Cozy Mystery – Kav's Best Reads

Plain Murder

Fifteen years after leaving her Old Order Amish life, Rachel Mast has returned to Stone Mountain, Pennsylvania. Corporate success didn’t bring true happiness, but Rachel also knows she can never be Amish again. Instead, she runs a B&B and tries to help her community in ways they can’t help themselves.

But now a gruesome discovery has been made in her Uncle Aaron’s cow pasture—the body of prominent Englisher businessman Willy O’Day. Aaron refuses to hire a lawyer, trusting his own innocence, and his faith, to see him through. Rachel isn’t so sure, especially give the public feud between the two men. Her relatives won’t speak to the police, but they will talk to Rachel—if she puts on a skirt and a bonnet. Rachel knows emotions and entanglements run as complicated in the Amish world as outside it. But as she delves deeper to clear Aaron’s name, she discovers secrets that could put her own life in danger.

My Review:

published in 2014

Squeezing in one more Amish book before ‘Amish in April’ comes to a close!

Miller has crafted a compelling page-turning mystery. And I absolutely love the intrepid Rachael Mast. With her familial ties to the Amish, she’s a great help to the police, even though they don’t always see eye to eye. And Rachael can’t help channeling her inner Nancy Drew, especially when it’s a family member’s freedom at stake Plus, she desperately wants to help the Amish community she still feels ties with.

The author deftly weaves mystery into the day to day life of an Amish/English community. Provoking insights into plain living add an extra zest the story. As does the light romance. This Amish adjacent cozy mystery makes the perfect kind of armchair sleuthing read.

Secrets of the Amish Diary

Random Retro Read

The people of Pleasant Creek are delighted to welcome Liz Eckardt to their picturesque country town as she reopens the Olde Mansion Inn bed and breakfast. But a new start and a simpler life aren’t the only reasons Liz is setting down roots in the heart of Indiana’s Amish community. She is quietly embarking on a quest to find answers about her late mother’s secret life growing up Amish.

Becoming the town’s new innkeeper helps Liz ingrain herself among the townsfolk while searching for the truth about her Amish relatives. That is until she finds herself in the middle of the mysterious murder of one of the inn’s guests. Is there a connection between the death of her troublesome lodger and the truth about her long-lost family?

My Review:

published in 2016

I seem to be finding quite a few gems from ten years ago in my retro reading. 2016 was a very good publishing year it seems! I’m thrilled with the start of this Amish adjacent cozy mystery series, even more so because it was in audio format and my library seems to have the whole series on hoopla. Very excited about that! And I’m curious to see how this type of series works since it’s written by a number of different authors though the setting and all the characters remain the same. I wonder how continuity works as far as characterization because I really like Liz.

The cozy side of this cozy mystery is sublime! Lots of lovely details about Liz’s life as an innkeeper and the small town vibes are strong as well as delightful insights into the Amish community. There’s even a personal family mystery Liz is working on. The murder mystery is well plotted and the way the author blends cozy details in with the sleuthing makes for an excellently paced novel that’s hard to put down.

And these characters! Love! Liz is instantly relatable but I almost think that the ‘Material Girls’ stole the show. They are a group of mostly elderly quilters who take Liz under their collective wing (translation: stick their noses all in her business.) And then there’s Bean, a lackadaisical bulldog who comes with the inn as well as a slew of other intriguing characters. All in all, a little piece of cozy mystery perfection and I’m excited to continue with the series.

The Crime Brûlée Bake Off + Giveaway

An unexpected romance. A haunting mystery. Pastries to die for. The Great British Baking Show meets a cozy mystery with a contemporary romance and a Regency-era twist.

Amateur baker Claire Walker is thrilled to be a contestant on Britain’s Battle of the Bakers. She can almost smell the fresh pastries wafting through the air. If she can win the grand prize, she can ditch her teaching job and launch her baking career.

The Viscount of Colburn, Jonathan Ainsley, is the custodian of Blackfirth Park and an eligible bachelor. He reluctantly agrees to allow the cooking competition show to film on his estate, but when a contestant is found dead soon after filming begins, Jonathan is forced to get involved. To make matters worse, the baker’s death stirs up rumors of the legendary death of the tenth Viscountess of Colburn two hundred and fifty years earlier.

Even as suspicion falls on some of the bakers, a decidedly different kind of heat begins to simmer between Claire and Jonathan. If they are to have any hope of a future romance, they must first solve the mystery before the show gets canceled or someone else falls prey to what some believe is the Blackfirth Park ghost.

