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Welcome and General Discussion / Edith Maxwell/Maddie Day: Cozy Capers Book Club Mysteries, Wednesday, June 24

« on: June 17, 2020, 01:52:37 am »

Note: The date of this feature has been changed to better suit Maddie/Edith's schedule.

Edith Maxwell writes this series as Maddie Day.

In the Cozy Capers Book Group Mysteries, Mac (Mackenzie) Almeida runs a bicycle repair and rental shop in the fictional Cape Cod village of Westham, and also hosts a weekly cozy mystery book group. The gang discusses the latest fictional murder – and sometimes a real one, too. Find questions for your own book club here:

Murder on Cape Cod Book Club Questions
https://edithmaxwell.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MurderonCapeCodBookClubQuestions.pdf

The books:

Murder on Cape Cod


Murder on Cape Cod, the series debut, is available in all formats.

It’s just after Memorial Day in Westham, Massachusetts. Business is still a little slow, but that doesn’t stop the weekly Cozy Capers book group from starting their summer reading list. As bicycle mechanic Mackenzie (Mac) Almeida walks home afterwards, she finds a body on the path behind her house. When it turns out to be murder, and her own half-brother is a prime suspect, Mac has to assemble more parts than a bike derailleur to find the real killer.

Murder at the Taffy Shop



In Murder at the Taffy Shop, available now for preorder from Barnes & Noble, Cape Cod bicycle shop owner Mackenzie “Mac” Almeida and her mystery book club find a certain accusation of murder quite the stretch. Mac’s friend Gin has found herself in a sticky situation. After wealthy genealogist Beverly Ruchart is found dead outside Gin’s taffy shop, the candy maker becomes a person of interest. When it’s revealed that Beverly was poisoned the night Gin brought a box of taffy to a dinner party at Beverly’s house, she’s bumped to the top of the suspects list. It’s up to Mac and her Cozy Capers crime solvers to unwrap this real-life mystery. But this time they might have bitten off more than they can chew . . .

The book releases in March, 2020, in a Barnes & Noble paperback exclusive for one year, to go to wide distribution in winter, 2021.

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Welcome and General Discussion / Edith Maxwell/Maddie Day: Country Store Mysteries, Tuesday, June 30

« on: June 17, 2020, 01:46:47 am »

The date of this feature has been changed to coincide with the release date of book #7 - Nacho Average Murder

Maddie Day is another name Edith Maxwell writes under.

Her Country Store Mystery series has been a smashing success. Maddie Day’s more recent Cozy Capers Book Group series launched to readers excited about a series that takes place on Cape Cod.

The books:

Nacho Average Murder



In Nacho Average Murder (June, 2020), Robbie Jordan is temporarily leaving Pans ’N Pancakes, her country store in South Lick, Indiana, to visit Santa Barbara, California—where wildfire smoke tinges the air, but a more immediate danger may lie in wait  . . . 

Strangled Eggs and Ham



In Strangled Eggs and Ham (June, 2019), while Robbie scrambles through breakfast orders South Lick, Indiana, tempers run as high as the sticky August heat…

Death Over Easy



Death Over Easy released July, 2018. Robbie is ready for the boost in business a local music festival brings but the beloved event strikes a sour note when…

Biscuits and Slashed Browns



Biscuits and Slashed Browns released January, 2018. For country-store owner Robbie Jordan, the National Maple Syrup Festival is a sweet escape from late-winter in South Lick, Indiana—until murder…

When The Grits Hit the Fan



When the Grits Hit the Fan released March of 2017. Despite the bitter winter business is still hot at Robbie Jordan’s restaurant. But when another murder…

Grilled for Murder



In Book Two, Grilled for Murder, Robbie Jordan may have had reservations about the murder victim, but she still needs to…

Flipped for Murder



The first book, Flipped for Murder (2015), in this freshly baked series, author Maddie Day lifts the lid on a small town in southern Indiana, where a newcomer is cooking up a new start–until…

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Welcome and General Discussion / Featured Author Edith Maxwell: Quaker Midwife Series, Friday, June 26

« on: June 17, 2020, 01:37:11 am »

Note: The date of this feature has been changed from the one posted originally.

https://edithmaxwell.com/books/quaker-midwife-mysteries/

The Agatha-winning historical Quaker Midwife Mysteries feature unconventional Quaker midwife Rose Carroll in late 1880s Amesbury, Massachusetts. The Quaker poet and abolitionist John Greenleaf Whittier is a character in the series.

