Cozy Christmas mysteries
When I say cozy, I mean cozy, especially when it comes to Christmas. I'm happy the closer you can get to the Christmas song "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas." I wish I were a bit less picky, because I'd have a few more Christmas mysteries to read! But there it is. So here's a list of my favorites (I'm pretty sure this list will grow by one or two books in the next month; I've saved a couple of likely candidates to read this month, including Joanne Fluke's Sugar Cookie Murder.)
The books are in alpha order by author.
Atherton, Nancy. Aunt Dimity's Christmas. New York: Viking, 1999.
Aunt Dimity is a very gentle ghost. You can't get much cozier than this series. It's set in a small village in England; the detective is a young American mother. The mystery involves a World War II veteran.
Borthwick, J. S. Dude on Arrival. 1st ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992.
One of the better (maybe I mean "more literary"?) writers that I read. As hinted at in the title, this does take place at a dude ranch (in Arizona). While the main detective is a Sarah Deane, an English professor, this book features her aunt Julia Clancy in a major role. Aunt Julia is one of those feisty, independent older women who is a definite character. I don't remember much Christmas atmosphere, but I do remember it took place AT Christmas. Actually, another one of Borthwick's books, later in the series, Dolly Is Dead, ends with a Christmas Eve Audobon Society bird count. But that one is not heavy on traditional Christmas details.
Churchill, Jill. A Farewell to Yarns: A Jane Jeffry Mystery. New York: Avon Books, 1991.
---. The Merchant of Menace: A Jane Jeffry Mystery. 1st ed. New York: Avon Twilight, 1998.
Ah, I remember A Farewell to Yarns quite well. A Christmas craft fair, and Christmas crafts generally, play a large part in the book, and crafting has been a big part of my holidays. I think it's actually the second book in the Jane Jeffry series, but was released first because it was thought to be a better intro to the series. Jane is a recently widowed suburban mom and homemaker, and the book is filled with details of preparing a family for Christmas.
I don't remember The Merchant of Menace quite as well, though I think it would do for a Christmas cozy. I've found the later Jane Jeffry mysteries to vary quite a bit in quality. This doesn't stick out one way or another. But the mystery parts of her novels get pushed further back in later books. I do look forward to re-reading this one.
Daheim, Mary. The Alpine Christmas. 1st ed. New York: Ballantine Books, 1993.
It took me several tries to get into this book, because the premise is kind of grisly (a couple of body parts showing up in the snow--not usually something that shows up in cozies). But for the most part, this IS really a cozy mystery. The detective is the editor of a small town newspaper in a mountain town in Washington state. Lots of fun small-town details, and I love that there's plenty of snow around. Also, the protagonist is a practicing Catholic (I am too), and I like seeing Catholicism portrayed accurately (at least accurately according to how I experience it). Not only does Catholicism play a large role in the protagonist's life, but the church and parish play a part in the mystery, as does the protagonist's brother, a Catholic priest.
I'm looking forward to a Christmas mystery, Nutty as a Fruitcake in Daheim's other series, featuring a B&B owner, as well as more books in the Alpine series.
Donnelly, Deborah. May the Best Man Die. New York: Dell, 2003.
I love Donnelly's series about Seattle wedding planner Carnegie Kincaid. Lots of details about whatever setting Carnegie's in (Seattle and environs first three books, Idaho and San Juan Islands in books 4 and 5), and lots of details about weddings. The books are also very funny. In May the Best Man Die, Carnegie's planning a big Christmas-themed wedding (which we get to "attend" at the end). The coolest, most Christmas-y part of the book: Carnegie's trip to Seattle's Figgy Pudding caroling contest. It's a real event!! Teams of carolers sing in various downtown locations one night, collecting money for charity and competing against each other. I'm a huge fan of Christmas caroling. I think all cities should have this kind of event. Not having been to Figgy Pudding myself, I don't know how accurate Donnelly's description is--I hope it's as cool and fun as she makes it seem.
Ferris, Monica. Crewel Yule. 1st ed. New York: Berkley Prime Crime, 2004.
