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Mysteries-Cozies In a Cozy Mystery, the setting is usually in a small town or village. The sleuth is most often an amateur who stumbles onto a crime and is then drawn into helping solve the mystery. The supporting characters are usually likeable and sometimes offer comic relief. Generally there is no graphic violence or profanity; the emphasis is on plot and character development.
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Susan Wittig AlbertFind Hinsdale materials here.
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China Bayles series.China, a former big-city lawyer turned small-town herb shop owner, solves murders through a combination of botanical know-how, deductive skills, and legal reasoning. Each mystery will expand your plant knowledge while providing an entertaining escape .
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Barbara Allen (aka, Max Allan Collins & Barbara Collins) Find Hinsdale materials here.
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Trash n' Treasures Mystery series.The series features recently divorced Brandy Borne, who has moved back home to live with her larger-than-life, eccentric mother in the Mississippi River town of Serenity. Also featuring Sushi, Brandy's blind Shih Tzu, mother and daughter engage in antiquing and crime-solving. Antiquing tips are a bonus feature .
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Donna AndrewsFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Meg Langslow series.Meg is a blacksmith in Yorktown, Virginia. Looking to laugh? You'll love the antics of Meg's family. Their over-the-top wackiness adds to the fun of these excellent mysteries. All have birds in the title.
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Nancy AthertonFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Aunt Dimity series.Set primarily in the Cotswolds, Aunt Dimity is the central character in a series of cozy mystery/gothic romance novels. Although the series is named for Aunt Dimity, the books actually follow Lori Shepherd, who is "assisted" by her deceased aunt in solving various mysteries.
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Mignon BallardFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Augusta is a guardian angel who is naturally bossy and cold-natured but is also an astute judge of character. Augusta is usually not the one solving the mysteries; rather she helps point her subject in the right direction. As a bonus, many of the books contain recipes.
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Maggie BarbieriFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Safely outside the New York City limits, St. Thomas College was supposed to be peaceful and quiet. Unfortunately, English professor Alison Bergeron has found it to be anything but. The series is a nice combination of mystery, romance, and humor.
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Robert BarnardFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Charlie Peace series.Charlie is a sharp, young black Scotland Yard detective who works first in London and then in West Yorkshire. Charlie, working with his boss, Superintendent Mike Oddie, uses both his humanity and his cunning to crack the latest case. The novels are peppered with colorful, comfortable characters.
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Stephanie BarronFind Hinsdale materials here.
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These historical mysteries feature English author Jane Austen playing amateur sleuth. The books are presented as lost diaries that have been "edited."
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M.C. BeatonFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Hamish Macbeth series.Hamish is the local police constable of Lochdubh in the Scottish Highlands. He has no ambition, but he does have extraordinary common sense and insight into the lives of the quirky villagers who are his neighbors. He leads a quiet life until there is a murder to solve.
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M.C. BeatonFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Agatha Raisin series.Agatha is a frustrated, yet endearing, middle-aged public relations agent who moved from London to the Cotswolds after she took early retirement and sold her public relations firm. She solves murders in each of the earlier books, but in the fifteenth book she sets up her own detective agency. The police, and even some of her acquaintances, are convinced that she solves crimes through accident and luck.
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Carrie BebrisFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Mr. and Mrs. Darcy series.In this series, the now married Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, become entangled in intrigue with other Austen characters.
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Laurien BerensonFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Melanie Travis series.Melanie is a thirty-something teacher and divorced mother of a young son. They live in Connecticut, where she breeds poodles. Witty and suspenseful, the series features an engaging cast of characters -- both human and canine.
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Lawrence BlockFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Bernie Rhodenbarr series.Rhodenbarr is a New York City-based thief who is a master at lock-picking and breaking and entering (for the thrill of it), but he usually ends up solving a murder in order to clear his name. He becomes the owner/operator of a used book store in Greenwich Village, which he partially funds from the take of his occasional burglar activities .
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Rhys Bowen Find Hinsdale materials here.
