LibGuides: Mystery Reads: Cozy

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Web Sites of Interest

The following web sites provide detailed information about Cozy Mystery books and authors.

Cozy Mystery List
Read this in-depth definition of Cozy Mysteries and examine the listings of authors and books.

Welcome to Cozy Mysteries

Cozy Mysteries

These gentle reads are perfect for curling up with on a rainy day. Cozy Mysteries usually center around a small community - a rural village, a manor house, a small town - and generally shy away from gruesome details or harsh language. Instead, the focus is on character development and, of course, the mystery puzzle itself.

Most of the Classical Mysteries like Agatha Christie's are "Cozies," as are most of the Animal and Culinary Mysteries.

Author Readalike Suggestions

For more Cozy authors, check the Genre Giants of the Culinary and Animal Mysteries.

Susan Witting Albert
Nancy Atherton
Rhys Bowen
Simon Brett
Agatha Christie
Mary Daheim
Dorothy Gilman
Jane Haddam
Joan Hess
Ralph McInerny
Marcia Muller
Elizabeth Peters
Ellery Queen
Alexander McCall Smith
Margaret Truman

Get your hands on

Lavender Lies by Susan Wittig Albert
Call Number: Mystery Albert
ISBN: 0425170322
You don't have to go too far from home to find a Cozy Mystery - this installment of the popular series is set int he Texas Hill Country and features an herbalist/detective.
Evan Blessed by Rhys Bowen
Call Number: Mystery Bowen
ISBN: 0312332068
Rhys Bowen is a popular Cozy Mystery author, and his Evan Evans (yep, that's right!) series is a favorite of many. This installment sees Evans searching for a missing hiker in the Welsh hills.
Murder Boogies with Elvis by Anne George
Call Number: Mystery George
ISBN: 0060198702
This "odd couple" of sisters, one a proper Southern lady, the other a wild and wooly fun-seeker, tackle a murder amongst Elvis impersonators.
Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist by Dorothy Gilman
Call Number: Mystery Gilman
ISBN: 9780593159552
Mrs. Pollifax, an agent for the CIA, travels to the Middle East in a case related to the corrupt reign of Saddam Hussein.
The Charming Quirks of Others by Alexander McCall Smith
Call Number: Mystery Smith
ISBN: 9780307379177
While McCall Smith is known for his African Mysteries set in Botswana, featuring The Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency, he also writes a cozy series set in Scotland. This is new installment in the Isabel Dalhousie series.
Merry Wives of Maggody by Joan Hess
Call Number: Mystery Hess
ISBN: 9780312363611
The small town of Maggody gears up for its very first golf tournament (no matter the town has no golf course!), only to find it marred by murder.

Multi-media

Foyle's War: by The White Feather
Call Number: DVD 791.4572 Foyle's
ISBN: 1569386072
This British Cozy Mystery series is set in the WWII era and features a unique crime-solving duo.

If you like Cozy Mysteries...

Click on the Culinary, Animal Mysteries, and Classic tabs above for more Cozy authors.