---. A Stitch in Time. Berkley Prime Crime ed. New York: Berkley Prime Crime, 2000.
This series features an owner of a needlework store in suburban Minneapolis. Betsy Devonshire inherited the shop from her sister, so she's a relative novice at needlecraft, but surrounded by customers willing to share their expertise. A Stitch in Time is set in the Minneapolis suburb, and revolves around the restoration of a Christmas-themed tapestry. Some fun small-town Christmas/winter details.
Crewel Yule takes place at a needlecraft convention in Nashville, TN. A snowstorm traps everyone in the convention hotel. This book uses multiple narrators, a device I usually don't like in mysteries. But I liked this book a lot, mostly in spite of the multiple narrators, and the "locked room" scenario (the "locked room" being a hotel filled with people mitigated that some). Some real-life figures from the craft world make appearances, and I enjoyed the details of the needlework retail business. While the cover screams "Christmas," the holiday doesn't play a huge role in the book.
Hager, Jean. The Last Noel : An Iris House B & B Mystery. New York: Avon Books, 1997.
The only book I've read in the Iris House series, because of the Christmas tie-in. I seem to recall the protagonist's (an innkeeper somewhere in the midwest) pre-teen niece and nephew have prominent roles. There's a Christmas pageant/play involved. Often Christmas mysteries pull me into a series, but this one didn't. I guess I'd have to call this one "inoffensive."
Kisor, Henry. Season's Revenge : A Christmas Mystery. 1st ed. New York: Forge, 2003.
Only the last part of this mystery takes place at Christmas. I highly recommend it, but more for the overall setting than holiday atmosphere. It's also the only one on this list that features a male detective, and a pro at that--a sheriff's deputy, I believe. The setting is the upper peninsula of Michigan. It's a pretty isolated, economically depressed region, where the resource industries (mining, forestry) are dying off, and being replaced only partially by tourism. I've spent a bit of time in northern Wisconsin, which has been undergoing a similar shift. I like this book because I always wonder what it's like to live in an area like this, not just visit for a couple of weeks. This book gives that picture--and it's a contemporary one (seems like there are a lot of historical books about the region). (Another one along those lines, though nothing to do with Christmas, is K.C. Greenlief's Death at the Door, set in Wisconsin's Door County in May.)
Meier, Leslie. Christmas Cookie Murder: A Lucy Stone Mystery. New York: Kensington Books, 1999.
---. Mail-Order Murder. New York: Viking, 1991. aka Mistletoe Murder : A Lucy Stone Mystery. New York, NY: Kensington Books, 1998.
As far as I'm concerned, Mail-Order Murder is the quintessential small-town Christmas cozy mystery. I think it's one of Meier's best books. Lucy Stone, mother of three, living just outside a small town in Maine, takes a job at the local LL Bean-clone mail-order company, and of course, ends up investigating a murder. Each chapter starts off with a description of an item in the holiday catalog. She describes a wonderful Christmas morning, and the stress of preparing for relatives' visits.
By Christmas Cookie Murder Lucy has four kids and is working part-time as a reporter for the local weekly. I remember a lot of Christmas shopping, especially at local stores, in this one!
As the series goes on, I think Lucy's husband gets more annoying, as do her kids. She puts up with too much crap from all of them. Also, the puzzles in each book vary wildly in quality, though I think they're declining overall. I like the atmosphere in each book (all but two so far have taken place in the small town of Tinker's Cove), and I like how Meier takes on a topical issue or two in each book. I've learned not to expect too much from the puzzle/mystery itself. Still, these two titles pretty much epitomize what I'm looking for in Christmas mysteries.
One of the more recent entries in the series is the New Year's Eve Murder, which I'm saving for later this month.
Page, Katherine Hall. The Body in the Big Apple. 1st ed. New York: Morrow, 1999.
Faith Fairchild, caterer, minister's wife, and mother in small-town Massachussets, stars in a long-running series (16 titles and counting). This book, though written in the middle of the series, is a prequel: Faith is single and working in New York City (and dating a writer who's working on a book very similar to Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.) There are some, though not a lot, of details of the holiday season in a big city.
