Sarah Jane Weldon
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The Cozy Mystery Summer Collection

8/7/2019

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Our main theme for July is holiday travel and destinations, and this week we are exploring our summer collection of cozy mystery books, samples, and previews, all of which can be downloaded for free. A great way to test out new authors and explore topics that you might not otherwise read. Happy holidays, wherever you are or whatever you might be doing this summer. Just click on the images to get to the download page. 
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The Cozy Mystery Italian Collection

2/7/2019

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Bonjourno! July is all about exploring holiday travel and vacation destinations, starting with our free to download holiday travel collection here. This week we have a couple more books for you, this time with an Italian flavour to them. Just click on the image to grab the free books. Oh, and don't forget to add the 15th September to your diary as our inaugural #cozymysteryday too. Happy reading. Ciao for now.  
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Celebrate #cozymysteryday

​The 15th September (Agatha Christie's birthday) is our inaugural, worldwide, annual Cozy Mystery Day, a day for celebrating and sharing everything we love about cozy mystery books, films, and television programmes. Make sure that you follow the hashtag #cozymysteryday on social media, and use it when you share any posts so that other folks can find your favourite things and recommendations.  The day is all about having fun, and celebrating what we love best about cozies, so please do spread the word. 

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The Holiday Travel and Destinations Cozy Mystery Collection

1/7/2019

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Happy 1st July and welcome to the summer wherever you are in the world. Regardless of whether you have a summer vacation planned, here is a little collection of previews, full books, and prequels to some holiday travel and destination themed cozy mysteries that you can grab for free - a great way to try out some new to you authors and get a feel for their writing. If you need more books for the summer, then be sure to check out Free Book Friday every weekend as there are hundreds of free and hot new release books to download each week.  Have an amazing summer everyone and don't forget to share your favourite cozy mystery books, movies, and television series with the world on #cozymysteryday on the 15th September. 
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The Scotland Yard Guide to Cozy Mysteries and #cozymysteryday

6/6/2019

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This month is all about celebrating the first book in a series, and what better way to do this, than to explore some of the different themes and niches. Today's niche is Scotland Yard cozy mysteries - yep, apparently Scotland Yard is a popular thing, especially in British cozies. Who knew! Don't forget to download this collection of free 'first in series' books too. 
Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), the territorial police force responsible for policing all but the inner core of London.
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The name derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard.[1] The Scotland Yard entrance became the public entrance to the police station, and over time the street and the Metropolitan Police became synonymous. Wikipedia
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This charming series of Victorian murder mysteries features mild-mannered Inspector Witherspoon of Scotland Yard and, more importantly, Mrs Jeffries, his housekeeper. A policeman's widow herself, her quick wits allow her to nudge the Inspector in the right direction to solve the crime.
When a doctor is discovered dead in his own office, Mrs Jeffries is on the look-out for a prescription for murder, determined to discover the culprit, despite how her employer feels about interviewing suspects . . . "He hated questioning people. He could never tell whether or not someone was actually lying to him, and he knew, shocking as it was, that there were some people who lied to the police on a regular basis."

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When Miss Seeton walks out after a performance of Carmen and witnesses a real-life stabbing, all she can recall is a shadowy figure. But how could she have guessed that her latest artistic endeavour is a picture-perfect portrait of the killer?

Her sketch puts her in a perilous position, for back at her recently inherited cottage in Plummergen village, she’s fated to be a sitting duck . . . for murder most foul!

Meet Miss Emily D. Seeton: this retired art teacher steps in where Scotland Yard stumbles. Armed with only her sketch pad and umbrella, she is every inch an eccentric English spinster and the most lovable and unlikely master of detection.

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A delightful English cozy series begins in August 1924. Lady Adelaide Compton has recently (and satisfactorily) interred her husband, Major Rupert Charles Cressleigh Compton, hero of the Somme, in the family vault in the village churchyard.

...Enter Inspector Devenand Hunter from the Yard, an Anglo-Indian who is not going to let some barmy society beauty witnessed talking to herself derail his investigation. Something very peculiar is afoot at Compton Court and he's going to get to the bottom of it - or go as mad as its mistress trying.


