During my tenure at ye olde bookstore, my colleagues and I played a game we called “Find the skull”. When you shelve hundreds of mysteries a month, you start to notice that the cover designers are very fond of incorporating a playful skull or two into the art. Now I rarely pick up a mystery if there aren’t a few skulls laying about. As a rule, the more skulls, the more amusing the book tends to be.
Mysteries range widely, naturally, covering all of the seven deadly sins. I personally enjoy the murder mystery genre, particularly when it incorporates a dash of humor. I really enjoy Susan McBride’s Debutante Dropout series (now spinning off into a young adult series!!! yeah!!!) and Laura Levine’s Jaine Austen series (no that is not a typo). Both use humor to skewer the singles scene, their respective locations (McBride– Dallas’s plush Highland Park neighborhood, Levine– Los Angles). Like the Hollywood scene? You may enjoy the Hollywood Mysteries by Lindsay Maracotta which focus on down to earth children’s illustrator and author Lucy Freers as she transverses the jungle of Hollywood without becoming one of THEM. Find these and other funny mysteries under I Laughed So Hard I Nearly Died.
Another popular trend is the recipe mystery– cuz there’s nothing like a murder to work up the appetite! Let’s start with dessert! Joanne Fluke is always a good read with her Hannah Swenson series including such tasty offerings as Key Lime Pie Murder and Candy Cane Murder. For more sweet-filled mysteries, you might try the Chocoholic Mysteries by JoAnna Carl or the delicious Goldy Schultz Culinary Mysteries by Diane Mott Davidson. Melinda Well’s Della Cooks Mysteries take a playful stab at the confectionary murder genre as well, and Sammi Carter’s Candy Shop Mysteries are as sweet as spun sugar. Cleo Coyle’s Coffehouse Mysteries feature Clare Cosi, barista extraordinaire and amateur sleuth. With witty titles like French Pressed and Decaffinated Corpse, her frothy mysteries are as rich and satisfying as a fine cappucino. Wine lovers will delight in Michele Scott’s Wine Lover’s Mysteries featuring Napa Valley winery manager Nikki Sands and Ellen Crosby’s Wine Country Mysteries featuring Virginia’s Lucie Montgomery. For tea lovers, check out the Tea Shop Mysteries by Laura Childs set in historic Charleston. You may also enjoy her Cackleberry Club Mysteries featuring a cafe where eggs are the house specialty or her Scrapbooking Mysteries set in New Orleans and featuring scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand. The Domestic Diva Mysteries by Krista Davis are very enjoyable as well, and Julie Hyzy’s White House Chef Mysteries take the recipe romance into the political scene.
Publishers are embracing a variety of niche markets including gardening, fashionistas, history buffs, and more. For the book-lover, the Haunted Bookstore Series by Alice Kimberly, the Bibliophile Series by Kate Carlisle and the Booktown Series by Lorna Barrett offer page-turning mysteries set in book-lover paradises. Mary Daheim’s Bed and Breakfast Mysteries and Karen MacInerney’s Gray Whale Inn Mysteries features a more domestic setting, and Jennie Bentley’s Do-It-Yourself Mysteries adds a homey touch to the genre. Sheila Connolly’s Orchard Mysteries and Ann Ripley’s Gardening Series take the reader into the fields, while Joyce and Jim Lavene team up for an entertaining romp through the forensic botany field. Check out the Flowershop Mysteries by Kate Collins for a spunky new sleuth named Abby Knight whose neighborhood flowershop is the center of a series of crimes.
Crafty and hobby-based series are very popular as well. Sarah Atwell’s Glassblowing Mysteries connects readers with an uncommon pastime while Ellen Byerrum’s Crime of Fashion Series focuses on the very modern world of fashion. In terms of more traditional crafts, Betty Hechtman’s Crochet Series, Mary Ellen Hughes’s Craft Corner Mysteries, Monica Ferris’s Needlecraft Series, Maggie Sefton’s Knitting Series, and Terri Thayer’s Quilting Series allow serious crafters to enjoy hijinks and earthy arts all in one place.
For a look at women in business, check out Peg Marberg’s Interior Design Series and Nina Wright’s Realtor series. The later features spunky widow Whisky Mattimoe and her husband’s misbehaving Afghan hound, Abra. If you’re looking forsomething a little out of the ordinary, check out Victoria Laurie’s Ghost Hunter’s and Psychic Eye’s Series. Animal lovers might also enjoy Linda O. Johnston’s Pet-Sitter’s series and Judi McCoy’s Dog-Walker Mysteries which include pets and business all rolled into a mystery.
Historical and cultural mysteries are gaining ground as well. Truthfully, you would be hard pressed to select a time period or culture that does not have a series written about it. Laura Joh Rowland’s Sano Ichiro series and Lian Hearn’s Tales of the Otori series focus on feudal Japan while P.C. Doherty and Susan McLeod set their tales in ancient Egypt. Lyn Hamiliton has made a name for herself with a the Archaeological Mysteries series, and the late great Tony Hillerman brought the world of the Native American alive to readers in his fiction. Alexander McCall Smith’s African series has dominated bestseller lists and James Church’s Inspector O series gives an inside peak into South Korea.
The forensic mystery is also quite popular. In Knoxville, the presence of Dr. Bill Bass’ Body Farm on the campus of the University of Tennessee brought in a number of notable authors doing research on decomposition. Masters of this genre include Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs, and Dr. Bass himself who writes with Jon Jefferson as Jefferson Bass. I highly recommend all three, but I have a special place in my heart for Dr. Bass and Mr. Jefferson because they were such a joy to work with during book signings.
Forensic Mystery
Murder/Police Procedural
More icons to come as needed.
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