American/Cozy Mysteries

Essays: § Cozies: An Especially American Art Form § When is a Cozy not a Cozy?
Kenneth Abel § Cold Steel Rain	Alina Adams § Murder on Ice	Donna Andrews § The Penguin Who Knew Too Much	Nevada Barr § High Country
Larry Beinhart § The Librarian	Claudia Bishop and Don Bruns (editors) § A Merry Band of Murderers	Meredith Blevins § The Hummingbird Wizard	Lawrence Block § The Burglar in the Rye
Jan Brogan § A Confidential Source	Judy Clemens § The Day Will Come	Joan Coggin § Who Killed the Curate?	Jeffrey Cohen § As Dog is My Witness § Some Like it Hot-Buttered
Thomas Cook § Into the Web	Gordon Cotler § Artist’s Proof	Casey Daniels § Don of the Dead	Diane Mott Davidson § Dark Tort § Double Shot
Aaron Elkins § Good Blood	Sharon Fiffer § Buried Stuff	Kate Flora § Stalking Death	Christine Goff § A Rant of Ravens
Denise Hamilton § Last Lullaby § Savage Garden § Sugar Skull	David Handler § The Cold Blue Blood	Charlaine Harris § Grave Sight § Grave Surprise § Shakespeare’s Counselor	Rosemary Harris § Pushing Up Daisies
Ellen Hart § An Intimate Ghost § The Iron Girl § Night Vision	Libby Fischer Hellmann § An Image of Death § A Picture of Guilt § A Shot to Die For	Martha C. Lawrence § Ashes of Aries	Marc Lecard § Vinnie's Head
Laura Lippman § To the Power of Three	Mary Logue § Maiden Rock	Margaret Maron § Last Lessons of Summer	Sujata Massey § Girl in a Box
Alexander McCall-Smith § The #1 Ladies Detective Agency	Deborah Morgan § The Marriage Casket § The Weedless Widow	Marcia Muller § Cyanide Wells	Kem Nunn § Tijuana Straits
Nancy Pickard § The Virgin of Small Plains	David Skibbins § Eight of Swords	Jessica Speart § Blue Twilight	Julia Spencer-Fleming § All Mortal Flesh § A Fountain Filled With Blood § I Shall Not Want § In the Bleak Midwinter § Out of the Deep I Cry § To Darkness and to Death
Denise Swanson § Murder of a Sleeping Beauty § Murder of a Barbie and Ken § Murder of a Snake in the Grass	Sarah Stewart Taylor § Judgment of the Grave § Mansions of the Dead § O’ Artful Death § Still as Death	Elaine Viets § Dying to Call You § Just Murdered § Murder with Reservations § Murder Unleashed § Shop Till You Drop

As Dog is My Witness, Jeffrey Cohen, Bancroft Press, $16.95.

(out of print, check for used copies at our ABE store).

The story begins with a shooting, and the person accused is an Asperger's semi adult. When Aaron hears about the shooting from someone he respects and whom he can't refuse, he agrees to go and talk to both the kid and his mother, because both of them are positive that this wasn't the work of someone with Asperger's. It's dismaying, then, when Aaron discovers that the Asperger's kid's particular obsession is guns; not only that, but he seems to own the murder weapon, a particularly unusual older gun model. Aaron Tucker lives in much the same geographical area as Harlan Coben's Myron Bolitar, and much like Harlan Coben, Cohen seems to have a sense of humor that won't quit. He wraps his humor in a gentler narrative than Coben, but it's still a worthy read. The plot is complicated and has some funny sidebars that seem like they might be scary but turn out fine; and when Aaron's snarky brother in law and his family come for Hanukkah, the humor really dials up a notch. Our book club took some issue with how any parents could be as oblivious to the bad behavior of their child as Aaron's brother in law and his wife, but a teacher in the group found it completely believable. The plot has a nice finish - and no, the dog of the title isn't a detective, but he provides a valuable clue, picked up on by Aaron's own son, who actually is helpful in the investigation. While you may feel you have learned something about Asperger's when you read this novel, you won't feel force fed, you'll just remember a funny, compelling story with a very vivid family at it's center. It's well worth a look.

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