“The extraordinary hides behind the camouflage of the ordinary.”
Blending the deliciously dark underworld with crime with the adrenaline-pumping thrill of a good mystery, cozy crime has long endured as one of the most popular subgenres in the world of fiction. With their colourful characters, charming settings and engaging mysteries, cozy crime books offer readers a more palatable and lighthearted approach to crime fiction. So, as the nights get darker and the temperature begins to plummet, join us at What We Reading for the best cozy crime books to snuggle up and sleuth your way to the finish with!
Maisie Dobbs (Maisie Dobbs #1) – Jacqueline Winspear
Kicking off our list of the best cozy crime books is Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series. Blending crime and mystery with a historical fiction setting, readers follow Maisie in the wake of the First World War where she has started up her business practising as an investigator and psychologist.
Her first case is seemingly innocuous. What begins as a tedious inquiry into suspect infidelity soon leads her onto the trail of a killer, and back to the war she has tried so hard to move on from. With some charming cozy mystery elements, an underappreciated historical setting and a strong female protagonist, Maisie Dobbs is a must-read.
The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency #1) – Alexander McCall Smith
Another cozy crime book that features a likeable and more than capable female lead is Alexander McCall Smith’s The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. Set in Botswana, the series introduces readers to Precious Ramotswe. The only female detective in the country, she has just set up her practice and is soon involved in local cases involving con men, missing husbands and wayward daughters.
However, the one case that soon requires all of her energies involves the disappearance of an eleven-year-old boy, who many believe may have been snatched by witch doctors. Characterised by its warmth, humour, and exotic surroundings, McCall Smith’s work is renowned for its observations of human nature.
Aunt Dimity’s Death (Aunt Dimity Mystery #1) – Nancy Atherton
For down-on-her-luck Lori Shepherd, she always believed her Aunt Dimity was a pretend character in her mother’s bedtime stories. That is until the Dickensian law firm Willis & Willis offers her a large inheritance – if she can uncover the secrets hidden in a series of letters between her mother and Dimity.
Evoking the warm aesthetic feel of the 1940s with a ‘90s setting, Nancy Atherton’s Aunt Dimity’s Death blends cozy crime with a supernatural mystery twist.
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Death By Dumpling (Noodle Shop Mystery #1) – Vivien Chien
Vivien Chien welcomes readers to the Ho-Lee Noodle House in her Noodle Shop Mystery series, where the food is positively to die for. The first book in the series, Death by Dumpling, introduces Lana Lee. Having returned to her family’s restaurant following a messy break-up, her plans of putting her life back on track are put on hold when the property manager, Mr Feng turns up dead.
Everyone knew about Feng’s allergy to shellfish, putting the whole restaurant under suspicion for murder. With the media in a frenzy and a dashing police officer constantly turning up for take-out, it falls to Lana to identify the killer, before it becomes her turn to face a grizzly end.
The Cat Who Could Read Backwards (The Cat Who… #1) – Lilian Jackson Braun
For those cat lovers out there who need some feline companionship in their cozy crime books, Lilian Jackson Braun’s The Cat Who series is for you. The first book in the series follows journalist Jim Qwilleran and his Siamese cat, Koko in the town of Pickax.
Tasked with covering the art beat at the Daily Fluxion, Jim is immersed in the world of eccentric critics, artists and gallery owners. However, when one of these artists is found murdered, Jim becomes reliant on Koko’s unusual behaviour and insistent actions to have any chance of identifying the perpetrator. The Cat Who series features twenty-nine different adventures following Jim and Koko, but you can never beat the OG entry.
Agatha Raisin And The Quiche of Death (Agatha Raisin #1) – M.C. Beaton
The charming Agatha Raisin is introduced as a PR executive who has recently retired to a picturesque English village in the Cotswolds. Keen to bed in with the local community, she buys a quiche for the village quiche-making contest and is rightfully alarmed when her entry ends up killing one of the judges.
Finding herself forced to play the role of amateur detective in this pleasant setting, Agatha’s fearless and quirky personality soon puts her hot on the trail of the true killer. What she doesn’t know, however, is that she is in the crosshairs of becoming their next victim.
The Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie (Flavia de Luce #1) – Alan Bradley
The first entry in Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce series introduces readers to an eleven-year-old aspiring chemist with a fascination for poisons in the summer of 1950. Flavia de Luce becomes enthralled by a series of strange events.
First, a dead bird is found on the doorstep with a postage stamp attached to its beak. Then, mere hours later, Flavia watches as a man takes his last breath in a cucumber patch. Murder has come to Flavia’s quiet English town, and she couldn’t be more interested in getting to the truth.
Still Life (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #1) – Louise Penny
When a dead body is discovered in the woods on Thanksgiving Weekend in the sleepy village of Three Pines, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is summoned from Quebec to uncover the truth.
Louise Penny’s Still Life is the story of beloved artist Jane Neal, and why anyone in this white picket picturesque setting would ever want to deliberately cause her harm. The small-knit community setting and an array of colourful characters, all with their hidden secrets, help make Still Life an easy and comfortable read with just enough sprinklings of evil to keep readers engrossed.
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
