Here's another entertaining series, with nine entries so far: Annelise Ryan's cozy mystery series featuring Mattie Winston and the eccentric inhabitants of her small town, Sorenson, Wisconsin. Mattie, a recently divorced nurse, takes a job as deputy coroner and soon runs into murder and mayhem. As the author describes her: "Wisconsin RN, Mattie Winston, is wryly cynical, politically incorrect, and inherently nosy, traits that suit her well when she trades in her hospital scrubs and OR table for a plastic apron and autopsy table." Mattie's first case involves the murder of her ex-husband's mistress. The plots are intricate, the characters are interesting, and the action is fast-paced. Amazon calls the series "Stephanie Plum [the Janet Evanovich character] with a CSI twist": Mattie is a wisecracker, and the books are light-hearted enough to be laugh-out-loud funny at times. But the author, who is herself a real-life emergency room RN, brings her professional expertise to the series.

 

It's best to read the books in order: 1. Working Stiff, 2. Scared Stiff, 3. Frozen Stiff, 4. Lucky Stiff, 5. Board Stiff, 6. Stiff Penalty, 7. Stiff Competition, 8. Dead in the Water, 9. Dead Calm.

 

"Has it all: suspense, laughter, a spicy dash of romance. . ."- Publishers Weekly

 

"A puzzler of a mystery. Annelise Ryan has created a smart and saucy heroine in Mattie Winston . . . What a thrill ride!"- New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay

 

"An appealing series on multiple fronts." - Booklist

 

ANNELISE RYAN is a pseudonym for Beth Amos, who is a real-life emergency room RN living in Wisconsin. She is the author of five suspense novels and more than 200 published articles and is an active member of Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. For more information about the Mattie Winston series and to keep up with the latest news, visit www.mattiewinston.com