteries by Cornelius Lehane – Con Lehane’s 42nd Street Library Mysteries feature librarian and reluctant sleuth Raymond Ambler, curator of the (fictional) crime fiction collection at New York City’s landmark 42nd Street Library. Raymond is a doggedly curious fellow who uncovers murderous secrets hidden behind the majestic marble building.
First title of series: Murder at the 42nd Street Library. Total number in series: 5

Cat in the Stacks by Miranda James – Charlie Harris is a widowed librarian who knows how to search for clues. Diesel is a Maine coon cat who likes to go on walks. Together this duo is known for cracking the case when a murder occurs in the college town of Athena, Mississippi.
First title of series: Murder Past Due. Total number in series: 16

First Edition Library Mysteries by Marty Wingate – The First Edition Library Mysteries are set in the lovely spa town of Bath, England. Here we find Hayley Burke, curator of an impressive collection of books from the Golden Age of Mystery—Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and all the rest. Too bad Hayley has never read a detective story in her life.
First title of series: The Bodies in the Library. Total number in series: 3

The Haunted Library Mysteries by Allison Brook – Ghosts, books, and cats, oh my! This is a ‘spirited’ cozy mystery series about a sleuthing Connecticut librarian, her paranormal sidekick, and the library’s resident cat. Carrie Singleton works as the head of programs and events at the haunted local library, complete with its own librarian ghost.
First title of series: Death Overdue. Total number in series: 8

Lakeside Library Mysteries by Holly Danvers – Rain Wilmot runs an informal library out of her family’s waterfront log cabin in Lofty Pines, Wisconsin. Between snowed in winters and busy touristy summers, there is never a dull moment in the Northwoods, especially as the locals keep turning up murdered!
First title of series: Murder at the Lakeside Library. Total number in series: 3

Lighthouse Library Mystery by Eva Gates – Determined to rewrite her life, Lucy leaves her job pouring over the rare tomes of literature for the Harvard Library. It’s a dream come true when she arrives in the Outer Banks and lands a librarian job at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, but theft and murder could derail her happy ending.
First title of series: By Book or By Crook. Total number in series: 11

Because I Could Not Stop for Death: an Emily Dickinson mystery by Amanda Flower

March 21, 2024February 26, 2024 - Stephanie Leave a comment

One of my favorite cozy mystery writers has started a new series based on Emily Dickinson! Because I Could Not Stop for Death is the first in the new Emily Dickinson Mystery series started by author Amanda Flower.

It’s January 1855 and Willa Noble is on her way to a job interview at the Dickinson home in Amherst, Massachusetts. While she’s qualified for the job, her disheveled appearance leaves much to be desired. This job will be a much-needed stepping stone up the employment ladder for Willa, allowing her to save more money for herself and her younger brother, Henry. As Willa leaves after her disastrous interview, she is stopped by the voice of Emily Dickinson, alerting her that she has been hired for the job despite the housekeeper’s reticence.

Emily sees something in Willa that intrigues her, leading the two to strike up a friendship of sorts. Not long after starting her new job, tragedy strikes. Willa’s brother Henry is found dead, killed in an accident at the town stables where he works. The police label it as a tragic accident, something that Willa doesn’t believe for a moment. She is convinced that Henry was murdered. She confides in Emily her beliefs and her reasoning. Emily offers to help and the two start on a deadly chase for the truth that leads them all around Amherst to Washington DC and back. What they thought was an intriguing puzzle at the beginning weaves the two into a web of corruption and political intrigue that could destroy Willa, Emily, and the entire Dickinson family.

This intro to a new series blew me away. It’s more than just a cozy mystery, instead it is also a historical cozy! The fact that the story is told by a housemaid in the Dickinson household was interesting as readers get to learn more about Emily’s life from an outsider. I particularly enjoyed the cast of characters in this book. They all have vivid descriptions and interact with each other fairly frequently. The setting also plays a large role in the plot of the story. Readers travel the streets of Amherst and then take the train to Washington DC to visit the Dickinson patriarch. Seeing mid-1800s Washington DC through the eyes of the character allows readers to experience briefly what time really was like in such a historical place. This book was darker than other titles written by the same author, but if you enjoy historical mysteries, cozy mysteries, and amateur sleuths, you’ll enjoy this title.

