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Stay In and Read with 51 of This Year's Coziest Mysteries!
The phrase “cozy mystery” is a useful neologism; it’s the emerging consensus term for mystery stories where the sex and darkness are toned down, and any violence takes place off page. It’s a kinder, gentler style of crime fiction. Cozy mysteries are a nice option for those of us who like to puzzle over a whodunit without all the bad vibes and viscera.
We’ve collected here a generous batch of new cozy mysteries, all published (or hitting shelves later) in 2023. This time around, we’ve sorted the contemporary mysteries from historical fiction. Returning fans will note some familiar names, like Jessie Q. Sutanto, Richard Osman, and Nita Prose, whose debut novel, The Maid, won last year’s Goodreads Choice Award for Best Mystery.
Scroll down, browse around, and savor the illustrations—for some reason, cozy mysteries tend to have really great cover art (and the punniest titles of any genre). It’s a weirdly consistent thing. Consider this one, or this one, or especially this one. If anything you see here inspires further sleuthing, add the book to your own Want to Read shelf.
2023's Contemporary Cozy Mysteries
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2023's Historical Cozy Mysteries
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Do you love a cozy mystery? Let us know what you're reading in the comments below!
Comments Showing 1-32 of 32 (32 new)
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Julia
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Oct 11, 2023 02:03AM
Great List! But I wonder: where are the Sci-Fi Cozy Mysteries? I loved „Spare Man“ and „Mimicking of known success” - and I need to know: is there more like those out there?
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I just saw The Last Devil to Die at my library, can't wait to read it! Do I have to read the previous books if that's part of a series or can I read it as a standalone?
Law wrote: "I just saw The Last Devil to Die at my library, can't wait to read it! Do I have to read the previous books if that's part of a series or can I read it as a standalone?"With his past 3 books in the series, they all have stand alone plots so you might be able to. It depends how much you want to fully understand the characters and who they are. There might be some mentions to things that have happened in previous books however. Overall, the other 3 i found really enjoyable and would recommend giving them a go
So many great reads have been added to my fall tbr pile!
Law wrote: "I just saw The Last Devil to Die at my library, can't wait to read it! Do I have to read the previous books if that's part of a series or can I read it as a standalone?"You're missing out on so much fun if you don't! I highly recommend them.
You aren't kidding about the gorgeous cover art in this article. That is some truly outstanding work!
Law wrote: "I just saw The Last Devil to Die at my library, can't wait to read it! Do I have to read the previous books if that's part of a series or can I read it as a standalone?"Definitely read the others first. The first book is the weakest in the series, the fourth book made me sob non-stop for twenty minutes (and I don't think I've ever cried at a book before).
The Last Devil to DieI would definitely start at the beginning of this wonderful series! You don't want to miss a thing! And many of the characters recur through the series so you'd be missing out if you don't read them in order.
Every single time goodreads posts something mystery related, my mood always goes up. Gotta give all these a chance
THANK YOU for separating contemporary and historical
Julia wrote: "Great List! But I wonder: where are the Sci-Fi Cozy Mysteries? I loved „Spare Man“ and „Mimicking of known success” - and I need to know: is there more like those out there?"I read a lot of Diane Vallere's cozies, but haven't tried her Sylvia Stryker Space Case Mysteries Box Set since I'm not really into sci-fi. I did also find a list of 9 other cozy sci-fi books by googling "sci-fi cozies". Hope you find some good reads!
Thank you for the cozy mystery lists. I will be adding a bunch from each section to my TBR.
I'd also add The Mystery of Treefall Manor to that list. I finished it a recently and can't stop raving about it!
Nothing is more cozy to me than reading Sherlock Holmes pastiches and getting sent back to Victorian London to solve cases, but I'll check some of these out as well they seem lovely!
Julia wrote: "Great List! But I wonder: where are the Sci-Fi Cozy Mysteries? I loved „Spare Man“ and „Mimicking of known success” - and I need to know: is there more like those out there?"Have you read Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty?
Ok, ok, I do love a cozy mistery. Perfect for an autumn reading.
Mastering the Art of French Murder is set in the 50's, so definitely not a contemporary book. The premise is that the main character is a neighbor of Julia Childs. A great book, though!
Law wrote: "I just saw The Last Devil to Die at my library, can't wait to read it! Do I have to read the previous books if that's part of a series or can I read it as a standalone?"I highly recommend reading the previous books first.
Law wrote: "I just saw The Last Devil to Die at my library, can't wait to read it! Do I have to read the previous books if that's part of a series or can I read it as a standalone?"Better to read the series, as many of the previous characters and murders are referenced.
Julia wrote: "Great List! But I wonder: where are the Sci-Fi Cozy Mysteries? I loved „Spare Man“ and „Mimicking of known success” - and I need to know: is there more like those out there?"Check out "Station Eternity" by Mur Lafferty. If you like that, "Chaos Terminal" is the second book in the series, coming soon. My
What a fabulous list! Love the gorgeous covers and clever titles. Thank you for including Paper Cuts!
Looking forward to Murder Most Royal. I read the first 2 books in this series and found them delightful. Sad that we've lost our protagonist.
Really get tired of every book that is recommended looking the same. I find myself turning away books that are probably great because they are mostly from the same time period, one I do not care for, and they all look alike and are not very attractive. Covers matter.
Mastering the Art of French Murder is definitely a historical cozy mystery!! It takes places in Julia Child's time in France! It is both a cozy mystery and a fun retelling of her original book on French cooking
I found two new books I want to read thanks to this list! Hooray!
Julia wrote: "Great List! But I wonder: where are the Sci-Fi Cozy Mysteries? I loved „Spare Man“ and „Mimicking of known success” - and I need to know: is there more like those out there?"These sound so cute!! Adding them to my to-read thank you!
Law wrote: "I just saw The Last Devil to Die at my library, can't wait to read it! Do I have to read the previous books if that's part of a series or can I read it as a standalone?"Law wrote: "I just saw The Last Devil to Die at my library, can't wait to read it! Do I have to read the previous books if that's part of a series or can I read it as a standalone?"
I suggest reading them in order. The characters develop over time.
Thanks for this fabulous TBR list! I've already read a few of them, but others are new-to-me authors, which is always so exciting. I especially love finding an author with a backlist, because it means hours and hours of reading by the window--the perfect definition of winter sport, IMHO.
Law wrote: "I just saw The Last Devil to Die at my library, can't wait to read it! Do I have to read the previous books if that's part of a series or can I read it as a standalone?"Best to read in order. You’ll love each and learn the story behind the characters.
