November's Featured Cozy Mystery

Double Feature: Dead-End Detective and Frozen Detective

Books One and Two in the Piper and Porter Mystery Series

The Piper and Porter Mysteries are a two-book mystery series by Amanda Flower, a prolific and award-winning author known for writing stories that combine suspense, humor, and charm. The two books in the series include Dead-End Detective and Frozen Detective.

The Piper and Porter Mysteries are set in Herrington, a small cozy town on Seneca Lake, the largest of the glacial Finger Lakes in upstate New York. The series heroine, Darby Piper, is a thirty-year-old private investigator (P.I.) and half-owner of the Two Girls Detective Agency.

Unlike some P.I. stories, the Piper and Porter Mysteries are not hard-boiled detective stories; they are very cozy and include all of the elements of a good cozy mystery: a small town, lovable characters, a rich tapestry of relationships, quirky vibes, a compelling mystery, and super cute pets.

Dead-End Detective

Dead-End Detective is set in the fall season. Private investigator Darby Piper finds herself in a very difficult situation when her business partner Samantha Porter, a seasoned detective and the other half of Two Girls Detective Agency, dies under mysterious circumstances. All of the evidence makes Darby look like the guilty party.

Things go from bad to worse when it’s revealed that Samantha willed her half of the agency to her nephew Tate Porter, an Army veteran and world traveler with a very mysterious past. Darby doesn't trust Tate but is forced to work with him to clear her name, save the agency, and find out what really happened to Samantha.

Frozen Detective

Frozen Detective takes place during New Year's weekend. P.I. Darby Piper, who planned on sitting on the couch with her cat Gumshoe, drinking hard cider, and eating Flaming Hot Cheetos, just had a big case come her way. The wife of a famous dermatologist is hosting a fancy party at Garden Peak Lodge, a luxury ski villa on the edge of Herrington. She wants Darby and Tate (Darby’s new business partner) to pose as a romantic couple and investigate the party guests to figure out who has been sending the dermatologist threatening notes.

Darby agrees to take the case even though she isn't thrilled about the idea of pairing up with Tate or donning a dress for the New Year's Eve party. When she finds a body on the slopes on New Year's Day, Darby suspects foul play. As she and Tate investigate, they dig up grudges and discover that multiple people wanted the victim dead. With the motives uncovered, they just have to figure out which guest made the chilling decision to pull the trigger.

Reasons to Read the Piper and Porter Mysteries

There are so many good reasons to read the Piper and Porter Mysteries. First and foremost is Amanda Flower's writing. She is exceptionally skilled at crafting cleverly constructed mysteries with unexpected twists and red herrings that keep readers guessing until the very end. She understands how to expertly balance suspense with humor and just a touch of clean, closed-door romance.

The characters in Dead-End Detective and Frozen Detective are very well-drawn. Like many of the female sleuths Amanda creates, Darby is a strong, relatable woman who navigates challenges with resilience and wit. Tate is a unique and interesting character with roguish charisma and a mysterious background that is explored in a delightfully slow and engaging manner. The relationship dynamic between Darby and Tate consists of a push-pull attraction and a mix of tension and chemistry. It creates an engaging narrative with moments of conflict, camaraderie, and vulnerability.

The Piper and Porter Mysteries also feature really fun supporting characters and pets, including (but not limited to):

• Mrs. Berger: A feisty 90-year-old widow who refuses to sell her edge-of-the-lake home to developers no matter how much money they offer.

• Mrs. Berger's cat Romy: A claw-happy Maine coon cat who is in perpetual need of rescue because he keeps climbing a large tree even though he is too chicken, too inept, or too stubborn to climb back down.

• Gumshoe: Darby's ragdoll cat who enjoys leaving cat hair on agency furniture and dishing out disdainful looks to inferior humans.

• Tiny: An enormous, goofy, and lovable Saint Bernard who lives at the Garden Peak Lodge.

One final reason to consider reading these fun cozy mysteries is because they support cat rescue. Amanda Flower recently released new editions of Dead-End Detective and Frozen Detective. The profits from these books go toward her cat rescue efforts and help to give feral and homed cats food, medical care, and shelter. Amanda and her husband, David, have helped nearly two dozen cats in the past few years through adoption and trap-neuter-release (TNR).

The Piper and Porter Mysteries are best read in chronological order but could be read out of order as stand-alone novels since each book in the series has a story with a beginning, middle, and end.

Piper and Porter Mystery Reader Reviews

The Piper and Porter Mysteries are well-reviewed by critics and readers. Here are some of the things that have been written:

Amanda Flower knocks it out of the park. I have never read a cozy where the main character is a PI and I am so glad that I did.

- Goodreads Review

The setting in upstate New York in the Seneca Lake region was lovely. The description of the town makes it very homey and the type of place I would like to visit.

