This post is all about cozy mysteries (“cozies”)! These books usually come in series, but there are some that are published as standalone novels, too. I’ve been looking into this genre more recently, since I love a good mystery but I haven’t have much of a taste for really graphic or depressing books as of late.
Here’s 50+ of the Best Cozy Mystery Books and Series , divided up into subcategories (general, historical fiction, paranormal, etc.). Enjoy and happy reading!
What are cozy mysteries (cozies)?
In case you’re not familiar with them, cozy mysteries are a subgenre of crime fiction. In cozies, there’s generally limited graphic violence or death, the main character is typically an amateur sleuth (as opposed to an authority figure like a policeman) and the crimes usually take place in small towns or otherwise small-scale setting.
This list of cozy mystery books and series is divided into the following categories:
Standalone Cozy Mysteries General Cozy Mystery Series Historical Fiction Cozy Mystery Series Bookish Cozy Mystery Series Foodie Cozy Mystery Series Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series Cat Lover Cozy Mystery Series Sewing, Crafting and Home Cozy Mystery Series Standalone Cozy Mysteries
The Thursday Murder Club Richard Osman
What It's About:
Publication Date: September 22, 2020
out of 5 on Goodreads
Hello, Summer Mary Kay Andrews
What It's About:
Publication Date: May 5, 2020
out of 5 on Goodreads
Sunset Beach Mary Kay Andrews
What It's About:
Publication Date: May 7, 2019
out of 5 on Goodreads
Above the Bay of Angels Rhys Bowen
What It's About:
Publication Date: February 11, 2020
out of 5 on Goodreads
A Keeper Graham Norton
What It's About:
Publication Date: August 13, 2019
out of 5 on Goodreads
Crooked House Agatha Christie
What It's About:
Publication Date: February 1, 2011
out of 5 on Goodreads
Ordeal by Innocence Agatha Christie
What It's About:
Publication Date: February 1, 2011
out of 5 on Goodreads
Death Comes As the End Agatha Christie
What It's About:
Publication Date: January 1, 2001
out of 5 on Goodreads
General Cozy Mystery Series
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #1) Alexander McCall Smith
What It's About:
Publication Date: February 6, 2003
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot #1) Agatha Christie
What It's About:
Publication Date: February 17, 1975
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Flavia de Luce #1) Alan Bradley
What It's About:
Publication Date: April 28, 2009
out of 5 on Goodreads
Still Life (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #1) Louise Penny
What It's About:
Publication Date: May 1, 2007
out of 5 on Goodreads
Size 12 Is Not Fat (Heather Wells #1) Meg Cabot
What It's About:
Publication Date: December 27, 2005
out of 5 on Goodreads
One for the Money (Stephanie Plum #1) Janet Evanovich
What It's About:
Publication Date: June 13, 2006
out of 5 on Goodreads
Real Murders (Aurora Teagarden #1) Charlaine Harris
What It's About:
Publication Date: October 5, 2010
out of 5 on Goodreads
Historical Fiction Cozy Mystery Series
Maisie Dobbs (Maisie Dobbs #1) Jacqueline Winspear
What It's About:
Publication Date: May 25, 2004
out of 5 on Goodreads
Crocodile on the Sandbank (Amelia Peabody #1) Elizabeth Peters
What It's About:
Publication Date: February 18, 2024
out of 5 on Goodreads
Mr. Churchill's Secretary (Maggie Hope #1) Susan Elia MacNeal
What It's About:
Publication Date: April 3, 2012
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Beekeeper's Apprentice (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #1) Laurie R. King
What It's About:
Publication Date: October 2, 2007
out of 5 on Goodreads
Her Royal Spyness (Royal Spyness #1) Rhys Bowen
What It's About:
Publication Date: July 3, 2007
out of 5 on Goodreads
Bookish Cozy Mystery Series
A Killer Plot (Books by the Bay Mysteries #1) Ellery Adams
What It's About:
Publication Date: June 1, 2010
out of 5 on Goodreads
Murder is Binding (Booktown Mystery #1) Lorna Barrett
What It's About:
Publication Date: April 1, 2008
out of 5 on Goodreads
By Book or By Crook (Lighthouse Library Mystery #1) Eva Gates
What It's About:
Publication Date: February 3, 2015
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Secret, Book & Scone Society (Secret, Book, & Scone Society #1) Ellery Adams
What It's About:
Publication Date: October 31, 2017
out of 5 on Goodreads
Murder by the Book (Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery #1) Lauren Elliott