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Molly Murphy series.An independent and clever young woman (with a secret), Molly has a knack for solving mysteries. The Irish immigrant becomes known as the "lady detective" in 1900s New York City .
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Alan BradleyFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Flavia De Luce series.Set in the 1950s, Flavia, the precocious youngest daughter of Colonel De Luce, is an 11-year-old sleuth and aspiring chemist in the small village of Bishop’s Lacey in England. She finds clues that the police overlook, and her powers of deduction help solve the latest crime .
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Lilian Jackson BraunFind Hinsdale materials here.
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The Cat Who...series.Each title in this series begins with The Cat Who... They feature a reporter named Jim Qwilleran (Qwill) and his Siamese cats, Kao K’o-Kung ("Koko" for short) and Yum-Yum. A long-standing friendship and crime-solving trio are formed .
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Simon BrettFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Fethering series.Fethering is a fictitious village on England's south coast. It is the place of residence of amateur sleuths Carole Seddon, a retired civil servant, and her neighbor, Jude Nichols, whose origins are obscure .
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Emily BrightwellFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Mrs. Jeffries series (Victorian Murder Mysteries).Everyone is awed by Inspector Witherspoon's Scotland Yard successes, but what they don't know is that his secret weapon is his housekeeper, Mrs. Jeffries. She keeps his house, keeps him on his toes, and helps solve his cases .
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Frances BrodyFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Kate Shackleton series.Set in 1920s Yorkshire, this series features Kate Shackleton, a young First World War widow who has developed a reputation for finding people.
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Rita Mae BrownFind Hinsdale materials here
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Mrs. Murphy series.The eponymous character in the series, Mrs. Murphy, is actually the tiger cat of thirty-something divorcee Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen. Harry, is the postmistress in the town of Crozet, Virginia, where she and Mrs. Murphy solve local mysteries.
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Rita Mae BrownFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Jane Arnold series.In her 70’s, esteemed “Sister” Arnold is an expert fox-hunter and Master of the Hunt Club in Jefferson, Virginia. Unlike British hunters, American hunters love the thrill of chasing after the fox with no intent to kill. She has an intuitive understanding of animals as well as humans and solves mysteries involving both.
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Fiona BuckleyFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Ursula Blanchard series.Ursula is a Lady-in-Waiting and undercover spy in the court of Queen Elizabeth I. She uses her considerable skills and wit to uncover mysteries and thwart various plots against the Queen and her realm.
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Dorothy CannellFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Ellie Haskell series.Ellie is an interior decorator who solves mysteries along with her husband, Ben, a writer and chef. Joining them are Hyacinth and Primrose Tramwell, a pair of dotty sisters and owners of the Flowers Detection Agency. Outlandish characters enliven the stories, and the titles are puns on literary classics.
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Chris CavenderFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Eleanor Swift series.Eleanor Swift, along with her sister Maddy, run A Slice of Delight, a small-town Southern pizzeria in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Besides serving delicious pizzas and sandwiches, murders pop up from time to time, much to their dismay. The series includes pizza recipes.
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Laura ChildsFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Tea Shop Mystery series.Theodosia "Theo" Browning is a tea shop owner and sleuth in Charleston. Hosts of supporting characters assist with her catering business and crime-solving exploits.
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Agatha ChristieFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Miss Marple series.Miss Jane Marple, an elderly spinster who lives in the quiet village of St. Mary Mead, is deceptively dotty and fragile looking. With her sharp eyes and intelligence, though, she knows human nature and helps to solve crimes that have the police stumped.
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Agatha ChristieFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Hercule Poirot series.The intrepid Belgian detective lives in England and must often explain that he is not French. With his egg-shaped head, famous mustaches, and superior intellect, he uses his "little grey cells" to solve crimes that appear unsolvable.
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Jill ChurchillFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Jane Jeffry series.Jane is a recent widow and single mom living in suburban Chicago. She has a good knowledge of human nature, which helps in her crime-solving adventures. The titles in the series are all puns on famous works, e.g., Bell, Book and Scandal.