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Between a Ghost and a Spooky Place is the first installment in the new Ghosts of London series of humorous ghost mysteries, featuring Harry McCabre, who is the cousin of Alice Whitehouse (The Mysteries of Bell & Whitehouse). The stories are set in London, and revolve around Harry, her new best friend Jarrett Zephyr-Thornton III (an eccentric billionaire’s son) and stalwart Inspector Darian Watley of Scotland Yard. In the first book Harry is recruited by the Wraith Wranglers, a group of ghost hunters, and future books will feature her, Jarrett, and Darian in a series of fun and exhilarating ghost adventures.

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Anthony Hetheridge, ninth Baron of Wellegrave, Chief Superintendent for New Scotland Yard, never married, no children, no pets, no hobbies, and not even an interesting vice, will turn sixty in three weeks. With the exception of his chosen career, too sordid for his blue-blooded family to condone, his life has been safe and predictable. But then he meets Detective Sergeant Kate Wakefield – beautiful, willful, and nearly half his age. When Hetheridge saves the outspoken, impetuous young detective from getting the sack, siding with her against Scotland Yard’s powerful male hierarchy, his cold, elegantly balanced world spins out of control. Summoned to London’s fashionable Belgravia to investigate the brutal murder of a financier, Hetheridge must catch the killer while coping with his growing attraction to Kate, the reappearance of an old flame, and the secret that emerges from his own past.

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Talented London milliner Emily Gates creates amazing hats for Society ladies, but to collect from those who don’t pay her bill, she burglarizes their homes. She needs every penny to send her deaf brother to school. Late one night, she sneaks in to find Lord Kaldaire badly injured in his study. Unwilling to abandon him, she calls for help.

When Kaldaire dies without revealing who attacked him, his widow agrees to keep Emily’s secrets ― if Emily will help find her husband’s killer. A bigger danger is a Scotland Yard inspector who threatens to arrest Emily — unless she spies on her father’s family of swindlers and conmen. Worst of all are the attacks from an unknown assailant. What will Emily face first, jail or death?

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​How to Celebrate Scotland Yard Cozies on #cozymysteryday

The 15th September 2019 (Agatha Christie's birthday) marks our inaugural #cozymysteryday celebration. This is an annual, worldwide event to share your favourite cozy mystery books, movies, and television series with the world, using the hashtag #cozymysteryday on social media. 

​There are loads of fun things you can do to mark the day, the most important thing is to have fun and get people talking about how fab cozy mysteries are. 
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Cornish Cozies

30/5/2019

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We're almost at the end of British cozy mystery month and there was no way in the world that I wasn't going to post a collection of cozies set in the wonderful county of Cornwall. I mean, what's not to like. Think of Cornwall and you'll probably think of Poldark, Cornish ice cream, clotted cream and scones, Cornish pasties, mermaids, basking sharks, pirates, piskies, saffron buns, smugglers and wreckers, shipwrecks, copper mines, fishermen, Celtic language and arts, King Arthur, and fudge. You may even want to visit the Museum of Witchcraft and Wizardry or explore the reasons why J.K.Rowling used Cornwall as one of the locations for hiding the horcrux in Harry Potter!  I say we find a nice Cornish beach somewhere, grab a load of local delicacies to feast on, and sit awhile with a lovely collection of cozies. Who's with me? 
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Cozy Mysteries Set in Brighton, England

28/5/2019

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With the summer soon upon us and a first day back to work for many folks after this weekend's Bank Holiday, I figured that it was time to turn our attention to the cozy mystery books set in the seaside town of Brighton, on the south coast of England. So grab your buckets and spades, Punch and Judy shows, sticks of rock, and a portion of fish and chips and we shall begin! 
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OK, so this one is not a mystery, but it is written by world renowned cozy mystery author M.C.Beaton so will definitely be one for fans of her work.  

Lady Beatrice is fleeing an arranged marriage, by stagecoach to Brighton, where the proud beauty meets her match in Miss Hannah Pym who is determined to find her a proper beau.
M. C. Beaton is the author of the best-selling Agatha Raisin series. She has also written several Regency romance series. She lives between Paris and the Cotswolds.

​Plus, there are a lot of Kindle books on Amazon.com that have a $5 gift voucher you can grab for free and use to purchase books like this one before midnight on the 31st May 2019! You need to click under the Kindle price box where it says 'Claim your $5 Kindle Credit.'

