There is something almost magical about the cozy mystery genre. It asks you to slow down, pour yourself something warm, and spend a few hours pretending that murder can be charming. Honestly, that sounds absurd when you put it that way. Yet here we are, millions of us, completely hooked.
The cozy mystery subgenre has “seen a boom in recent years,” according to USA Today, in that it “combines crime with comfort.” That boom has only accelerated. Cozy mysteries offer the perfect blend of intrigue and comfort, featuring amateur sleuths solving crimes in charming small-town settings, captivating readers with minimal violence, clever puzzles, and memorable characters. Whether you have one rainy afternoon or a full two-day stretch with nowhere to be, these twelve books are exactly what you need. Let’s dive in.
1. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
The Thursday Murder Club is a 2020 murder mystery novel and the debut novel by British television presenter Richard Osman, and it is the first installment in his Thursday Murder Club series. It is the kind of book that tricks you into thinking it is a light, breezy read before quietly wrapping you in something far more emotional.
The first book introduces four eighty-year-old friends – Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron – who meet up in their retirement village once a week to investigate unsolved murders, only to find themselves on the hunt for a killer who’s struck much closer to home. What follows is a clever, witty and heart-warming story that doesn’t fail to delight. This is contemporary crime fiction with a classic and quintessentially British twist. It sold 45,000 copies in its first three days on sale and became a Sunday Times number one bestseller. That is not an accident.
2. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
The Man Who Died Twice was published in September 2021, and if you tore through the first book, good luck stopping here. This is the second installment in the Thursday Murder Club series, and it raises the stakes in the most satisfying way possible.
In the aftermath of their recent murder case, the members of the Thursday Murder Club are settling in for a bit of much-needed rest and relaxation. Unfortunately, the arrival of a visitor – an old friend of Elizabeth’s – sees their peaceful existence upended once again. Elizabeth’s friend reveals he’s been accused of stealing millions in diamonds, and he’s desperate for her help. Before too long, bodies are piling up and the friends find themselves in serious danger. Themes of companionship, ageing and loyalty run throughout the books, offering a reminder that curiosity and adventure do not disappear with age.
3. The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman
The Bullet That Missed was published in September 2022, and by book three, you will feel like Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim are old friends. That is precisely the point. Successful cozy mysteries incorporate recurring characters who develop relationships across multiple books, establishing series that readers eagerly follow.
Trouble is becoming a habit for the members of the Thursday Murder Club. They find themselves hot on the trail of two murders that took place ten years apart, and Elizabeth is assigned a deadly mission. The charm of the series lies in the contrast between the peaceful setting, the unlikely sleuths and the complexity of the crimes. These cosy crime novels offer compelling mysteries while also exploring grief, loneliness, loyalty and the enduring excitement of curiosity and friendship later in life.
4. The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
The fourth book in the Thursday Murder Club series, The Last Devil to Die ended up as No. 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list on 8 October 2023. Think about that for a second. A cozy mystery about retirees toppled the entire bestseller list.
It’s rarely a quiet day for the Thursday Murder Club. Shocking news reaches them – an old friend has been killed, and a dangerous package he was protecting has gone missing. The gang’s search leads them into the antiques business, where the tricks of the trade are as old as the objects themselves. As they encounter drug dealers, art forgers, and online fraudsters – as well as heartache close to home – Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim have no idea whom to trust. The Thursday Murder Club books have sold millions of copies worldwide and been translated into dozens of languages, attracting readers far beyond the traditional audience for cosy crime fiction.
5. Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Here’s the thing about Vera Wong. She is not what you expect from a mystery protagonist, and that is exactly why she works. This USA Today bestseller is an Edgar Award winner for Best Original Paperback and an Audie Award winner for Mystery. Those are not small honors.
Vera Wong is a lonely little old lady – ah, lady of a certain age – who lives above her forgotten tea shop in the middle of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Despite living alone, Vera is not needy. She likes nothing more than sipping on a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy detective work on the Internet about what her Gen-Z son is up to. Then one morning, Vera trudges downstairs to find a curious thing – a dead man in the middle of her tea shop. In his outstretched hand, a flash drive. The book follows Vera as she investigates the murder with a unique blend of humor, wit, and wisdom, pushing the suspects to confront their personal fears and embrace positive changes in their lives.
6. The Maid by Nita Prose
Meet Molly Gray, a socially awkward maid at a luxury hotel. She finds comfort in the predictability of her routines, but her life is upended when she discovers a wealthy hotel guest dead in his bed, thrusting her into a web of intrigue and suspicion. Published in 2022, The Maid serves readers with a unique protagonist and great mystery while exploring themes of social isolation and the quest for connection.
This cozy whodunit is described as “a heartwarming mystery with a lovable oddball at its center.” It is a Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a journey of the spirit that explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different, and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart. I think Molly is one of the most original characters in recent genre fiction, and the book moves fast enough to finish in a single long afternoon.
