Reading Recommendations: Cozy Mysteries

A new month means another batch of reading recommendations! This month’s theme is Cozy Mysteries! I used to read cozies a long time ago and now I’ve been reading them more than ever. Here is just some of the series/books I want to recommend to you.

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Welcome to the Ho-Lee Noodle House, where the Chinese food is to die for. . .

The last place Lana Lee thought she would ever end up is back at her family’s restaurant. But after a brutal break-up and a dramatic workplace walk-out, she figures that a return to the Cleveland area to help wait tables is her best option for putting her life back together. Even if that means having to put up with her mother, who is dead-set on finding her a husband.

Lana’s love life soon becomes yesterday’s news once the restaurant’s property manager, Mr. Feng, turns up dead―after a delivery of shrimp dumplings from Ho-Lee. But how could this have happened when everyone on staff knew about Mr. Feng’s severe, life-threatening shellfish allergy? Now, with the whole restaurant under suspicion for murder and the local media in a feeding frenzy―to say nothing of the gorgeous police detective who keeps turning up for take-out―it’s up to Lana to find out who is behind Feng’s killer order. . . before her own number is up. 

Warning! Do not read while you are hungry! I loved the mouthwatering details of all the delicious food offered at Ho-Lee Noodle House and the dishes made throughout the novel. It’s a very food-centric cozy mystery that takes place in a restaurant along with a tight-knit community of small businesses. Like most cozies, Lana’s sidekick ends up being her roommate and together they work to find out the mystery. I liked the overall setting and it’s got an entertaining cast of characters that makes me want to read the rest of the series!

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Not many people move to Wormwood.
The witches aren’t welcoming.
The fortunetellers are frauds.
And the recent murder is only going to make things worse.

Hazel Salem just wanted a story for her magazine. Instead, she finds herself at the center of an investigation that’s about to turn into a witch hunt.

If someone doesn’t solve this murder, and fast, it will be out of the cauldron and into the fire for Wormwood’s witches.

Mandrake and a Murder is a fun first installment to a cozy mystery series that has a paranormal twist. The story is about Hazel who is supposed to be a witch but is a late bloomer when coming into her powers. If you like supernatural tales and a lighthearted mystery this was a great read. In the town, it feels as if it’s permanently Halloween even when the seasons change. Its got the feeling of a cozy small town in a Hallmark movie and some unique fantasy elements that tie into the story. I really enjoyed Hazel’s sleuthing and I’m curious to see the true extent of her powers. The book has got an interesting cast of characters and the mystery keeps you on your toes.

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Charlotte Caine isn’t called “the Vampire Chef” because she’s a member of New York’s undead community-she just cooks for them. Her restaurant, Nightlife, is poised to take the top slot in the world of “haute noir” cuisine.

But when a drunk customer causes a scene, a glowing review from the city’s top food critic doesn’t seem likely-especially when that customer winds up dead on Nightlife’s doorstep. Now, with her brother under suspicion for the murder, Charlotte has to re-open her restaurant and clear her brother’s name-before they both become dinner. 

A fun series that mixes mystery, comedy, vampires, and culinary awesomeness! Charlotte, the main protagonist, runs a “nightlife” restaurant that is open at night and caters to the human and supernatural. I liked the concept of the series surrounding a restaurant and how the book shows how sometimes the supernatural world collides with ours at times. Unfortunately, this series has only two books published and it hasn’t been picked up leaving it unfinished. I still think it’s a series worth picking up and the sleuthing elements make it fun for the reader to solve the mystery.

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Samantha Washington has dreamed of owning her own mystery bookstore for as long as she can remember. And as she prepares for the store’s grand opening, she’s also realizing another dream—penning a cozy mystery set in England between the wars. While Samantha hires employees and fills the shelves with the latest mysteries, quick-witted Lady Penelope Marsh, long-overshadowed by her beautiful sister Daphne, refuses to lose the besotted Victor Carlston to her sibling’s charms. When one of Daphne’s suitors is murdered in a maze, Penelope steps in to solve the labyrinthine puzzle and win Victor.

But as Samantha indulges her imagination, the unimaginable happens in real life. A shady realtor turns up dead in her backyard, and the police suspect her—after all, the owner of a mystery bookstore might know a thing or two about murder. Aided by her feisty grandmother and an enthusiastic ensemble of colorful retirees, Samantha is determined to close the case before she opens her store. But will she live to conclude her own story when the killer has a revised ending in mind for her?

If you like books about books, you’ll definitely enjoy this cozy mystery. The main character is an aspiring writer who opens up a local book shop in her community. A nice added touch is that readers get to read the British cozy mystery novel that Samantha (the MC) is creating in the story. You get double the mystery and that adds to the fun of the novel. Most of all this novel has a fun cast of characters including Nana Jo and her friends. I love the bond between Sam and Nana jo and the support within their relationship as Sam is still grieving from the loss of her husband. Nana jo and her sleuthing friends are an absolute hoot and they kept me laughing out loud.

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At a crossroads between a cringe-worthy past (Todd the Toad) and an uncertain future (she’s not exactly homeless, but it’s close), Lucy Swift travels to Oxford to visit her grandmother. With Gran’s undying love to count on and Cardinal Woolsey’s, Gran’s knitting shop, to keep her busy, Lucy can catch her breath and figure out what she’s going to do.

Except it turns out that Gran is the undying. Or at least, the undead. But there’s a death certificate. And a will, leaving the knitting shop to Lucy. And a lot of people going in and out who never use the door—including Gran, who is just as loving as ever, and prone to knitting sweaters at warp speed, late at night. What exactly is going on?

When Lucy discovers that Gran did not die peacefully in her sleep, but was murdered, she has to bring the killer to justice without tipping off the law that there’s no body in the grave. Between a hot 600-year-old vampire and a dishy detective inspector, both of whom always seem to be there for her, Lucy finds her life getting more complicated than a triple cable cardigan.
The only one who seems to know what’s going on is her cat … or is it … her familiar?

The Vampire Knitting Club is a great closing mystery rating for fans of the paranormal genre. Lucy as she tries to heal her broken heart and travels to Oxford England in ends up and inheriting a yarn shop by her grandmother. The book has a contemporary setting there are many interesting fantasy elements as well as magic. Lucy discovers that she comes from a long line of witches and she also gets a. I’ve tried cozy mystery series surrounding knitting or any other kind of crafting and they really didn’t spark my interest but this one did. It’s an easy read with some fun action-packed scenes and even so magical twists that I didn’t think coming. If you enjoy knitting or any kind of crafting I also think you enjoy this book.

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Dev Sinclair is the happy new owner of the old-fashioned shop in her small Missouri town. But if she doesn’t focus on finding the killer of her ex’s fiancée, this five-and-dime owner may find herself serving twenty-five to life… 

Dev is an entertaining main character. She’s spunky, witty, and cool. Her ever-loving, but sometimes nosy (in a good way) friends and grandma also add to the mix. Jake is the knight in shining armor character that is kinda typical Sometimes the story feeds into clichés and some of the things that happen in the story aren’t a huge surprise, but it works for the novel’s overall format. Little Shop of Homicide is a light-hearted, comedic whodunnit read. The series is well-written, fast-paced, and the storyline flows well.

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That concludes my reading recommendations for cozy mysteries! I’ll be doing another recommendations list of these in the future so stay tuned. What books do you recommend or what are your favorites? Comment below!