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NOT A MYSTERY BUT A ROMANCE.

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Isle of Man Cozy Mysteries

27/5/2019

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OK, so technically I shouldn't be including Isle of Man books under the umbrella collection of 'British Cozy Mysteries' but I'm going to anyway, because there are way too many treasures here to miss.  You see, the Isle of Man (or Mann as most people call it) is an island in the Irish Sea, right between the west coast of England and the east coast of Ireland. 

Now, I've sadly never been to the Isle of Man, but funnily enough I did have an 'Uncle Douglas' (my granny's brother) and an 'Aunty Kathleen' (whom I sadly never met because they died when I was a tiddler) who lived in the island's capital also called Douglas! I also discovered recently that my paternal grandfather (who died long before I was born) was stationed on Mann as a teen when he first signed up with the Royal Navy. I shall post the video below so you can hear the full story for yourself. But I really should go and visit one day because it's a place filled with Celtic and Norse history and that really interests me, especially having discovered my Scandinavian and Irish ancestry as part of the Channel 4 documentary series.   
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Just take the Kirk Malew Church, for example. This is the burial place for the Norse kings of Mann, as well as being the final resting place (so legend has it) for the Manx vampire! And near the summit of Meayll Hill is a stone circle known for its ghostly hauntings, prehistoric rituals, and Viking burials. Jurby Church has Pagan and Viking burial mounds, and St Trinian's Church is connected with an ogre (Buggane or shape shifter) who got so fed up of the noise from the church bells, that he eventually tore off the roof of the church. All of which makes the Isle of Man a perfect location for a paranormal mystery or two in my humble opinion! What do you think?
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Cozy Mysteries Set in London

21/5/2019

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I just love London. In fact, I was lucky enough to live in London for quite a few years, right before I went to work on a childhood research project  in Tamil Nadu, India. You see, I used to work at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Queen Square (you might know it from the TV series 'The Brain Hospital'), and during that time I lived in an apartment right by the Thames Barrier, before moving to the more village-feel of Muswell Hill and Highgate. It was an incredibly exciting time in my life, not just because I found myself working alongside the people whose theories I had studied as part of my earlier degrees, but because I was on the cutting edge of developments and treatments for conditions linked to forensic and developmental neuropsychology -. from phantom limb pain, to autism, acquired brain injury, migraines, parapsychology, and synesthesia. 

I was at the height of my career, had a beautiful flat, an amazing Italian restaurant right across the road, and for the first time in my life, I had started to get the opportunity to travel to other countries as part of my work. I'd really only been on school trips to France and Germany before then. Admittedly I had to wear a suit to work everyday (not nice on the hot underground in summer), and I worked long hours, with a lot of stress, but it was a time for discovering more about the world at large, and about people and cultures.
PictureOne of my favourite rooms at the British Museum in London, England.
​One of the most incredible things about my work, was that the British Museum was right around the corner from the hospital, which was perfect for grabbing a coffee and sitting and watching people during my break. More importantly, I got to sit in on some forensic archaeology (and anthropology) sessions, including scans of the Egyptian mummies, to learn more about public health diseases and what life might have been like for them. What did they eat, what diseases or injuries did they have, and why did they die? Were they perhaps murdered or injured in battle? I even spent time in an MRI scanner as a volunteer, to learn about my own brain, and see what happened to it when I tried to learn new skills, like learning a new language, or when seeing different images or photos. I attended radiology rounds, found patients for case demonstrations, looked through hundred year old archives, worked on my own research, and attended as many brain dissections as I could. Whatever opportunity I spotted, I grabbed it with both hands! My brain and senses were hungry for knowledge and everywhere around me were things that intrigued me, like museums and architecture, and streets to walk along. 

