Best New Cozy Mystery Books, Series, and Authors to Read

From the Publisher

Holly and Trixie meet a strange new dog in Wagtail that leads them right into murder. . . .

Holly Miller is looking forward to finally taking a few days to relax. Enjoying an early morning on her terrace, she spots an unfamiliar reddish-gold pooch across the lake. She’s intrigued, but never expects to find the very same dog smiling at her in bed when she wakes up the next morning! Trixie and Twinkletoes appear to accept this cute stranger, but Holly doesn’t know to whom he belongs.

Oma thinks the dog looks familiar, and it turns out the wayward pooch belongs to Holly’s cousin Josh. Holly knew her cousin well as a child, but she hasn’t seen him in over a decade. He’s camping with his girlfriend across the lake. Holly returns the cute dog to Josh’s campsite twice, but the second time, Josh and his girlfriend are nowhere to be found. Instead, a guest of the Sugar Maple Inn is dead in their tent. Now it’s up to Holly and Trixie to suss out a sneaky killer.

From the Publisher

From breathtaking sunsets to the sunny streets of Key West, this heart-pounding whodunit transports readers to the lush tropics of Key West.

The tropical tranquility of Beth’s Key West antique shop is shattered when a killer strikes and Beth is the police’s number one suspect.

Determined to get to the bottom of the mysterious death and clear her name, Beth teams up with a quirky cast of locals to unravel a complex web of lies and deception.

With her sassy cat Agatha by her side, can Beth uncover the truth before the killer strikes again?

From the Publisher

The future of Dune House is on the line when a new development is approved in the small beachside town. The residents are up in arms and Suzie and Mary are right in the middle of the protests.

Then things become a whole lot more complicated when someone who supports the project is murdered. Suzie and Mary put on their sleuthing hats to get to the truth. But the stakes become even higher when an out-of-town detective is brought in to lead the case. Not only is he determined to nab the killer, but Suzie is a prime suspect.

It’s a race against time to dig through a mountain of clues and suspects and get to the truth before the detective puts the wrong person behind bars.

From the Publisher

When a psychic fair arrives in West London, Gemma Doyle, owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, wants nothing to do with it. But somehow, at the urging of Donald Morris, an enthusiastic Sherlockian, she finds herself talked into attending a séance, along with baker and best friend Jayne Wilson, store assistant, Ashleigh, and former pop star Bunny Leigh.

But to her surprise, Gemma finds herself banned from the séance and shown the door. Curious, she listens in from outside the room. The medium informs a disappointed Donald that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle will not be able to make it tonight. Then, Gemma hears a voice cut off, a cry for help, a scream. Gemma bursts into the library to see that someone has collapsed on the table–dead. The windows are all locked, and Gemma was guarding the only door. Someone in this room is a murderer. But who?

The game is once again afoot for Gemma Doyle, as she hunts a killer. But, this time, is the killer of flesh and blood or had the medium summoned doom from beyond the veil?

From the Publisher

The small and idyllic village of Merrywell is getting ready to host its first ever book festival, and Violet Brewster is delighted when she is asked to interview the star author.

Leonie Stanwick, now a bestselling romance author, is the featured guest of the festival. She was born in Merrywell, but abruptly left when she was 18 years old and never came back.

But the festival takes a dark turn when Leonie is found murdered; her return to the village had clearly shaken someone up. When a shocking secret about Leonie’s past is revealed, Violet’s suspicions must turn to her own neighbours. Who in the village was intent on making sure Leonie could never leave the village again?

From the Publisher

She loved writing the perfect murder mystery, but she never wanted to be written into one . . .

Just as Jen gets to work on her next book, the owner of the town’s rival bookstore is found murdered and suspicions turn to Jen. Time is ticking for Jen to both clear her name and write her new book before the store closes forever.

But what will strike Jen first? Inspiration…or the killer?

From the Publisher

We’ve had some unusual guests at the Bluebell Inn, but this week took the cake.

A biker named Spider, a bookstore owner who looked like a 1950s professor, and a mysterious man who might be in town for a secret affair.

After the bookseller’s body was found in the woods, I can’t help but wonder: Do we have a murderer at the inn?