What It's About:
Publication Date: October 30, 2018
out of 5 on Goodreads
Homicide in Hardcover (Bibliophile Mystery #1) Kate Carlisle
What It's About:
Publication Date: February 3, 2009
out of 5 on Goodreads
Foodie Cozy Mystery Series
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (Hannah Swensen #1) Joanne Fluke
What It's About:
Publication Date: February 18, 2024
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Quiche of Death (Agatha Raisin #1) M. C. Beaton
What It's About:
Publication Date: March 7, 2006
out of 5 on Goodreads
Brownies and Broomsticks (Magical Bakery Mystery #1) Bailey Cates
What It's About:
Publication Date: May 1, 2012
out of 5 on Goodreads
Death by Dumpling (A Noodle Shop Mystery #1) Vivien Chien
What It's About:
Publication Date: March 27, 2018
out of 5 on Goodreads
On What Grounds (Coffeehouse Mystery #1) Cleo Coyle
What It's About:
Publication Date: September 2, 2003
out of 5 on Goodreads
Death by Darjeeling (A Tea Shop Mystery #1) Laura Childs
What It's About:
Publication Date: May 1, 2001
out of 5 on Goodreads
Catering to Nobody (A Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery #1) Diane Mott Davidson
What It's About:
Publication Date: February 17, 1990
out of 5 on Goodreads
Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series
Secondhand Spirits (A Witchcraft Mystery #1) Juliet Blackwell
What It's About:
Publication Date: July 7, 2009
out of 5 on Goodreads
Wicked Appetite (Lizzy & Diesel #1) Janet Evanovich
What It's About:
Publication Date: September 14, 2010
out of 5 on Goodreads
It Takes a Witch (A Wishcraft Mystery #1) Heather Blake
What It's About:
Publication Date: January 3, 2012
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Trouble With Magic (A Bewitching Mystery #1) Madelyn Alt
What It's About:
Publication Date: January 3, 2006
out of 5 on Goodreads
Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye (Psychic Eye Mystery #1) Victoria Laurie
What It's About:
Publication Date: December 7, 2004
out of 5 on Goodreads
First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson #1) Darynda Jones
What It's About:
Publication Date: February 1, 2011
out of 5 on Goodreads
The House on Tradd Street (Tradd Street #1) Karen White
What It's About:
Publication Date: November 4, 2008
out of 5 on Goodreads
Aunt Dimity's Death (Aunt Dimity Mystery #1) Nancy Atherton
What It's About:
Publication Date: November 1, 1992
out of 5 on Goodreads
Grave Sight (Harper Connelly #1) Charlaine Harris
What It's About:
Publication Date: February 18, 2024
out of 5 on Goodreads
Cat Lover Cozy Mystery Series
The Cat Who Could Read Backwards (The Cat Who... #1) Lilian Jackson Braun
What It's About:
Publication Date: August 15, 1986
out of 5 on Goodreads
Curiosity Thrilled the Cat (Magical Cats Mystery #1) Sofie Kelly
What It's About:
Publication Date: February 1, 2011
out of 5 on Goodreads
Sewing, Crafting and Home Cozy Mystery Series
Pleating for Mercy (A Magical Dressmaking Mystery #1) Melissa Bourbon
What It's About:
Publication Date: August 2, 2011
out of 5 on Goodreads
Better Homes and Corpses (Hamptons Home & Garden Mysteries #1) Kathleen Bridge
What It's About:
Publication Date: August 4, 2015
out of 5 on Goodreads
A Crafty Killing (Victoria Square Mystery #1) Lorraine Bartlett
What It's About:
Publication Date: February 1, 2011
out of 5 on Goodreads
Cloche and Dagger (Hat Shop Mystery #1) Jenn McKinlay
What It's About:
Publication Date: August 6, 2013
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Diva Runs Out of Thyme (A Domestic Diva Mystery #1) Krista Davis
What It's About:
Publication Date: October 7, 2008
out of 5 on Goodreads
I love food cozy mysteries! I don’t know why but they bring me so much joy đ
Fantastic post!! So many favorites and also so many to try!!
This is a good list but the Agatha Raisin series is in the wrong place. It is not a foodie mystery in fact Agatha is a terrible cook! The 1st one is called The Quiche of Death because that’s what killed the victim.
The Miss Fortune series by Jana DeLeon is fantastic too! I almost like it better than Stephanie Plum!
Elly Griffithsâ books would definitely suit this list of âcoziesâ. âStranger Diariesâ and its sequel âThe Postscript Murdersâ, as well as Griffithsâ Magic Men series and her Ruth Galloway series are all fine mysteries.
I am so honored to be on this list (Pleating for Mercy)! Thank you for the mention. The series has all new covers, and new books coming out, too, so again, thanks!