​In my free time, I joined the Royal Geographical Society in South Kensington and attended as many of the lectures as I could, hanging out with some great explorers and personalities at the 'Explorer's Bar', like Michael Palin, Stephen Fry, and Douglas Adams, eventually becoming a 'Fellow' myself. I soaked up every tale I could and I must have asked each guest at the RGS a hundred questions about their adventures. I was fascinated! Just to be in an old building, surrounded by so much history was inspiring. A pocket watch that had belonged to Ernest Shackleton, or a painted portrait on the wall of an early pioneer, hundreds of years old. I stared at every object for hours, sat in the map room, and read through original travel journals, wondering what stories those items held if only they could talk. Little did I know that one day all of these little experiences would somehow find their way out into my own cozy mystery books!! London is certainly a place to become inspired to write.
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​Admittedly, I much prefer to visit London these days, than to live there, but it's great when I get a job on a film or television production and get to hang around on set looking at things I wouldn't usually notice when rushing by on a normal day. Last year, for example, I spent a whole day getting on and off a train at a platform at London's Paddington Station for a murder mystery episode of The Romanoffs. And I've filmed at lots of different London locations for the different Harry Potter movies over the years. That means that I have a lot of time spent watching and absorbing the world around me, just perfect for thinking up new cozy mystery plots!  
No wonder there are so many cozies set in London, and I just know that you will find at least one new book to read from the collection below. Don't forget to add any more books you've enjoyed, in the comments section too. 
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London, Paddington
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London, Wimbledon
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1929, London
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London, Belgravia
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London
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London
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Streets of London
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London
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1923, British Museum?
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London, Soho
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London, Whitechapel
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London, Hackney
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1920s London
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1924, Regent Street
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London, King's Cross
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Jazz Club in London
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London, Mayfair
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Victorian London
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1924, London
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London, Shoreditch
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WW2, The Blitz
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London, Belgravia
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Victorian London
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London, Globe Theatre

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Paddington
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Jazz Club
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London
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1920s
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Blitz
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Whitechapel
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1929
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Soho
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Hackney
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1923
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Belgravia
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Victorian

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Cozy Mysteries Set in Wales

20/5/2019

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You will be completely forgiven for thinking that I am just pulling your leg with today's blog post, but I promise you I am not. If you are going to write a bestselling cozy mystery book, set in Wales, then you can't go far wrong with the Anglesey village of...wait for it....and I bet you can't pronounce the name....Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch! 
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The long form of the name, with 58 characters split into 19 syllables, is the longest place name in Europe and the second longest official one-word place name in the world.[6] Although this name is generally stated to have been invented in the 1860s for promotional purposes, a similarly lengthy version was recorded as early as 1849. Wikipedia
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Llanfair (as it can be shortened to) would actually make a pretty awesome setting for a paranormal or historical cozy mystery since it was originally a Neolithic settlement (that's about 4000-2000BC), and with so many different folks living here in history - kings, Romans, monks, farmers, it would be perfect for some ghosts and ghouls and epic battles. 
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As the townsfolk of the Welsh valley town of Llanelen settle in for the snowiest winter in twenty-five years, an American stranger arrives. Harry Saunders charms the ladies, one of them in particular: Evelyn Lloyd, the town's former postmistress, who was left comfortably off after the death of her husband. After Mrs. Lloyd invests a good deal of money with him, Harry goes missing, as does her money. His body is soon discovered outside the walls of Conwy Castle, and Mrs. Lloyd is implicated in the murder.
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Although Penny Brannigan and her business partner, Victoria Hopkirk, are busy overseeing the grand opening of their new spa, that doesn't stop Mrs. Lloyd from desperately seeking Penny's help to prove her innocence. It's quite possible that Harry made other enemies while in Llanelen and Penny's investigation unfolds while she juggles her work at the spa, her growing relationship with Detective Inspector Davies, and the Christmas window competition that she signed up to judge.

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Set in North Wales

M. J. Holliday has the unusual ability to talk to the dead. But when it comes to a vengeful ghost and a mysterious drowning, this time she may be in over her head…. 

THAT SINKING FEELING 

Kidwella Castle in northern Wales is rumored to be haunted by a deadly ghost—the Grim Widow, who allegedly drowns unsuspecting guests in the castle’s moat. Not long after M. J. and her crew arrive at the castle to film their ghost-hunting cable TV show, Ghoul Getters, two new victims are added to the Widow’s grisly roster. 

Fear ripples through the castle, especially when it’s discovered that the victims may have had help into their watery graves from the land of the living. The local inspector suspects father-son serial killers, but M. J. thinks that theory is all wet. To catch the true culprit she will need to dive deep into the castle’s past and bring some long buried secrets to the surface.