- Goodreads Review

The characters are well-developed and engage in plenty of witty banter. There are also a couple of scene-stealing cats that add to the fun. You definitely don't want to miss this series. It is worth the read!

-Amazon Review

I love the dynamics between Darby and Tate and find myself reading just to see what might happen between them with the mystery as a happy addition. I love the characters in this series and always love seeing what type of case they are on, whether it be cat rescuing or murder, it is always a fun journey.

- Storygraph Review

Amanda Flower and her cats, Gabriel, Willa, and Z. Photo credit: Amanda Flower

Cozy Crime Reads Interview With Amanda Flower

To learn how Amanda wrote the Piper and Porter Mysteries and her other mystery novels, check out the Cozy Crime Reads interview with Amanda Flower. She explains what drew her to cozy mysteries, what she does to research her novels, what advice she offers to aspiring cozy mystery writers, and more.

Recipe From Amanda Flower

Amanda includes recipes at the end of some of her cozy mysteries. She shared this pumpkin-spiced zucchini muffin recipe with Cozy Crime Reads. It makes a great fall treat to snack on while you read Dead-End Detective.

Other Mysteries by Amanda Flower

Amanda Flower is a USA Today bestselling author, Agatha Award winner, and Mary Higgins Clark Award nominee. She has written over 50 mysteries with amateur sleuths throughout her career, including historical mysteries, contemporary mysteries, magical mysteries, and Amish mysteries. Her mystery series include:

• Emily Dickinson Mystery Series

• Katharine Wright Mystery Series

• Amish Candy Shop Mystery Series

• Amish Matchmaker Mystery Series

• Amish Quilt Shop Mystery Series

• Appleseed Creek Mystery Series

• Farm to Table Mystery Series

• Magical Bookshop Mystery Series

• Magical Garden Mystery Series

• Living History Mystery Series

• India Hayes Mystery Series

• Andi Boggs Series (mysteries for kids/teens)

You can order signed copies of Amanda's books from the Learned Owl Book Shop in Hudson, Ohio. When you order online or over the phone, be sure to let the book shop know that you would like a signed copy.

You can find bookmarks, jewelry, pens, ornaments, signed books, and other custom merchandise made by Amanda Flower in Amanda’s Sweet Cozy Designs Etsy Shop. Amanda and her husband David also sell a Cats of Amanda Flower calendar on Zazzle to support their cat rescue efforts. The calendar features 12 months of cat photos taken by Amanda's husband, David M. Seymour.

The sale of the Cats of Amanda Flower calendar supports Amanda and David's cat rescue efforts. Photo credit: Amanda Flower

Emily Dickinson Mysteries

The Emily Dickinson Mystery series is a brilliant historical mystery series with cozy mystery flair. It is set in the mid-nineteenth century and follows poet Emily Dickinson and her housemaid, Willa Noble, as they solve murder mysteries in Amherst Massachusetts. The books include skillfully crafted puzzle mysteries and historical details from New England’s history and Emily Dickinson's life. Real historical figures, such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, also appear in the series.

Books in the Emily Dickinson Mystery series include:

• Because I Could Not Stop for Death

• I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died

• I Died for Beauty

Katharine Wright Mystery Series

The Katharine Wright Mysteries are based on true history. They are set in the early 1900s and feature Katharine Wright, the less famous (but equally inventive) sister of the Wright Brothers. Katharine is a fiercely intelligent Latin teacher and suffragette who is always on the lookout for a new challenge. When an opportunity arises to help her older brothers or solve a mystery, she jumps in with both feet.

• Books in the Katharine Wright Mystery series include:

• To Slip the Bonds of Earth

• Not They Who Soar

Amanda Flower’s historical mysteries include the Emily Dickinson Mysteries and the Katharine Wright Mysteries.

Amish Candy Shop Mystery Series

The Amish Candy Shop Mystery series is a long-running series of cozy mysteries set in present-day Harvest, Ohio. The story's protagonist is Bailey King, a young woman who moves from the big city to her grandparents rural Amish community to help run Swissmen Sweets, her family’s candy shop. The books feature heartwarming relationships, suspenseful mysteries, charming details about the Amish way of life, and a polka-dot pig who is always getting into a bit of mischief. Each book concludes with a yummy candy recipe.

Books in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery Series include:

• Assaulted Caramel

• Lethal Licorice

• Premeditated Peppermint

• Toxic Toffee

• Criminally Cocoa (Holiday Novella)

• Marshmallow Malice

• Botched Butterscotch (Holiday Novella)

• Candy Cane Crime (Holiday Novella)

• Lemon Drop Dead

• Amish Candy Shop Holidays (Holiday Novella Box Set)

• Peanut Butter Panic

• Blueberry Blunder

• Gingerbread Danger

The Amish Candy Shop Mystery series by Amanda Flower is a fan favorite.

