New Cozy Mysteries from M.C. Beaton and Miranda James

     We love cozy mysteries here at the library (and I love them in particular). They usually don't have a lot of violence and they tend to be quick, easy reads. Two of our newest are: Death of a Nurse: a Hamish MacBeth mystery by M. C. Beaton and No Cats Allowed: a Cat in the Stacks mystery by Miranda James.

     In Death of a Nurse, tall, lanky, ginger-haired police sergeant Hamish MacBeth is in a bit of a funk. His constable, Dick Fraser, has left him to open a bakery with his girlfriend. This has left Hamish all alone to patrol his highland district. Hamish goes to Sutherland to welcome the owner of a recently restored hunting lodge, James Harrison. The old man, however, treats the policeman quite rudely and Hamish has a mind to tell him off. Harrison's beautiful private nurse, Gloria Dainty, steps in before Hamish can open his mouth and apologizes for her employer's behavior. Hamish decides to ask her out on a whim and she says agrees to have dinner with him. On the evening they are supposed to meet, Hamish waits at the restaurant...and waits. Gloria never shows up and Hamish is left sullen and wondering why. He gets his answer four days later when Gloria's body washes ashore on a beach near Braikie. It is going to take all of his charm, wit, and wisdom to find out who killed the pretty nurse, but Hamish will have to move fast or the killer may decide to strike again.

     It is springtime in Athena, Mississippi, but the employees of the university's library can't seem to enjoy the beauty that is in bloom. Their new interim director, Oscar Reilly, has decided that they need to cut some fat; so he sets his sights on cutting the archive and rare book collection. Reilly's unfriendly and caustic behavior has raised the hackles of Charlie Harris' friend and co-worker, Melba--whom Reilly wants to replace with someone younger. Not even Diesel--Charlie's lovable feline companion--is immune from the new director's ire. Reilly claims he is allergic to cats and is determined that Diesel not come with Charlie to the archives anymore. This is the last straw for Charlie, who decides to look into taking a leave of absence. Before he can get the paperwork together, Oscar Reilly's body is discovered in the library and a threatening e-mail settles suspicion squarely on Melba. Charlie knows for certain that Melba is no murderer, so he and Diesel set about trying to solve the case. They begin with the shady stranger that has been lurking around the library ever since Reilly took over. Will they catch the killer before poor Melba is found guilty of something she didn't do?