7. Murder in an Irish Cottage by Carlene O’Connor
As the title implies, this 2016 mystery is the first in a good old-fashioned Irish cozy collection. Murder in an Irish Cottage centers on twenty-something Siobhán, who is raising her younger siblings while running her late mother’s bistro in Kilbane, Ireland. When the spunky Irishwoman finds a dead man seated at the restaurant with a pair of garish pink scissors in his chest, her quiet life is upended. It’s time to suss out a murderer and save the bistro from a dwindling customer base that’s growing too scared to come and dine.
If you love Irish authors like Tana French but want something light and breezy, this Ireland-set story is the perfect pick. The village atmosphere feels completely alive, and the series keeps delivering the same warm, puzzle-driven energy from book to book. It is the kind of series you discover and then immediately devour.
8. The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood
Judith Potts, the protagonist of 2021’s The Marlow Murder Club, might be 77 years young, but that doesn’t mean she can’t fend for herself. Her life is the epitome of independence, filled with regular scotch drinking, bike riding and even skinny-dipping in the Thames. After witnessing a crime and growing impatient with the police’s incompetence, she also takes to amateur sleuthing. Joined by dog-walker friend Suzie and clergyman’s wife Becks, feisty Judith falls headlong into a murder mystery that is more complicated and dangerous than she ever dreamed.
Cozy mystery stories typically feature amateur detectives, often in small, close-knit communities, where the mystery revolves around a crime but with minimal violence and no graphic content. The emphasis is on solving the puzzle, building relationships, and creating an enjoyable reading experience. Cozy mysteries often feature quirky characters, humorous situations, and a cozy, comforting atmosphere. The Marlow Murder Club hits every single one of those marks.
9. How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin
In How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin, readers are taken on a journey through a dual timeline tale of mystery and intrigue. The premise alone is enough to make you pick it up. The story follows Annie as she heads to a tiny village after her Great Aunt’s murder, unraveling a mysterious disappearance from 1966. The book expertly weaves together past and present through diary entries, providing glimpses into Frances’ life and relationships, ultimately leading to a shocking murder mystery that needs to be solved.
The author pens an intriguing narrative told from both the victim and the sleuth’s perspectives. The plot delves into dark secrets, past relationships, and a prophecy of murder that sets the scene for a captivating storyline. With a mix of modern-day problems and cozy mystery elements, the book keeps readers guessing and entertained as they follow Annie’s quest to uncover the truth. It is the kind of read you start on a Saturday morning and cannot put down until Sunday evening.
10. Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
You might want to check out Benjamin Stevenson’s Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone. The 2022 bestseller has been praised as a modern take on Agatha Christie-style fiction, revolving around narrator Ernie Cunningham, a writer who comes from a family of career criminals. When the clan gathers together and somebody turns up dead, the knives come out, and Ernie sets out to solve the mystery without getting killed or arrested himself.
Like a classic Christie, the book unfolds as a puzzle that allows the reader to play detective, with a few red herrings here or there. The murder victim is not a pivotal or highly likable character. The story is infused with humor, wit and good cheer. I know it sounds crazy, but a book about a family of killers can be genuinely warm and funny. Stevenson pulls it off with serious style.
11. Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
It’s pretty much impossible to read Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Dial A for Aunties without absolutely adoring it. Published in 2021, this hilarious and heartwarming mystery spirals into perfect mayhem after the accidental murder of a blind date and the gloriously spectacular cover-up attempt. If you have ever had a big, opinionated extended family, you will recognize every character.
Emerging voices such as Mia Manansala and Vivien Chien bring fresh perspectives to the genre, incorporating diverse cultural backgrounds and modern sensibilities into classic cozy mystery formats, and Sutanto belongs firmly in that tradition. The book is fast-paced, wildly funny, and emotionally genuine in a way that sneaks up on you. It is the rare comedy that also genuinely makes you care about the outcome.
12. Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None
Cozies harken back to a literary era between World Wars known as the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, when writers like Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, G.K. Chesterton, and Ellery Queen published classic whodunnit detective novels. Their work playfully misleads readers while simultaneously encouraging them to solve the crime alongside the protagonist. No list like this would be complete without going back to the source.
Author Agatha Christie, whose mysteries are often named among the best books of all time, is generally considered the queen of the cozy. Agatha Christie is considered the grand dame of the cozy mystery. More than 100 years after the publication of her first novel, readers continue to crave the classic whodunit, a story with a puzzle they can solve alongside the protagonist. These novels feature romantic subplots but no sex on the page, and are notoriously absent of gore – a chance to enjoy the company of old friends, perhaps, with a little murder on the side. And Then There Were None remains the bestselling mystery novel of all time, and it still reads like it was written yesterday.
The Perfect Genre for a Weekend Well Spent
Cozy mysteries have enduring appeal. Whether they are traditional, edgy, televised, or featuring a new generation, cozies will continue to entertain readers who enjoy a good mystery in a safe, comfortable setting with smart, lovable characters. There is a reason this genre has not just survived but exploded.
Cozy mysteries have gained significant traction in recent years, and with good reason. Of all the genres, cozy mysteries are best suited for year-round reading. No books are better to read on a chilly winter or fall evening with a mug of hot chocolate. Spring and summer are well-suited for the genre too. Think of this list as a starting point. The real question is which one you reach for first. What would you have guessed?