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Jane ClelandFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries series.Ever since Josie left a high-paying job in New York to set up shop as an antiques appraiser on the rugged New Hampshire coast, her life has not gone exactly according to plan. She has a booming business, good friends and neighbors, and even a promising romance, but dead bodies seem to appear too frequently. Josie finds herself ferreting out the truth, defending her reputation, and trying to keep her business running smoothly, all while trying to put down roots in her new community.
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Blaize ClementFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Dixie Hemingway series.These books center around the life of a former policewoman turned pet-sitter, in the Gulf-side city of Sarasota. The series has interesting recurring characters. (Following the author's death, the series has been continued by her son, John.)
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Jessica Conant-Park (with Susan Conant)Find Hinsdale materials here.
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Gourmet Girl series.Chloe Carter (known in chatrooms as "GourmetGirl") is a food connoisseur and survivor of failed romances. She is forever on a quest for the perfect meal and the perfect man. Set in the Boston area, the series includes recipes.
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Cleo CoyleFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Coffeehouse series.Clare Cosi owns the Village Blend coffeehouse in Greenwich Village, where coffee and crime are always brewing. Recipes are included.
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Isis CrawfordFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Bernadette “Bernie” and Libby Simmons are sisters who own A Little Taste of Heaven catering and bake shop in Longely, New York, where they become involved in some amateur sleuthing. Some of the books in the series are holiday-themed; all contain recipes.
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Clare CurzonFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Mike Yeadings series.The series features Superintendent Mike Yeadings and his Thames Valley CID department. Those who like their British police procedurals with a tinge of the macabre will be rewarded.
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Mary DaheimFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Emma Lord series.Emma is the owner/publisher/editor of The Advocate, a newspaper in Alpine, Washington. Emma is spunky, humorous, and independent. She gets assistance with her investigations from members of the community. Murders in Alpine seem to happen in alphabetical order, beginning with The Alpine Advocate.
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Mary DaheimFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Bed & Breakfast series.Judith McMonigle Flynn is the innkeeper of a B&B in Seattle. Bodies keep turning up in this series, and Judith is a reluctant sleuth. She also has a zany cousin who tends to get her in trouble whenever they're together.
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Jeanne DamsFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Dorothy Martin series.Dorothy is a retired American schoolteacher now residing with her second husband, Chief Constable Alan Nesbitt, in England. Her outspoken American ways can cause some wincing on the part of her husband, but she is a good amateur sleuth who helps solve crimes in the London area.
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Diane Mott Davidson Find Hinsdale materials here.
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Goldy Schulz series.The series follows “Goldy Bear,” a caterer in Colorado, as she solves murders and tries to keep her fledgling business afloat. There's a nasty ex, a little romance, and some wonderful recipes included.
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Lindsey DavisFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Marcus Didius Falco series.Set in 70s A.D. Rome under Vespasian’s rule, Falco is a private informer who travels all over the Roman Empire. While investigating crime, he manages to get himself, his best friend, and his girlfriend (the daughter of a senator) in and out of scrapes.
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P.C. DohertyFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Hugh Corbett series.Set during the Medieval reign of Edward I of England, Corbett is a legal advisor and clerk of the King’s Bench. His investigations into plots and undercover dealings that threaten the Court land him in trouble. The novels often revolve around true incidents that occurred during the period.
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Arthur Conan DoyleFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Sherlock HolmesThe incomparable Holmes is the prototype for the modern mastermind detective. The cases he solves are fastidiously recorded by his friend and assistant, Dr. John Watson.
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Carola DunnFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Daisy Dalrymple series.The Honourable Daisy Dalrymple has taken a job as a journalist to ensure her independence -- an unusual step for the daughter of a viscount in 1922. Her investigations often take her abroad in this series of well-drawn characters, snappy dialogue, and interesting plot twists.