Thomas-Graham, Pamela. Orange Crushed : An Ivy League Mystery. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004.
Thomas-Graham's Ivy League mystery series is one of my favorites. She covers academia well--she's always writing about current issues in academe, and she manages to include students, faculty, staff, and community members. As someone who's never vistited the campuses she's written about (Harvard, Yale, and Princeton), I really enjoy her descriptions of the campuses and communities surrounding them. That's how these campuses should be, even if they're not!! Orange Crushed takes place at Princeton in December, and there are nice scenes of Princeton holiday doings.
Wolzien, Valerie. Deck the Halls with Murder. 1st ed. New York: Fawcett Gold Medal, 1998. (Josie Pigeon)
---. 'Tis the Season to be Murdered. 1st ed. New York: Fawcett Gold Medal, 1994. (post-Christmas)
---. We Wish You a Merry Murder. New York: Fawcett Gold Medal, 1991.
Among "my" authors, Wolzein takes the cake for the number of Christmas mysteries--3 between her two series. Susan Henshaw, suburban wife and mother in an upscale Connecticut suburb, investigates in both 'Tis the Season to be Murdered, and We Wish You a Merry Murder. We Wish You... takes place before the holidays. I think I'd like it more, except that I really like 'Tis the Season... It takes place between Christmas and New Year's. The co-owner of a catering company is murdered. Investigating this mystery involves learning a lot about catering and attending lots of holiday parties in the neighborhood.
Wolzein's Josie Pigeon series provides a break when you get tired of Susan's perfect suburban life. Pigeon is a general contractor and single mother on a Maine island. Her house and office are almost too messy for me at times (a notion which my friends and family, who've seen MY homes and workspaces, will find amusing). But I can relate to the lack of organization in her life. Deck the Halls with Murder is a pleasant small-town Christmas mystery, with a nice community project (some kind of Christmas light display) thrown in.
Update: Another cozy Christmas mystery, reviewed on January 2, 2007.
When I say cozy, I mean cozy, especially when it comes to Christmas. I'm happy the closer you can get to the Christmas song "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas." I wish I were a bit less picky, because I'd have a few more Christmas mysteries to read! But there it is. So here's a list of my favorites (I'm pretty sure this list will grow by one or two books in the next month; I've saved a couple of likely candidates to read this month, including Joanne Fluke's Sugar Cookie Murder.)
The books are in alpha order by author.
Atherton, Nancy. Aunt Dimity's Christmas. New York: Viking, 1999.
Aunt Dimity is a very gentle ghost. You can't get much cozier than this series. It's set in a small village in England; the detective is a young American mother. The mystery involves a World War II veteran.
Borthwick, J. S. Dude on Arrival. 1st ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992.
One of the better (maybe I mean "more literary"?) writers that I read. As hinted at in the title, this does take place at a dude ranch (in Arizona). While the main detective is a Sarah Deane, an English professor, this book features her aunt Julia Clancy in a major role. Aunt Julia is one of those feisty, independent older women who is a definite character. I don't remember much Christmas atmosphere, but I do remember it took place AT Christmas. Actually, another one of Borthwick's books, later in the series, Dolly Is Dead, ends with a Christmas Eve Audobon Society bird count. But that one is not heavy on traditional Christmas details.
Churchill, Jill. A Farewell to Yarns: A Jane Jeffry Mystery. New York: Avon Books, 1991.
---. The Merchant of Menace: A Jane Jeffry Mystery. 1st ed. New York: Avon Twilight, 1998.
Ah, I remember A Farewell to Yarns quite well. A Christmas craft fair, and Christmas crafts generally, play a large part in the book, and crafting has been a big part of my holidays. I think it's actually the second book in the Jane Jeffry series, but was released first because it was thought to be a better intro to the series. Jane is a recently widowed suburban mom and homemaker, and the book is filled with details of preparing a family for Christmas.
