I just passed the fiftieth page, so, as some of you know about my “decide by page 50 rule” > I must be enjoying her One Bad Apple. The “real book” (as the other is the audiobook in my car) is the first in the Orchard Mystery Series by Sheila Connolly (aka Sarah Atwell). She definitely qualifies as Cozy… and she even knits! Patricia Wentworth is an author who I found out about after several Cozy Mystery site readers recommended her to be included on the site. In turn, those people tell more people, etc. People who have used her to solve a mystery in their own lives tell people who sound like they need a competent investigator. The sleuth, Miss Silvers, is an older, retired school teacher/governess who has taken up private investigating in her later years. I am listening to one of Patricia Wentworth’s Miss Maud Silvers Cozy Mystery Series and, let me tell you, there is no question that this is a Cozy Mystery! No graphic language, violence, or “adult” situations. 'About this title' may belong to another edition of this title.Every once in a while I simply have to talk about the Cozy Mystery books I am reading/listening to AND find out what books you all are reading. In 2001, she took a leap of faith and pursued her dream of writing fiction full-time. And from that, her desire to tell the tales that were so alive in her heart grew until she could not ignore it any longer. As an urban planner, Dorothy loved telling the stories of the people she met.

Her government work was all about the stories of the people and the places where they live. Switching from government service and community planning to fiction writing wasn't as big of a change as some might think. She even spent time during college working for a non-profit environmental watchdog organization. She put her educational experience to use, having worked in all branches and all levels of government including local, regional, state, and federal. Though writing has always been a passion for her, she pursued an undergraduate degree in Wildlife Biology and a graduate degree in Public Administration and Urban Planning. She makes her home on an artsy island community in South Carolina with her husband, horribly spoiled little dog and fluffy cat.

James was born in New York but raised in South Carolina.

Flowerbed of State by Dorothy St. James