Emily Dickinson Mystery series

Because I Could Not Stop for Death (2022)
I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died (2023)

TV6 Book Club November Read Wrap-Up

December 14, 2023December 5, 2023 - Brittany Leave a comment

Woman wearing glasses with a book on her head topped with a tiara

In October, Morgan and I read The Accidental Beauty Queen by Teri Wilson. I presented this book to celebrate National Book Lovers Day on November 4^th.

Here is a little bit about the book:

Charlotte only agreed to attend her twin sister’s beauty pageant as an excuse to take a much-needed vacation in Orlando – home of Harry Potter World. The vacation is cut terribly short when her twin develops an allergic reaction. Unable to tell her sister no, Charlotte agrees to impersonate her sister and compete in the Miss American Treasure Pageant until her sister recovers.

There were times when I got annoyed with Charlotte’s self-sacrificing nature but she redeemed herself in the end! This was a fun read and I really enjoyed it!

Each month, I gather 4 options. The titles are below including the winner! Feel free to check them out from Davenport Public Library!

Fatal Fixer-Upper by Jennie Bentley (in honor of National Roof Over Your Head Day on December 3^rd)

Avery Baker was once a New York designer, but inheriting her aunt’s old Maine cottage has led her down a new career path-home renovation. Now, with help from hunky handyman Derek Ellis, Avery starts learning the ABCs of DIY. But when the designer-turned-renovator finds clues that lead to a missing professor, she wonders if she can finish the house-without getting finished off in the process.– provided by Goodreads.

The Codebreaker’s Secret by Sara Ackerman (in honor of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day on December 7th)

As war in the Pacific rages on, Isabel Cooper and her codebreaker colleagues huddle in “the dungeon” at Station HYPO in Pearl Harbor, deciphering secrets plucked from the airwaves in a race to bring down the enemy. Isabel has only one wish: to avenge her brother’s death. But she soon finds life has other plans when she meets his best friend, a hotshot pilot with secrets of his own.

1965.Fledgling journalist Lu Freitas comes home to Hawai’i to cover the grand opening of the glamorous Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Rockefeller’s newest and grandest project. When a high-profile guest goes missing, Lu forms an unlikely alliance with an intimidating veteran photographer to unravel the mystery. The two make a shocking discovery that stirs up memories and uncovers an explosive secret from the war days. A secret that only a codebreaker can crack.-provided by Goodreads.

The Devine Doughnut Shop by Carolyn Brown (In honor of National Pastry Day on December 9^th)

Three women are torn between traditions of the past and unexpected new beginnings in a warmhearted novel by Carolyn Brown about family, romance, and the best pastries in Texas. For Grace Dalton, her sister, Sarah, and her cousin Macy, the Devine Doughnut Shop is a sweet family legacy and a landmark in their Texas town. As the fourth generation to run the Double D, they keep their great-grandmother’s recipe secret and uphold the shop’s tradition as a coffee klatch for sharing local gossip, advice, and woes. But drama brews behind the counter, too. Grace is a single mother struggling with an unruly teenage daughter. Heartbroken Sarah has sworn off love. Macy’s impending wedding has an unexpected hitch. And now charming developer Travis Butler has arrived in Devine with a checkbook and a handsome smile. He wants to buy the shop, expand it nationally, and boost the economy of a town divided by the prospect. With the family’s relationships in flux, their beloved heritage up for grabs, and their future in the air, it’s amazing what determination, sass, a promise of romance, and a warm maple doughnut can do to change hearts and minds.– provided by Goodreads

*December Read!! The Fire By Night by Teresa Messineo (in honor of Thank a Soldier Week December 24th-30th)

A powerful and evocative debut novel about two American military nurses during World War II that illuminates the unsung heroism of women who risked their lives in the fight—a riveting saga of friendship, valor, sacrifice, and survival combining the grit and selflessness of Band of Brothers with the emotional resonance of The Nightingale.

