There are four authors who most mystery readers recognize: Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Margery Allingham. These four authors are responsible for the beginning of the “Cozy Mystery” subgenre in the rather large mystery genre.

Margery Louise Allingham was born outside of London in 1904 to Herbert John and Emily Jane Allingham. Both of Margery’s parents were authors, which familiarized her with an artistic/creative lifestyle.

While at the university, she wrote a play which she produced, as well as starred in. Philip Youngman Carter designed the scenery for the play and fell in love with its author. They married in 1928.

At the age of nineteen, Margery published her first novel “Blackkerchief Dick.” This novel was purported to be a retelling of a 17th century pirate story which Margery had first heard at a seance. (Margery’s husband, Youngman Carter, denied the seance as being the source of the story’s plot and said Margery’s imagination was its true origin.)

Allingham’s very likeable main character (Albert Campion) first appeared in “The Crime at Black Dudley” (aka “The Black Dudley Murder”). Although Campion started out as a minor character in Allingham’s mystery, the public wanted to see more of him! Thus began the Albert Campion mystery series.

Allingham’s main character (Campion) belongs to the upper crust of British society. Campion comes from the fringes of the British aristocracy and his manservant (Lugg Magersfontein) is an ex-criminal. So of course, between the two of them, they are able to infiltrate all of the British social classes. While Campion is upstairs talking to the lady of the house (and in many cases, that is Lady with a capital “L”), Lugg is downstairs talking to the charlady of the house. This comes in very handy when solving crimes!

Campion, Lugg, and Stanislaus Oates (the police detective in the mystery series) there is a relationship that simply said, works! Between the three of them, they are able to fill in the gaps, follow up on leads, get the answers, and solve the crimes. Their relationships surely are an important factor for the popularity of Allingham’s mysteries.

Although Albert Campion seems quite immature at the beginning of Allingham’s cozy mystery series, we are able to watch as he matures throughout the novels. He seems to easily fall in and out of love in the first novels, but eventually settles down with Lady Amanda Fitton. Lady Amanda is a very nice addition to the reoccurring characters in Allingham’s series. (She is quite young when Allingham first introduces her to Campion. Of course, he, being quite the gentleman, waits until she is of a decent age to marry. Rather doubtful she would have been quite so young when they first met had the books been written today!)

Fortunately for us, Margery Allingham’s Albert Campion mystery series was brought to life by the BBC in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Several of Allingham’s mysteries were featured in a series of shows starring Peter Davison (Campion) and Brian Glover (Lugg). Thankfully, these shows and the reissuing of Allingham’s novels have introduced this particular Golden Age Queen of Crime to a whole new audience.

Discover a chronological list of mystery authors’ books at the Cozy Mystery Book List. The Cozy Mystery Book List provides books in series order for more than a thousand mystery book authors. Also, don’t miss the Cozy Mystery Blog.

[tags]cozy mystery,mystery books,mysteries and thrillers,cozies,mystery dvds,mystery tv,Margery Allingham[/tags]

When you are looking for textbooks for college you can choose either new or used books. If you purchase the books new, you are going to spend a lot more money than if you purchase used textbooks. When you purchase a used textbook, you can save quite a bit of money.

Most college students are looking for ways to save money. College tuition is expensive enough, even if you are living at home and going to college. If you add in room and board as well, it gets to be very costly. There seem to be few options open when it comes to saving money for the college student. One of them is by purchasing used textbooks. Used textbooks are what most college students today are seeking out when they are buying their books for college and trying to save money at the same time.

You can go to the bookstore at college to look for used books, although they are generally priced only a little bit less than the new books. Or, you can go online and look for a site that allows you to peruse used textbooks for college and get the best price. You may see books all over the internet that fit your needs when you are looking for your college textbooks.

You need to know which textbook you need as well as which edition before you purchase used textbooks for school. Once you know which book as well as which edition you need, you can begin your search. You can search by ISBN which is the best way to search for books online and make sure that you get the right books. You should look at online sites that specialize in selling textbooks. You can get the best price when you take the time to look.

