Cozy Mystery Extravaganza

There are many types of mysteries to choose from such as a cozy mystery, hard-boiled, soft-boiled, or the thriller. What is the difference between a cozy and other mysteries? A cozy is a slow paced story with a bit of humor but not boring by any means. This genre is G-rated and focuses on the characters.

Many people have wondered what makes a cozy mystery. A cozy always focuses on the main characters. As they investigate, you become part of their lives and get to know them personally. It is easy to get attached to the main character in a cozy. Below are some cozies for you to learn about.

AMELIA MOORE DETECTIVE SERIES

The Bali Mystery: Book 1

Amelia Moore is the founder of the Moore Detective Agency and specializes in missing persons. Her cases have taken her to some very interesting places and put her in some dangerous situations, but she always solves the case. With the help of Rick Bonito, her business is flourishing. When Mrs. Brody hires Amelia and Rick to find her missing brother, they find themselves in Bali, Indonesia. They are mystified why her brother quit his job, put his home up for sale, and ran off to this mysterious and exotic island without telling a soul.

“This is a cozy mystery, but there is also suspense, danger and, of course, romance. Throw in two mysterious men in black – complete with black suits and sunglasses and you have all the makings of an exciting novel.” --Library of Clean Reads

The Shamrock Case: Book 2

When Amelia is hired to search for her client’s grandparents, the case takes them to Ireland. Kate must learn about her heritage. Who are her grandparents and could they still be alive after all these years? Why did her parents leave Ireland suddenly and move to America? Is there more to this case than meets the eye?

“Amelia and Rick have the makings of being a lasting couple that readers will adore and root for. The author paints a vivid picture of the beauty of Ireland. I could easily see the greenery and magnificence of the country. Clarke knows both her characters and locations well and it shines through each word she writes.” --Socrates Book Review

The Missing Heir: Book 3

Dell Murphy has passed on and left a fortune to his nephew. He wants his nephew to continue his work at the orphanage in Mexico, but there is one problem. Neal Woods is missing! If Amelia and Rick can’t find him soon, the fortune will be turned over to Dell’s brother and sister who intend to close down “Uncle Dell’s Orphanage.” If that happens, where will the children go?

“It’s refreshing to discover a “cozy mystery”, with two likeable, romantic characters who enjoy each other and are able to solve a mystery together. It is a book I am happy to be able to recommend and share with teens as well as adults!” –Author Sherril S. Cannon

The Mysterious Doll: Book 4

Pauline Jones is confused why her boyfriend took off without telling a soul where he was going. But that isn’t all. Sam Whitaker is accused of stealing a valuable porcelain doll from the museum. His disappearance makes him look guilty, but Pauline is convinced he is innocent. When Amelia finds Sam, she realizes they need to prove his innocence. Where is the antique doll and who has taken it?

“I've read all of this author's mysteries and this one is my favorite! They're all good, but they just keep getting better and better. I think part of it is getting to know the characters more with each book and watching the way Amelia and her partner, Rick, work together. The mystery element was great! It moved along at a good pace and just when I thought I had it figured out at the end, a few twists were thrown in and I was at a loss once again.” --Katie Watkins, Katies Clean Book Collection

Her Lost Love: Book 5

Julie Anderson feels a need to find the man she fell deeply in love with during her youth. When Julie went off to college to become a lawyer, she lost contact with her high school sweetheart. She now wants to know what became of Joey and why he stopped writing to her? This is an assignment that intrigues Amelia. The thought of finding a long-lost love seems quite romantic.

“I love long-lost love stories. So this one grabbed my interest right from the beginning. What I enjoy about this series is that there's always more to each case than they originally think. This case was no different. I love how their personal relationship is progressing and am excited to see what happens next. Rick is so irresistible and romantic and he steps up big time in this book. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more!” --Melanie Valderrama, Mel’s Shelves

Mystery on the Bayou: Book 6

Amelia is approached by a woman who is concerned about the son she gave up for adoption sixteen years ago. Millie fears he has inherited Marfan’s Syndrome from her side of the family. Not only that, but she has been having nightmares that make her fear he is in danger. She petitioned the court to view the sealed records but was refused. Will Amelia and Rick be able to convince the courts to help them? If her son is in danger, will they get there in time?

