Cosy Crime. Those two words shouldn’t go together, but here we are.
Autumn is the perfect time to read a good cosy crime novel or two, so here are five I think will serve you well.
Anything written by Agatha Christie
Is this a cop-out? Well, yes. However, it’s true. Her work is the epitome of cosy crime if you ask me. In particular, for the cosiest of reading, I recommend The Crooked House, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, The Body in the Libary and Murder on the Orient Express.
She did write a Halloween story, aptly named Hallowe’en Party, but to be honest, it is one of her weaker ones.
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Is there anything cosier than a pot of tea shared with good friends? A murder to go along with it, apparently.
Four pensioners are bored out of their minds in a sleepy retirement village, so they form a small group to discuss cold cases. Things take a turn when a bloody murder happens, shaking the village to its core. Our four decided to upgrade from simply talking about old murders to trying to stop the current killer before it’s too late. They may be old, but they will stop at nothing to protect their home. You know what they say, with age comes wisdom. Let’s hope that’s enough to get the job done.
The Maid by Nita Prose
Molly Gray is a simple soul. She only wants to do her job and takes pride in work well done. It’s hard to do when a wealthy man is found dead in his room and you, due to your interesting personality, are accused of murder.
Charles Black’s body made a mess of the Regency Grand Hotel room he called home for a bit, but it threatens to stain Molly’s life. Thankfully some unlikely help comes to her cause, in the form of her co-workers, who want to help her prove her innocence to a police force that is dead set on her being the perpetrator. Can they convince them in time?
The Ghost and Mrs McClure by Alice Kimberly
A haunted bookshop. Need I say more?
Penelope Thornton-McClure, better known as Pen, manages a mystery bookshop with her aunt that the local legend tells is haunted. Pen doesn’t put much stock into it until a popular thriller writer drops dead after dropping the bombshell regarding the shop’s past.
Someone offers to help her get to the bottom of all this. The only hitch is this is someone who died fifty years ago. A murdered PI. He died in the very spot the writer did and is convinced said writer was also murdered. The two make an unlikely pair, but this partnership might be just the ticket to solving the bizarre situation.
A Potion to Die For by Heather Blake
Little Shop of Potions is best known for its love potions. Proprietor Carly Bell Hartwell can barely keep up with demand. A contributing factor to her success is the prophecy of the local soothsayer, forwarning of an upcoming divorce in the town. So, lovers are quick to stock up on potions to prevent their partners from leaving them.
I mean, couples therapy is also a choice but go off.
Anyway, things are going very well until a man is found dead in her shop with one of her bottles. Her good fortune is gone in seconds and the town now hates her. She better catch the true killer soon, before the witch hunt goes old school.
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