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Henry Twyst, eighteenth Duke of Chellingworth, is convinced his mother is losing her marbles. She claims to have seen a corpse on the dining-room floor, but all she has to prove it is a bloodied bobble hat.

Worried enough to retain the women of the WISE Enquiries Agency – one is Welsh, one Irish, one Scottish and one English – Henry wants the strange matter explained away. But the truth of what happened at the Chellingworth Estate, set in the rolling Welsh countryside near the quaint village of Anwen by Wye, is more complex, dangerous, and deadly, than anyone could have foreseen . . .

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A charming and clever traditional mystery debut set at a bucolic Welsh convent, The Shadow of Death introduces Sister Agatha, a mystery-loving nun who finds herself in the midst of a real-life murder case.

The sisters of Gwenafwy Abbey have cherished their contemplative life—days spent in prayer, reflection, tending the Convent’s vegetable gardens and making their award-winning organic cheese, Heavenly Gouda. Life seems perfect, except for Sister Agatha, a die-hard mystery fan who despairs of ever finding any real life inspiration for her own novel. That is, until the Abbey’s sexton is found dead under an avalanche of gouda. Despite the reservations of the local constable, Sister Agatha is convinced it’s murder and the game is afoot.

Armed only with the notes she’s scribbled during her favorite podcast, How to Write a Mystery Novel, as well as a lessons learned from crime heroes ranging from Hercule Poirot to Stephanie Plum, Sister Agatha leads the nuns of Gwenafwy Abbey (and her unwitting sidekick, Father Selwyn) as they begin a race against time to resolve the death of Jacob, save the Abbey, exonerate a beloved postulant, and restore the good name of their cheese.

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Set in Llanfair

When Constable Evan Evans is persuaded to join the local male choir for the upcoming eisteddfod (cultural festival), he doesn't think the addition of his mediocre voice will do them much good. In spite of all the effort that choirmaster Mostyn Phillips puts in to the choir, it is not exactly first class. Hope arrives in the form of world renowned tenor Ifor Llewelyn, come home to Llanfair to rest, on doctor's orders. 


Llewelyn immediately sets about renewing old friendships, and Mostyn even persuades him to sing with the choir. But Ifor isn't in Llanfair long before the residents decide that his presence is a mixed blessing. Noisy fights between Ifor and his wife, a threatening stranger, and Ifor's own warped sense of humor make life in Llanfair increasingly tense. When he announces that he is planning to write his memoirs, telling all about his numerous relationships with famous and infamous women, he jokes that some people won't be happy. But is someone unhappy enough to commit murder to stop him? While tracking down a dangerous killer, Constable Evans also manages to navigate the treacherous waters of neighborhood rivalries, lusty barmaids, and local gossip. 

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Set near Swansea

A sheepdog in training. A flock under threat. Can he find a killer before the case unravels?

Beau dreams of being a champion sheepdog just like his aunt. With the help of new livestock friends and a kind-hearted farmer, he vows to lead the herd proudly through the lush valleys of South Wales. But when one of the sheep goes missing, Beau never expected a woolly crime scene…

While his aunt warns him not to get too friendly with the flock, his connection with the sheep gets him both respect and a target on his back. As the brave pup frantically sniffs for clues, he's got one chance to solve the mystery before the farm starts counting sheep for all the wrong reasons.
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Will Beau learn the ropes in time to protect his friends from a flock fatality?

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Set in Cardiff

When PI Jordan Jenner returns to work following the death of his mother, his first case involves a murdered writer...James Fairview has been killed. As a member of a prestigious writing group hosted by bestselling author Joseph Gordon in the heart of Cardiff, Jordan not only has to cope with solving the mystery, but also deal with press attention. As Jordan investigates, he discovers his mother's death may not have been so simple. And when another writer is murdered, Jordan realises the killer could strike again... A murdered writer, a mysterious death, and a group with jealousy at its heart, this is Jenner's toughest case yet.A cosy murder mystery with a gay male detective, Murder on the Rocks is the first in the Jordan Jenner Mysteries series. 