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Aaron ElkinsFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Gideon Oliver series.Professor Gideon Oliver, nicknamed “The Skeleton Detective,” is a forensic anthropologist. He assists in solving mysterious deaths, which takes him (and sometimes his Park Ranger wife) all over the world.
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Joanne FlukeFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Hannah Swensen series.Hannah, in her early thirties, has flaming red, frizzy hair and two love interests -- a detective and a dentist. She is the owner/operator of an independent bakery and coffee shop called The Cookie Jar, located in a fictitious town in Minnesota. She and her young assistant, Lisa, make everything by hand, but when Hannah is not baking, she gets involved in solving murders.
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Christopher FowlerFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Bryant & May series.Two detectives, Arthur Bryant and John May, are members of the fictional Peculiar Crimes Unit. This series is set primarily in London, with stories taking place in various years between World War II and the present through the use of flashbacks. While there is a progressive narrative, many of the books focus on major criminal incidents in the detectives' shared past. Interwoven are factual layers of London's history, structures, and society.
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Jonathan GashFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Lovejoy series.This series covers the adventures of Lovejoy, a British antiques dealer based in East Anglia who is a bit of a rogue and an amateur sleuth. His scruples are questionable, but he does have a reputation in the antiques trade for an almost supernatural talent for recognizing exceptional items as well as spotting fakes and forgeries.
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Dorothy GilmanFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Mrs. Pollifax series.Emily Pollifax, a widow in her sixties, decides one day to leave her comfortable apartment in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and join the CIA. She is very likely the only spy in literature to belong simultaneously to the CIA and a local garden club.
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Sally GoldenbaumFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Seaside Knitters series.Isabel "Izzy" Chambers is the owner of a knitting shop in Sea Harbor, Massachusetts, where a diverse (eccentric) group of women congregate each week to form the Seaside Knitters. Izzy and her knitting group work together to solve the latest local murder.
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Caroline GrahamFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Inspector Tom Barnaby, eventually Detective Chief Inspector, solves murders in small villages all around the English countryside. A genius in criminal investigation, he is highly experienced and very methodical (prone to taking his time). In fact, he often quickly reaches a conclusion as to the identity of the murderer, which he reveals only after he has accumulated enough evidence. A happily married man, he and his wife, Joyce, have an adult daughter named Cully. The books have been turned into a popular TV series.
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Sarah GravesFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Home Repair is Homicide series.Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree abandons Wall Street to buy a charming, but dilapidated, house in Eastport, Maine. Fast becoming a home repair expert, she and her son soon discover that even life in a calm seacoast village has its share of murders.
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Kerry GreenwoodFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Phryne Fisher series.Glamorous, terribly fashionable, and handy with a pistol, the Honourable Phryne Fisher, often referred to as “Miss Fisher,” is the main character in a series of detective novels. Phryne is a wealthy twenty-eight-year-old aristocrat who lives in Melbourne in 1920s. With support from her maid, Dot, and other able assistants, she solves all manner of crimes. The capable Miss Fisher can fly a plane, drive her own car, and sometimes even wears trousers. Displaying bohemian panache, she also manages to maintain class and style. These popular novels have been shown on PBS’s Mystery series.
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Martha Grimes Find Hinsdale materials here.
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Richard Jury series.Initially a Chief Inspector, and later a Superintendent, Jury is invariably assisted in his cases by his hypochondriac but dependable sergeant, Alfred Wiggins, and Melrose Plant, a British aristocrat who has given up his titles. Jury is very attractive but tends to be melancholy and is unlucky in love. Adding to the series is a recurring ensemble of interesting minor characters.
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Jane HaddamFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Gregor Demarkian series.Demarkian, an Orthodox Armenian, is a retired FBI agent who left the bureau after his wife died. His specialty was dealing with serial killers and poisons, and in his retirement he continues to become involved with mysteries that seem to just fall into his lap. Gregor is logical, reserved, orderly, and old-fashioned in both how he goes about solving his mysteries and in his personal life. Set in Massachusetts, some of the books in the series are holiday-themed.