If you are like everyone else today, you are looking for a way to save money when it comes to college expenses. Buying used textbooks is one of the ways that you can get a college education and save money at the same time. You can save up to 60 percent when you purchase used textbooks online as opposed to buying the brand new edition. This amount is substantial, especially when you consider that books cost hundreds of dollars each. You can save hundreds of dollars in one semester alone when you purchase used textbooks instead of new ones. During the course of a college education, the savings can move up into the thousands, simply by looking for used books instead of new books online.

Be sure to shop for the right edition of the book when you are buying used textbooks online. Once you are sure that you have the right edition, you can then look for the book at the best price. In some cases, you may have more than one book for sale, in which case you can purchase the one that is the least expensive or closest to home, whichever is your preference.

Ron Subs is a marketing consultant for http://www.textbookprices.com

[tags]used books, used textbooks, college textbooks[/tags]

If you are a college student who is looking for a way to save money, then you should consider buying used textbooks instead of brand new college textbooks. This can save you hundreds of dollars, especially if you purchase the used textbooks right from the source instead of going to a used bookstore that will take a hefty commission for selling the books.

Buying the textbooks online is the best way to get what you are looking for and save money at the same time. When you purchase online, you can go right to the source to get the books, instead of going through a middleman, such as a used book store. Most colleges have several ways that you can purchase college textbooks. You can buy them at the college bookstore where you usually have a choice between brand new books and used books. You can buy them from a bookstore that is close to the college for slightly less. Many colleges have a used bookstore close by that offers the used textbooks for less than the store that is located inside the college. Still, when you are buying the books this way, you are still spending money on commission.

The best way to buy the books is from the student that used them and no longer needs them. This makes sense for anyone. Not only can you buy the books for a lot less money than you can in any store, you are also helping out another student who needs to get rid of the book and wants to get some money back for the book. The internet makes it possible for students to connect with one another to buy and sell used textbooks.

Look online for a site that will allow this type of exchange. The best way to buy any textbook for college is to look on the internet. You will find yourself paying a lot more for the textbook, even used, if you purchase it in a store. Just as it is cheaper to buy any type of book online, it is also cheaper to buy college textbooks online.

There is no need to use new textbooks for college. A used book is just as good as a new book when it comes to learning. As soon as you have your list of books that you need to buy, you should look for them by purchasing them online. Instead of going to the bookstore to buy books, it is better to go online and look for the book. Buying a college textbook from another student who is looking to sell their book is the best way that you can save money and get the books that you need at the same time.

If you have used textbooks that you want to sell, you can do so online. College students looking to save money and get the books they need for school, as well as sell the books that they no longer need can buy used textbooks online.

Ron Subs is a marketing consultant for http://www.stubex.com

[tags]used texbooks[/tags]

When you are buying books, you should know that you can get a better deal when you buy online, even through online bookstores, than you can if you just go to buy the book in the bookstore. Books are much less money when you buy them online. But just where should you shop when you are looking to buy books online?

One way to get the best deal is to take a look at comparison shopping sites. Comparison shopping sites are free to use and will direct a customer to several sites where they can find the book that they are looking for as well as prices for the book. This allows a customer to see the different prices that are out there for the book and determine which site offers the best value.

Books online are usually sold new and used. Many people feel that it is better deal to buy used books online rather than buy them in the bookstores. This can save someone quite a bit of money as used books are usually a fraction of the cost of new books. Many online bookstores not only sell new books, but used copies from other buyers as well.

If you are planning on buying a book as a gift for someone, you should look online. When you buy books online, you can get them shipped right to the home of the person to whom you are giving a gift. Books make excellent gifts for anyone who likes to read and it is easier than ever for people to buy them at a discounted rate when they shop for them online.

There are many outlets online to buy books, both used and new, ranging from college textbooks to fiction works. In order to get the best prices on books, it is a good idea to take a look at a website that will allow for comparison shopping when it comes to books. At such a site, you can then see the different prices that are available for the books that you are seeking to buy. No matter what type of books you want to buy, and for any reason, you should take a look at the price differences when online.

