15 of the Best Mystery Romance Books

After reluctant alchemist Zoe Faust moves to Portland, she is surprised to discover that a gargoyle named Dorian Robert-Houdin has followed her — and he needs her help deciphering an ancient text. When a murder occurs that appears to be linked to the text, she has no choice but to investigate. This fantasy mystery series features a romantic subplot that takes place over the course of several books.

When the police supposedly arrest a killer targeting women in 19th century England, newspaper columnist Lady Katherine Bascomb has suspicions that they caught the wrong person. After witnessing a murder and crossing paths with Detective Inspector Andrew Eversham, she is determined to catch the real killer — even if it means reluctantly joining forces with Andrew.

Daisy Ellery can bake magic into her pies, and she often uses it to deliver justice in her small town. But when a stranger blackmails her to use her magic for their own evil purposes, she must put a stop to her blackmailer before she or other innocent people are harmed. This darkly humorous culinary mystery includes a queer romantic subplot.

When Meddy Chan accidentally kills her blind date, she is shocked when her mother and aunties (who run a wedding business) are more than prepared to help her hide the body. But when a series of mishaps accidentally brings the body along with them to a destination wedding, Meddy must manage avoiding a murder charge while also navigating a second chance at love when she runs into her ex-boyfriend.

World War II veteran and doctor Jamie Sommers longs for a quiet life. But when a murder shocks the countryside village where he lives, he joins forces with a mysterious stranger named Leo Page to catch the killer. As unexpected feelings arise between Sommers and Page, they must navigate their relationship to one another amidst the growing danger they put themselves in as they investigate the crime.

Alessandro Cardenas is an actor investigating the culprit behind a series of art forgeries. For him, it’s very close to home: the forgeries are of his grandfather’s work. When he meets gallerist Angeline Louis, sparks fly in between the secrets that both are determined to keep.

After moving to a cottage in the English countryside, 40-year-old biromantic asexual Pineapple “Motts” Mottley’s peaceful life is thrown into chaos when she finds a dead body in her garden. As she finds herself drawn into the case, Motts tries her hand at amateur sleuthing while managing her business and growing close to local detective Teo Herceg.

When her sister and father become suspects in a series of murders, Charlotte Holmes uses her wits to solve the case under the name of Sherlock Holmes. Like the Accidental Alchemist series mentioned earlier, the romantic subplot in this series progresses over multiple novels.

Rather than a meet cute, the romantic subplot in this whodunit is between an already-married couple as they work through their differences and reignite the spark between them. When true crime podcaster Liza and her wife, Hanna, take a weekend trip to a hotel in the Scottish Highlands, the last thing she expects is for work to follow her there. But someone begins killing off the guests one by one, and Liza must use her investigative skills to catch the murderer.

After setting up a pet care shop in Hollywood, Mimi Lee’s dreams of running her own business take a horrifying turn when she is accused of murder. Together, with the help of her cute neighbor, Josh, and her dog, Marshmallow, she sets out to find the culprit.

Things could be going better for struggling mystery writer Declan Kensington but at least he’s not involved in a real-life investigation, right? Wrong. When he’s framed for murder on his Christmas vacation after a series of anonymous threats, he must catch the killer to clear his name with the help of local Public Safety Commissioner Curtis Monroe.

When champion shot Patricia Merton is invited to the Earl of Witton’s country house for a shooting party, she finds herself drawn to Fenella Carruth — who is unhappily engaged. As Pat and Fen grow closer, they are thrown into a murder investigation when a body is found in this queer historical romance.

After MBA grad Bronwyn Crewse returns home to run her family’s small town ice cream shop, she is thrilled to begin renovations. But a mishap-filled opening day becomes even worse when a dead body is found near the shop and Win’s father is accused of the crime. It’s up to Win to catch the real killer. The slow burn romance in this series builds up over several novels.

After Dana Barry is picked to be the new host of The Shopping Channel, she is thrilled to finally land a job that matches her interests. But when the former host is found shot to death, Dana must balance investigating the murder with pursuing a chance at romance.

Being stuck on a vacation tour with his ex sounds like a nightmare to librarian Carter Matheson, but unfortunately, it is the reality he finds himself in. But when another tourist is found killed, Carter is compelled to solve the case along with his mysterious and handsome roommate for the trip, John Knight.