“Dedicated to ‘all of those who have had to deal with Marfan’s Syndrome’, the story centers on a search for an adopted child who is potentially suffering from this rare genetic disorder which can result in optical and cardiovascular problems and may be life-threatening. The story takes us into the Louisiana bayous, introduces us to Cajun food including crayfish, describes alligator life in the deep south, and even teaches us some interesting self-defense maneuvers for women!” --Author Sherrill Cannon

The Lighthouse Secret: Book 7

Rick Bonito’s uncle supposedly drowned five years ago and his body was never found, but something did not seem right about the report. Uncle Antonio was an excellent swimmer. His disappearance seems quite suspicious to Rick’s father. He never felt the complete truth had come out about his brother. It is now up to Amelia and Rick to find out the truth about his uncle.

“In the Amelia Moore Detective Series, the author delivers a delightful, fairly fast-paced tale in the pursuit of a missing person, for that's what Amelia's agency specializes in. This time it is personal, as Rick's Uncle Antonio Bonito dies in suspicious circumstances. But what do lighthouses have to do with his disappearance? The reader gets a brief education into lighthouses, their importance in the past and the interesting uses they have today.” --Sandra Olshaski, Library of Clean Reads

THE ADVENTURES OF JOHN AND JULIA EVANS

Anasazi Intrigue: Book 1

Julia is a newspaper reporter and her husband John is a professional knife maker. Because of her curiosity, Julia gets herself into a bunch of trouble. The Evans also have three college age daughters, which add a little spice to their life.

When a devastating flood takes out several homes in a small town, residents are shocked by the news of also a possible poison spill that kills many of the fish and neighbor's pets. Julia, the town's newest reporter, begins her investigation but realizes the story is much bigger and more dangerous than she thought! Julia and her husband find themselves on the run trying to save their lives while finishing the story of a lifetime! She never realized that being a reporter could be so dangerous. With artifacts, dead fish, a devastating flood, and miscreants, John and Julia have their hands full.

Mayan Intrigue: Book 2

Julia is a reporter for a local newspaper but this time her boss sends her to southern Mexico to do a story on artifact theft. Because of her curiosity, Julia and her husband John find themselves running for their lives once again. The Evans also have three college age daughters, who have their own adventures.

The discovery of a priceless artifact puts Julia's life in great danger! While on assignment for the newspaper, John and Julia Evans try to enjoy a romantic vacation among the Mayan ruins. When Julia sees a couple suspicious men exchanging an item, she quickly turns and leaves but it is too late. The men have seen her. Before John and Julia realize what is going on, they are both in danger and find themselves running for their lives through the jungles of the Yucatan.

Montezuma Intrigue: Book 3

Julia is a newspaper reporter in southern Utah and her husband, John, is a professional knife maker. While the Evans and their three daughters are on vacation, the adventure and mystery begins.

When a leather parchment of Montezuma's map is found in great-grandfather Evans' old chest, April and the twins know this summer is going to be a memorable one. The girls want to search for it but their father is against it for some mysterious reason. With Julia's help, she and the girls convince John to go on a treasure hunt. Is Montezuma's treasure a legend or reality? Whatever the case, John insists on keeping their little treasure hunt a secret. If certain people find out about it, the family could be in danger.

Desert Intrigue: Book 4

Julia is a reporter for a local newspaper but this time she travels to Arizona for her sleuthing. Her husband, John, is a very cautious man and worries about his wife's curiosity. The Evans also have three college age daughters, and one of them has fallen in love.

When Julia's brother announces that his dude ranch is haunted, she believes that someone is trying to sabotage his place and force him to sell. The mysterious happenings have to do with Superstition Mountain, the lost Dutchman's goldmine, and the great Thunder God. Is it possible that the legend of the Thunder God is actually true? After a terrible thunderstorm, everyone begins to wonder. John and Julia quickly head to Mesa, Arizona and discover a few mysterious events. Will they find out who is behind these disasters before Uncle Kelly's dude ranch is ruined?

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A Warm Welcome to Heidi Thomas

Visiting my blog this week is Heidi Thomas. She will talk about her mother, her novels, and how it is of a personal nature to her. As a genealogist and a missionary at the Family Search Center, this author's story is intriguing to me. I know you will be amazed after you read her thoughts.

Author Bio: Heidi M. Thomas grew up on a working ranch in eastern Montana, riding and gathering cattle for branding and shipping. Her parents taught her a love of books, and her grandmother rode bucking stock in rodeos. She followed her dream of writing, with a journalism degree from the University of Montana. Heidi is the author of the award-winning “Cowgirl Dreams” novel series, the “American Dream” series, and Cowgirl Up: A History of Rodeo Women.