In war-torn France, Jo McMahon, an Italian-Irish girl from the tenements of Brooklyn, tends to six seriously wounded soldiers in a makeshift medical unit. Enemy bombs have destroyed her hospital convoy, and now Jo singlehandedly struggles to keep her patients and herself alive in a cramped and freezing tent close to German troops. There is a growing tenderness between her and one of her patients, a Scottish officer, but Jo’s heart is seared by the pain of all she has lost and seen. Nearing her breaking point, she fights to hold on to joyful memories of the past, to the times she shared with her best friend, Kay, whom she met in nursing school.

Half a world away in the Pacific, Kay is trapped in a squalid Japanese POW camp in Manila, one of thousands of Allied men, women, and children whose fates rest in the hands of a sadistic enemy. Far from the familiar safety of the small Pennsylvania coal town of her childhood, Kay clings to memories of her happy days posted in Hawaii, and the handsome flyer who swept her off her feet in the weeks before Pearl Harbor. Surrounded by cruelty and death, Kay battles to maintain her sanity and save lives as best she can . . . and live to see her beloved friend Jo once more.

When the conflict at last comes to an end, Jo and Kay discover that to achieve their own peace, they must find their place—and the hope of love—in a world that’s forever changed. With rich, superbly researched detail, Teresa Messineo’s thrilling novel brings to life the pain and uncertainty of war and the sustaining power of love and friendship, and illuminates the lives of the women who risked everything to save others during a horrifying time.– provided by Goodreads.

Killer Chardonnay – A Colorado Wine Mystery by Kate Lansing

August 17, 2023August 4, 2023 - Michelle Leave a comment

Author Kate Lansing’s Killer Chardonnay is the first book in the Colorado Wine Mystery series, the start to a charming cozy mystery series that features amateur sleuth and new wine shop owner Parker Valentine. It has been Parker’s dream to open her own wine shop one day and when her beloved aunt passes away and leaves Parker with a sizeable inheritance, it seems like the right time to chase her dream. With opening night planned and all the local VIPs invited to attend, Parker is ready to launch Vino Valentine. On opening night, Parker gets the surprise of her life when local celebrity and renowned food and wine critic Gaskel Brown takes a seat at the bar and orders a flight of Parker’s signature wines. Parker knows Gaskel’s reviews can set the course for the success or failure of Vino Valentine based on his opinion.

Parker isn’t having much luck winning over Gaskel with her wine selection. He doesn’t seem to be enjoying himself and she is convinced a bad review is just around the corner. He focuses on one of the wines that she is the proudest of – her signature chardonnay – and by the look on his face he is less than impressed. Abruptly, Gaskel gets up and beelines for the bathroom, and in her desperation, Parker “accidentally” sees the notebook of his initial thoughts. She is taken aback when she learns his initial impression is not positive. In a daze from reading his words, Parker realizes that Gaskel has not returned to finish his glass. She knocks on the door of the bathroom to check on him and when there is no answer, she discovers Gaskel dead in the bathroom of Vino Valentine.

Authorities are convinced that Gaskel has been poisoned and the poison was lurking in Parker’s chardonnay. To complicate things, Parker admits that she snooped in his notebook and he was about to give her establishment a less than stellar review, which doesn’t endear her to the investigating officer.

Word spreads quickly that it was Parker’s wine that killed him and she is desperate to save her business and lift the blame from Vino Valentine. She, along with her group of friends, take matters into their own hands and conduct their own amateur investigation. Their investigation takes an even darker turn when another guest from the opening night festivities dies under mysterious circumstances. In her investigation, Parker discovers that Gaskel’s writings have left many people destitute and broke after his scathing reviews caused their businesses to fail. Could the culprit be a ruined business owner seeking revenge? If so, how did the poison end up in Parker’s chardonnay? Readers will be on the edge of their seats trying to get to the bottom of the case.

Over the last few years the amount of cozy mysteries published has grown by leaps and bounds and there seems to be a theme or niche for nearly everyone, no matter your interest. Killer Chardonnay stands out in a large field of new cozy mystery launches. The characters are very engaging and the mystery will keep you guessing – especially how the poison got into the chardonnay. Kate Lansing has four books (so far) in the Colorado Wine Mystery series with the most recent being published in the spring of 2023.