The internet has made shopping for many things much easier as well as less expensive. Three things that are commonly purchased online are books, music and DVDs. It is to the point that traditional stores in malls that sold these items have been shutting down. While there are still bookstores, most of them also have online site as well and offer discounts over the publisher price of the book. The online bookstores also offer a chance for those who have purchased the book to sell it as well.

You can get the best price when it comes to buying books online, if you take a look around at different online sites and do some comparison shopping. This is well worth your time, especially since you can go on one comparison shopping website for books and see all of the prices for the books at once.

Ron Subs is a marketing consultant for http://www.bookprices.com

[tags]used books, used textbooks, college textbooks[/tags]

When you are getting ready for college, you need to buy college textbooks. This is the first thing that you should do after you have signed up for your class. Many students wait until the last minute to buy their textbooks, only to find that the selection is gone or severely limited. If you buy your textbooks as soon as you receive confirmation about the classes, you can save yourself money and be able to select from the best book selection.

It is often cheaper to buy used textbooks instead of new books. Most college students will go this route. But if you wait until the last minute to buy books, you will find that the used textbooks are all gone. As most students make a beeline for them as soon as they get confirmation of their class schedule, they are often all gone at the college bookstore before many students get a chance to get to them. Often, because it is so convenient to purchase the books at the college bookstore, they are the first place that students look, although not necessarily the cheapest. What many students do not realize is that they can get college textbooks by going online. Often, this is cheaper than buying the books in the local bookstore.

Many college students get finished with their college books and do not know what to do with them. Instead of selling them back to the college bookstore and getting a fraction of what they are worth, while having the book marked up at the same time, many students today are seeking to sell college textbooks online. The convenience of the internet has made it easier for people to sell and buy many things, including college textbooks. In this way, instead of buying a book through an intermediary, you can buy the textbooks from someone directly. This saves money for both the buyer and the seller as the middleman in the transaction is skipped.

When you decide to buy college textbooks online, be sure that you are getting the right book as well as the right edition. All textbooks have different editions, it is the way that they keep people from coming back. You have to be sure that you get the right edition when you are looking for the textbook that you want. Once you are sure of the author, title and edition number, you can order a used textbook online by purchasing it from someone who no longer needs it.

The best way to buy a college textbook online, however, is to get the ISBN. This is the number that signifies that you have the right book as it is assigned to each edition of any book. You can shop for college textbooks online by going to sites that allow you to shop by title or ISBN. Be certain that the book that you order online is the right book that you will be needing for your college class. You can save money and time by purchasing textbooks online.

Ron Subs is a marketing consultant for http://www.textbookprices.com

[tags]used books, used textbooks, college textbooks[/tags]

It is a good idea to do some comparison shopping when you are buying anything online. One of the most commonly purchased products online are books. Most people today are purchasing books online as opposed to in a bookstore. This is because online bookstores offer books at much lower prices than in off line bookstores. But which online bookstore has the best price on the book that you want?

It pays to do comparison shopping when looking for books. Those who are shopping for textbooks or books for pleasure reading can find them for a lot less money if they shop online for the books. There are many sites from which to choose to purchase books online. If you go to a site that allows you to comparison shop for books, you can see the difference in price. This can help you discover which online bookstore is best for you when you want to buy a certain book or books.

There are many different books available for sale online. You can buy used and new books in this manner. If you are looking for books for yourself, just for reading, you can save some money by purchasing used books online. If you are looking for books for school, you can even find college textbooks by going online. There is no reason to buy new books when you are looking for reading books. You can save yourself a substantial amount of money by purchasing used books online.

If you are looking for gifts for others, you will want to buy them new. New books are an ideal gift for most people and you can get them on just about any topic. Most people enjoy receiving books as gifts.

When you are shopping for books online, you should look for a site that will allow you to see the books that you want for the prices that are available. These sites can display the different prices that are available for books online so that you can see which is the best price for you. It is the best way to find what you are looking for when it comes to getting a bargain on new or used books.