My Review:

I’m always on the look out for my next great cozy mystery and I hit the jackpot with this one! It’s fashioned after the television hit, ‘The Great British Bake Off’ complete with a huge tent set up on a grand English estate. Eeeepppp! Love the behind the scenes input and all the delightful foodie references, including our heroine’s penchant for culinary exclamations: “Eggs and custard!” or “Crepes alive!” And Claire has cause to use her repertoire of creative phraseology because….murder and mayhem ensue! Bwahahaha!

Connolly has excelled at creating a nice balance between the cozy aspects of the story and the mystery as well as the lovely addition of light romance (with a viscount no less!) I was in bibliophile heaven!

I thoroughly enjoyed listening the audible edition of ‘The Crime Brûlée Bake Off’ (such a clever cozy title!) Sophie Roberts’ interpretation of these characters (accents included) made for an engaging listen. I’m charmed by both the story and the narration and now I’m eager to jump into the next ‘Claire Walker Mystery,’ audio edition, of course.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US – paperback or ebook copy – winner’s choice

Canada – ebook or audible copy – winner’s choice

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Crime Brûlée Bake Off, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday April 25 2026

Murder Plain and Simple

Random Retro Read

When Angela Braddock inherits her late aunt’s beautiful Amish quilt shop, she leaves behind her career and broken engagement for a fresh start in Holmes County, Ohio.

With her snazzy cowboy boots and her ornithophobic French bulldog, Angie doesn’t exactly fit in with the predominantly Amish community in Rolling Brook, but her aunt’s quilting circle tries to make her feel welcome as she prepares for the reopening of Running Stitch.

On the big day, Angie gets a taste of success as the locals and Englisch tourists browse the store’s wares while the quilters stitch away. But when Angie finds the body of ornery Amish woodworker Joseph in her storeroom the next morning, everything starts falling apart.

With evidence mounting against her, Angie is determined to find the culprit before the local sheriff can arrest her. Rolling Brook always appeared to be a simple place, but the closer Angie gets to the killer, the more she realizes that nothing in the small Amish community is as plain as it seems….

My Review:

published in 2013

Thrilled to have discovered this new Amish series. Doubly so to discover that Isabella Alan is the pseudonym for Amanda Flower who writes Amish mysteries for the Christian market. So, while not strictly Christian fiction, Murder, Plain and Simple is a clean read with some gentle faith messages concerning forgiveness courtesy of the Amish characters.

Completely captivating read. Loved the humour that Alan instills throughout the story — especially when it comes to Angie’s bird phobic dog, Oliver. Hysterical. He stole every scene he was in.

The mystery is…mysterious…lots of suspects, including poor Angie so she decides to take things into her own hands. She’s not a subtle investigator by any means and steps on the sheriff’s toes more than a few times. A handsome, intriguing Sheriff, by the way. There’s just the hint of a budding romance in their future and I’m looking forward to watching that pan out in future books.

A superb specimen of the cozy mystery genre — and the Amish setting makes the read all the more sublime in my book (pun intended.)

Murder in a Cornish Teashop

A Cornish clifftop, a sunny afternoon, a quaint little teashop… but wait a minute. Is that jam, or blood? Maddie Penrose is determined to find out!

Maddie Penrose is staying with her beloved grandmother, Nor, at her gorgeously idyllic Cornish farm. She’s looking forward to days helping out in Nor’s little teashop and evenings wandering down the cliff path to watch the sunset. But before Maddie has even finished serving up scones on her first morning, a man bursts through the Nor’s neighbour Clive has found a body in the field behind the teashop…

Maddie is straight to the scene, fancying herself as a bit of an Agatha Christie. But solving this mystery is far from a piece of cake. Her list of suspects is jam-packed with locals, with some a little too close to the newcomer renting out one of Nor’s barns is acting suspiciously, the victim’s boyfriend has disappeared without trace, and Clive isn’t really Maddie’s cup of tea either…

But the proof is in the pudding when there’s another murder – her prime suspect is dead. And when Maddie finds a backpack belonging to the first murder victim, her diligent notetaking and quick thinking leads her to discover that the killer will act again, and soon. Maddie is horrified to discover that it looks like she is their next target…

Can Maddie and Nor work as a team to piece together the puzzle? Or will murdering Maddie be the icing on the cake for the killer?

My Review:

I’m really excited about this new cozy mystery series (and new-to-me author!) A foodie/farm cozy is always a draw but throw in a Cornish setting and I’m a tad shy of giddy! Love, love, looovvveee!!!!

