Best Books

A growing trend in the mystery book genre is the cozy mystery. This subgenre is less graphic, both in sexual and violent themes, as well as language. Even within a subgenre like cozies, there are still further subdivisions to be found. Some of these themes include supernatural, historical, culinary, gardening, bed and breakfast settings, and cozy mystery books with pets as sidekicks.

This paper will list some of the cozy mystery book authors who write mysteries that have dogs as on-going characters in the authors’ mystery book series.

Lydia Adamson: Adamson writes the Deirdre Quinn Nightingale mystery series which features a veterinarian sleuth.

Donna Ball: Ball writes a mystery series that features a dog ex-tracker who is accompanied by her Golden Retriever.

Cynthia Baxter: Many dogs are featured in Baxter’s Reigning Cats & Dogs mystery series.

Carol Lea Benjamin: Benjamin’s cozy mystery series features a dog trainer who is also a sleuth.

Laurien Berenson: Berenson’s cozy mystery series features a Special Ed. teacher who participates in dog shows when she’s not sleuthing.

Michael Bond: The Monsieur Pamplemousse mystery series by Michael Bond features a dog sidekick named Pommes Frites (French Fries.)

Rita Mae Brown: Brown’s Mrs. Murphy mystery books feature a Corgi and her feline friends who do a lot of sleuthing on their own.

Nancy Bush: Bush writes the Jane Kelly mystery book series which features a Pug.

Ann Campbell: A Siberian Husky/German Shepherd mix is the canine partner in Campbell’s mystery series.

Melissa Cleary: The Dog Lovers mystery series is written by Cleary, and features a professor as the sleuth.

Susan Conant: The Holly Winter series is about a dog magazine writer who also trains dogs.

Evelyn David: An Irish Wolfhound and his human (who happens to be a mortician) are the sleuths in the Sullivan Investigations mystery series.

Patricia Guiver: A Doberman Pinscher is the sidekick in Guiver’s Pet Detective series.

David Handler: A Basset Hound features in Handler’s Stewart Hoag & Lulu series.

Sue Henry: Henry writes two mystery series for dog lovers. One features an Alaskan dog sled racer while the other mystery book series features a 60+ widow/sleuth who travels around in her RV with her Mini Dachshund.

Lee Charles Kelley: Kelley’s Continuing Adventures of Jack & Jamie includes a sleuth who trains dogs for a living.

Virginia Lanier: One of Lanier’s series features a Bloodhound trainer who solves crimes.

Judy McCoy: McCoy writes the Dog Walker mystery series which also falls under the supernatural/paranormal theme in mysteries. Her dog walker communicates telepathically with the dogs she walks.

Leslie O’Kane: O’Kane’s Allie Babcock mystery series features a dog therapist as its sleuth.

Dana Stabenow: Set in Alaska, Stabenow’s Kate Shugak mystery series has dog companions.

Maggie Toussaint: Toussaint’s Cleopatra Jones mystery series features a St. Bernard.

Peggy Webb: A Basset Hound helps out in the Southern Cousins mystery series by Peggy Webb.

Nina Wright: An Afghan Hound assists the protagonist of Wright’s Whiskey Mattimoe series.

Though this isn’t a comprehensive list of mystery authors who write books with canine sidekicks, it does include a number of the more prominent ones.  From these authors, you can generally get an idea if you enjoy mysteries featuring a canine sidekick for the star sleuth.

Taylor writes on a variety of mystery subjects, including cozy mystery themes and mystery books.

Karl Moore is a profilic writer on a rather strange combination of topics.  Most people know him for his inspirational work on his popular blog or his best selling self-help books.  However, he is also author of equally well regarded books on computer programming for online business uses.

Karl Moore is one of the instructors in this year’s Thirty Day Challenge, led by Ed Dale.  Last year the challenge had over 50 thousand participants, so Moore can expect to attract even more regular followers during and after this event.

All together, Moore has written three inspiring books that have reached the Amazon best-seller list.  Among those are the well received Secret Art of Self-Development.  About this book, one reader wrote, “I enjoyed reading ‘The Secret Art of Self Development’ and the 16 ‘pep talks…’”  She joined the thousands of other enthusiastic readers.
Another of Moore’s three highly popular motivating, inspirational books is The Little Book of Inspiration.  As the title indicates, this book is not going to occupy an entire shelf in your bookcase.    It is described as “Inspiration that fits in your pocket!”  The book finds inspiration from such diverse sources as Disney and Churchill.  Few small books have packed so much joy into so few pages.
Moore’s other two books have gained as much popularity.  Many of his fans are fervent followers, own all three and read his blog regularly.
The Thirty Day Challenge is designed for those who have dreamed of starting an online business.  It is a free training program.
The newcomers to Internet marketing are treated to video versions of his inspiring daily commentaries.  Each addresses a particular mental challenge presented by the day’s intructional objectives that are part of the Thirty Day Challenge.  His soothing while enthusiastic voice is sure to gain him even more followers.

All of this is bound to lead to an increase in Karl Moore’s book sales as well as followers to his blog.  I guess success breeds success, breeds success, etc.  Remember that you read it here, first.

More and more people are reading cozy mystery books. A growing trend in the cozy mystery subgenre is holiday theme cozies.

Some authors of the cozy mystery book subgenre specialize in holiday and special occasion mysteries. These books are often written in a series, with each covering a different holiday.

The following is a list of a few authors whose mysteries take place during major holidays and other special occasions, like birthdays and weddings.

Kate Borden (aka Kate Grilley)

The Peggy Jean Turner series is written by Kate Borden. Borden’s mystery books are holiday theme mysteries which take place in a quaint, small New England town, and feature the mayor of the town as the person who solves the mysteries, along with her life-long best friend.

Mary Higgins Clark

Most of Mary Higgins Clark’s works haven’t been set in holiday settings, but several have taken place during the Christmas season. Several of these Christmas theme mystery books are co-authored with her daughter, Carol Higgins Clark.

Jane Haddam (aka Orania Papazoglou)

Retired FBI agent Gregor Demarkian solves mysteries in Haddam’s main series. Along with his partner, author Bennis Hannaford, Demarkian solves mysteries during a variety of holiday settings such as Thanksgiving, Halloween, and Christmas.

Lee Harris

Lee Harris writes a mystery book series which features Christine Bennett, an ex-nun. Harris sometimes includes unusual holidays in his lineup, such as a Cinco de Mayo themed book.

Kate Kingsbury (aka Rebecca Kent)

The Pennyfoot Hotel series is written by Kate Kingsbury. This particular mystery book series takes place in Great Britain, during the early 1900s. Only recently have Kingsbury’s books begun to focus on the holidays, especially Christmas.

Leslie Meier

Leslie Meier writes the Lucy Stone series, which stars a housewife with several children who also finds time to solve mysteries. Unlike many holiday themed writers who concentrate on the “big three” of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, Meier includes “lesser” holidays such as the Fourth of July and Mother’s and Father’s Days.

Livia J. Washburn

Washburn writes the Fresh Baked mystery book series. This holiday theme mystery series features a Texan who leaves the teaching profession and then becomes a baker, with a penchant for sleuthing.

Valerie Wolzien

Wolzien writes the Susan Henshaw mystery series. Wolzien’s series includes several books that take place during the holiday season, especially Christmas.

These are just a few of the authors who have begun to feature holiday themes in their works. Holiday themed mystery books appear to be an increasingly popular field, one that will be present in cozies for years to come.

Taylor writes on a variety of subjects, including mystery books and Christmas mystery books.