Charity’s Burden won an Agatha Award for Best Historical Novel! This is the fourth nomination for this series. The Malice Domestic 2020 conference was cancelled, but voting took place virtually. Edith will be awarded her Agatha teapot and have her win celebrated at next year’s conference in North Bethesda.

The books:

Taken Too Soon


In Taken Too Soon (September, 2020), Quaker midwife Rose Carroll’s maiden aunt calls Rose to Cape Cod with her new husband when Tillie’s teenage ward is found dead. Rose and David’s modest honeymoon turns into a murder investigation. A Native American midwife and her family are among the suspects, as is David’s own brother. With the help of the local detective, Rose digs in the shifting sands of the case until the murderer is revealed. Preorder now so you don’t miss it!

“This book is not to be missed!” -Judi, Goodreads reviewer

Judge Thee Not


Quaker midwife Rose Carroll must fight bias and blind assumptions to clear the name of a friend when a murderer strikes in nineteenth-century Massachusetts in Judge Thee Not (September, 2019). Rose Carroll is certain her friend Bertie is innocent of murdering a judgmental society matron. Rose enlists the help of a blind pregnant client—who’s endured her own share of prejudice—to help her sift through the clues. As the two uncover a slew of suspects tied to financial intrigues, illicit love, and an age-old grudge over perceived wrongs, Rose knows she’ll have to bring all her formidable intelligence to bear on solving the crime. Because circumstantial evidence can loom large in small minds, and she fears her friend will soon become the victim of a grave injustice.

Through Quaker Rose Carroll’s resourceful sleuthing—and her midwifery—we are immediately immersed in the fascinating peculiarities, tensions and secrets of small-town life in late-19th-century Amesbury. —Susanna Calkins, author of the award-winning Lucy Campion Mysteries and the Speakeasy Mysteries 

Charity's Burden


Charity’s Burden released in April, 2019 and won the Agatha Award for Best Historical Novel in 2020. The winter of 1889 is harsh in Amesbury, Massachusetts, but it doesn’t stop Quaker midwife Rose Carroll from making the rounds to her pregnant and postpartum mothers. When Charity Skells dies from an apparent early miscarriage, the symptoms don’t match the diagnosis. Charity’s husband may be up to no good with a young woman whose mother appears to offer illegal abortions. A disgraced physician in town does the same, and Charity’s cousin seems to have a nefarious agenda. Rose and police detective Kevin Donovan race against time to solve the case before another innocent life is taken. Find book club questions here.

Murder poses difficult challenges for a compassionate 19th-century Quaker midwife in Massachusetts. Plenty of suspects keep the pot bubbling…Because [Rose Carroll’s] actions are motivated by her faith, she won’t let threats keep her from doing the right thing as she seeks the truth. -Kirkus 

Turning the Tide



Turning the Tide, the third book in the series, released in 2018. Excitement runs high during Presidential election week in 1888. The Woman Suffrage Association plans a demonstration and Quaker midwife Rose Carroll resolves to join the protest. When she finds the body of the association’s leader the next morning, she’s drawn into delivering more than babies. Rose’s own life is threatened more than once as she sorts out killer from innocent. Turning the Tide was a 2019 Agatha Award nominee for Best Historical Novel. Find book club questions here.

Edith Maxwell has hit all my buttons again with this one, history, women’s history in particular, a strong main character and well rounded supporting characters.  We see grief, anger, fear and love, everything you expect in a normal life and it is all interwoven into a brilliant story. – A Wytch’s Book Review

Called to Justice


Called to Justice released in April, 2017. Rose Carroll is enjoying the 1888 Independence Day evening fireworks with her beau when a teenaged Quaker mill girl is found shot dead. After a former slave and fellow Quaker is accused of the murder, Rose delves into the crime, convinced of the man’s innocence. An ill-mannered mill manager, an Irish immigrant, and the victim’s young boyfriend come under suspicion even as Rose’s future with her handsome doctor suitor becomes unsure. The book was a 2018 Agatha Award nominee for Best Historical Novel.

Delivering the Truth


Delivering the Truth launched the series in 2016. Midwife Rose Carroll becomes a suspect and then a sleuth in two cases of murder. Can Rose’s strengths as a counselor and problem solver help bring the murderers to justice before they destroy the town’s carriage industry and the people who run it? The book won the IPPY Silver Medal for mystery, was nominated for both a Macavity and an Agatha Award for Best Historical Novel, and was named Amesbury, MA’s 2016 All-Community Read.