Comparison shopping makes sense when you are buying anything online. You need only go to the site where the comparisons can be made and look at the prices of the different books online. You should realize that the price differences will be determined by whether the books are new or not as well as the condition that the books are in.

You can get bargains when you are shopping for books online. You can see the difference between the prices of new and used books as well as the different online bookstores and sellers that are offering the books for sale when you choose to comparison shop. Because you can just go to an individual website and look up all of the prices of the books, both new and used, so that you can get the best deal.

Ron Subs is a marketing consultant for http://www.bookprices.com

[tags]used books, used textbooks, college textbooks[/tags]

Agatha Christie was born in England in 1890. She was the third of three children born to Frederick and Clara Miller. Clara chose to formally educate Agatha’s older sister and brother, but decided against Agatha receiving more than the basic reading and writing at home. However, Agatha taught herself how to read at a very young age and made the most of her tutoring lessons.

Agatha Christie’s Early Adulthood

After her husband (pilot) Archibald Christie left for war, Agatha became a volunteer nurse. It is then that she learned about the many different medications and poisons that she would later employ in her mysteries.

Agatha and Archie had a daughter, but the marriage did not survive. Fortunately for us, her second husband (Max Mallowan) was an archaeologist who traveled the world. Agatha used many of the archaeological sites as backdrops for her mysteries. “Death on the Nile” is probably Christie’s most famous mystery that takes place in an exotic location.

Miss Marple to the Rescue

Christie has several very memorable characters -Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple are by far the most popular. Miss Jane Marple is an elderly spinster who lives in St. Mary Mead, England. She is an astute observer of life, and has a personality which enables her to fit in equally well with the very upper class and also with the lower classes.

Miss Marple is a normal looking woman who does not stand out, and because she is not a flashy looking character, she is able to blend in to the background when she wants to observe. Many times, she is able to overhear things that are definitely not intended to be overheard, which helps her immensely while solving crimes.

Hercule Poirot’s Little Grey Cells

Of all of Agatha Christi’s characters, Hercule Poirot is probably the most recognizable. Even though he speaks with a French accent, don’t make the mistake of not knowing that he is Belgian!

Poirot is a professional detective who uses his little grey cells in order to nail the culprits. He does not blend into the background, rather, he is very flamboyant. Poirot takes pride in his appearance. He grooms his little waxed moustache every chance he can. He is obsessive about details to the point of being compulsive. He knows that he is the best detective alive, and if you don’t know that, then don’t worry! He will be the first to tell you he is the best.

The Tommy and Tuppence Beresford Duo

Tommy and Tuppence form the Young Adventurers Ltd. with the idea of performing any jobs. This, of course, leads to the pair solving mysteries. Christie did not spend a lot of time writing this series of books.

Mary Westmacott aka Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie not only wrote successful mysteries. She used the pseudonym Mary Westmacott to write six novels that were of the romance genre. Christie also wrote a book about the archaeological trips she took with her husband as well as her autobiography and two books which included poetry and short stories.

Agatha Christie’s Later Years

The first Mystery Writers of America’s Grandmaster Award was presented to Christie in 1954. In 1975, The New York Times ran an obituary for Hercule Poirot. A year later, Agatha Christie died.

Grande Dame of Golden Age’s Crime

There are four authors who are known as the Golden Age’s Queens of Crime: Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Margery Allingham, and Ngaio Marsh. That’s quite a group of accomplished authors!

Discover a chronological list of mystery authors’ books at the Cozy Mystery Book List. The Cozy Mystery Book List provides books in series order for more than a thousand mystery book authors. Also, don’t miss the Cozy Mystery Blog.

[tags]cozy mystery,mystery books,mysteries and thrillers,cozies,mystery dvds,mystery tv,Agatha Christie[/tags]

The digital age has provided so many facilities these days that it is almost impossible for modern man to survive without the help of the digital world. The speed of growth of the digital world is remarkable, and in the near future all the information will be digitized and available to everyone across the globe. This massive explosion of information has only been possible due to the invention of the internet and the “generous contribution” goals of many organizations.