I don't remember The Merchant of Menace quite as well, though I think it would do for a Christmas cozy. I've found the later Jane Jeffry mysteries to vary quite a bit in quality. This doesn't stick out one way or another. But the mystery parts of her novels get pushed further back in later books. I do look forward to re-reading this one.
Daheim, Mary. The Alpine Christmas. 1st ed. New York: Ballantine Books, 1993.
It took me several tries to get into this book, because the premise is kind of grisly (a couple of body parts showing up in the snow--not usually something that shows up in cozies). But for the most part, this IS really a cozy mystery. The detective is the editor of a small town newspaper in a mountain town in Washington state. Lots of fun small-town details, and I love that there's plenty of snow around. Also, the protagonist is a practicing Catholic (I am too), and I like seeing Catholicism portrayed accurately (at least accurately according to how I experience it). Not only does Catholicism play a large role in the protagonist's life, but the church and parish play a part in the mystery, as does the protagonist's brother, a Catholic priest.
I'm looking forward to a Christmas mystery, Nutty as a Fruitcake in Daheim's other series, featuring a B&B owner, as well as more books in the Alpine series.
Donnelly, Deborah. May the Best Man Die. New York: Dell, 2003.
I love Donnelly's series about Seattle wedding planner Carnegie Kincaid. Lots of details about whatever setting Carnegie's in (Seattle and environs first three books, Idaho and San Juan Islands in books 4 and 5), and lots of details about weddings. The books are also very funny. In May the Best Man Die, Carnegie's planning a big Christmas-themed wedding (which we get to "attend" at the end). The coolest, most Christmas-y part of the book: Carnegie's trip to Seattle's Figgy Pudding caroling contest. It's a real event!! Teams of carolers sing in various downtown locations one night, collecting money for charity and competing against each other. I'm a huge fan of Christmas caroling. I think all cities should have this kind of event. Not having been to Figgy Pudding myself, I don't know how accurate Donnelly's description is--I hope it's as cool and fun as she makes it seem.
Ferris, Monica. Crewel Yule. 1st ed. New York: Berkley Prime Crime, 2004.
---. A Stitch in Time. Berkley Prime Crime ed. New York: Berkley Prime Crime, 2000.
This series features an owner of a needlework store in suburban Minneapolis. Betsy Devonshire inherited the shop from her sister, so she's a relative novice at needlecraft, but surrounded by customers willing to share their expertise. A Stitch in Time is set in the Minneapolis suburb, and revolves around the restoration of a Christmas-themed tapestry. Some fun small-town Christmas/winter details.
Crewel Yule takes place at a needlecraft convention in Nashville, TN. A snowstorm traps everyone in the convention hotel. This book uses multiple narrators, a device I usually don't like in mysteries. But I liked this book a lot, mostly in spite of the multiple narrators, and the "locked room" scenario (the "locked room" being a hotel filled with people mitigated that some). Some real-life figures from the craft world make appearances, and I enjoyed the details of the needlework retail business. While the cover screams "Christmas," the holiday doesn't play a huge role in the book.
Hager, Jean. The Last Noel : An Iris House B & B Mystery. New York: Avon Books, 1997.
The only book I've read in the Iris House series, because of the Christmas tie-in. I seem to recall the protagonist's (an innkeeper somewhere in the midwest) pre-teen niece and nephew have prominent roles. There's a Christmas pageant/play involved. Often Christmas mysteries pull me into a series, but this one didn't. I guess I'd have to call this one "inoffensive."
Kisor, Henry. Season's Revenge : A Christmas Mystery. 1st ed. New York: Forge, 2003.
Only the last part of this mystery takes place at Christmas. I highly recommend it, but more for the overall setting than holiday atmosphere. It's also the only one on this list that features a male detective, and a pro at that--a sheriff's deputy, I believe. The setting is the upper peninsula of Michigan. It's a pretty isolated, economically depressed region, where the resource industries (mining, forestry) are dying off, and being replaced only partially by tourism. I've spent a bit of time in northern Wisconsin, which has been undergoing a similar shift. I like this book because I always wonder what it's like to live in an area like this, not just visit for a couple of weeks. This book gives that picture--and it's a contemporary one (seems like there are a lot of historical books about the region). (Another one along those lines, though nothing to do with Christmas, is K.C. Greenlief's Death at the Door, set in Wisconsin's Door County in May.)