Amish Matchmaker Mystery Series

The Amish Matchmaker Mystery series is a spin-off of the popular Amish Candy Shop Mystery series. It is also set in Harvest, Ohio. The Amish Matchmaker Mysteries feature a widow named Millie. She has a knack for matchmaking and mysteries, so when she moves back to her childhood home of harvest, she immediately starts saving Amish courtships and solving crimes. She is assisted by her zany, thrice divorced best friend and two lovable goats.

The books in the Amish Matchmaker series include

• Matchmaking Can Be Murder

• Courting Can Be Killer

• Marriage Can Be Mischief

• Honeymoons Can Be Hazardous

• Dating Can Be Deadly

The Amish Matchmaker Mysteries are set in the same community as Amanda Flower’s Amish Candy Shop Mysteries

Amish Quilt Shop Mystery Series

The Amish Quilt Shop Mystery series is written under the pen name Isabella Alan. It features amateur sleuth Angela Braddock who inherits an Amish quilt shop called Running Stitch in Rolling Brook, Ohio. Angela isn't Amish and doesn't initially seem to fit into the predominantly Amish community, but she is quickly befriended by her late aunt's quilting circle. Angela solves mysteries with their assistance (and a little help from her ornithophobic French bulldog).

Books in the Amish Quilt Shop Mystery series include:

• Murder, Plain and Simple

• Murder, Simply Stitched

• Murder, Served Simply

• Murder, Plainly Read

• Murder, Handcrafted

Appleseed Creek Mystery Series

The Appleseed Creek Mystery series is a cozy series about Chloe Humphrey, a 24-year-old computer whiz who moves to the heart of Amish Country in Ohio to take a job at a nearby college. Chloe takes on the role of amateur sleuth to solve mysteries in her small community.

Books in the Appleseed Creek Mystery series include:

• A Plain Death

• A Plain Scandal

• A Plain Disappearance

• A Plain Malice

The Amish Quilt Shop Mysteries and the Appleseed Creek Mysteries are both set in Amish communities in Ohio.

Farm to Table Mystery Series

The Farm to Table Mystery series is a contemporary cozy mystery set in Northern Michigan. It centers on Shiloh Bellamy, who leaves the big city to return home to rural Michigan to save the family farm and transform it into a sustainable, organic operation. The books include complex family relationships, fun farm details (from farmer's markets to a farm-to-table cafe), and a touch of clean romance.

Books in the Farm to Table Mystery series include:

• Farm to Trouble

• Put Out to Pasture

• In Farm's Way

• Crime and Cherry Pits

The Farm to Table Mysteries are set in a fictional town near Traverse City, Michigan.

India Hayes Mystery Series

The India Hayes Mystery series is an award-winning contemporary cozy mystery series. It contains two mysteries featuring India Hayes, an amateur sleuth and quirky librarian working at Martin College in Stripling, Ohio. India has an eccentric family and an Irish-centric landlady as a volunteer sidekick.

Books in the India Hayes Mystery series include:

• Maid of Murder

• Murder in a Basket

Andi Boggs Series

The Andi Boggs series is a trilogy of books featuring mysteries for children and young adults.

The books in the series include:

• Andi Unexpected

• Andi Under Pressure

• Andi Unstoppable

Living History Mystery Series

The Living History Mystery series is set in present-day Northern Ohio. It features amateur sleuth Kelsey Cambridge, who is the director of a living history museum called Barton Farm. The books include loads of history, humor, suspense, a close-knit community of interesting characters, and just a touch of romance.

Books in the Living History Mystery series include:

• The Final Reveille

• The Final Tap

• The Final Vow

The Living History Mysteries are contemporary cozies with lots of true history.

Magical Bookshop Mystery Series

The Magical Bookshop Mystery series is a five-book cozy series set in a small town in the Niagara Falls region. It features amateur sleuth Violet Waverly, who rushes to her ailing grandmother's side to help her run Charming Books, a magical bookshop where the perfect book flies off the shelf and picks the reader. Violet initially plans to return to the city but finds too many mysteries that need solving.

Books in the Magical Bookshop Mystery series include:

• Crime and Poetry

• Prose and Cons

• Murders and Metaphors

• Verse and Vengeance

• Crimes and Covers

Magical Garden Mystery Series

The Magical Garden Mystery series is a trilogy of cozies featuring Fiona Knox, a florist who inherits an enchanted garden and cottage in rural Scotland. Unfortunately, the once resplendent grounds are in shambles and there's a dead body in the garden, leaving Fiona to wonder if she has inherited a blessing or a curse.

Books in the Magical Garden Mystery series include:

• Flowers and Foul Play

• Death and Daisies

• Mums and Mayhem

Amanda Flower’s magical mystery series include the Magical Bookshop Mysteries and the Magical Garden Mysteries.

Amanda Flower Mystery Series Bookshelf

The following image gallery features book covers from Amanda Flower’s mystery series. Use the arrows to the left and right of each book to cycle through the covers.