Everyone loves a good whodunit — but not everyone loves the gory details. If you find most crime novels to be a little too violent for your tastes, then "cozy mystery" books might be the low-stakes subgenre you've been searching for.
Unlike the dark, creepy and borderline-terrifying stories you might find in the thriller section of the bookstore (or anything by Stephen King), cozy mysteries are cheeky, more lighthearted and a bit easier to stomach. The murder takes place off-screen. Rarely will you read a page that makes you want to flip on the lights. Amateur underdog-esque sleuths are center stage. And the scene of the crime? An unsuspecting-yet-charming small-town bakery.
In other words, these books are a lot less Pennywise and a lot more Hallmark.
Book Riot, an independent editorial book site, predicted that cozy mysteries will be one of the potential "it" subgenres of 2024 as readers continue to look for a nice escape from reality between the pages. Striking the perfect balance of intrigue and snugness, these books provide just that.
But don't let the "cozy" label make you think these books are any less captivating. Cozy mysteries can be just as complex and well written as their darker counterparts. So if you're a fan of crime fiction who doesn't want any more nightmares, add these 15 cozy mystery books to your TBR list.
'Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers' by Jesse Q. Sutanto
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Set in San Francisco's Chinatown, this lighthearted crime read stars everyone's favorite unofficial detective trope: the lonely old lady whose prying eyes are on the case. When Vera Wong stumbles upon a dead man in her tea shop holding a flash drive, she does what any good, well-meaning citizen would do — she steals the evidence and investigates.
'Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone' by Benjamin Stevenson
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There's nothing like getting the whole family together for a reunion at a cozy ski resort — especially when it's a family made up of murderers. In a mystery where literally everyone is a highly capable (and highly culpable) suspect, uncovering the truth will require a lot of detective work.
'Dial A for Aunties' by Jesse Q. Sutanto
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Accidentally murder your blind date? No problem. Just enlist your pack of meddling aunties to help get rid of the body and cover up the crime. But when a mix-up leads to the body being shipped in a cake cooler to the wedding of the century, chaos ensues in this hilarious and heartwarming mystery.
'The Maid' by Nita Prose
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If there's any cozy mystery series worth getting lost in, it's "The Maid" by Nita Prose. Molly Gray is the oddball protagonist you can't help but love in this page-turning mystery that's like the game of Clue come to life. With Gray as the lead suspect in a murder at the posh hotel she works in, it's up to her to clear her name and find the real killer.
'Finlay Donovan Is Killing It' by Elle Cosimano
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When a struggling crime fiction author accidentally accepts a job as a hitman, she learns that a life of crime is a lot harder than it looks — especially when she becomes involved in a real-life homicide investigation. As witty and fast-paced as it is cozy, this book will keep you on your toes until the very end.
'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder' by Holly Jackson
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The murder of high school senior Andie Bell has haunted the town of Fairview for years. Even though everyone considers the case closed, something about the prime suspect never sat right with Pip. Now a high school senior herself, she decides to take on the murder case as her senior project and uncovers shocking secrets along the way.
'And Then There Were None' by Agatha Christie
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We can't talk about cozy crime novels without mentioning the most popular titles from the queen of mystery herself: Agatha Christie. In one of her most well-known works, 10 strangers harboring terrible secrets are invited to a deserted island and end up being picked off one by one in a seemingly unsolvable murder scheme.
'The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie' by Alan Bradley
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Eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce may just be the cleverest (and most endearing) detective you'll ever encounter. When a dead bird with a postage stamp in its beak turns up on her doorstep, and a stranger takes his dying breath in a nearby cucumber patch, Flavia sets out to solve the mystery with her trusty chemistry lab and intuition.
'The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle' by Stuart Turton
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A classic whodunit with a supernatural twist, this book follows Aiden Bishop as he tries to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle. The catch? He wakes up in a different body every day and must piece together clues from each host to uncover the truth.
'The Thursday Murder Club' by Richard Osman
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In a retirement village, a group of friends gets together every Thursday to discuss old cold cases. But when a real-life murder happens in their community, these retirees use their wits and years of experience to try to solve the mystery before the police.
'An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good' by Helene Tursten
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This collection of short stories features Maud, an elderly Swedish woman who wreaks all sorts of havoc from the comfort of her late father's armchair. Foiling her ex's engagement and getting rid of pesky neighbors is one thing — but when a dead body is found in her apartment building, Maud has to put those clever tricks to the test to clear her name.
'Meet Your Baker' by Ellie Alexander
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We promised you a cozy little murder in a charming small-town bakery, and that's exactly what you'll get in this Ellie Alexander series. With a total of 19 books and building romantic tension with a high school sweetheart turned investigator, you'll want to devour this entire series almost instantly.
'Death by Dumpling' by Vivien Chien
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In this deliciously fun mystery (that's just one of 10 in the series), Lana Lee reluctantly returns to her parents' restaurant after double-whammy failures in her love life and career. But when the restaurant's property manager turns up dead, Lana takes it upon herself to uncover the truth, save her family's business — and maybe work a little closer with the cute detective on the case.
'A Guidebook to Murder' by Lynn Cahoon
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The only thing that could make a cozy coastal mystery better? Pirate lore. In "A Guidebook to Murder" — the first book in Lynn Cahoon's Tourist Trap Mystery series — Jill Gardner unexpectedly inherits her friend's dilapidated old house and all of the enemies that come with it. But Jill doesn't think her friend's death was an accident, and she'll stop at nothing to prove it.
'Murder Past Due' Miranda James
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There are three things that librarian Charlie Harris loves: his cat Diesel, books, and solving murders. When a famous local author is found dead, all three of Charlie's interests collide in this cozy mystery series that will keep you guessing until the very end.