Meier, Leslie. Christmas Cookie Murder: A Lucy Stone Mystery. New York: Kensington Books, 1999.
---. Mail-Order Murder. New York: Viking, 1991. aka Mistletoe Murder : A Lucy Stone Mystery. New York, NY: Kensington Books, 1998.
As far as I'm concerned, Mail-Order Murder is the quintessential small-town Christmas cozy mystery. I think it's one of Meier's best books. Lucy Stone, mother of three, living just outside a small town in Maine, takes a job at the local LL Bean-clone mail-order company, and of course, ends up investigating a murder. Each chapter starts off with a description of an item in the holiday catalog. She describes a wonderful Christmas morning, and the stress of preparing for relatives' visits.
By Christmas Cookie Murder Lucy has four kids and is working part-time as a reporter for the local weekly. I remember a lot of Christmas shopping, especially at local stores, in this one!
As the series goes on, I think Lucy's husband gets more annoying, as do her kids. She puts up with too much crap from all of them. Also, the puzzles in each book vary wildly in quality, though I think they're declining overall. I like the atmosphere in each book (all but two so far have taken place in the small town of Tinker's Cove), and I like how Meier takes on a topical issue or two in each book. I've learned not to expect too much from the puzzle/mystery itself. Still, these two titles pretty much epitomize what I'm looking for in Christmas mysteries.
One of the more recent entries in the series is the New Year's Eve Murder, which I'm saving for later this month.
Page, Katherine Hall. The Body in the Big Apple. 1st ed. New York: Morrow, 1999.
Faith Fairchild, caterer, minister's wife, and mother in small-town Massachussets, stars in a long-running series (16 titles and counting). This book, though written in the middle of the series, is a prequel: Faith is single and working in New York City (and dating a writer who's working on a book very similar to Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.) There are some, though not a lot, of details of the holiday season in a big city.
Thomas-Graham, Pamela. Orange Crushed : An Ivy League Mystery. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004.
Thomas-Graham's Ivy League mystery series is one of my favorites. She covers academia well--she's always writing about current issues in academe, and she manages to include students, faculty, staff, and community members. As someone who's never vistited the campuses she's written about (Harvard, Yale, and Princeton), I really enjoy her descriptions of the campuses and communities surrounding them. That's how these campuses should be, even if they're not!! Orange Crushed takes place at Princeton in December, and there are nice scenes of Princeton holiday doings.
Wolzien, Valerie. Deck the Halls with Murder. 1st ed. New York: Fawcett Gold Medal, 1998. (Josie Pigeon)
---. 'Tis the Season to be Murdered. 1st ed. New York: Fawcett Gold Medal, 1994. (post-Christmas)
---. We Wish You a Merry Murder. New York: Fawcett Gold Medal, 1991.
Among "my" authors, Wolzein takes the cake for the number of Christmas mysteries--3 between her two series. Susan Henshaw, suburban wife and mother in an upscale Connecticut suburb, investigates in both 'Tis the Season to be Murdered, and We Wish You a Merry Murder. We Wish You... takes place before the holidays. I think I'd like it more, except that I really like 'Tis the Season... It takes place between Christmas and New Year's. The co-owner of a catering company is murdered. Investigating this mystery involves learning a lot about catering and attending lots of holiday parties in the neighborhood.
Wolzein's Josie Pigeon series provides a break when you get tired of Susan's perfect suburban life. Pigeon is a general contractor and single mother on a Maine island. Her house and office are almost too messy for me at times (a notion which my friends and family, who've seen MY homes and workspaces, will find amusing). But I can relate to the lack of organization in her life. Deck the Halls with Murder is a pleasant small-town Christmas mystery, with a nice community project (some kind of Christmas light display) thrown in.
Update: Another cozy Christmas mystery, reviewed on January 2, 2007.
posted by Beth at 1:14 PM
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