26 of the Best Cozy Mystery Series

Start with: Death by Dumpling

After breaking up with her boyfriend and leaving an unfulfilling job, Lana Lee returns to Cleveland to help run her family’s Chinese restaurant. But when murders occur in the Asian Village Plaza, Lana works hard to catch the killer and clear the names of any innocent friends.

Start with: Wish You Were Here

When unusual deaths occur in Crozet, Virginia, citizens can count on mail carrier Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen to find the killer. But not without the help of her two keen-eyed pets: Mrs. Murphy the tabby cat and Tucker the Welsh corgi.

Start with: Murder in G Major

Classical musician Gethsemane Brown never expected to be teaching at a school in the Irish countryside. But her biggest shock is yet to come. When the ghost haunting her cottage contacts her from beyond the grave, Gethsemane investigates a crime that could put her in serious danger.

Start with: The Cracked Spine

When Delaney Nichols is hired by a book and rare manuscript shop in Scotland, the job offer almost seems too good to be true. But upon arriving, she discovers two things: 1) that the bookshop is real and absolutely wonderful, and 2) that some people are willing to kill for rare literary artifacts.

Start with: Cat About Town

Maddie James has high hopes of opening a cat cafe in her coastal Massachusetts hometown. But in between making business plans and setting up her shop, she solves crimes to protect other locals and keep innocent people from being falsely accused.

Start with: The Vampire Knitting Club

Following a break-up with her truly awful boyfriend, Lucy Swift travels to her grandmother’s knitting shop in Oxford to get back on her feet. But her grandmother has changed. She’s a vampire, a member of the undead, and what’s worse — she was murdered. With the help of the shop’s knitting club, Lucy solves a series of paranormal murders.

Start with: Elementary, She Read

While her Uncle Arthur is away, Gemma Doyle returns to Cape Cod so she can run his Sherlock Holmes–themed bookshop. But a rare and valuable artifact brings a murder case to her door, and she must investigate the crime with her friend and tea shop owner Jayne to clear her name.

Start with: The Plot is Murder

When former teacher and aspiring author Samantha Washington opened her mystery bookstore, it was a dream come true. But when murders occur in her small Michigan town, Samantha must put her sleuthing knowledge to the test and help catch the culprit.

Start with: Hummus and Homicide

Fed up with her fast-paced law firm, Lucy Berberian returns to her Jersey Shore hometown and waitresses at her parents’ Mediterranean restaurant. But after she’s framed for the murder of her former high school nemesis, Lucy becomes an amateur sleuth.

Start with: The Secret, Book, and Scone Society

Miracle Springs is known for its remarkable healing qualities, and bookseller Nora Pennington always has a book to help her customers find catharsis. In this series, Nora and other members of the Secret, Book, and Scone Society solve crimes and protect each other from danger.

Start with: Crime and Poetry

After a tragic death changed her life forever as a teenager, Violet Waverly never wanted to move back her hometown. But when her Grandma Daisy convinces her to return, Violet discovers that her grandma’s bookshop is magical — and can help her solve local crimes.

Start with: A Deadly Inside Scoop

After Bronwyn “Win” Crewse graduates with her MBA, she returns home to restore and run her family’s ice cream parlor. But when she finds a corpse on the day of the shop’s reopening, the only way she can clear her family’s name is by solving the crime herself.

Start with: Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death

After retiring early from her fast-paced PR career, Agatha Raisin settles down in the English countryside. But her new quiet life leaves her bored, and she soon finds herself investigating crimes around her village.

Start with: Mimi Lee Gets a Clue

Mimi Lee is delighted to open a pet grooming shop in Los Angeles, though solving California murders on the side does keep her busy. Luckily, she can rely on the help of Marshmallow: her talking cat who has a sharp sense of humor.

Start with: Murder by the Book

Addie Greyborne is a rare book specialist who returns to her New England hometown after inheriting her aunt’s estate. After her friend Selena is accused of a crime she didn’t commit, Addie must use the sleuthing skills she developed tracking antique books to solve murders.

Start with: A Spell for Trouble

After her mother passed away, Alexandra “Alex” Daniels’s North Carolina hometown held too many sad memories for her to stay. Years later, however, Alex finds herself back to run her family’s magical apothecary business — and investigate crimes along the way.

Start with: Murder at Pirate’s Cove

When he’s not playing a game of Scrabble, Ellery Page runs a bookshop he inherited in a seaside Rhode Island village. Murderous intentions, however, lurk even in the most peaceful of places. It will take all of Ellery’s wits to catch the killers and stay out of danger.

Start with: Puzzling Ink

Coping with obsessive-compulsive disorder can be tough, but Quinn Carr takes comfort in her love of words and side gig at the local newspaper creating crossword puzzles. But when a customer at her day job is killed, Quinn discovers that she’s not only good at solving puzzles but crimes as well.

Start with: Hollywood Homicide

All down-on-her-luck actress Dayna Harrison wanted was to make enough money to help her parents. When she inadvertently becomes a witness to a Hollywood crime, however, her path diverges into murder investigations.

Start with: Murder Past Due

Librarian Charlie Harris and his cat Diesel are known and loved in small-town Athena, Mississippi. Although he came to Athena to get more reading time, he finds himself investigating local — and often literary — murders.

Start with: Grounds for Murder

Barista Lana Lewis spends her days running her café and trying to hold her own against rival shops. But even in her small Florida town, unusual deaths occur — deaths that warrant Lana’s investigation.

Start with: Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder

Hannah Swensen is a baker with a sharp wit and even sharper culinary talent. In this series, Hannah is embroiled in dessert-themed mysteries that she must solve in each book (with a recipe for readers who want to practice their own baking skills).

Start with: Murder Once Removed

Genealogist Lucy Lancaster has a knack for research and an eye for detail. Using both skills, she solves both historical and present-day murders.

Start with: Aunt Dimity’s Death

When her distant Aunt Dimity dies, Lori Shepherd is surprised to learn that she has inherited an estate. Even more astounding is that Aunt Dimity’s spirit helps Lori solve murders with the help of a journal.

Start with: Aunty Lee’s Delights

Following her husband’s death, Aunty Rosie Lee devotes her time to her Singaporean restaurant. But life is not as peaceful as she might have expected. When local murders occur, Aunty Lee is there with her wit and her keen eye for details to solve the crime.