From the Publisher

Dr. Victor Wilson was one of the most popular physicians in the small town of Whitby, North Carolina. He wrote a prescription for trust with his attentive care and compassionate bedside manner. But when the doctor’s own story takes a deadly twist, librarian Ann Beckett finds herself in the center of a medical mystery that’s anything but routine.

As Ann steps into the investigation, she uncovers hidden chapters in Dr. Wilson’s life that cast a shadow of suspicion over those he once called friends. With each clue discovered, Ann becomes less startled by the doctor’s untimely demise.

Can Ann close the book on this mystery before someone else has a final chapter?

From the Publisher

The timing couldn’t have been worse. While tearoom owner and amateur sleuth Maggie and her fiancé, Darius, are busy planning their upcoming wedding, Darius becomes a suspect in a local murder. Darius and several other Stratford Upon Avondale residents have been viciously slandered in a memoir written by a legendary Stratford Shakespeare Festival actress. When she’s found murdered, each person named in the book is suddenly a prime suspect. Maggie and Gina, her best friend and partner in crime-solving, aren’t ready to sit around and wait for the local police to solve the crime—there’s a groom-to-be and many of their good friends in danger of being locked up.

The one bright spot during all the chaos is Maggie and Darius’ decision to adopt a Golden Retriever named Desdemona, Desi for short. Not only is she a perfect companion, but she might also have some crime-solving skills of her own.

From the Publisher

When murder is the thread holding together costumes for the community play, Peggy can’t avoid the gossip or the orphaned pup under her feet.

Running the Carom Seed Craft Corner on Fennel Street in Spicetown should be enough for one person, but Peggy Cochran spends her spare time volunteering to make costumes for the town play at the Spicetown Community Center. When a costume she made over twenty years ago resurfaces, so do the details of the prior drama teacher’s death and Police Chief Conrad Harris can’t ignore the questions.

Finding a puppy in the alley behind the store, gets under her feet, and into her heart even before the murder is all sewn up.

From the Publisher

What could be better than reading a one-of-a-kind mystery novel on a cold winter night? How about finding out it’s actually evidence of a murder?

The manuscript for Murder in Walnut Cove is even more entertaining than Jessica Braun expected it would be when she rescued it from storage. But it isn’t just a thrilling tale of intrigue and criminal behavior. Some of the characters bear an unlikely resemblance to real people, and the town in the book sounds awfully familiar…

Sharing news of the story stirs up a hornet’s nest of trouble with Jessica right in the middle, leaving her to wonder how much of the unpublished work is fact, and how much is fiction. Is there a chance the crime in the story was real?

From the Publisher

One princess sure didn’t have the luck of the Irish…

Ruby and the Melody Street Players are headed to the Emerald Isle to debut their production of Once Upon a Mattress. But first, she and Nova are competing for grant money in a competition to see who makes the best princess. They even get to stay in an Irish castle!

No, the contestants don’t have to sleep on top of a stack of mattresses to prove their slumber is disturbed by a pea. But they have a huge manual to memorize and etiquette galore!

Until one potential princess is poisoned. And Ruby is afraid that poison was actually meant for her…

From the Publisher

Polls are open – and murder gets a vote!

When everyone has a secret, who can you trust?

Summer is back in beautiful Blue Lake in the Adirondack Mountains, where former NYPD forensics expert Celia Strong and her daughter Katie have settled into a new life in Blue Lake Village, where Celia owns Ye Olde Ice Cream Shoppe.

Four candidates are running for town supervisor in a heated race. One received an anonymous note – It was you. And I have proof. When Celia and her friends from ‘the block’ agree to investigate, the trail leads to deception, intrigue, and finally – murder.

Can Celia and Co. untangle a web of lies to catch a killer before it’s too late?

From the Publisher

March is normally quiet in Sevenoaks, Vermont, but this year the town is aflutter. Olivia Williams, a popular romance writer, is returning home to celebrate the launch of her latest book, Birds of a Feather.

While her admirers are gathering and the local bookstore prepares for a book-signing, The Bluebell Café is abuzz with activity readying the celebratory dinner in Olivia’s honor.

What could go wrong?

Plenty.

Before she’s so much as scribbled a signature, Olivia is found murdered, and suspicion falls squarely on one of her oldest friends. Harriet and Claire know that Ruby is innocent, but can they get Isaac Strickland, the detective on the case, to see things their way?