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Parnell HallFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Puzzle Lady series.Cora Felton, the Puzzle Lady, is a syndicated newspaper columnist for crossword enthusiasts. Quirky, hard-drinking, and photogenic, she appears in TV commercials to pay the bills. She's been married several times, loves to smoke and gamble, and is an avid reader of mystery novels. As an amateur detective, she lands in the thick of things when she undertakes her own investigations to solve mysteries.
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Parnell HallFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Stanley Hastings series.Stanley is a hopelessly inept, slightly cowardly, and reluctant private-eye-in-name-only who works for an ambulance-chasing lawyer in New York City. Picture your average Joe thrust into the role of Philip Marlowe. Although loved by his wife and son, Stanley is fortyish, suffers from middle-age blahs, and has bad teeth and a lousy job. He's also a failed actor and a struggling freelance writer just waiting to write the Great American Novel.
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David HandlerFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Berger and Mitry series.A mismatched romantic crime-fighting duo, Mitch Berger (a New York film critic), and Desiree Mitry (a Connecticut State trooper), investigate murder in this charming Dorset, Connecticut, series.
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Karen HarperFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Elizabeth I series.This series has the Queen herself involved in investigations, thwarting plots, and uncovering sinister members of her own Court.
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Carolyn Hart Find Hinsdale materials here.
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Death on Demand series.Annie Laurance inherits a bookstore called Death on Demand on an island off South Carolina. Max Darling is a private investigator. They marry and become partners in crime-solving -- think Nick and Nora Charles with wildly eccentric characters.
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Carolyn HartFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Bailey Ruth series.Bailey Ruth loves to return to Earth as an emissary from Heaven’s Department of Good Intentions. There is a problem, though – she is a bit of a loose cannon as far as ghosts go (forgetting to remain invisible and alarming earthly creatures) -- so she is far from the top of the list of her department head’s Heaven-Sent Rescue Express. Still, she does get sent on assignments occasionally. She was always good at solving mysteries when she was alive, so why not now, when she is dead?
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Veronica HeleyFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Abbot Agency series.Bea Abbot and her husband had been running the highly successful Abbot Agency for many years, but when he falls ill and dies, she is pressured by her Member-of-Parliament son to retire. Bea is so tired from the long years of nursing her husband that all she wants is peace and quiet and to have her pretty Victorian house in Kensington all to herself. What she gets are a couple of young lodgers with troubled backgrounds and an old friend banging on her door, asking for help. What she ultimately gets is murder! And that scenario launches the series. Other crises follow in subsequent novels, and Bea tends to take on cases in which the client is reluctant to involve the police.
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Joan HessFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Claire Malloy series.Claire owns a small bookstore in a college town. Her husband was killed years ago when he was hit by a chicken truck. Her teenage daughter frequently talks in CAPITAL LETTERS. Claire has a dry, rather droll, witty style and is frequently at odds with her detective love interest as she becomes involved in her amateur investigations. Of course, there is a collection of odd friends who often get Claire into trouble.
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Joan HessFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Arly Hanks series.Arly is the Police Chief of Maggody, Arkansas, population 775, half of whom are named Buchanan. She returns to her hometown of Maggody from New York after a messy divorce. Arly's attempts to nab wrongdoers in a town filled with odd-ball characters provide unending chuckles.
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Hazel HoltFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Sheila Malory series.Mrs. Malory is a plain-spoken woman residing in the little seaside town of Taviscombe, England. A middle-aged widow, she putters among charities, neighbors, chores, and pets, and ends up stumbling over bodies or tracking missing persons. While there are some similarities to Miss Marple, Mrs. Malory is younger and has a much more hopeful and warm-hearted approach to people.
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Victoria HoustonFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Loon Lake Fishing Mystery series.Featuring Police Chief Lewellyn (Lew) Ferris and her pal, “Doc” Paul Oborne, the series is a mixture of murder, mayhem, and fishing in the north woods of Wisconsin.