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The Anwen Morris Dancers are to play a pivotal role in the imminent nuptials of Henry, eighteenth Duke of Chellingworth. But it looks as though the wedding plans might go awry unless Mavis, Annie, Carol and Christine can help Althea, the Dowager Duchess, by finding a missing Morris man and a set of ancient and valuable artefacts in time for her son’s wedding.
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Anwen-by-Wye might look like an idyllic Welsh village where family values reign and traditions still mean something in a modern world, but what will the WISE women find when they peer behind the respectable net curtains?

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Not set in Wales - but is about the Prince of Wales!!

Albert Edward, Prince of Wales—Bertie, as he’s known—is the eldest son of Queen Victoria, and future King Edward VII. Bertie is a pleasure seeker, always searching out the best meals, the most beautiful women, and the most lavish parties. 

As Prince Regent, Bertie is expected to behave like a proper royal and avoid scandal. Instead, his love of excitement leads him to a decidedly unprincely hobby: sleuthing. Bertie is not the best detective, but that does not stop him from trying to solve every case that crosses his path, including the feverish suicide of the greatest jockey of the century, the mysterious death of a member of the royal hunting party, and the murder of the son-in-law of an old friend.

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Set in Llanfair

Bron’s a traditional Welsh hedge-witch. She walks between the worlds, helping both the living and the dead. She’d rather be pottering in her garden and drinking tea, but when you’ve a Fated Mission, then you’ve a Fated Mission, and so here we are.

The body that turns up in Bron’s garden one day has actually been there for decades, hidden deep, and he died of natural causes. Just rebury him and carry on as normal, right?

But it’s kinda hard to be normal when the ghost of the dead man has been disturbed, and now he wants … well, just what does he want? He hasn’t figured out the whole speaking-as-a-spirit-thing yet.

It’s down to Bron to find out. If she doesn’t, that ghost is going to be lingering in corners and upsetting kitchen chairs for the rest of her life. Creepy, tedious and noisy, all at the same time.

She’s helped by the unexpected arrival of her cousin Maddie from America, who is seeking connection and history in this uncertain age. And there’s another mystery – why is this vivacious, friendly young woman so evasive and afraid? 
Soon they are up to their knees in faery folk (don’t trust em), druids (keen on trees), wild animals (Bron’s a healer), the obligatory smouldering blacksmith (sorry, he prefers men), and the maddest Mad Great Aunt of all.

Life is never dull in Llanfair! 

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Another Prince of Wales connection, but not set in Wales.

​In the new Royal Spyness Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Crowned and Dangerous, Lady Georgiana Rannoch juggles secret missions from the Queen, Darcy, and her mother. But it’s all in a day’s work when you’re thirty-fifth in line to the British Crown. 

When Darcy runs off on another secret assignment, I am left to figure out how to travel to Italy sans maid and chaperone to help my dear friend Belinda, as she awaits the birth of her baby alone. An opportunity presents itself in a most unexpected way—my cousin the queen is in need of a spy to attend a house party in the Italian lake country. The Prince of Wales and the dreadful Mrs. Simpson have been invited, and Her Majesty is anxious to thwart a possible secret wedding.  

What luck! A chance to see Belinda and please the queen as I seek her permission to relinquish my claim to the throne so I can marry Darcy. Only that’s as far as my good fortune takes me. I soon discover that Mummy is attending the villa party and she has her own secret task for me. Then, Darcy shows up and tells me that the fate of a world on the brink of war could very well depend on what I overhear at dinner! I shouldn’t be all that surprised when one of my fellow guests is murdered and my Italian holiday becomes a nightmare...

And just in case you were wondering how to actually pronounce Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch here are a few pointers to help you on your way!! Let me know if you've come across any other difficult to pronounce Welsh words, or if you have any other cozies set in Wales to recommend. I'm sure there must be more to find. 

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Cozy Mysteries Set in Oxford

15/5/2019

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Ahhh! The British (English) city of Oxford. City of Spires. Home to many a famous writer and academic, and of course the world renowned 'University of Oxford'. A city that has a rather personal connection for me too as it happens. You see, my father was born in Oxford, and my nan spent many years of her life as a patient at the santorium where she lived in as part of the treatment at the time for tuberculosis. It was also where I was based for my work with the Royal Navy, and in my earlier career as a Neuropsychologist I was very involved with neuroscience research at the hospital and the university, spending long summers involved in different projects, including research on phantom limb pain, and on autism.

