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Cozy mysteries set at bookstores
These novels have all the trappings of a perfect cozy mystery: Amateur sleuths, bookstores, cats, charming small towns, and puzzling murder mysteries.
Published on October 5, 2023
Plaid and Plagiarism: The Highland Bookshop Mystery Series: Book 1
Molly MacRaeSet in Scotland, four women arrive to take ownership of their new bookstore when a body appears in the garden shed of one of the owners. When the four bookstore owners decide to investigate the murder, it seems that everyone wanted the woman dead. Now it’s up to them to figure out who planted the sickle in the woman’s back.
Publishable By Death
ACF BookensHarvey Beckett has just moved to the small seaside town of St. Marin’s to open her own bookstore when the body of the town’s journalist is found in the back room of Harvey’s shop. The police are on the case — but so is Harvey, who can’t resist trying to solve the crime while also navigating her new role as a bookstore owner.
The Secret, Book & Scone Society
Ellery AdamsMagic and mystery combine in this book, where a bookstore owner’s special talent is being able to find the perfect book to heal a person’s aching soul. When one of the people she helps is murdered, she forms a group to uncover the town secrets — and solve the crime.
Booked to Die
John DunningA homicide detective with a passion for books loses his badge when investigating the murder of a gentle bookscout. Now unemployed, he opens his own bookstore, continuing to dive into the mystery of his friend, finding more secrets than he’d bargained for.
Fatal Fiction
Kym RobertsA zany romp, the action begins when a woman returns to her hometown, determined to sell her family’s bookstore. But she’s thwarted by a local murder, a pink armadillo, and a missing parent. Not to mention now she’s being accused of the crime.
Guidebook to Murder:
Lynn CahoonA woman escapes a bad marriage and a stressful career by decamping to a small California town. Her elderly friend dies after battling with the town’s council, and the woman believes her friend was murdered — but can she prove it? Maybe — with the help of the town’s local police detective.
The Ghost and the Haunted Portrait
Cleo CoyleDynamic duo Penelope and Jack are back in the seventh installment of the beloved “Haunted Bookshop Mystery” series. As Penelope prepares for a fabulous book launch event, she stumbles upon a spooky portrait of a woman who, according to local gossip, went completely mad. As disaster after disaster strikes those connected to the painting, Penelope and her trusty PI, the bookshop’s resident ghost Jack, must determine if it’s actually cursed or if something even more nefarious is at play. As with the other entries in this series, this one can be read as a standalone novel.
Deadly Editions: A Scottish Bookshop Mystery
Paige SheltonDelaney, an employee at the Cracked Spine Bookshop, receives a mysterious invitation to partake in a city-wide treasure hunt hosted by eccentric millionaire Shelagh O’Conner. The prize? A rare first edition of “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” What bookseller could resist? However, as the competition heats up, Shelagh disappears, a man is murdered, and Delaney could be next. Shelton’s Scottish cozy is an intriguing whodunit with a fast-paced plot, plenty of red herrings, and an ending you won’t see coming.
Chapter and Curse
Elizabeth Penney“Chapter and Curse,” the first in Penney’s “The Cambridge Bookshop Series,” introduces readers to librarian Molly Kimball and her mother, Nina. After Molly’s father passes, the pair move to Nina’s native England to help run the family bookstore. The discovery of a dead body at a poetry reading sets off a chain reaction of false accusations, family betrayals, and blackmail. The charming Cambridge setting and lighthearted romance make this a first-class cozy.
Crime and Poetry
Amanda Flower“Crime and Poetry” will enchant readers who enjoy a twist of the paranormal along with their cozy vibes. After Daisy tricks her granddaughter, Violet, into returning home to help manage the family’s mystical book shop, it doesn’t take long before there’s a murderous turn of events. Grandma Daisy’s boyfriend, Benedict, is found dead, and Daisy is at the top of the suspect list. With the help of a talking crow and a tuxedo cat, Violet must work quickly to clear her grandma’s name and unmask the real killer. A lovely mix of magic, romance, and, of course, murder mystery.
Elementary, She Read
Vicki DelanyAmateur sleuths and Sherlockians, unite! The legacy of the Great Detective lives on through the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium. Gemma Doyle, the new manager, has a lot to manage — and that’s without the dead body she just discovered in the shop. Fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle will undoubtedly be delighted by the doggedly determined heroine at the heart of Delany’s series debut.
Death by Coffee
Alex EricksonSomeone took the name of Krissy and Vicki’s new bookstore cafe a little too literally. A former patron of Death by Coffee winds up dead after drinking one of the shop’s brews, and even if it wasn’t the coffee that killed him, the news isn’t great for business. Krissy takes it upon herself to solve the murder and clear her shop of wrongdoing. The first installment of the “Cafe Mystery” series is peopled with quirky and memorable townsfolk, two sassy felines, and a BFF duo unafraid to dive into a good mystery.