Featured Author - Jan 2015 - Casey Daniels

[Kimberly]

The Featured Author for December is Casey Daniels!
Here's a link to her site: http://www.caseydaniels.com/

Casey Daniels has a degree in English, experience as a journalist and writing teacher, and lots of ideas for more Pepper Martin mysteries. When she's not writing, she's usually with her family and two dogs, Ernie, an adorable Airedale pup, and Oscar, a rescued Jack Russell who spends far too much time watching TV. Daniels enjoys knitting, gardening and of course, stomping through cemeteries in search of history, stories and inspiration.

Casey also writes under the pseudonyms Kylie Logan and Miranda Bliss

As Casey Daniels
Pepper Martin Mystery - More ChickLit than Cozy, but some have classified it as Cozy. You decide!!
Don of the Dead
The Chick and the Dead
Tombs of Endearment
Night of the Loving Dead
Dead Man Talking
Tomb with a View
A Hard Day's Fright
Wild Wild Death
Supernatural Born Killers


As Kylie Logan
Button Box Mystery
Button Holed
Hot Button
Panic Button
Buttoned Up

League of Literary Ladies
Mayhem at the Orient Express
A Tale of Two Biddies
The Legend of Sleepy Harlow

Chili Cook Off
Chili con Carnage
Death by Devil's Breath
Revenge of the Chili Queens - Coming August 2015


As Miranda Bliss
A Cooking Class Mystery
Cooking Up Murder
Murder on the Menu
Dead Men Don't Get the Munchies
Dying for Dinner
Murder Has a Sweet Tooth

[Betty]

I have read all the Button stories, a couple of Casey Daniels and 2 league of Literary Woman Ladies. The books I haven't read are high on my TBR list. She is favorite author.

[Nell]

I've read one of her Button Box mysteries written as Kylie Logan and have the second and third in my TBR. I will read the next in that series.

[Linda]

I've read the first two in the cooking class series and just ordered number 3 from the library. Love an excuse to get back to a series. One day I want to try the Pepper Martin series as well, just not sure if that will fit in the January schedule.

[Melodie]

I've read all the Pepper Martin books and loved almost all of them. The Button Box books were also good. Liked the first Literary Ladies, the 2nd not nearly as much and have the 3rd in The Pile as well as the 2nd Chili Cook-Off book. The first of those was good, too. I tried to read the first Cooking Class book, but couldn't get into it. She also writes as Connie Laux, which I think is her real name.

[❂ Murder by Death]

I've got the second Chili Cook Off book in the pile - I knew I was saving it for a reason! ;)

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Oh yay -- an author for whom I have several books in Mount TBR! :-)

[Tricia]

Great! I found Tomb with a View and Button Holed on my shelf. Two new ones for me!

[Rebecca]

I've read all her League of Literary Ladies books. I have been trying to decide which of her next series to start. Does anyone have a suggestion about which series was the best? I am having such a hard time deciding.

[Melodie]

RebeccaS wrote: "I've read all her League of Literary Ladies books. I have been trying to decide which of her next series to start. Does anyone have a suggestion about which series was the best? I am having such..."

My favorites are the Pepper Martin books, by far.

[Sabrina]

I haven't read anything by this author yet, should be interesting!

[BJ Rose]

A couple years ago, I read Don of the Dead at a friend's recommendation, and wasn't all that thrilled with it, so I didn't read more. This time I will try one of the League of Literary Ladies books. I just requested Mayhem at the Orient Express from the library.

[Jenn]

Casey Daniels is a new author to me, so I'm going to try Don of the Dead. I'm not much for chick-lit, but my library has her classified as mystery, so we'll see!

[Tricia]

Just finished Button Holed and thought it was okay. The concept of the storyline was unique since I've never read a book about buttons before. And I didn't guess the criminal - but then I usually don't! The story moved a little slowly but it was an easy, fast read and kept me entertained on a slow weekend. I still have Tomb with a View to read this month, then I'll have a better feeling for this author. I'm always glad to meet a new author in this group. And I always appreciate the push to read by a deadline! Thanks.

[Melodie]

Tricia wrote: "Just finished Button Holed and thought it was okay. The concept of the storyline was unique since I've never read a book about buttons before. And I didn't guess the criminal - bu..."

Tomb with a View is one of my favorites in the series. However, the best one, IMHO, is Tombs of Endearment.

[Kirsten]

I really like the Pepper Martin series.

[Rebecca]

I loved Mayhem at the Orient Express, but Cooking Up Murderwas quite possibly one of the worst cozys I've ever read. Just awful

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Jenn wrote: "Casey Daniels is a new author to me, so I'm going to try Don of the Dead. I'm not much for chick-lit, but my library has her classified as mystery, so we'll see!"


I hope you enjoy this one, Jenn. I would classify the series as chick lit mystery, and it's one of my favorites. I still have a couple of those to finish, but also have Mayhem at the Orient Express and Button Holed to read, and will probably read those first as they fit a couple challenges.