From the Publisher

A charming small town. A peach festival gone awry. A culinary entrepreneur caught in a juicy mystery.

Abby Hirsch has traded in her hectic life in L.A. for a shot at her dream—a catering business in her idyllic hometown of Sugar Creek, Texas. She’s ready to start over until her plans hit a sour note at the annual Sugar Creek Peach Festival.

When a city councilman dies from poisoning, Abby finds herself in the pits as a potential suspect. Not only is her fledgling business at stake, but the councilman had recently rejected her business license on a technicality, leaving her ripe for suspicion.

Armed with her culinary skills and a knack for gathering clues, Abby joins forces with her best friend, Cassie, and the attractive Sheriff Ryan Iverson. Together they peel back layers of mystery. But can Abby clear her name and serve up justice in time to clear her name and save her business? Or will her dreams of success crumble like a peach cobbler?

From the Publisher

London, 1921: Mabel Canning is proud to be a modern woman working for the Useful Women’s Agency, carrying out tasks for gentlewomen from flower arranging to washing muddy dogs. But when she answers the door for wealthy widow Rosalind Despard, she almost chokes on her cucumber sandwich when she finds a soldier’s body on the doorstep.

As she offers tea to the policemen of Scotland Yard, Mabel can’t resist getting drawn into the investigation. Who was the mysterious dead man? And why was he holding a letter for Rosalind, written by her husband on the day he disappeared?

As Mabel hunts for clues, she joins forces with Rosalind’s handsome brother, former detective Park Winstone, and his adorable terrier, Gladys. But when Mabel suspects she is being followed, the detective duo know that time is running out before the killer strikes again.

From the Publisher

A cold-blooded killer lurks in the luxurious winter wonderland of St. Moritz . . .

Switzerland, 1924. Lady sleuth Olive Belgrave is set to enjoy a holiday of ice-skating and snowshoeing in the glamorous alpine setting of St. Moritz, but her plans are rudely interrupted when an unfortunate accident takes place. It quickly becomes clear that the tragic event was a carefully concealed murder.

Olive isn’t one to shy away from a challenge, and with her sharp intuition and knowledge of the high society set, she uncovers motives among the elite guests. However, this case is one of the most challenging she’s faced.

Her suspects include a famous lady mountaineer, an up-and-coming fashion designer, a mousy lady’s maid, and several gentlemen sportsmen who seem to be only interested in tobogganing, ice-climbing, and the new sport of skiing down the mountain slopes. Can Olive find the cunning killer and solve the impossible crime before it’s too late?

From the Publisher

Can Lady Ellen of Ashcombe Hall finally savour a relaxing break at Millars Hotel? Not quite. Her plans take an unexpected turn when a sightseeing tour of Branden Bay Castle turns deadly.

The picturesque castle in Branden Bay stands proudly above the town and beach. Lady Ellen finds herself thrust into the heart of a chilling mystery when a tragic incident unfolds, and a soul plummets from one of the castle’s turrets. On a blustery day, it seems like a dreadful accident, but the police suspect foul play.

As the victim’s will is unveiled, a shock revelation exposes drama, indiscretions, and disputes. Motives lay bare, and Lady Ellen is called upon to untangle the truth. Alongside her spirited companion, Lottie Penny, the charming Captain Hamilton, and her faithful Irish Setter, Prince, Ellen must unravel the sinister threads that tie the beneficiaries to the deceased’s estate.

From the Publisher

Rome, 1923. Rex and Dora’s holiday comes to an abrupt end when they receive an urgent message from Rome. The Carabinieri have accused the British ambassador of murder.

A witness puts the ambassador at the scene and the evidence points to his guilt. But he assures the couple he is innocent. If the Carabinieri are allowed to proceed with their accusations, this simple case will become an international incident.

Rex and Dora face their most difficult puzzle yet. First, they have to uncover the real identity of the victim. Only then can they determine who had the motive to kill.

But in the Eternal City, the past and present are intertwined. Old flames return, past grudges re-emerge, and regrets bring consequences. Before the case ends, they’ll have to answer a riddle. What is more important — solving the case or saving the life of a friend?

From the Publisher

Amateur sleuth Augusta Peel is showing a friend the sights of London when their boat trip on the River Thames is cut short. A body has been found adrift in a rowing boat.

