What Cozy Mystery Series Should I Start? My Honest Answer

If you're wondering what cozy mystery series to start, here's my answer: start with one where the worst thing that happens to you is wanting a cup of tea and a biscuit halfway through. That's the whole joy of cozy mystery books. A gentle village, a nosy amateur sleuth, a body that turns up somewhere polite (the vicarage garden, the WI bake sale), and absolutely nobody getting chased through a car park by a man with a chainsaw.

I get asked this question SO often by readers who love murder mystery books but have had quite enough of the grim, gory stuff, thank you very much. So here's my very, very honest breakdown of where to start. Including my own series, obviously, because false modesty has never once sold a book.

What Actually Makes a Mystery 'Cozy'

A cozy mystery is a murder mystery book with the violence turned right down and the humour turned right up. No graphic gore. No swearing that'd make your nan blush. Usually an amateur detective rather than a grizzled cop, and usually a small, nosy community where everybody knows everybody's business (and their secrets).

They're also brilliant book club books. There's always something to discuss. Who had the motive, who had the alibi, and whether the vicar really did seem a bit shifty at the fete.

Start Here: Bob and Shirley (Yes, I'm Biased)

Right, my own series first. Bob and Shirley are pub landlords in Great Oakley, a made-up English village where the tea is strong and the murder rate is worryingly high. I write the books in dual first-person, so you get Bob's voice and Shirley's voice alternating chapter by chapter. They bicker. They love each other. They are both, frankly, nosier than is good for them.

If you want cozy mystery books that are warm, funny, and don't take themselves remotely seriously, start there. The whole series is free on Kindle Unlimited, so you've got nothing to lose except an evening you meant to spend doing something more productive.

I'm not going to pretend I'm neutral about this. I wrote them. I love them. But I also think they're a genuinely good starting point if you're new to the genre, because they're gentle without being dull.

Other Cozy Mystery Series Worth Your Time

I am not precious about readers loving other authors too (I promise). If you get through Bob and Shirley and want more murder mystery books in a similar vein, here's where I'd send you next.

M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin books. Agatha is chaotic, vain, hopeless with men, and an absolute delight. If you like your amateur detective flawed and funny rather than flawless, start here.

Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club. A retirement village, four pensioners with surprisingly murky pasts, and a genuinely clever mystery underneath all the charm. Perfect if you want your cozy mystery with a bit more plotting muscle.

Faith Martin's Ryder and Loveday books. Set in 1960s Oxford, properly atmospheric, with a detective heroine who's brilliant and a bit of an outsider. Slightly more period drama, still very cozy at heart.

Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. Less village fete, more chaos and car chases, but the same big-hearted humour that makes cozy mysteries so addictive. A good one if you want a bit more pace.

Rotate through those four and you'll never run out of murder mystery books to read on a rainy Sunday.

How to Actually Pick Your First One

Ask yourself what you're in the mood for. Village and vicarage? Try Agatha Raisin or Bob and Shirley. Clever puzzle with heart? Thursday Murder Club. A bit of period atmosphere? Faith Martin. Fast and funny? Janet Evanovich.

Honestly, you can't go far wrong. That's the beauty of cozy mystery books. They're built to be comforting, not stressful, so pick whichever cover makes you smile and go from there.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between a cozy mystery and a regular murder mystery book?

Cozy mysteries keep the violence off the page, skip the swearing and graphic content, and usually feature an amateur sleuth rather than a professional detective. Regular murder mystery books can go much darker and grittier. If you want comfort reading with a puzzle attached, cozy is your genre.

Are cozy mystery books good for book clubs?

Very much so. Cozy mysteries make brilliant book club books because there's a clear puzzle to pick apart (who did it, and why), plenty of humour to enjoy together, and nothing so dark it ruins your evening. Bob and Shirley get a lot of book club love for exactly this reason.

Can I read cozy mysteries free on Kindle Unlimited?

Yes. My whole Bob and Shirley series is free on Kindle Unlimited, and plenty of other cozy mystery books from authors like M.C. Beaton and Faith Martin are too. Always worth checking before you buy.

Where should I start with the Bob and Shirley series?

Start at book one and go in order. Bob and Shirley's relationship and Great Oakley's gossip build nicely as the series goes on, and you'll want the full picture of who's who in the village before the bodies start piling up.

Whatever you pick, I hope it makes you laugh, keeps you guessing, and gives you a proper excuse to ignore the washing up for an evening.

Suzy xx