Cozy Mystery Books

The best cozy mystery book reviews. Cozy mysteries, or “cozies,” are typically murder mysteries in which most of the associated violence and sex are not graphically depicted. In many cases, the crimes are carried out in small communities, and profanity is typically non-existent or mild.

Death by Saxophone, The Year’s Best Mystery

The Bottom Line: Winner, Best Mystery, The BestThrillers.com Book Awards. Highly recommended..  There’s no way to properly describe Death by Saxophone without first defining the object of its characters’ obsession: black market recordings called “bone records.” Also called “ribs,” bone records are bootlegged gramophone recordings first made from X-ray films as a way to smuggle banned music in and out of the Soviet Union.  When smooth jazz […]

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Runway Dreams, a Humorous and Addictive Murder Mystery

The Bottom Line: We’re smitten by this exceptionally fresh, high-watt glam murder mystery. Curvaceous model Bernadette has an amazing house, a close-knit family, a trust fund, and a law degree to fall back upon if she ever grows tired of modeling. What could be missing in her life? Love, of course. Soon after dipping her designer heels into the world of online dating, Bernadette meets

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The Best Female Detective Books, Ranked (Updated!)

We love great detectives, no matter who they are and where they hail from. But at times, we crave the point of view and approach to casework that only a female detective can bring. The canon of great female literary sleuths include those from a wide variety of countries, eras and ethnicities. However, thrillers featuring female sleuths are still a little harder to find, which

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The RX for Murder, a Poignant Mystery by Sue Hinkin

The Bottom Line: Lovable amateur sleuths take on Big Pharma in a highly personal and poignant mystery about corporate greed and friendship. After the murder of a veteran reporter David Pine, amateteur sleuths Bea Middleton and Lucy Vega are drawn into the likely reason for his death: an in-progress story about big pharma selling generic medicine with little or no active ingredients to the poorest

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When You Leave Me, an Irresistible Small Town Murder Mystery by Susan Wingate

The Bottom Line: An intense, irresistible small town murder mystery that crackles with twists.  When You Leave Me dangles its delicious first clue in the opening sentence: a shoe containing a human foot, one of several that have washed ashore on the San Juan Islands over the past year. Does it belong to Larry Michaels, whose footless body was found months earlier?  Susan Wingate’s fifth Friday Harbor novel – which

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Gottiguard, a Painfully Funny, Can’t-Miss Mystery by Rich Leder

The Bottom Line: Witty Sleuth Kate McCall returns to solve her father’s murder in this supremely satisfying and painfully funny mystery.  When readers first fell in love with Kate McCall, Rich Leder’s Workman’s Complication introduced us to the clever way-off-Broadway actress who walked dogs for a living. After her father’s brutal murder, she inherited his PI firm and reluctantly took over his cases. Gottiguard takes

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Gag Me, a Must-Read Whodunnit by Susan Wingate

The Bottom Line: A must-read whodunnit that is fresh, funny and truly innovative. Gag Me transports readers into the fragile psyche of a small-town waitress whose best friend, Winsey, is murdered. She works at a diner in tiny Friday Harbor, Washington, and had the misfortune of being the last person seen with Winsey. As such, she’s called in for questioning, and soon after, taken to

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Writers Like Janet Evanovich

Since the 1996 novel One For the Money, Janet Evanovich has been the gold standard among humorous mystery novelists. The book featured Stephanie Plum, a former lingerie buyer who becomes a bounty hunter to make ends meet after losing her job. Plum often finds herself in hilarious conundrums as she goes about her business. There have been 26 Plum novels in total, with the last

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Hercule Poirot's Christmas

Cozy Mystery Classic: Hercule Poirot’s Christmas

This one is hardly new, but would could be more perfect for the holiday season? I for one, will be spending several hours with the legendary sleuth! Sometimes, you just want a classic. Agatha Christie, the acknowledged mistress of suspense—creator of indomitable sleuth Miss Marple, meticulous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, and so many other unforgettable characters—brings her entire oeuvre of ingenious whodunits, locked room mysteries, and

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Nine Perfect Strangers, a Hilarious New Mystery by Liane Moriarty

The Bottom Line: Fans of Big Little Lies are already on board with this lighthearted mystery, and you should be too. Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Some are here to lose weight, some are here to get a reboot on life, some are here for reasons they can’t even admit to themselves. Amidst all of the luxury and pampering, the mindfulness and meditation, they

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