1. Fiction Can Be Murder by Becky Clark

SERIES: MYSTERY WRITER’S MYSTERIES, BOOK 1

A mystery author becomes the prime suspect after her agent is discovered murdered exactly as described in her new, unpublished manuscript.

Appeal:

• Genre: Cozy Mysteries / Humorous Stories
• Character: Likeable
• Tone: Funny / Strong Sense of Place
• Writing Style: Witty
• Theme: Books about books

2. Date with Malice by Julia Chapman

SERIES: DALES DETECTIVE MYSTERIES, BOOK 2

Dismissing the claims of a pensioner that someone in her elder-care home is trying to kill her, Samson O’Brien finds his detective skills pushed to the limit and teams up with tempestuous Delilah Metcalfe to infiltrate the local retirement community in the wake of disturbing incidents.

Appeal:

• Genre: Cozy Mysteries / Gentle Reads
• Character: Well-Developed
• Storyline: Intricately Plotted
• Tone: Atmospheric

3. Cremains of the Day by Misty Simon

SERIES: TALLIE GRAVER MYSTERIES, BOOK 1

Cleaning houses to make ends meet, former socialite Tallulah Graver is plagued by a series of strange events that end in murder and she must clean up this mess before another victim is swept under the rug.

Appeal:

• Genre: Cozy Mysteries
• Character: Flawed / Strong Female
• Storyline: Intricately Plotted

4. The Plot is Murder by V.M. Burns

SERIES: MYSTERY BOOKSHOP MYSTERIES, BOOK 1

When a shady realtor turns up dead in her backyard, bookshop owner Samantha Washington investigates with the help of her feisty grandmother and an enthusiastic ensemble of colorful retirees.

Appeal:

• Genre: Cozy Mysteries / Gentle Reads
• Character: Likeable
• Subject: Bookstores
• Location: Lake Michigan

5. Heart of Barkness by Spencer Quinn

SERIES: CHET AND BERNIE MYSTERIES, BOOK 9

When their impulsive tip to a once-famous country singer performing in a dive bar is stolen from under their astute noses, P.I. Bernie and his canine sidekick, Chet, land on a case with ties to long-ago border-town secrets.

Appeal:

• Genre: Mysteries
• Pace: Fast-Paced
• Subject: Small Towns

6. Read on Arrival by Nora Page

SERIES: BOOKMOBILE MYSTERIES, BOOK 2

Senior librarian Cleo Watkins takes the wheel of her trusty bookmobile—only to speed right into the middle of a murder plot.

Appeal:

• Genre: Cozy Mysteries / Gentle Reads
• Character: Quirky
• Pace: Fast-Paced
• Theme: Life in Small Towns

7. Murders and Metaphors by Amanda Flower

Series: Magical Bookshop Mysteries, book 3

Charming Books owner Violet Waverly investigates after a celebrity sommelier who was scheduled for a book signing at her shop is found stabbed to death in a frozen vineyard.

Appeal:

• Genre: Cozy Mysteries / Gentle Reads / Supernatural Mysteries
• Character: Likeable / Quirky
• Storyline: Intricately Plotted
• Pace: Fast-Paced

8. What Rose Forgot by Nevada Barr

Waking up in a nursing-home Alzheimer’s Unit with no memory of how she got there, Rose Dennis orchestrates an escape but does not know who to trust.

Appeal:

• Storyline: Intricately Plotted
• Tone: Suspenseful
• Theme: Missing Memories

9. Tart of Darkness by Denise Swanson

SERIES: CHEF-TO-GO MYSTERIES, BOOK 1

After unexpectedly inheriting a huge old house in a small college town, Dani, to fund her new personal chef business, takes in boarders, but when one of them is murdered and she becomes the prime suspect, she must serve up the real killer to clear her name and save her business.

Appeal:

• Genre: Cozy Mysteries / Culinary Mysteries / Gentle Reads
• Character: Likeable
• Storyline: Plot-Driven
• Tone: Romantic

10. The Affliction by Beth Gutcheon

When a talkative teacher is murdered during the tensions of an evaluation to see if Rye Manor School will remain open, retired school head Maggie Detweiler is joined by madcap socialite friend Hope to identify a killer among multiple suspects.

Appeal:

• Genre: Cozy Mysteries / Gentle Reads
• Character: Quirky / Sassy
• Storyline: Plot-Driven
• Writing Style: Conversational

11. Tea with Jam and Dread by Tamar Myers

SERIES: PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH MYSTERIES WITH RECIPES, BOOK 20

While trying to welcome British royalty to her PennDutch inn and acquaint them with traditional American culture, Magdalena Yoder embarrassingly discovers a mummified corpse in the elevator shaft.

Appeal:

• Storyline: Character-Driven
• Pace: Fast-Paced
• Tone: Heartwarming / Moving / Upbeat

12. Wait for Signs by Craig Johnson

SERIES: WALT LONGMIRE MYSTERIES

A single-volume anthology of 12 short stories featuring Walt Longmire—the character that is the basis for the hit A&E drama series, Longmire—collects the author’s Christmas Eve annuals, including “Ministerial Aide” and “Messenger,” as well as an original story, “Petunia, Bandit Queen of the Bighorns.”

Appeal:

• Genre: Mysteries / Westerns / Short Stories
• Storyline: Plot-Driven
• Pace: Fast-Paced
• Tone: Sardonic
• Theme: Rural Police

13. King Dork by Frank Portman

As John Green, New York Times bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars said, “King Dork will rock your world.” The cult favorite from Frank Portman, aka Dr. Frank of the Mr. T. Experience, is a book like nothing ever done before–King Dork literally has something for everyone: At least a half-dozen mysteries, love, mistaken identity, girls, monks, books, blood, bubblegum, and rock and roll. This book is based on music–a passion most kids have–and it has original (hilarious) songs and song lyrics throughout.

Appeal:

• Character: Awkward
• Storyline: Open-Ended
• Pace: Leisurely Paced
• Tone: Angst-Filled / Funny

14. A Shot in the Dark by Lynne Truss

SERIES: CONSTABLE TWITTEN MYSTERIES, BOOK 1

On the verge of revealing the criminal mastermind behind a 1945 unsolved mystery, a famed theater critic is shot dead, leaving Sergeant Jim Brunswick and Constable Twitten to solve both the decades-old crime and the more recent murder.

Appeal:

• Genre: Historical Mysteries
• Character: Quirky
• Writing Style: Witty
• Theme: Comedy of Manners

15. Scot Free : The Lighter Side of the Dark Underbelly of the California Dream by Catriona McPherson

SERIES: LAST DITCH MYSTERIES, BOOK 1

A Scottish marriage counselor living in California finds herself divorced, broke, and contemplating returning home as she tries to clear the name of her last remaining client, who is being accused of using fireworks to kill her husband.

Appeal:

• Genre: Cozy Mystery
• Character: Likeable / Quirky
• Storyline: Intricately Plotted