The perfect blend of cozy details paired with intriguing mystery ones. Amateur sleuth, Maddie can’t help but be drawn to the murder virtually on her doorstep. And, as the new girl in town, she has lots to learn both about village history and the folk living there. Her irascible gran, Nor, makes for a lively partner in crime…when she’s willing to part with crucial information, that is! And then there’s the appealing detective who easily charms Maddie (and me!) I do so love a light touch of romance in my cozies!

Praying for many more Maddie Penrose mysteries in my reading future!

I enjoyed listening to the audio edition of Murder in a Cornish Teashop, expertly narrated by Harrie Dobby. Her performance brought these characters to life, giving unique voices to match a myriad of personalities. Such a fun listen! Highly recommend.

My thanks to Bookouture Audio and Net Galley for providing me with an audio copy of this book.

Tell-Tale Treats

Is Felicity to blame when a hotel guest drowns after eating her enchanted cookies? Felicity Jin returns in the third installment of the Magical Fortune Cookie series.

A group of high school alumnae reunite years later and reserve rooms at Pixie Inn for an extended retreat. As part of their pampering package, Felicity delivers a scrumptious assortment of enchanted pastries, including her new almond cookies.

But the queen bee of the group is soon found dead in her bathroom, drowned in the tub, and she recently sampled the delicious baked goods. Could Felicity’s almond cookies have set off a fatal nut allergy? The enchanted pastries are supposed to bring joy, not sorrow—and certainly not death.

Boyfriend, Kelvin Love, is eager to assist, although odd things have been happening to his senses ever since he baked with Felicity. Will his extra sensitivity help or hinder the investigation? Plus, special bunny Whiskers lends a magical paw to the detecting since Felicity can’t and won’t relax until she restores both order and magic to her world.

My Review:

A delightful foodie cozy mystery with a light touch of magic that makes for such a fun read! Love the diversity among the characters and the ethnic baking descriptions. Everything sounds so exotic and yummy! And Felicity’s little something extra makes for a special touch. As does her unusual bunny sidekick!

In this third ‘Magical Cookie’ mystery, Felicity and Kelvin become entangled in another suspicious death. Loved their teamwork and the way their relationship has grown over the course of the series. And this time Kelvin discovers a unique talent that pairs nicely with Felicity’s and adds to their sleuthing finesse.

The well plotted mystery kept me guessing thanks to the nice posse of potential suspects with motives. So many characters to love and some to…well, strongly dislike…kept me emotionally engaged. And that intense climax…phew! Way to keep an avid reader on edge until everything gets sorted.

I really enjoyed listening the audio book narrated by Catherine Ho. Her performance delivered all these characters in the best (and worst) light and she is excellent at adding touches of drama and humour at just the right places. Highly recommend the audio book for discerning listeners.

My thanks to Dreamscape Media and Net Galley for providing me with an audio copy of this book.

Without a Clue + Giveaway

When a mystery writer mysteriously dies on a cruise filled with rabid fans, his protégé (and personal assistant) teams up with a rugged cowboy and fellow writer to crack the case. One part Only Murders in the Building, one part Book Lovers, and a whole lot of laughs, Without a Clue will keep readers guessing and swooning until the very end.

If there’s one thing Penelope Mae Dupont prizes most, it’s her composure–her ability to stay calm in the face of stress. It’s a vital trait in her job as a personal assistant to renowned mystery author Hugh Griffin. But when Pip organizes a book cruise featuring The Fabulous Seven–seven celebrated authors from different genres who have supported each other through thick and thin–her famed composure is in danger of sailing away. One boat, hundreds of devoted readers, and seven Big Personalities. What could possibly go wrong?

Disaster strikes when, on the second day of the cruise, Hugh is found murdered. And, in the face of gross incompetence by the on-board security force, Pip realizes she’ll need to be the one to discover who did it. With the ship stranded in the middle of the Atlantic and no help on the horizon, it’s up to her to unravel the mystery. Along with her friend Nash–a dreamy Western author who’s just as rugged as the cowboys he writes about. As Pip’s composure starts to sink faster than a leaky dinghy, Nash becomes her anchor in a storm of clues and red herrings.

With Nash at her side, Penelope dives into the murky depths of the mystery, navigating treacherous waters filled with unexpected twists and turns. No one, not even a desperately hopeful mystery sleuth named Pip, could anticipate the wild ride ahead. Whether she likes it or not, she is on the adventure of a lifetime . . . and maybe, just maybe, she’ll find love along the way.