The circumstances are puzzling. Scotland Yard takes on the case and Augusta makes some enquiries of her own. But since Detective Inspector Philip Fisher’s resignation, she no longer has a contact at the Yard to help her.

Could the murder be linked to a series of accidents at a factory? And who was behind an attack on a young woman a few weeks previously? A breakthrough comes when the Yard asks for assistance, but Augusta has already made an enemy who’s determined to make life difficult for her.

Philip’s new detective agency is getting off the ground. And although he’s happy to help Augusta, a lady in distress is causing a distraction…

From the Publisher

Darriby Hall is famous for entertaining second-tier aristocrats, tales from distant lands and a dead body… every now and then.

On a frigid winter’s night, Lady Darriby-Jones is roused from her daydreaming by an unexpected late-night visitor, a familiar yet vexing presence known for annual visits to the Darriby estate. Hailing from her Welsh village, she grudgingly invites him in, leaving his care to her butler. Little does she know that this decision will lead to a grim discovery the next morning.

In the early light of day, a shrill cry pierces the serenity, unveiling a most unwelcome gift of the season: the uninvited guest from the previous night lies lifeless.

Amid the ensuing chaos, Lady Darriby-Jones is left to contemplate a series of confounding questions:

From the Publisher

Feel the love … with a caterer, a captain, and a criminal.

“Hey, gorgeous!”

As Violet waffles over whether to stick with her cheating fiancé, she and her friends must cater his formal military dinner. When an officer is found beaten, and not with a whisk, her fiancé is the prime suspect and temperatures rise in and out of the kitchen.

Can Violet and the handsome investigator crack the criminal before the tension boils over?

From the Publisher

Hearts, Hazards, and Hilarity

This Valentine’s season, the Second Chance Inn’s heart beats with a peculiar rhythm, as Harmony Holt whips up romance with a zany zombie twist. Continuing the revitalization of her beloved inn, Harmony welcomes the cult phenomenon TV show Walker, Zombie Ranger and its ApocaLove contest. Anticipation is rife for the live broadcast where love-struck fans vie for a date with the stars amidst a whimsical wave of the walking dead. But the festive frolic turns foul when the local health inspector is fatally pierced by a Cupid’s arrow, turning a symbol of love into a token of terror.

A Simmering Kettle of Suspects

The clock ticks menacingly for Harmony and her beau, Clinton’s esteemed Sheriff, Seth, to comb through a labyrinth of leads and dodge misleading trails. With the Steep-n-Brew’s reputation—and the liberty of Harmony’s best friend’s mother—at stake, they delve into a murky world of fanatic zombie lovers, feuding TV stars, and mysterious guests.

From the Publisher

Lily Cranston couldn’t be happier with the way her life has turned out thus far. Managing the Calico Rock Mine and Ghost Town in her hometown of Grady, California is a dream come true. Employed by the city she and her sisters grew up in gives her a sense of belonging and stability. Like a well-oiled machine, the work of her faithful and dedicated staff allows her to spend more time with her hunky boyfriend, CSI Cody West. Life is finally looking up…until the night she finds the body of an apparent hitman on the side of the road! As if that weren’t bad enough, in his pocket is her sister’s name and address.

Has someone really put a hit out on sweet, lovable Ava? To keep her sister safe, Lily must once again use her sleuthing skills to unlock the mystery. Her search for answers takes her on a journey filled with family secrets, ghost seekers, organized crime, and more suspects than she can count. As the possibilities mount without any clear answers, time may be running out for more than just one of the Cranston sisters.

From the Publisher

Marti Mickkleson and her ghostly Grandma Bertie are back!

With only one month to go until Marti meets the conditions of her late father’s will and gains control of her trust fund, she’s determined to be on her best behavior. No admitting that she can see ghosts and certainly no talking to the dead.

But her mother’s roped her into a new family project, her new office has a mysterious haunt, Grandma Bertie’s digging up mysteries from the past, her friend Dmitri’s barely speaking to her, and her sister’s life is falling apart. It’s enough to make a girl miss her days of flipping sort-of-beef patties on a Burger Buster grill.

Then things get really bad.