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Welcome and General Discussion / NEW!! Author of the Month for June: EDITH MAXWELL aka MADDIE DAY!

« on: June 03, 2020, 12:55:52 pm »

I'm excited to announce a new feature - AUTHOR OF THE MONTH. For June, Edith Maxwell, who also writes as Maddie Day, has agreed to stop by and chat with us periodically throughout the month.

Bring your questions about her books or her upcoming release(s)!

Separate topic threads have been set up focusing on each of the author's series. Please use this topic thread for general comments and questions.

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What I'm Reading / John Dunning

« on: May 28, 2020, 10:14:19 pm »

I love John Dunning's books and I thought I'd read them all. I came across a used copy of THE BOOKWOMAN'S LAST FLING. This is #5 in the Cliff Janeway series. I've got less than 100 pages to go and while I'm really enjoying the book, so far there's more about horses and horse racing than about books. Cliff is investigating stolen books - some of unimaginable rarity and value, as well as a couple of murders, both in the past and the present.

There's a lot going on, an interesting cast of characters and enough about horses to make me want to rewatch (and reread) SEABISCUIT and a bunch of Dick Francis books. Maybe even Black Beauty.

I have a lot of John Dunning books on my keeper shelves - maybe I'll reread a couple of them.

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Welcome and General Discussion / June Feature: Garden-Related Mysteries

« on: May 26, 2020, 04:41:33 pm »

I thought a feature on garden-related mysteries might be fun for June. It's the month of weddings traditionally, but not many mysteries are focused on weddings. I know a couple of authors who write about gardens and I've got lots of garden-related mysteries.

Agatha Christie short story: How does your garden grow?

Jan and Jim Lavene have the Peggy Lee Garden Shed mysteries

John Sherwood's Celia Grant mysteries are garden-related

Mark Mills, The Savage Garden

A.J. Banner, The Poison Garden

Kate Collins, Flower Shop Mystery Series

Daryl Wood Gerber, Fairy Garden Mystery Series

Bailey Cattrell, Enchanted Garden Mystery

Amanda Flower, Magic Garden Mystery series

I'll add more, but that's enough to get us started!

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Welcome and General Discussion / Agatha Award Winners/Malice Domestic - thanks to Janet Rudolph

« on: May 02, 2020, 11:16:41 pm »

Thanks to Janet Rudolph for sharing this year's Agatha Award winners, which are announced at Malice Domestic.

https://mysteryreadersinc.blogspot.com/2020/05/agatha-award-winners-malice-domestic.html?fbclid=IwAR2gsdBg9eTLKQXpwcWfH1OFkUhhhyyxt1vJs4ya2rpYgd0mGZthUnLx2j4

I bought the Best First Novel winner, ONE NIGHT GONE by Tara Laskowski, after reading about it in Mystery Scene. Shipping was delay but it's now in my waiting-to-be-read pile.

We've been talking about Edith Maxwell at another thread - she's a winner, too:
Best Historical Mystery:
Charity’s Burden by Edith Maxwell (Midnight Ink)

I ordered this book after reading about it in Mystery Scene:

Best Nonfiction
The Mutual Admiration Society: How Dorothy L. Sayers and her Oxford Circle Remade the World for Women by Mo Moulton (Basic Books)

Which of the winners have you all read?

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Welcome and General Discussion / Calling all Edith Maxwell cozy readers

« on: May 02, 2020, 01:16:40 am »

Cozy author Edith Hamilton, whose real name is Maddie Day, is a member of the Save Our Cozies group on Facebook.

She's also here: https://www.facebook.com/MaddieDayAuthor/?pageid=469826103183919&ftentidentifier=1460693220763864&padding=0

She posted a call for help to her readers on the Save Our Cozies page:


Maddie Day shared a post.
18 hrs

"Gah. I'm writing the 9th book in the Country Store series. I can't remember name of a fictional Mexican restaurant in an earlier book. I wonder if one of my faithful readers here knows it? Because otherwise I'm going to have to search eight and a half files..."



Have at it!

