Cozy Mysteries with Humour Like Janet Evanovich

Cozy mysteries with humour like Janet Evanovich do exist - and they are SO very good. If you've powered through the entire Stephanie Plum series and you're now staring at your Kindle thinking 'what now?', don't panic. I've got you covered.

The best cozy mystery books share that same warm, chaotic, brilliantly readable quality that makes Janet Evanovich SO addictive. Flawed protagonists making questionable decisions. Characters who feel like your actual mates. And murder plots that somehow stay light and funny throughout.

These are also the very best book club books, for the record. Nothing gets a book group going like a cozy mystery with a genuinely ridiculous plot.

Why Cozy Mystery Books with Humour Are So Irresistible

The genius of Janet Evanovich is that she takes crime - actual murder, actual danger - and makes it feel like a screwball comedy. That's incredibly hard to do.

The cozy mystery genre does this better than almost any other type of fiction. You get real stakes, proper mystery, and yet somehow you're smiling on almost every page.

Good Kindle Unlimited books in this genre are out there in droves. And once you find the right series, you'll get through them at an alarming speed.

The Best Cozy Mystery Books Like Janet Evanovich

Bob and Shirley's Guide to Murder by Suzy K Quinn

Right, let me be upfront - this is my own series. But I promise you it genuinely belongs here.

Bob is a former fireman who now runs the Goose and Gander pub in the fictional Suffolk village of Great Oakley. He is wonderfully, blissfully tactless - the kind of man who will discuss the health complications of obesity into a live microphone while a slimming group sits in earshot. He also tends his vegetable garden with the precision of a forensic scientist and keeps a clipboard nearby at all times.

Shirley - that's me - is his wife. I am very, very much in charge of keeping Bob from causing a diplomatic incident, which is essentially a full-time job. I also enjoy Guinness, wine, gin, prosecco and a very large meat pie. Sometimes all in the same sitting. I make no apology for that.

We solve murders in alternating voices - Bob and Shirley each narrate their own chapters - so you get two completely different reactions to the same disasters. It is SO very funny. Free on Kindle Unlimited and perfect book club books.

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

If somehow you haven't started here yet - please do. Stephanie Plum is a bounty hunter who has never caught anyone in her life. She is magnificent. These murder mystery books are chaotic, romantic, and very, very funny.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

Four retired friends - a former spy, a nurse, a trade union activist, and a psychologist - solve cold cases from their care home in Kent. It has absolutely no right to be as funny as it is.

Richard Osman writes cozy mystery books with enormous warmth and proper comic timing. These are the kind of book club books that everyone in the group ends up loving, even the ones who 'don't really do crime fiction'. Available on Kindle Unlimited.

Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death by M.C. Beaton

Agatha Raisin is opinionated, brilliant, and exhausting in the very best way. She moves to the Cotswolds expecting a peaceful life and immediately involves herself in a murder investigation involving a very bad quiche.

These are some of the most addictive Kindle Unlimited books in the cozy mystery genre. Proper English village mayhem. Very, very satisfying.

What Makes These Cozy Mystery Books Similar to Janet Evanovich?

They all share the same brilliant formula. A protagonist who is trying their very best and getting it slightly wrong. Wonderful supporting characters who steal scenes constantly. And murder plots that stay fun rather than frightening.

These are also, to a book, excellent Kindle Unlimited books. You can work through an entire series without spending a fortune, which is very pleasing.

And they are SO perfect as book club books. Nothing starts a discussion like a funny cozy mystery where everyone has a different opinion on who did it.

FAQ: Cozy Mysteries with Humour

Are there cozy mysteries as funny as Stephanie Plum?

Yes, absolutely. The Bob and Shirley series by Suzy K Quinn, The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, and the Agatha Raisin series by M.C. Beaton all have that same warm comedy. Most are available as Kindle Unlimited books.

What makes a cozy mystery funny?

The best funny cozy mystery books have a protagonist who is disaster-prone, supporting characters who steal scenes, and a community setting where everyone is in everyone else's business. The humour comes from character, not from the crime itself.

Are funny cozy mysteries still proper murder mystery books?

Very much so. The murder is real, the mystery is satisfying, and the stakes feel genuine. The comedy sits alongside the crime. These are very, very proper murder mystery books - they just also happen to make you laugh.

Are these cozy mystery books available on Kindle Unlimited?

Many of them are. The Bob and Shirley series by Suzy K Quinn is free on Kindle Unlimited, as are many books in the Agatha Raisin series. Kindle Unlimited books in the cozy mystery genre are SO plentiful right now - it's a very good time to start a new series.

Happy reading, lovely readers!

Suzy xx