In this laugh-out-loud funny Clue-meets-Emily-Henry rom-com, Penelope Mae Dupont is about to find out that in the world of mystery and romance, you have to risk going overboard to find the truth.

My Review:

A brilliantly crafted rom/com meets cozy mystery mash-up and so much fun! I especially enjoyed listening to the audio edition narrated by Karissa Vacker. She not only brought distinctive voices to each character, she captured the nuances of all the personalities too, making this a superb listen!

I love the way the author gives equal billing to both mystery and romance, with plenty of comedic moments to lighten everything up. The story flows really well, all told from Penelope’s point of view and, believe me, being inside her over-active mind is highly entertaining!

Madcap mayhem ensues when a book cruise turns sinister — eeeeppp, love that ‘locked room’ aspect to the mystery. Obviously, the killer has to be someone on the ship, right? And unable to elude capture since they are surrounded by ocean! Which is a good thing….and a bad thing because that means the killer could strike again! Of course, Penelope turns amateur sleuth with the help of some friends which results in enough plot twists to keep things very interesting.

And readers who aren’t especially fond of the cozy mystery genre — never fear — this really isn’t that kind of book. Ferguson has done an amazing job of combining the best elements of both the romance and mystery genres and has created a unique hybrid which is sure to please a variety of readers.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson, Zondervan Fiction Audio and Net Galley for providing me with an audio edition of this book.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Please note: this book doesn’t release until February 17, 2026, so this giveaway is an IOU until the release date. 🙂

US – paperback or ebook – winner’s choice

Canada – paperback, ebook or audible — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Without a Clue, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday January 10 2026

Deadly Harvest

Random Retro Read

All Georgia Rae Winston wants is to fall in love. Life, of course, has other plans.

Georgia’s biggest challenge in the farming town of Wildcat Springs, Indiana, is figuring out how to win Evan Beckworth’s heart. Until the day she discovers the body of a former student in the woods.

She assumes it was an accident. When she starts to suspect it wasn’t, it stirs memories of her father’s murder nine years earlier. A murder never solved. Georgia refuses to let that happen this time.

Not necessarily the wisest decision.

As Georgia works with the sheriff’s department’s newest detective, Cal Perkins, she finds her heart slipping into his hands. But her head is pummeled with conflicting evidence and anonymous threats of severe consequences if she digs any deeper.

In the end, Georgia faces a paralyzing choice. Ignore the dark secrets inside the family and friends who surround her or be willing to risk her own life to uncover the truth.

My Review:

published in 2018

What a delightful find! I don’t know of many cozy mysteries that also fit into the Christian Fiction category and Deadly Harvest is an excellent example of how well that works. I loved it — but do be aware that there is no mistaking the inspirational elements throughout the story. Prayer, scripture, bible study, friends who talk about Jesus and who are striving to follow Him. The characters are realistically flawed so this definitely isn’t a sugary sweet Utopia kind of read. Just be prepared to be uplifted in the midst of all the murder and mayhem! And yes, it actually works, as odd as that seems.

Love that Georgia has an unusual occupation for a heroine. She’s a farmer, spending her days out in the fields and working in the barn and doing all the things you would associate with farm life. She has an interesting backstory mystery which I think will play out more in future stories but in this first book in the series, Georgia stumbles upon a body on her property and the race is on to expose a killer…and new literary amateur sleuth is born!

Georgia’s gutsy and even a bit brazen when it comes to investigating. I enjoyed how up front she is and especially appreciate that she keeps the police in the loop when her snooping produces results. And speaking of the police…there is a new detective in town who just happens to be single. Yes, that’s a cozy mystery cliche and I love it!

I enjoyed listening to the audio edition narrated by Jennifer Jill Araya . She did a fantastic job with these characters and delivered a compelling performance.

Happy Sidenote: Deadly Harvest is currently free on Kindle right now.

A Wonderful Christmas Crime

Innkeeper Holly White has a lot to be joyful about this season, until an attempted robbery throws the town into suspicion in the sixth installment of the Christmas Tree Farm mysteries from bestselling author Jacqueline Frost.

As Christmas descends on Mistletoe, Maine, Holly White has an extra gift for the a new baby on the way. Her husband, Sheriff Evan Gray, has been worried about her elevated blood pressure and Holly has agreed to take this year easy. Being idle has never been one of Holly’s gifts, so when Evan surprises her with tickets to the town-wide dinner, she and her many cravings thank him. But when a thief tries and fails to steal an antique ornament from the dinner’s holiday display, it’s clear that someone is on the naughty list.