2. A Pairing To Die For

3. Mulled to Death

4. Til Death do Us Port

Devil’s Chew Toy by Rob Osler

May 17, 2022May 5, 2022 - Callen Leave a comment

If you like Stephanie Plum, Agatha Raisin, and cozy mysteries with unique casts of characters where shenanigans ensue, you won’t want to miss Devil’s Chew Toy by Rob Osler. Funny and warm, with a caring center, this whodunit is both a fascinating mystery and a love letter to Seattle and the LGBTQ community.

Hayden has had an interesting night. At his regular queer bar last night, he’d finally worked up the courage to tip the handsome go-go boy dancing on the table, only for the dancer to lose his balance and kick him in the face. Despite the black eye, it wasn’t a total loss, because the dancer turned out to be a sweetheart named Camilo, who took Hayden home. Unfortunately, when Hayden woke up the next day, there was no sign of Camilo anywhere, just his dog Commander. Oh, and the police at the door. Hayden can’t shake his concern, and starts asking around to see if anyone knows where Camilo has gone (not least because having Commander at his apartment is escalating his feud with a nasty neighbor). In consequence, he meets Camilo’s friends Burley and Hollister, and all three are swept up in a quest to get to the bottom of the mystery and bring Camilo home.

What works well in this mystery is a balance between serious caring and lighthearted fun; for instance Camilo’s immigration status and Hollister’s experiences as a 6 foot Black lesbian are treated sincerely as good reasons to feel unsafe around (and less than confident in) law enforcement, but this is balanced with Hayden charmingly out of his depth (but remaining compassionate) as a petite teacher/blogger thrust into a world of jealousy and danger.

Mystery readers, don’t miss out on a self-identified “pocket gay” going on a journey of dog-sitting, wise 90-year-olds, butch lesbians, sinister pet stores, a borrowed Prius covered in religious bumper stickers, and a missing go-go dancer with a heart of gold.

Cozy Mystery Reads: Gaslight Mysteries by Victoria Thompson

March 2, 2022February 1, 2022 - Stephanie Leave a comment

Victoria Thompson is an Edgar nominated author who writes both historical mysteries and historical romances. She has also won the Romantic Time Career Achievement award and was an Agatha Award nominee five years in a row. Before she started writing mysteries, Victoria Thompson had written twenty historical romances. I was introduced to this author through her Gaslight Mysteries series which is set in turn-of-the-century New York City and features midwife Sarah Brandt who does a bit of detecting on the side. The Gaslight Mystery series was Edgar and Agatha Award nominated. Thompson also writes the Counterfeit Lady series, which features con artist Elizabeth Miles and attorney Gideon Bates. That series has been nominated for the Sue Grafton Memorial Award.

Thompson currently lives in a suburb of Chicago with her family and teaches at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. She is a member of Mystery Writers of American and Sisters in Crime, as well as serving on boards and being a founding member of many other organizations: Novelists, Inc, PENNWRITERS, Romance Writers of America, and New Jersey Romance Writers to name a few.

Murder on Astor Place is the first book in the Gaslight Mysteries series. This series came highly recommended to me by other library staff. This series can be seen as both cozy and as historical, so I leave that distinction up to you readers. I have only read the first book so far, but I understand the appeal!

Murder on Astor Place introduces readers to midwife Sarah Brandt. She lives in turn-of-the-century tenements in Manhattan. Sarah was born into a prominent wealthy family, but is now estranged from them. When Sarah is called to help a woman in labor, she recognizes one of the young women boarding in the house. After the baby is safely delivered, Sarah returns to visit the patient and young baby a few days later. Upon that visit, Sarah learns that the young woman she previously recognized had been killed. Sergeant Frank Malloy is on scene and requests that Sarah help him search the girl’s room. In the midst of the search, they discover that the victim is also from one of the most prominent New York families, like Sarah. In fact, she is the sister of one of Sarah’s oldest friends. Knowing what she knows about these wealthy families, she has doubts that the family will want to investigate and she is sadly proven correct. They are feaful of scandal. Having doubts that Malloy is putting his full effort into solving the case and wanting to get justice for the victim, Sarah starts searching for information about what really happened. Malloy reluctantly helps her, but her investigations quickly turn dangerous for all involved.

Complete series list can be found at the end of this blog post. Certain titles are also available in other formats: for example, CD audiobook, large print, and OverDrive eAudiobook.

Gaslight Mysteries

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Tag: cozy mysteries