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

A Fountain Filled With Blood, Julia Spencer-Fleming, Thomas Dunne/St. Martin's Minotaur, $6.99.

Spencer-Fleming opens her book with one of the more horribly moving scenes I've read in a mystery this year - a series of gay bashing incidents culminates when the medical examiner is put into intensive care. Clare, an acquaintance of his partner's, is naturally drawn into the mystery and her involvement seems appropriate since she's a priest - she's supposed to comfort grieving families and parishioners. The emotions in this book are clear as a bell - honest, straightforward, understandable - and heart wrenching. Spencer-Fleming is no cozy writer when it comes to action scenes (there's a helicopter crash that has to be read to be believed), nor does she look away from gruesome violence (the title comes true). The exploration of Clare and Russ' feelings for one another could come straight from a "literary" novel, but since this is a mystery, we're lucky enough as readers to get a good plot and a memorable setting thrown in. In fact, as I write this, the writer I'm most reminded of is Nevada Barr as her vivid settings and gutsy main character are as well etched as Spencer-Fleming's, but in my opinion, Barr can't plot a mystery to save her life. I prefer the whole package that's offered here, and it should appeal to readers across the spectrum as it has something for everyone. I am already looking forward to the third installment in this wonderful series, and if you pick up and inhale the first two as I did, I think you'll feel the same. Don't miss the chance to make the acquaintance of the Reverend Clare Fergusson of Miller's Kill, New York. For more on Julia Spencer-Fleming, check out the IMBA site, where there's an interview posted conducted by yours truly last summer.

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