Many digital libraries have been formed that are accessible by everyone across the globe, and contain information that was previously beyond the reach of individuals. Many people might think that the internet age would never out date the traditional text book age. They think that the internet cannot possibly replace the utility of books and text journals written the ‘old fashioned’ way.

They might be right for the current era, as there are still many books, journals, and scripts etc that are still not available online and are only available via traditional sources i.e. libraries; the fact still remains that if we consider the pace at which these libraries are being digitised we might see all the information available in books in digital form in the near future.

According to a recent announcement by a digital librarian, digital PR manager, and co-founder of The Internet Archive, the pace of converting books is remarkable and in the near future we might be able to see entire libraries available online to everyone and right in the comfort of their own homes. According to popular resources, the pace of converting books into digital signals of The Internet Archive is about 1000 books per day - and this is just one organization.

When we consider all the other organizations putting their heart and soul into bringing traditional libraries into the digital world, we just might be able to comprehend how soon the internet world will feature almost everything available online. These days, cheap net-books being made available (offering internet capabilities) have made the task even more important. With this evolution in technology, people will be able to access the internet on the go and get all the information they require without having to search for a good public library.

Where all this is true, for the time being, there is still an eminent need for traditional libraries. Many of the historical texts, books and journals have not yet been transferred into digital libraries, and thus traditional libraries are still needed for such research. However, not many people require such research and thus their needs can be fulfilled even with the current information available on the internet.

Many schools have started to provide internet facilities to students along with good libraries, so that they can search for the information they need without any difficulty. It is not possible for every institution to invest a huge amount of their financial resources to supply text material to their students. Fortunately, with the help of the internet, this task can be completed with ease. All they need are some computers and a high speed internet connection, along with subscriptions to some online libraries, and they are open to a whole new world of information.

In need of digital pr? The SPA Way, a london pr agency, combines considerable experience in Corporate PR, Consumer PR, Digital PR and Crisis Management with an in-house Public Affairs capability specifically structured to enhance media potential.

[tags]libraries, digital media, online books, digital books, pr,[/tags]

Ngaio Marsh is one of the best examples of a great mystery author. Her books span from the early 1930s to the early 1980s, with all of them being exceptionally good. Too many times, an author loses steam after writing several books in a series, but still continues to publish books almost on automatic pilot. Not so with Ngaio Marsh!

Who Was Ngaio Marsh?

Ngaio Marsh’s mother was a New Zealander and her father came from London. She was born in 1895 as Edith Ngaio Marsh and had aspirations of a theatrical life. She was described as being very tall (5′10″) which might have been one of the factors that contributed to her not becoming a leading lady. Lucky for us that she became a leading mystery author instead!

Ngaio Marsh’s Early Life

Marsh was an only child and described herself as having been introverted. She was a great lover of books, and her family was very interested in the theater. She went to college to study painting but later found that she was more suited to writing.

She joined a theater troupe but had to resign when they went overseas. Ngaio’s mother didn’t think it would be fitting for a single woman to travel without a chaperon. It was then that Marsh focused on her painting, tutoring, and writing plays. She became a regular of high society. (Ngaio Marsh never married nor had children.)

Chief Superintendent Roderick Alleyn

In 1931 she took a stab at writing a mystery. Her first novel in the series “A Man Lay Dead” introduced the world to London’s Chief Superintendent Roderick Alleyn. Alleyn comes from the very upper crust of England’s society. His brother (obviously older brother) is a Lord.

Ngaio Marsh is Timeless

Ngaio Marsh’s books truly do seem quite timeless. She wrote mysteries that are consistently good, with characters that seem real. Even when reading one of Marsh’s books in the early 21st century, you find that you can connect with the action. The characters do not seem faded with time.

Her mysteries are true puzzles. She didn’t spring last minute details into her plots, making it possible for the reader to play detective while reading the books.

Ngaio Marsh’s Attention to the Reader

Chief Superintendent Alleyn and his sergeant (Detective Fox) discuss theories using facts that the reader is aware of, rather than hiding important facts from the reader. How many times can you recall when an author has action taking place outside of the mystery reader’s realm of facts? That is quite frustrating for the mystery reader. That does not happen in Ngaio Marsh’s mysteries. The reader is aware of all of the facts.

