A patron of the Cozy Library suggested adding Charlotte MacLeod to the list of cozy mystery authors. Since her last mystery was published in the late 1990s, several years before her death in 2005, I had quite forgotten her. But when I began reading mysteries in the mid 1970s – starting with Agatha Christie, of course – Charlotte MacLeod was always a favorite. About Ms. McLeod, Dean James wrote (in an introduction to an interview with her in Deadly Women, 1998): “Mention the name ‘Charlotte MacLeod’ to a traditional mystery fan, and said fan is guaranteed to smile, for Charlotte, whether her own name or that of Alisa Craig, has brought many a smile per book to her readers … Charlotte’s wonderful combination of humor, delightfully dotty characters, and zestful word play quickly brought her a large and loyal following among mystery readers.” I was one of them. I preferred the series featuring Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn to her the Peter Shandy mysteries. Over her long writing career, Ms. MacLeod received a Nero Wolfe award, two Edgar nominations, and five American Mystery awards, as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award (1992) from Bouchercon. She also co-founded the American Crime Writers League. (Ms. MacLeod also wrote young adult books, which I have not listed here.)

Books:

Peter Shandy Mysteries

• (1996) Exit the Milkman
• (1994) Something in the Water
• (1991) An Owl Too Many (Nominee, Agatha Award, Best Novel)
• (1989) Vane Pursui
• (1987) The Corpse in Oozak's Pond
• (1985) The Curse of the Giant Hogweed
• (1981) Something the Cat Dragged In
• (1980) Wrack and Rune
• (1979) The Luck Runs Out
• (1978) Rest You Merry

Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn Mysteries

• (1998) The Balloon Man
• (1995) The Odd Job
• (1992) The Resurrection Man
• (1990) The Silver Ghost
• (1990) The Gladstone Bag
• (1988) The Recycled Citizen
• (1985) The Plain Old Man
• (1984) The Convivial Codfish
• (1983) The Bilbao Looking Glass
• (1981) The Palace Guard
• (1980) The Withdrawing Room
• (1979) The Family Vault

"Madoc Rhys" Mysteries (Under Pseudonym Alisa Craig

• (1992) The Wrong Rite
• (1989) Trouble in the Brasses
• (1986) A Dismal Thing to Do
• (1981) Murder Goes Mumming
• (1980) A Pint of Murder

"Grub-and-Stakers" Mysteries (Under Pseudonym Alisa Craig)

• (1993) The Grub-and-Stakers House a Haunt
• (1990) The Grub-and-Stakers Spin a Yarn
• (1988) The Grub-and-Stakers Pinch a Poke
• (1985) The Grub-and-Stakers Quilt a Bee
• (1981) The Grub-and-Stakers Move a Mountain

Other

• (2002) It Was an Awful Shame and Other Stories
• (1994) Had She But Known: A Biography of Mary Roberts Rinehart
• (1991) Christmas Stalkings (Anthology Editor)
• (1989) Mistletoe Mysteries (Anthology Editor)
•  (1987) Grab Bag (short stories)
•  (1983) The Terrible Tide (Under pseudonym Alisa Craig)
•  (1972) Astrology for Skeptics

A collection of MacLeod's manuscripts is housed at the Mugar Memorial Library at Boston University, Boston, MA.

Websites:

• A delightful site that shares Ms. MacLeod’s correspondence with a reader: http://www.cinemind.com/macleod/letsec.html
• Ms. MacLeod’s obituary: http://www.blogofdeath.com/archives/001290.html
• Reviews, etc. http://www.twbookmark.com/authors/62/260/
• Bibliography http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/m/charlotte-macleod/