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Dorothy HowellFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Haley Randolph series.Witty, smart, and chic, Haley is a professional fashionista and event planner for the Stars. She starts out working part-time at a department store in Los Angeles but soon becomes entangled in solving murders while dealing with challenges in her personal life. She is an engaging amateur sleuth.
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Sue Ann JaffarianFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Odelia Grey series.Odelia is a plus-size, middle-aged paralegal. She has a habit of stumbling into mysteries that are very complicated. Settle in for some twists and fun with some great characters.
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Laurie KingFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes series.A "protégé" of Sherlock Holmes, Mary Russell is who Holmes would be if the Victorian detective were young, female, and of the twentieth century. Holmes is Mary’s “mentor” in the early novels.
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Alexander McCall-SmithFind Hinsdale materials here.
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No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series.Set in Botswana, Precious Ramotswe, a "traditionally built" lady, sets up her own detective agency, becoming the nation's first female detective. Along with a cast of wonderful supporting characters, she takes on a variety of private investigations.
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Ralph McInernyFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Father Dowling series.In the past, Father Dowling worked as a canon lawyer for the Chicago Archdiocese and as a marriage counselor, but he became distressed with the bureaucracy and with too many unhappy people he could not help. Needing a change and having always wanted to be a parish priest, he is assigned to St. Hilary’s in Fox River, Illinois, a parish no one else wants. Here he regains his sense of vocation while becoming an amateur sleuth.
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G.A. McKevettFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Savannah Reid series.Originally from Memphis, full-figured fashionista and private investigator Savannah was working as a cop in Southern California until she was fired. Trained in karate, she sets up her own private detective business in California. This mystery series has a food theme.
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Leslie MeierFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Lucy is a part-time newspaper reporter in the fictional town of Tinker's Cove, Maine. Not only does she sew and bake, but her four children also keep her on the run. Despite her busy schedule, she still manages to get tangled up in solving local murders. This series is holiday-themed.
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John Mortimer Find Hinsdale materials here.
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Rumpole series.Horace Rumpole, an aging London barrister, defends any and all clients. In fact, his skill at defending his clients is legendary among the criminal classes. A man of strong ethics, he prefers not to advance, content in his role of defender in the "Old Bailey." Among Rumpole’s many courtroom weapons is humor. It makes it much tougher for the prosecutors when the jury is laughing at their case.
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Shirley Rousseau MurphyFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Joe Grey series.This series features feline Joe Grey, PI, and his tortoiseshell friend, Kit. Anyone unfamiliar with this cozy series will be quickly drawn in by the complete believability of the crime-solving felines and their helpful human companions .
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Tamar MyersFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery series.Magdalena Yoder, the owner/operator of a Mennonite inn in Pennsylvania, caters to sophisticated urbanites looking for charm and Amish ambience. The stories, each with a tasty selection of authentic Pennsylvania Dutch recipes, are embellished with a cast of memorable characters.
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Clare O'DonohueFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Someday Quilts series.When her fiancé announces he's calling off the wedding, heartbroken 25-year-old Eleanor "Nell" flees New York City for her grandmother's home in quaint Archers Rest in upstate New York. In this small town, Nell's life revolves around the quilt shop, Someday Quilts, and the members of the shop's quilting circle, who become involved in some amateur sleuthing.
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Sister Carol Anne O'MarieFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Sister Mary Helen series.At seventy-five, Sister Mary Helen had resisted retirement. She feared she'd find only prayer, peace, and a little pinochle, but she was wrong. Her new “career” is solving crimes in the San Francisco area.
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Gail OustFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Spice Shop Mystery series.This series takes place in the small town of Brandywine Creek, Georgia. After being dumped by her skirt-chasing, ambulance-chasing husband, Piper Prescott invests her entire divorce settlement in a dream she’s harbored for years--owning her own business, Spice It Up! Dead bodies, friends in jeopardy, and family members in trouble, all help Piper develop sleuthing skills she never knew she had.
