Cozy Mystery Books to Read for the Wannabe Sleuth

19 Apr 2016

When you feel like taking a crack at a good mystery without being weighed down by all of the violence and downright unpleasantness that can come with the territory, it doesn’t take a professional sleuth to know a cozy mystery is the answer. Still not sure where to begin? Never fear, we’ve compiled a list Cozy Mystery Books to Read for the Wannabe Sleuth.

Looking to read more cozy mysteries? Find them in our posts including Miss Marple, Denise Grover Swank, Female Sleuths, Culinary Twists, Cozy Mysteries, More Cozy MysteriesCozy Beach Reads, and Pool-side Reads.

Cozy Mystery Books to Read for the Wannabe Sleuth


B01208O1D6 cover image

Mug Shot: A Java Jive Mystery

Caroline Fardig

Release Date: April 19, 2016

Mug Shot

Buy on Amazon Buy Nook Book Buy iBook

Full of humor and suspense, the bestselling Java Jive series heats up as the irrepressible heroine of Death Before Decaf faces off against Nashville’s high society to solve a shocking murder. Former musician Juliet Langley has barely had a moment off since taking over management of the coffeehouse owned by her best friend, Pete Bennett. When Pete is arrested for the murder of his snobby socialite girlfriend, Juliet will have to crack the case before the killer comes back for another shot.


B009VR4T3W cover image

Murder in E Minor

Robert Goldsborough

Release Date: November 13, 2015

Just two years after his retirement, Nero Wolfe’s past returns with deadly intent. Maria Radovich — the daughter of Wolfe’s old freedom fighter compatriot, New York Symphony conductor Milos Stefanovic — requests his help. Her father has been receiving death threats. Before Wolfe can solve the case, Stefanovic is murdered, and for the first time in years, Wolfe and his trusty assistant must go to war.

Buy on Amazon Buy Nook Book Buy iBook

B00HO12CTK cover image

The Pot Thief Who Studied Pythagoras

J. Michael Orenduff

Release Date: January 28, 2014

Hubie Schuze must solve the case of a $25,000 pot theft — or he could be in serious trouble. A dealer of ancient Native American pottery, Hubie has spent years digging for artwork in New Mexico. He’s a thief, and a proud one at that. But he didn’t steal the missing rare pot worth $25,000 from a local museum, even though a federal agent suspects he’s the culprit. Hubie must find the thief quickly, or risk cracking something even more fragile — his skull.

Buy on AmazonBuy Nook BookBuy iBook


B00XG9BTC0 cover image

The Big Brush-Off

Michael Murphy

Release Date: February 9, 2016

The glamorous crime-solving duo of Jake and Laura Donovan return in Michael Murphy’s witty, fast-paced mystery series — perfect for fans of Dorothy Cannell and Christopher Fowler. Ten years ago, the murder of a teenage girl interrupted life in the quiet Pennsylvania town where Jake worked as a Pinkerton detective. Left unsolved, the case has always gnawed at Jake. Can he and Laura find the truth as they dig up old ghosts?

Buy on Amazon Buy Nook Book Buy iBook

B01C7NZ1ZQ cover image

Digging Up Bones

Aimee Gilchrist

Release Date: February 24, 2016

Helen Harding is really good at picking losers. Her exes range from merely lazy to legitimately criminal, and everywhere in between. After leaving another fiancé, Helen is desperate to get out of town. When her aunt Penny is murdered, Helen takes it upon herself to seek atonement — much to the chagrin of the local volunteer sheriff.

Buy on Amazon Buy Nook Book Buy iBook

B01B7D8CJ4 cover image

There’s Something About Marty

Wendy Delaney

Release Date: January 28, 2016

It was bad luck that Marty McCutcheon died on his birthday. Then again, since Marty is the third husband his young widow, Victoria, has buried, maybe luck had nothing to do with it. As Deputy Coroner Charmaine Digby looks into the case, she decides Victoria McCutcheon is either the most skilled liar she’s ever encountered, or someone else has implicated her in a vast web of lies to cover their tracks.

Buy on Amazon Buy Nook Book Buy iBook

Sign up for our email and we’ll send you the best new books to read in your favorite genres weekly. 


grant