The thief manages to escape, but after dinner, Holly spots their lifeless body. It’s clear that someone in town was keen to kill them. Evan is less than jolly to find his wife at the scene of yet another holiday homicide and asks her to promise that she’ll leave the investigating to the police. But Holly has never been one to turn down a challenge and has to get creative with the help of a few of her friends in order to find this killer.

Will she and her friends be able to stop the killer, and uncover the motive behind the attempted robbery, or will the killer strike again and paint the town a bloody red?

My Review:

What would Christmas be without some heartwarming murder and mayhem involving the ‘Christmas Tree Farm Mystery ‘crew?! This is one of my favourite cozy mystery series for so many reasons and this sixth book is a perfect example of why.

First — the cozy to mystery ratio is superbly written. While the investigation (both official policing and amateur sleuthing) is centerstage, Frost seamlessly incorporates exquisite cozy elements that provide an anchor of humour and heart to the story. The result is me alternately chuckling and swooning and feeling all nostalgically Christmas-y while trying to solve the mystery before Holly ( or at least keep up with her!) Makes for an incredibly captivating read.

Well, listen (again!) for me because narrator Allyson Ryan has become the voice I hear in my head when I think about these characters. She’s brilliant at giving everyone distinctive voices, including Holly’s disgruntled semi-feral cat Miss Cindy-Lou Who. And I always have the feeling that she is enjoying the story just as much as I am, which makes it feel like I’m buddy reading with a kindred spirit.

This is definitely a series I think should be read in order – not only for the character development, evolving friendships and slow-burn, toe-curling romance – but also for the sheer brilliance of all the holiday festivities. The author has an exceptional imagination and I love the mix of old favourite ‘reindeer games’ along with new traditions that appear in each book. This series breathes Christmas and, in fact, might just contain a hint of special Christmas magic on the side. I might be gloating a wee bit after reading that ending because, well, I knew it all the time!

My thanks to Dreamscape Media and Net Galley for providing me with an audio copy of this book.

Edam and Weep

When a fundraiser turns fatal, Carly Hale is confronted by a trail of clues that all point to her mother as the culprit . . .

When the local high school hosts a fundraiser, restaurant owner Carly Hale is happy to sign on and enlists her mother’s help selling her much-loved grilled cheese sandwiches at the school. But no good deed goes unpunished, and the vendor stationed next to them at the event turns out to be aggressively rude and bullies them both. Never one to be pushed, Carly’s mom gives the man a vicious tongue-lashing and assumes that’s the end of it—until later that day when the man is found dead, strangled with her scarf.

With her mom on the hook for murder, Carly has no choice but to find out who killed the man and why. It turns out the victim had always been bad news and had racked up a long list of enemies. One of those enemies may have been the menacing stranger Carly saw lurking on the edges of the fundraiser, but her intuition tells her the murdered man’s girlfriend may have been mixed up in it too. Certain one of them—or both—did the deadly deed, Carly realizes too late that all her sleuthing has landed her next on the killer’s hit list . . .

Includes tantalizing grilled-cheese sandwich recipes!

My Review:

Warning: reading this book may result in extreme grilled cheese cravings. Read at own risk. And I love that the author delights her readers with tantalizing adaptations of this classic sandwich staple. I had just as much fun reading about the ingenuous recipe ideas as I did following the mystery!

And that mystery — delightfully twisty-turny with plenty of suspects since the victim was so obnoxious! And, sadly, one of those suspects is Carly’s mom so…a girl sleuth has to do what a girl sleuth has to do! And this murder investigation couldn’t come at a worse time! Because Carly’s personal life is already complicated enough.

Love these characters and the growth we’ve seen in them all with each new book. The cozy aspects of this mystery are so heartwarming and comforting. Friends and family who always have your back. A cute rescue pup. The restaurant that’s like a second home to half the town. And, of course, the romance! Happy sigh!

The author has struck the perfect balance between cozy and mystery and both aspects of the story kept me frantically turning pages….well, avidly listening since I enjoyed the audio book narrated by the wonderful Mia Gaskin. She’s been the narrator for the entire series and I love that continuity. She has done a fantastic job with these characters which keeps me turning to the audio editions for my Grilled Cheese Mysteries fix.

My thanks to Dreamscape Media and Net Galley for providing me with an audio edition of this book.