Oxford was the place where my nan would take me for treats when I stayed with her, and we would often catch the bus there and nip into one of the department stores for a cup of coffee, something my nan found quite exciting since most people just drank tea at home and coffee shops were a relatively new thing. It's hard to imagine an Oxford pre Starbucks or Costa Coffee, or McDonalds!

For me, Oxford was always really exciting, but it must have held different memories for my nan, as she would only really visit for hospital appointments or spend her hours desperate to get back home to her family whilst residing at the sanitorium. For me it is a place filled with memories of dining in my Royal Navy Uniform at fancy balls and drinking a little too much port as part of the maritime traditions! Lots of late nights polishing boots or doing drill practice, or working on improving my knots.

Funny how a single place can mean so many things to different people, and I suppose that is what I love about cozy mysteries that are set in Oxford. Each author draws on the thing that most inspired them about the city, experiences they had there, or people that they met. That's the beauty of books, and there is definitely no shortage of wonderful places to read a good book in Oxford. And plenty of lovely bookshops to visit too. I don't think I ever came back from Oxford without at least one, brand new, sweet smelling, and shiny covered paperback!   
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"Scones, a tea shop in England, a kitty & a murder - yes, please!"
When an American tourist is murdered with a scone in her quaint English tearoom, Gemma must solve the mystery with the help of the nosy Old Biddies and a mischievous little feline named Muesli. Soon she finds herself apron-deep in a mystery involving long-buried secrets from Oxford's past. But between her bossy, matchmaking mother and the return of her old college love as a handsome CID detective, Gemma has her hands full and her head spinning!

Murder is bad for business, especially when customers think your scones are more deadly than delicious. With the body count rising and her tearoom going bust, can Gemma find the killer before things turn to custard?

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Meet Jenny Starling: travelling cook and reluctant amateur detective. 

Jenny Starling has a summer job cooking at a prestigious Oxford college. But she’s not expecting murder on the menu.

Then womanising taxidermy society president, Maurice Raines, is found with a knife in his neck in the dining hall.

Everyone is in classes at the time of his death. So, frustratingly it seems they all have an alibi.

However there are many suspects, including Maurice’s wife and his lover.

The college and police need Jenny’s help to solve this perplexing case. But can Jenny keep her concentration with a budding romance on the cards?

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Every family has annoying relatives; mine just happen to be undead.My Grandmother, Agnes Bartlett, used to own Cardinal Woolsey’s knitting shop in Oxford then died and left her shop to me, without informing me that she wasn’t actually dead.
She’s a vampire and part of the world’s strangest craft circle – the Vampire Knitting Club.As you might imagine, this means she’s free to interfere in how I run the business that used to be hers. She’s trying to teach me to knit and it’s not going well. She’s also trying to teach me how to be a witch, since it turns out I’m from a long line of witches. Another tiny detail about my family that no one ever told me, along with the long-lost witch cousins I recently discovered. But I’m learning. I’ve got my family spell book, my black cat familiar, some powers that sometimes scare me, and an interesting new group of friends. My archaeologist parents are coming to visit and bringing me a gift I could do without. So, to recap, I run a knitting shop and I can’t knit. I’m a beginning witch who can’t always control her cat, never mind her magic, and my love life is as tangled as the last sock I tried to knit. Oh, and for some reason, I keep getting involved in murder investigations. Good thing I have my vampire knitters to help sniff out clues. At least I’ve finally hired the perfect assistant, a real demon with the crochet hook. Or is she too perfect?

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(The first part is set in Oxford with Oxford Girls Maddy and Eloise)

A murdered chef. A poisoned pastry.

Can a young barista deliver a killer their just desserts?Maddy dreams of opening her own detective agency with her best friend. Fresh off her A-levels and looking to save up funds, she and her BFF take a gap-year job serving coffee to rich tourists at an Austrian ski resort. But when someone tampers with one of Maddy’s sweet creations to snuff out a snooty pastry chef, the offending doughnut becomes a recipe for disaster…

With her dreams of becoming a PI in serious danger, Maddy has next to no time to preserve the cafe's reputation and clear her name. But as the suspect list rises and the trail of breadcrumbs grows stale, her future rests on bringing the killer to justice.
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Can Maddy close her very first case before she's cooked?

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