Finding True Home is the sequel to Seeking the American Dream, two novels based on my mom who emigrated from Germany after WWII. This story was actually the first novel I ever wrote.

When I moved from Missoula, Montana to Mount Vernon, Washington in 1996, I was more than a little surprised at how hard that transition was. I had thought it would be pretty easy. I was a freelance writer—I could write from anywhere. It was only a few hours away—I could get back and visit my friends as often as I liked.

But I was lonely and felt out of place. I had to find new stores, new doctors, a new vet for my cat, and meet new people, hoping to make new friends. Someone told me it would take at least three years to feel like it was “home.” And that turned out to be true.

That started me thinking about my mother. I moved a few hundred miles. She moved to a different country on a different continent. Everyone where I moved spoke English. She only knew a few English words. From Missoula to Mount Vernon was pretty much the same culture for me. She moved from an urban setting to the “middle of nowhere” in eastern Montana to live on a ranch with her cowboy in-laws. I was acquainted with several people before I moved to my new home. She knew no one except her fiancé, a man she hadn’t seen for two years!

That took courage and stick-to-itiveness! Conditions and life in Germany were horrible for years even before the war, so yes, she was looking to better her life.  However, she arrived to snow in November and was driven for miles on a dirt track to get to the ranch where there was no electricity or running water and the “facility” was an outhouse. I’m surprised she didn't tell my dad to turn right around and drive her back to the airport!

It must have been true love.

My mother experienced strange looks, people who spoke VERY LOUDLY to try to make her understand, and questions about whether she supported Hitler. After all, America had just fought a war with Germany. She was still the “enemy” in many people’s eyes.

I don’t think she ever felt totally accepted by her neighbors, but she discovered, when she returned to her home after ten years, that she didn’t belong there anymore, either. What a dilemma.

Writing the fictional version of her story was cathartic for me. I was able to put myself in her shoes and try to understand what she must have felt and why she reacted the way she did. And, with fiction, I was able to write the ending the way it should have been.

Fiction is powerful. And it has been a healing process for me and my family.

As a nurse, Anna Schmidt deals with the aftermath of a war-torn Germany on a daily basis. The destruction and suffering of WWII frame her existence until she meets American GI, Neil Moser. His stories of ranch life in Montana, his quiet kindness and compassion, and the attraction that blossoms give her hope for a different life. Before their relationship develops, Neil is suddenly shipped out of Germany, and Anna is left with nothing but a yearning for what might have been.

Anna’s dreams are renewed when Neil writes to declare his love and propose that she join him in America as his wife. After two years of endless paperwork, she is finally on American soil. But will Anna be able to overcome the language barrier and harsh Montana ranch life, to gain acceptance from his parents, and form a family in a country that still considers a German the enemy?

Amazon: Seeking The American Dream

 

It’s been ten years since Anna Moser immigrated to Montana from Germany, for love and hopes of a better life in the “land of milk and honey.” Instead, she’s found harsh winters and searing summers, sacrifice and back-breaking work. After all these years, she still perceives neighbors looking down their noses with distrust at this “foreign woman.” 

Did she make a mistake in following her heart to marry Neil and build a ranch and family with him? Yet, after her first visit back to Germany, she finds she no longer belongs there either. In spite of hardships, loss, and near-death illness, will the love of Neil and her children help Anna find her true home?

Amazon: Finding True Home

A Christmas Miracle

I believe in miracles. I feel that a loving Heavenly Father is watching over us, caring what happens to us and worrying about us. Sometimes we wonder if miracles still occur in this day and age. I believe they do, according to our faith and prayers. One mother wrote about a Christmas miracle. I know this woman personally and she believed in prayer. This story is one of love and miracles… of faith and hope.

Don’t Let Him Die

I first became aware of my twelve year old son, George’s, illness when the choppy rendition at the piano of “Hark! The Herald Angels sing,” had stopped. Glancing at him, his head resting on the piano, I asked, “What’s wrong?’

He replied, “I don’t feel good.” As he looked up I saw his cheeks were flushed; on closer inspection it proved to be a fine rash. He had a temperature. I called our family doctor and described the symptoms. He said it sounded like the measles that were going around and he prescribed a well-known drug.

