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Crunchy leaves underfoot, the smell of cinnamon-swirled lattes, and the fact that daylight savings time conspires to tuck us in early with a book. Whatever the reason, the fall season practically demands stories full of small towns, quirky characters, and just enough suspense to keep you flipping pages. Here are thirteen cozy mysteries that pair perfectly with a knit blanket, a flickering candle, and the vague hope that your neighbors’ kindness isn’t just a little too suspicious.
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What is a Cozy Mystery?
Cozy mysteries are lighthearted whodunits that balance a murder mystery with small-town charm, quirky characters, and a comforting niche like baking, books, or cats woven into the story. Think of them like a town fair. There are caramel apples and Ferris wheels, but you just know someone’s hiding a juicy secret behind the cotton candy stand. With always some sort of puzzle to solve (usually a murder) but the gore is politely offstage, the setting is quaint, and the sleuth is more likely to be a librarian, baker, or crochet enthusiast than a grizzled detective. They’re witty, heartwarming, and full of characters you secretly wish lived next door—as long as they’re not hiding any skeletons in the pantry!
13 Cozy Mystery Books to Read This Fall
Skeletons in the Closet
Author: Lily Harper Hart
Release Date: May 6, 2025
Series: Book 9 in the Return to Magic Cozy Mystery series
Life in Shadow Lake gets complicated when the town lothario winds up dead—and his soul devoured by a mysterious shadow. Ivy Morgan-Harker must protect her daughter, clear an innocent woman’s name, and confront dark magic that threatens to tear the town apart.
Murder on the Books
Author: Toni LoTempio
Release Date: July 1, 2025
Series: Book 1 in the Cozy Bookshop Mystery series
When retired mystery writer Charley James takes over a hometown bookshop, she expects a quiet new chapter—not a corpse in the basement. Between opening the shop, taming a stray cat, and teaming up with a no-nonsense detective, Charley has to solve her friend’s murder before the killer strikes again.
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Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library
Author: Amanda Chapman
Release Date: August 26, 2025
Series: Book 1 in the Mrs. Christie series
Book conservator Tory Van Dyne teams up with a woman claiming to be Agatha Christie—from beyond the grave—to unravel a Manhattan murder. With eccentric allies and plenty of twists, this spirited mystery celebrates the Queen of Crime herself.
Murder at Cape Costumers
Author: Maddie Day
Release Date: August 26, 2025
Series: Book 7 in the Cozy Capers Book Group Mysteries
Halloween in Cape Cod turns deadly when a Broadway star is found dead, and costume shop co-owner Shelly is left reeling. Bike shop owner Mac Almeida and her book club sleuths must unmask the killer before tricks outweigh treats.
A Rather Peculiar Poisoning: A Novel
Author: Chrystal Schleyer
Release Date: September 2, 2025
Series: Standalone mystery
During a week of celebration at a turn-of-the-century manor, twin brothers, a spurned heiress, and a suspicious housemaid all become suspects when Wes, the younger brother, is poisoned. With nightshade whispers in the air and motives everywhere, everyone at the estate has something to hide.
Whiskey Business
Author: Adrian Andover
Release Date: September 9, 2025
Series: Book 1 in the Mixology Lounge Mystery series
After a bad breakup, mixologist Reece Parker opens a literary-themed cocktail lounge in his Pennsylvania hometown—only to find a body after a whiskey club meeting. To clear his name and save his new speakeasy, Reece stirs up suspects, secrets, and plenty of small-town drama.
The Killer Question: A Novel
Author: Janice Hallett
Release Date: September 23, 2025
Series: Standalone mystery
At a rural pub’s weekly trivia night, a body turns up in the river, a new quiz team dominates the scoreboard, and old secrets refuse to stay buried. Told through quiz questions, messages, and emails, this inventive mystery asks whether one question can truly kill.
A Slowly Dying Cause
Author: Elizabeth George
Release Date: September 23, 2025
Series: A Lynley Novel
Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and Sergeant Barbara Havers investigate the suspicious death of a tin-and-pewter workshop owner in Cornwall. With family feuds, corporate interests, and a young widow complicating the case, the detectives must unravel a web of greed and betrayal before justice slips away.
The Impossible Fortune
Author: Richard Osman
Release Date: September 30, 2025
Series: Book 5 in the Thursday Murder Club Mysteries
Joyce may be busy with wedding plans, but when a guest goes missing, the Thursday Murder Club is back on the case. With secrets, codes, and dangerous stakes, Elizabeth, Ron, Ibrahim, and Joyce dive into another twist-filled adventure to uncover the truth.
Natural Barn Killer
Author: Amanda Flower
Release Date: September 30, 2025
Series: Book 5 in the Farm to Table Mysteries
Thanksgiving at Bellamy Farm takes a dark turn when Shiloh’s pug unearths decades-old remains. Determined to protect her grandmother’s legacy, Shiloh dives into Cherry Glen’s buried secrets before they destroy her family’s name.
Death by Java
Author: Alex Erickson
Release Date: October 28, 2025
Series: Book 14 in the Bookstore Café Mysteries
Krissy Hancock’s California trip takes a bitter turn when a health inspector is found dead at her rival’s copycat café, Death by Java. Between revisiting her high school rivalries and tracking down clues, Krissy must brew up answers fast before the killer serves another round.
Two Truths and a Murder
Author: Colleen Cambridge
Release Date: October 28, 2025
Series: Book 5 in the Phyllida Bright Mysteries
Agatha Christie’s housekeeper-turned-sleuth Phyllida Bright attends a dinner party where a parlor game leads to a shocking murder. With secrets, jealousies, and a reckless game of Two Truths and a Lie fueling the investigation, Phyllida must outwit a killer before the next victim is claimed.
The Amberglow Candy Store
Author: Hiyoko Kurisu (Translated by Matt Treyvaud)
Release Date: November 11, 2025
Series: Standalone fable-like mystery
In a moonlit alley in Japan, a fox spirit sells magical candies that promise to ease human troubles—though not always in the way they expect. Sweet and strange, each confection reveals more than a lesson, and the shopkeeper’s own secrets may be the trickiest puzzle of all.
Falling for Mysteries
If fall had an official reading list, these new cozy mystery books would be at the top—because nothing says autumn like pumpkins on the porch and suspects in the study. So throw on your flannel pajama set, pour the tea, and remember: in books, a little murder just makes the season cozier.
Shaylynn Marks
Shaylynn Marks has a BFA in Creative Writing, with poetry and prose published through several journals and sold internationally. She was awarded Runner-Up for Poet of the Year with Poetic Anarchy Press. When she doesn't have a pen in hand, you can find her with a guitar or paintbrush!
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