Mystery books are always fun to read and finding new authors can give you a ton of new books to read in the future. If you like this genre of books, you’re most likely on the hunt for the top cozy mystery authors.
Cozy mystery is its own genre of books that spark memories of watching old Murder, She Wrote shows. They’re under the umbrella of true crime but without any of the violence that comes with typical mysteries.
These books are often also part of whole series so people can really get into a character and a world that the author has built.
If you’re a fan of true crime but find the cases too gory or overwhelming at times, cozy mysteries might be a great alternative for you. The killer is almost always caught, too, giving some closure to each story and book.
We’ve put together a list of top cozy mystery authors. Some were from the past and paved the way for this genre to thrive. Some are current writers and stories for you to dive into. Either way, it will give you a whole new list of books to add to your reading piles.
What are cozy mystery books?
Cozy mystery are books that are a sub-genre of crime fiction. While they still are mysteries, they don’t usually contain much (or any) sex, profanity, or violence.
In lots of crime fiction books, sex and violence are key to the plot or overall story of the book. There are few violent police chase scenes, if any at all. They rarely revolve around serial killers or any kind of related crimes.
Essentially, you could never make them into the type of movie where there are tons of chase scenes, guns, and blood.
Cozy mystery books are often modeled after the Golden Age of detective fiction.
You’ll find that most of these books take place in small towns and often with detectives who are amateur sleuths. Instead of using complicated detective techniques or forensics, they often solve crimes through intuition and talking to people in the town.
Because they’re not usually law enforcement, people are more likely to talk to them with their guard down, getting insights others could not.
They also almost always are based in a small town or village, giving more of an intimate atmosphere. It’s important the town is interesting and the main character is likable, since that will prompt readers to come back and read more of their books in the series.
While it’s not a book, the famous Murder, She Wrote starring Angela Lansbury is one of the most well-known shows of all time that embody the type of feel of cozy mysteries. Most of us can imagine what that show was like and how it was a calm show about solving mysteries with likable characters.
Throughout the years, we have seen the genre begin to grow and start to push some boundaries on the topics that they cover, which is adding more to the ongoing debate of which books are still considered cozy mysteries or not.
Top Cozy Mystery Authors
Let’s take a look at some of the top cozy mystery authors of all time for you to check out. Then, we’ll dive into some of the top cozy mystery series so you can find a new story to hook you in. From there, we’ll go over some new series for you to check out from newer authors.
Agatha Christie
No list would ever be complete without mentioning the top cozy mystery author of all time, Agatha Christie. She is the one who lead the way for this genre to thrive and all of the authors who came after her to have a new genre to write books for.
One of her most well-known characters is Miss Marple who starred in a ton of her books. The first book she makes an appearance in is The Murder at the Vicarage. It’s a character that evolves over time but her stories and role stay the same through all of the novels.
There are twelve books in total with Miss Marple as the main star. That gives you more than enough books to dive into, fill your reading bucket, and revisit the classics that started the trend.
Lilian Jackson Braun
Lilian Jackson Braun wrote the famous The Cat Who series which spans over 29 different books featuring a reporter named Jim Qwilleran and his two cats.
It’s a wonderful series that gives you more than enough stories to read.
Dorothy L. Sayers
As the writer of the Lord Peter Wimsey book series, she is considered one of the original four “Queens of Crime” book authors. She has quite a few other books as well, but the 14 books about Lord Peter Wimsey are her longest cozy mysteries.
It should be noted that a lot of the women who were the leaders of this genre were criticized for almost writing books that were “too fluffy” instead of being what they called “serious crime novels”.
Cozy Mystery Series
If you’re looking for a series or book to dive into and become obsessed with, let’s look at some of the options out there.
Keep in mind, there are so many mystery series that this list is only scratching the surface of the ones out there.
Gethsemane Brown Series by Alexa Gordon
Starting with the first book, Murder in G Major, we meet Gethsemane Brown, who is an African-American classical musician and expatriate to an Irish village. Travel through southwestern Ireland in this 4-part paranormal series.
The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris
The Southern Vampire Mysteries is a series that spans over 13 books and is most well-known for being the series behind the show, True Blood.
Cat in the Stacks Series by Dean James
The Cat in the Stacks mystery series is a 15-part series set in the South. We meet Charlie Harris, who is a local librarian, and his cat named Diesel. It’s up to Charlie and Diesel to solve the local murder mysteries in the town and figure out the age old “Who done it?” question.
New Cozy Books and Authors
Now that we’ve covered some of the most famous authors and the biggest series, let’s go over some of the newer cozy mystery authors and their books.
Killer Content by Olivia Blacke
Set in New York, we meet Odessa who is trying to solve the murder of a fellow. Cops have declared this case just a simple accident but she knows there’s something more to it.
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q Sutanto
What happens when your mom and your meddling aunts help you get rid of a body after a terrible blind date? Well, if you read this book, you’ll find out exactly how this unfolds. It’s both a comedy and a mystery, so you can enjoy the best of both worlds.
A Sprinkling of Murder by Daryl Wood Gerber
In this book, we meet Courtney. She lost her mother when she was young and stopped believing in magic. As an adult, she is thrust into a mystery when the neighboring business owner ends up dead. She must now find her way back to her magic roots and solve the crime before her life falls apart.
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