From the Publisher

After her Christmas cookie disaster, Ma Tutt needs a break! Why not relax on a Hawaiian cruise? Added fun: a baking competition hosted by celebrity chefs. Fame and fortune await the winner, but contestants are dropping like flies. Luckily, Ma’s mysterious tabby Mack can help solve the mystery. Or is he to blame? Will Dolly Tutt’s special spices work their magic or lead to calamity?

From the Publisher

Come to Silver Hills, where nothing is impervious to murder and chaos. Even a long-awaited wedding.

Agnes and Hertz are finally getting married. It would be nice to report that all was going to go as planned. Unfortunately, we’re dealing with Flo and Co. and their propensity for finding bodies everywhere they go.

These nuptials might be noxious. The wedding may be weird. The marriage could be murderous.

Will a little thing like a wedding dress and three hundred guests deter the fearsome foursome from launching an investigation into the “problem”?

If you believe that, you haven’t been paying attention.

From the Publisher

Hildegard “Hildy” Brentwood, a 50-year-old University PR executive at Gulf State University, is faced with her toughest assignment–discover who killed her faculty friend Adrienne and student assistant, Bobby, before the university and the police shut down the investigation labeling Adrienne guilty of murder/suicide.

She enlists the help of her CEO mother Victoria and her investigative journalist daughter Grace to comb through the possible suspects–Adrienne’s misogynistic department chairman, her violent ex-husband, a smarmy journalist, or perhaps someone from her past involved in her 20-year-old rape. They uncover myriad secrets in both Adrienne’s and Bobby’s past, any of which could have been motive for murder.

Taking on the university leadership and the campus and Houston Police departments, Hildy is attacked and threatened before they uncover the truth behind the violent deaths.

From the Publisher

Kentucky native Jess Walker’s big-city career has kept her too busy to visit her sisters and hometown. However, she relents when she’s invited to celebrate her nephew’s third birthday at the newly established Three Sisters B&B in the heart of bourbon country. The nostalgic bubble is quickly popped however when Jess realizes her family hasn’t been entirely honest with her. She was invited not so much for a family reunion, but to help them impress some VIP guests for inclusion in a tourism co-op on the bourbon trail.

Old resentments arise, and the sisters are at loggerheads immediately. But when one of the VIP guests is found dead, things only get worse. The sheriff is intent on treating the death as an accident, blaming it on unsafe conditions at the B&B. But the sisters know this was murder. Jess has always been the fixer of the family, so she jumps in to protect her sisters and their B&B’s reputation.

From the Publisher

A funny cozy mystery series full of bold women, a quirky and lovable town, and one seriously hopeless romance.

Summer isn’t the only thing that’s come to Hopeless, Idaho. The Rodeo’s in town. And, as it turns out…

Sheriff Alex Kramer’s been keeping a secret from his girlfriend, Hope.

Alex spent a chunk of his twenties on the rodeo circuit wrestling steers and chasing fame.

And by the way some of these women look at Alex, Hope wonders if that’s not the only thing he was chasing.

From the Publisher

She traded the rat race to work in an academic lab. Instead of peace and quiet, she discovers jealousy, treachery and murder. And she may be next.

COVID, a stressful job and the end of Gemma’s marriage signaled a need to change everything in her life. Finding a job in public information in a university affiliated lab near Raleigh run by a world-renowned researcher seemed like a dream come true. Lured by warmer weather, a pay raise, cheaper rent and a scenic commute, she wasn’t prepared for another cutthroat environment. Or the murder of a researcher found in a chimp’s cage.

Relieved by the arrival of the small-town detective, Steve Thibault, she realizes he’ll be frustrated by the uncooperative and tightlipped researchers.

From the Publisher

Looking for a new cozy series? In the latest edition of Cozy Case Files, Minotaur Books compiles the beginnings of nine charming cozy mysteries publishing in Winter 2024 for free for easy sampling.

The twentieth edition of Cozy Case Files features cozies from the following authors: Ellie Alexander, Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles, Olivia Blacke, Jennifer Chow, Anastasia Hastings, Olivia Matthews, Gigi Pandian, Mindy Quigley, and Paige Shelton.

Cook up some delicious treats with a variety of culinary cozies! On the menu, you’ll find killer West Indian pastries in Coconut Drop Dead, deadly deep dish pizzas in Public Anchovy #1, fatal fortune cookies in Ill-Fated Fortune, and suspicious spiced curry buns in A Smoking Bun.