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Katherine Hall PageFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Faith Fairchild series.A clergyman's wife, Faith has been transplanted from New York City to a sleepy town in Massachusetts. A part-time caterer, her natural curiosity of people leads her into situations where she ends up crime solving. Faith's recipes are included.
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Elizabeth PetersFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Amelia Peabody series.Amelia, a Victorian Egyptologist, starts out as a confirmed spinster, suffragist, and scholar. She later marries and produces a second generation of archeologists. Besides uncovering and solving mysteries, many of the books are set in real places and have historical people appearing in the plots.
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Ellis PetersFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Brother Cadfael, a Benedictine monk in Medieval Shrewsbury, leads a quiet life as the monastery's herbalist However, because of his skill and knowledge of the outside world as a former Crusader, he is drawn into the political and social intrigue inside and outside the monastery. The series is set during the turbulent year of the struggle for the English throne between King Stephen and Empress Maud, both descendants of William the Conqueror.
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Ann PurserFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Lois Meade series.Lois, a local cleaner in a small English village, has a close and intimate knowledge of many of its inhabitants. Danger lurks close by as Lois becomes embroiled in the deeply hidden passions and emotions smoldering beneath the facade of idyllic village life.
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Elliott RooseveltFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Eleanor Roosevelt series.The First Lady, because of her position and her worldwide travels, finds herself embroiled in murders no matter where she goes. Eleanor becomes a wonderful Miss Marple-like sleuth. The novels are populated by the renowned historical figures she encounters.
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Fay SampsonFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Suzie Fewings Genealogical Mystery series.This series combines mystery and genealogy. Suzie is a keen genealogist who discovers interesting secrets in her families' roots back in England. She helps others with their research too, and often uncovers secrets better left buried.
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Kate SedleyFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Roger the Chapman series.A former monk, young Roger the Chapman (or peddler), earns his living selling lace and silk throughout the English countryside. His real passion, though, is solving puzzles, so he uses his keen wit and intelligence to solve mysteries along his travels. The series is set during the tumultuous years of the War of Roses, the fight for the throne between the royal houses of York and Lancaster.
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Maggie SeftonFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Knitting Mystery series.Kelly Flynn, a consulting CPA, begins a brand-new life when she leaves Washington, DC, to investigate the death of her aunt in Colorado -- and stays. She just happens upon mysteries or murders to solve, but along the way she is introduced to a host of knitting friends, who meet at a yarn store called The House of Lambspun. Each book includes a knitting pattern and a recipe from a dish featured in the story.
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Josephine TeyFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Alan Grant series.An Inspector of Scotland Yard, Grant is a slightly built, dapper gentleman police officer of independent means. Grant fancies himself an expert on faces. The five books in which he appears constitute an oeuvre whose highly literate and witty prose has attracted a devoted following.
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Victoria ThompsonFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Gaslight Mystery series.Set in turn-of-the-century New York City, Sarah Brandt, a midwife, and Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy find themselves involved in solving murders in every corner of the city, from tenements to elegant mansions.
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Margaret TrumanFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Capitol Crimes mysteries.With few exceptions, the Capitol Crimes mysteries focus on crime in and around the Capitol instead of on a single recurring character. However, appearing in multiple books are criminal-lawyer-turned-law-professor Mackensie Smith; gallery owner Annabel Reed (later Smith's wife); and pilot and ex-CIA operative Max Pauling.
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Nicola UpsonFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Josephine Tey series.This series is a tribute to one of the most enduring, popular writers of crime. The author successfully incorporates the life of Tey into crime fiction's past.
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Jacqueline WinspearFind Hinsdale materials here.
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Maisie Dobbs series.Maisie is a psychologist/investigator in post-World War I London. Her beginnings are working class, but good fortune brings her into contact with the upper class, where she consequently receives an education. She serves as a nurse during the war and then returns to London to work with her mentor, accomplished detective Dr. Maurice Blanche. When Blanche retires, Maisie opens up her own detective agency.
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