[Melissa]

I've read the first Button mystery and the first two Literary Ladies. I preferred the Button series, I have several more of them in my TBR pile.

[Sharmon]

I have read one of the Literary ladies and found it just okay but I am going to give it another try by reading Mayhem at the Orient Express for an A-Z challenge because I need a title with "X". I may like it better after I have given it a second try.

[Dhfan4life]

I've read Cooking Up Murder and it wasn't quite my cup of tea. But maybe if I read something else by the author I would like the style a bit better.

[Kimberly]

Unfortunately, my library does not have very many of this authors books. I did manage to grab a couple. The first one I read and finished was Mayhem at the Orient Express by Kylie Logan. I rather liked it. For some reason I actually liked all the bickering between the ladies. I guess it made it seem more real. Although I don't know of a judge out there who would sentence people to joining a book club... :) I think it helped that I had recently read Murder on the Orient Express. Amazingly, that's the first Agatha Christie I've ever read! And, I learned I've been deprived! ;) But, that's another story... I liked how the author used the book the women were reading for their book club to help them solve the mystery. And, how similar it was in many respects (like multiple suspects that were snowed in). I would like to read the others in this series, but will need to ILL them since my library only had the one from this series.

Now, I will start reading the other one I was able to get from my library, The Chick and the Dead. And, no, they didn't have the first one, so I hope I can start this series on the second one without too much trouble. :) It sounds really interesting.

[Sharmon]

I just finished with Mayhem at the Orient Express which I enjoyed better than the second one A Tale of Two Biddies which I had read first (out of sequence.) I think the bickering did add a little fun to the mix.

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Read Button Holed over the weekend, pretty good first in series.

[Jenn]

Read the first book in the Pepper Martin Mystery series today. While I was a little hesitant due to the chick-lit label (a genre I avoid like the plague!) I was pleasantly surprised. Pepper wasn't too much of a ditz (except the constant reference to the size of her breasts), the love triangle was nicely intertwined with the mystery, and the mystery itself was equally entertaining.

[Melodie]

Jenn wrote: "
Read the first book in the Pepper Martin Mystery series today. While I was a little hesitant due to the chick-lit label (a genre I avoid like the plague!) I was ..."

I don't care for "chik lit" either and I loved this series!

[Kimberly]

Just finished The Chick and the Dead and enjoyed it. I really didn't need to read the first one to understand what was going on. I can definitely see this as a mystery (which is what my library classifies it), but maybe not so much cozy. Pepper thinks a lot about her bust size and libido... But, it really didn't take away from the story, like sometimes happen. I did think the mystery was an easier one to figure out than others I've read lately, but I still enjoyed the story. :) My TBR pile is getting larger and larger. I see why many of you call it "Mount TBR." ;) I certainly would like to read more in this series. :)

[Donna]

I read the first four books in the Cooking Class Murder series several years ago and enjoyed them. I'm currently reading Button Holed; it's okay but not really holding my interest. I also have The Chick and the Dead and Mayhem at the Orient Express checked out from the library.

[Nell]

I started Chili con Carnage but stopped after a couple of chapters. The petty bickering between the sisters was annoying. I may try it again later when I'm in a different mood.
Will read the next button box mystery Hot Button instead.

[Linda]

I read Dead Men Don't Get the Munchies and enjoyed it. I like using the author of the month as a push to get back to series I have started and haven't read in a while and then wonder if I shouldn't use it as a push to try one of the other series on my list to try. If only there was enough time to do both!

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Finished Mayhem at the Orient Express last night. Pretty good start to the series, not sure if I will seek out book two.

[BJ Rose]

I also just finished Mayhem at the Orient Express, and am giving it 3* because it really took me a while to settle on who the murderer was. It could have become 4* because of the camaraderie during the snowstorm, but then the 3 women reverted to the childish behavior from the beginning of the story, and I said 'no, thanks' - wasn't that thrilled with the continuous 'silent comments' of the narrator either ( she was one of the 3, so shouldn't have been surprised - just disappointed).

[Skeetor]

I've read Mayhem at the Orient Express a while back and it was pretty good although I was slightly disappointed with one of the last scenes---but it made me actually read Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (saw the movie a long time ago) so that was a plus. I'll have to reread A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens before I read A Tale of Two Biddies. :)

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Skeetor wrote: "I've read Mayhem at the Orient Express a while back and it was pretty good although I was slightly disappointed with one of the last scenes---but it made me actually read"


I admit, I dug out my copy of Murder on the Orient Express. I was hoping to reread it this month, but doesn't look like that is going to happen. I read A Tale of Two Cities a couple of years ago and loved it. The first part does start out a bit slow, but it really picks up after that and is well worth reading.

[Debbie]

I just finished Button Holed and I will move on to the next book. I didn't love it but it was a good book, and I have always loved buttons, so I did enjoy it. I hope we get the posting for Feb. soon so I can start look for the books.