Inspector Alleyn’s love interest is Agatha Troy. Troy is a very modern-thinking woman who happens to be an artist. (No small coincidence that Marsh was also an artist!) Marsh used some of her favorite subjects in her novels: the theater and painting.

Location of Ngaio Marsh’s Mysteries

Marsh set most of her novels in England. A few of her novels, however, had Inspector Alleyn traveling to New Zealand. Very fitting locales since Marsh spent her life traveling back and forth between England and New Zealand.

Ngaio Marsh’s Accomplishments

Marsh established a theater company that traveled throughout the British Commonwealth in the 1950s. In 1966 she was made a Dame in Great Britain. She continued writing her mystery novels all of her life. In 1978 the Mystery Writers of America made her a Grand Master for her contribution to the mystery genre.

Ngaio Marsh is touted as one of the Queens of Crime from the Golden Age. The other three are Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Margery Allingham. Not bad company!

Discover a chronological list of mystery authors’ books at the Cozy Mystery Book List. The Cozy Mystery Book List provides books in series order for hundreds of mystery book authors, including Ngaio Marsh.

[tags]cozy mystery,cozy mystery books,cozies,Ngaio Marsh,mystery writers[/tags]

When cozy mysteries first started out as a sub genre of mysteries, one of the “requirements” was a homey village (or small town) which provided the perfect setting for a tight-knit group of characters to congregate and co-mingle.

Why Is the Small Town No Longer the Cozy Mystery Setting?

As our small hometowns became larger and more congested, the cozy mystery had to either stop existing as a mystery genre or adapt to the changing times. More and more small towns became suburbs due to the massive sprawling-out that has taken place. As cities over-crowd and violence escalates, people who can afford to move to the small towns do so… which in turn changes the make-up of the small towns drastically. They slowly become suburbs of the cities, and neighbors no longer know each other. People are busy working in the cities so that they can afford to commute to the suburbs, not leaving a lot of time to get to know your neighbors!

Small Towns Turn Into Suburbs

Gone are the tight knit groups of people who knew everyone’s business. The small “mom and pop” shops are closed down so that room can be made for the national supermarkets and department stores. The shops and businesses in the small towns that used to provide meeting places for friends and acquaintances to chat (and gossip!) about their goings-on (and those of other people!) have been replaced with places with service providers you don’t know ringing up your purchases and saying the perfunctory/impersonal “Have a nice day.” as you walk out to the huge black-top parking lot.

New Village and/or Small Town Settings in Cozy Mysteries

Rather than let the cozy mystery genre die out, the cozy mystery authors have come up with substitutions which really seem to work! The new “home settings” where everyone knows (and talks about!) everyone else are now businesses and social organizations.

Types of New Settings

Some of the businesses that cater well to the cozy mystery “small location” setting are bed and breakfasts, veterinarian offices, specialty shops (like craft and needlework shops), caterers, restaurants, libraries, and cleaning services.

Some of the social organizations include knitting clubs, church congregations, PTA groups, a gymnasiums, and weight loss groups. The possibilities are endless!

The new settings simply have to be places where the same group of people co-exists and where there is some type of hierarchy. At a catering business, the owner stands in as what used to be the village’s or the small town’s mayor in the cozy mystery. In a knitting group, the leader takes the place of the old cozy mystery mayor. In a bed and breakfast setting, the owner is the mayor. You can continue on down the list, substituting the leader of any particular group with what used to be the mayor of the village/small town.

As you can see, the cozy mystery’s new small town/village setting is alive and well! Any business or social organization can provide the perfect settings for this highly entertaining sub genre of the mystery novel!

Discover a chronological list of mystery authors’ books at the Cozy Mystery Book List. The Cozy Mystery Book List provides books in series order for more than a thousand mystery book authors. Also, don’t miss the Cozy Mystery Blog.

[tags]cozy mystery,mystery books,mysteries and thrillers,cozies,mystery dvds,mystery tv[/tags]