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Welcome and General Discussion / Edgar Award Winners

« on: May 01, 2020, 03:57:04 pm »

Thanks to Janet Rudolph - She Who Knows Everything in the Mystery World - for this:

https://mysteryreadersinc.blogspot.com/2020/04/mwa-edgar-award-winners.html?fbclid=IwAR3WeZLLP3F1l86tdsAHaaA87Isz4vsply3KGHeiICn0lvYxoEIlQSgyDAw

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Welcome and General Discussion / R.I.P. Maj Sjowall

« on: April 30, 2020, 11:43:17 pm »

Just saw this shared by the amazing Janet Rudolph: https://mysteryreadersinc.blogspot.com/2020/04/maj-sjowall-rip.html?fbclid=IwAR3RVZg11A5nlPGjqOMxjhZWbTc8kp6yBddveiJkOgvCcVUpCf4ksJ9zt2Y

When I was in high school, you couldn't go in a bookstore without seeing books by Sjowall and Wahloo - the husband and wife team of Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo. I know I read a lot of their books back then, but I didn't hang on to them.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/nov/22/crime-thriller-maj-sjowall-sweden

I think their most famous story was THE LAUGHING POLICEMAN (1968)

If these are still in print, I might be interested in rereading some of them. But I'll probably wait until I can get them from the library.

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What I'm Reading / PAST TENSE by Lee Child

« on: April 28, 2020, 01:10:11 am »

Wow! This book was TENSE! I had to keep reminding myself to breathe. There were a couple parts where I was so worried about what was going to happen, I almost put the book back in my bookcase. I am so glad I kept reading! Yes, it is scary. Yes, it's definitely violent. But it was one of my favorite Lee Child books, featuring everything we've come to expect of Jack Reacher and plenty of unexpected twists and turns on the way to a knock-out ending. This book came out in 2018.

I've read a lot of Lee Child's books, but in no particular order. I know there's a few I've missed, and I know I have at least one or two in my waiting-to-be-read pile. Every time I read one of his books, I want to read more, so I will probably be digging through my waiting-to-be-read pile to see what treasures I can find.

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Welcome and General Discussion / Random: Agatha Christie hotel room on the Pacific Coast

« on: April 24, 2020, 02:37:51 am »

Ever since my husband and I heard about the Sylvia Beach Hotel on the Pacific Coast in Newport, Oregon, we knew we wanted to go for a stay in their famous Agatha Christie room. Well, my son and daughter-in-law got us an open-ended reservation to use once the quarantine is over. http://sylviabeachhotel.com/agatha-christie/

"In this room our guests can read from the many Christie books on the shelves and perhaps find a clue from each mystery hidden somewhere in the room."

They have a number of author rooms, but the Christie room is one of their most popular. The others are:

 J. R. R. Tolkien
 Oscar Wilde
 Jules Verne
 Gertrude Stein
 Ken Kesey
 Virginia Woolf
 John Steinbeck
 Shakespeare
 Lincoln Steffens
 J.K. Rowling
 Jane Austen
 Herman Melville
 Ernest Hemingway
 F. Scott Fitzgerald
 Emily Dickinson
 Dr. Seuss
 Amy Tan
 Alice Walker
 Mark Twain
 Chez Colette
 Agatha Christie

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What I'm Reading / UNDER THE HARROW by Flynn Berry

« on: April 23, 2020, 12:18:45 am »

I just finished UNDER THE HARROW by Flynn Berry. It won an Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 2017. I came across this book in Smith's, an independent new-and-used bookstore here in Eugene, Oregon, back when stores were open. I picked it up out of curiosity and was intrigued by the back cover blurb. And then I came home and it was buried in my to-be-read pile until I came across it a couple days ago.

I liked it a lot and I'm looking forward to reading her second book, A DOUBLE LIFE soon, too.

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Welcome and General Discussion / Random Topic: Contests

« on: April 22, 2020, 02:13:00 pm »

Author Carolyn Haines posted this at the Share Our Cozies group on Facebook today:

Join your favorite authors at the Writerspace Spring Fling April 23rd from 11a-8p ET. We'll be chatting and giving away Kindles, autographed books, gift cards and more. You don't have to be present to win, but you must be registered. To register, visit https://www.writerspace.com/springfling/

Please share with all your friends--happening tomorrow!

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What I'm Reading / MURDER IN STEEPLE MARTIN by Lesley Cookman

« on: April 20, 2020, 12:43:14 pm »

I just finished this last night - it is centered around a play at a small town theater. I've read other mysteries with similar settings - the Charles Paris by Simon Brett, and several of Ngaio Marsh's books just off the top of my head. I liked this one, too. I know there are more books featuring Libby Sarjeant - I'm not sure if they all feature this theater. I'll have to check them out!