The next day, George complained of his eyes hurting. Blisters began to appear on his ears and lips, and his temperature rose. After sitting by his side for several hours, I had to leave the room momentarily. As I returned, the sight was so shocking. I rushed from the room, dropped to the floor and cried. George had rubbed all the skin from his blistered lips. His ears, neck and face were a mass of blisters, with one large blister hanging like a sac on one side of his face. George did not sleep. He kept asking us to please turn out the lights. It was frightening to hear him ask this; there was only a small night light burning and I had a small folded towel over his eyes.

Upon our arrival at the hospital, we were taken to an isolation room. As the ambulance attendant lifted my son onto the bed, the large blister on his face, a hanging sac of sloshing fluid broke.

Now, lying naked on the sterile sheets, coughing and choking, his body a mass of blisters and skinless places, he looked like someone wearing an ugly mask. I wanted to cry out, “No! No!” But I prayed that for my son’s sake my voice would be calm.

Nothing could have torn me away from my son at this time; so I was given a hospital gown and a mask. The next few days were crucial ones. Large areas of skin that had gone dark and looked as if they were scalded, pushed off from George’s back and he stuck to the sheets. The skin, pushed up on his upper arm, looked like a wrinkled nylon stocking. George’s mouth and throat were blistered, as well as the bronchial tubes, and he was coughing constantly. I covered my face, put my head on the windowsill and fought the tears.

The eye doctor said the eyes were blistered, even on the cornea, and added, “If he comes along—we may not be able to save his eyes.” It came to me that my son might be blind!

A new nurse coming in to put drops in George’s eyes, leaned over him and said, “George, I have something to put in your eyes. Can you turn your head this way?” She leaned over, and as he turned his face with its black rimmed hole for a mouth, one side of his face practically skinless, and skinless ears—all this was too much for this nurse. She became nauseous, gagged and hurriedly left the room.

One night, two couples were standing in the hall. One of the men looked in at George and gasped. When his wife stepped over to where he was standing, he led her away, remarking, “You do not want to see that.”

Each time the doctor entered the room, he would greet my son with, “How are you George?” George would answer, “Pretty good.” Always pretty good. At one time the doctor looked at him and said, “You are a game little guy!” There were tears in his eyes.

He asked me if I was praying. I assured him I was. He also asked if his name could be put in the temple so those who were there could pray for him.

One evening, the young doctor gravely told me things were not going well and that he had done all that he could. At that moment I felt desperately alone; what could I do except go to God for help? I returned to the room and knelt beside my son’s bed and pleaded with God to let him live.

The next day, George asked, “Are they still praying for me?” I said, “Oh, yes. We surely are son.” Then he asked me if I’d hold his hand. He said, “If you don’t mind holding a scratchy one.” All day I held his hand. By evening I sensed a calmness come over him. I said, “Doctor, I think he is better!” The doctor examined him, turned to me and with a look of almost disbelief and surprise said, “I think he is!” The crisis had passed.

The miraculous powers of the body to heal took over. New skin began to grow and the old skin sloughed off. All twenty of his fingernails and toenails came off.

Suddenly we were aware that it was Christmas Eve. Kind nurses and Santa himself came to where a brave young boy with a blotched and burned looking body sat in the bed. By tipping his head back, he saw through slits of eyes a Christmas bouquet and said, “I can see! I can see!” At that moment I was humbled beyond words.

The young doctor came into the room and said, “George, you have made medical history.” Then he asked if we minded the case being written for the medical journals. I tried to thank our tall young doctor. He said humbly, “I just stood by.” But I knew he had worked valiantly to save my son.

Our family doctor came into the room and said, “George, you are a walking miracle.” The nurses, who came to say good-bye to us, said that no one in the hospital expected to see our son go out of the hospital alive. The eye doctor said, “I feel so humble about this boy. It certainly has made me a believer.”

At this unforgettable Christmas time I realized that, to me, Christmas would forever be a time of rejoicing; rejoicing for the gift of a son.” (Opal H. Clarke, “Don’t Let Him Die”)

This young man grew to adulthood but his body isn’t the same. His eyes are constantly red because his tear ducts were destroyed, so he has to use artificial tears. He coughs frequently and has a raspy sound when he breathes because he has Chronic Bronchitis, which was also caused from his illness. This faithful man, George Amos Clarke, my sweetheart and husband, was grateful for a miracle.