It might seem a little weird, given the whole murder thing, but there’s something so relaxing about slipping into a cozy mystery like The Sheep Detectives that soothes my mind like nothing else. So, to keep the vibe going, I’ve rounded up 11 more cozy mystery books featuring unlikely detectives (some animal and some human) with settings that you’ll want to get lost in.
Obviously, you can’t go wrong with the book that The Sheep Detectives is based on. Plus, if you love it, there’s a sequel: Big Bad Wool, where the sheep and their new shepherdess travel to a French chateau where another mystery awaits them.
This is the first of another cozy mystery series, this time centering on a group of 70-somethings who pass the time in their retirement community by looking into unsolved cold cases. But what will happen when they find themselves in the midst of a live murder investigation? This book has also been adapted into a Netflix movie, starring Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan.
A grumpy pony named Pony tracks down the only little girl he ever loved, Penny. Penny’s all grown up now, and she’s just been accused of murder. Pony is convinced that she’s innocent, and he sets out to figure out who the real killer is and clear her name.
Like the book cover says, “When in trouble, call an Aunty.” When Kasaur’s 30-something daughter is accused of killing her boutique’s evil landlord, Kasaur heads to Toronto, where she teams up with her teenage granddaughter and a few old friends to solve the murder. And if you like this book, Kasaur returns for the sequel, Moonlight Murder.
In a village populated by woodland creatures, a new fox reporter, Vera Vixen, moves to town. A suspicious death occurs, and Vera investigates for murder. Shady Hollow feels to me like a classic Agatha Christie mystery set in the world of The Wind in the Willows, and it’s also a series, with four more books to follow if you want to spend more time in its world.
Who better to catch a killer than another killer? Carol is a retired serial killer who’s done her time. Now, she’s settling in at a new retirement home when a fellow resident turns up dead. Due to her past, um, activities, Carol is the prime suspect, so she starts investigating the crime to prove her innocence.
Vera Wong owns a tea shop in San Francisco’s Chinatown, and before she winds up in the middle of investigating a murder, her idea of detective work is lurking on her son’s social media to see if he’s dating anybody. Then, a body turns up in her shop, and nothing can keep Vera off the case. Plus, if you like spending time with Vera, there’s a sequel you can enjoy next!
When Conrad the calico cat chooses recently widowed Lulu as his new human, he doesn’t know they’re about to be plunged into a mystery. Then, Lulu’s mother-in-law suddenly dies under suspicious circumstances, and Lulu resolves to find out what really happened, with Conrad by her side, of course. This is the start of a series, so if you like solving this mystery with Conrad, there are three more waiting for you.
This locked-room mystery set in a Cornwall mansion in 1910 gives major Knives Out meets Downton Abbey vibes. Fearing that the passing of Halley’s Comet is about to bring on an apocalypse, the Viscount of Tithe Hall seals up his ancestral hall, only to be found dead in his locked study. Then, the hall’s newest under-butler and the family matriarch team up as an unlikely pair of detectives to figure out whodunnit.
Mrs. Blossom is a private investigator’s assistant who turns detective when her vacation goes horribly wrong. She feels a spark with a man she meets on her flight to catch a cruise ship, but he turns up dead the very next day. Now she’s on the case on board a cruise ship with no idea who she can trust. Laura Lippman usually writes much grittier mysteries (which I also enjoy), but it’s a lot of fun to see her explore a cozier side of her craft.
I can’t have a conversation about cozy mysteries without mentioning the queen of mystery herself, Agatha Christie. This is Christie’s first Miss Marple book, set in the unusually murderous village of St Mary Mead. When the most-hated man in town gets shot in the vicar’s study, Miss Marple is the only one who can figure out who the killer really is.
Are you a mystery lover? Share some of your favorite titles and series in the comments!
