I have been reading cozy mysteries for the past 22 years. I was a recent college graduate, working as a Youth Services Provider at our City library system. I remember borrowing a copy of Catering to Nobody, book one in the Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery Series by Diane Mott Davidson from my soon to be mother-in-law. I loved it. I asked her how I could find more books like this and the world of cozy mysteries was opened to me. 

While I worked in the Children’s department of the library, it was just across the hall from the fiction room so I could easily pop in to browse the shelves. I also learned quickly how to search and request items from all the branches. It was a delight. 

So what exactly is a cozy mystery? Here’s a great definition from  Bookish Brews “Cozy mystery is a sub-genre of crime fiction, where sex, violence, and cursing are kept to a minimum, and often happen off stage. The tone of cozies is generally light, comedic, and comforting.” 

Why Do I Love Cozy Mysteries? 

There are many reasons. First, cozy mysteries center on a crime that has taken place off page so there isn’t any gore or violence. While I can handle thrillers, I do not like to be terrified. A cozy mystery lets me solve a puzzle without making me sleep with all the lights on. 

I also love that the person solving the crime is typically an amateur and can have almost any job. Seriously. Name a job and I would bet that there is a cozy mystery featuring a character with that profession. Librarians and booksellers are popular (these are my favorite), but there are also chefs, campground owners, teachers, writers, dog walkers…everything!  

Cozy mysteries can be set not only in a wide variety of locations, but also can take place from current day to past. I wonder if there is a space setting for a cozy mystery? I’ll need to look that one up! Reading a cozy mystery is like gentle armchair travel. And if the cozy mystery is a series (I would say the majority of cozy mysteries are series), readers get to revisit favorite places (and characters) over and over. It’s like visiting with an old friend. 

Most importantly for me, when everything feels complicated and hard, cozy mysteries have solutions and that brings me great comfort. I love settling back in with favorite characters (or even new characters in a new to me series), in a cozy setting and knowing that while my fictitious friends might be facing troubles at the start of the novel, by the end everything will be resolved and comfort and peace will be restored. 

The Series that Started My Love of Cozy Mysteries

As I mentioned above, the first cozy mysteries I read were Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery Series by Diane Mott Davidson. First published in 1990, there are 17 entries to this delightful series. 

After Goldy Bear, I moved on to the Death on Demand Series by Carolyn Hart. First published in 1987, there are 26 entries to enjoy in this series. This is the series that sparked my love for cozy mysteries centered on anything bookish (booksellers, librarians, etc). 

Favorite Series: I’m All Caught Up

Here’s a short list of just some of my very favorite cozy mystery series. I’ve read all entries to the following series and eagerly await each new entry (or I mourn the end of the series):

A White House Chef Mystery Series by Julie Hyzy (oh how I wish there were more in this series)

Family Skeleton Mystery Series by Leigh Perry (this series made me wish for my very own Sid the Skeleton and I shed a tear when the series ended)

The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter Series by Susan Wittig Albert (the ultimate in cozy mystery comfort, this series is also complete)

Cat in the Stacks Series by Miranda James (Jump in now! Book 15 just came out)

Writer’s Apprentice Mystery Series by Julia Buckley (Wonderful atmosphere!) 

Resources

Here are some wonderful resources for cozy lovers: 

The Cozy Mystery List Blog (you can find EVERYTHING on here, I check it all the time!) 

The Cozy Mystery Book Club (be sure to sign up for the email newsletter!)

Cozy Mystery Challenge Prompts (Up your cozy mystery reading game by following along with their yearly challenges)  

Do you read cozy mysteries? What are your favorites? Wishing you many happy reading experiences!