24 Cozy Mysteries to Cozy Up With This Fall

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There’s something about reading a cozy mystery in the fall that just feels right. Give me a blanket, a hot coffee, a rainy afternoon, and a murder mystery set somewhere charming, and I’m pretty much unavailable for the rest of the day.

Cozy mysteries are especially perfect for this time of year because you get all the fun of solving a murder without spending the entire book in a dark, depressing crime scene. Bookshops, tea rooms, cafés, bakeries, libraries, small towns, and quirky communities? Yes, please.

Whether you’re looking for a new series to binge, a bookish mystery for your fall TBR, or simply an excuse to ignore your responsibilities for a few hours, these 24 cozy mysteries are worth adding to your reading list this season.

1. Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop by Emmeline Duncan

A mysterious death at a charming bookshop sounds like exactly the kind of fall reading I want. Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop combines books, secrets, and murder in a setting that practically begs for a cozy reading chair.

If you love bookshop mysteries, this one belongs on your fall TBR. There’s something wonderfully appropriate about reading about a murder in a bookstore while sitting in your own favorite reading spot.

Perfect for: Book lovers who want their mystery with plenty of literary atmosphere.

2. Killer Donuts by Ginger Bolton

A cozy mystery involving donuts? Honestly, what more do we need?

Killer Donuts follows Emily Westhill, who finds herself caught up in a murder investigation surrounding the family donut shop. Naturally, running a business is already complicated enough without a dead body entering the picture.

This is a particularly fun pick if you like your mysteries with food, small-town charm, and a protagonist who has plenty going on.

Perfect for: Bakery mysteries, small-town settings, and anyone who believes murder and donuts should never be in the same sentence.

3. Dungeons and Danger by Elizabeth Penney

For something a little different, Dungeons and Danger brings a touch of gaming and adventure into the cozy mystery formula.

The combination makes this a fun choice for readers who want something beyond the traditional tea-shop or bookstore setup. It still has the familiar cozy ingredients, but with a more playful twist.

Perfect for: Readers who enjoy mysteries with quirky hobbies and unusual settings.

4. Apple Pies and Poisoned Lies at the Cider Falls Festival by Traci Hall

If apple picking, hayrides, bonfires, and freshly baked apple pie don't scream fall, I don't know what does. Apple Pies and Poisoned Lies at the Cider Falls Festival drops you right into Cider Falls Orchard during its busiest autumn season, where Macki Smith is entering a baking competition with her famous apple pie. 

Things take a decidedly less cozy turn when murder crashes the festival, and the suspicious accident involving Macki's parents starts looking even more suspicious. With an apple orchard, a baking contest, small-town secrets, and a killer hiding among the crowd, this new cozy mystery feels practically made for a crisp fall afternoon.

Perfect for: Readers craving peak fall vibes, culinary mysteries, apple orchards, and small-town secrets.

5. Chapter and Curse by Elizabeth Penney

If you immediately click on anything containing the words chapter, book, or curse, same.

Chapter and Curse mixes a bookish atmosphere with a murder mystery, making it another great addition to a fall reading list. It has that delicious combination of literary intrigue and secrets that makes book-themed mysteries so easy to binge.

Perfect for: Readers who want their cozy mystery with a bookish twist.

6. The French Bookshop Murder by Greg Mosse

A French bookshop is already enough to make me want to move into the setting permanently. Add murder, and suddenly we have a mystery I absolutely need to investigate.

The French Bookshop Murder offers a more atmospheric option for readers who enjoy their mysteries with a literary and European flavor.

Perfect for: Readers who love bookshops, atmospheric settings, and mysteries with an international feel.

7. The Secret, Book & Scone Society by Ellery Adams

Books, scones, friendship, secrets, and murder. This title practically wrote itself onto a fall TBR.

The Secret, Book & Scone Society follows a group of women brought together by a shared love of books and a mysterious death. The book combines the cozy atmosphere of a book club with a darker mystery underneath.

And honestly, a secret society involving books and scones sounds like something I would join immediately.

Perfect for: Book clubs, strong friendships, and readers who love their mysteries with plenty of heart.

8. The Devil in the Details by Vicki Delany

Vicki Delany knows how to deliver a classic cozy mystery, and The Devil in the Details is a fun pick when you want a mystery filled with secrets and suspicious characters.

The title alone suggests that paying attention to the little things might be important. Because in cozy mysteries, that one tiny detail you almost ignored is usually the thing that blows the entire case wide open.

Perfect for: Traditional cozy mystery fans who enjoy clues and plenty of suspects.

9. The Con by Jackie Layton

A seaside resort, a professional organizer, and a con man who ends up dead? The Con has plenty of secrets to keep you guessing. Kate Sloan is hired to organize Ben Houser’s messy office, but after finding his body, she realizes someone thinks she knows too much. With plenty of suspects and a killer who may be coming after her next, this is a fun pick for a cozy mystery with a little extra suspense.

Perfect for: Readers who love small-town mysteries, seaside settings, and plenty of suspects.

10. The Body in the Trees by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran

Jessica Fletcher and murder practically go together at this point.

The Body in the Trees brings the iconic Murder, She Wrote character into another mystery filled with suspicious circumstances and clues to untangle. If you grew up watching Jessica Fletcher solve murders that everyone else somehow missed, this is an easy choice for your fall reading list.

Perfect for: Murder, She Wrote fans and classic cozy mystery readers.

11. Live and Let Chai by Bree Baker

A charming setting, tea, secrets, and murder? Live and Let Chai checks several cozy mystery boxes at once.

Bree Baker's series is particularly appealing if you enjoy picturesque small-town mysteries with a strong sense of community. And let's be honest, the title alone makes me want to make a giant mug of chai before opening the book.

Perfect for: Tea lovers, small-town mysteries, and readers who like a little romance alongside their murder.

12. Murder in the Mystery Suite by Ellery Adams

A mystery suite sounds like exactly where I would want to spend a fall weekend. Preferably without the actual murder.

Murder in the Mystery Suite takes place in a setting designed around mystery lovers, which makes the inevitable crime feel especially fitting. If you enjoy puzzles, secrets, and stories where everyone seems to have something to hide, put this one on your list.

Perfect for: Mystery fans who love mysteries within mysteries.

13. Plantation Shudders by Ellen Byron

For readers who like their cozy mysteries with a Southern atmosphere, Plantation Shudders is an excellent pick.

The setting gives the story plenty of personality, while the mystery adds the darker edge that keeps things moving. It’s a good choice when you want your fall reading to feel atmospheric without going fully into horror territory.

Perfect for: Southern settings, atmospheric mysteries, and spooky-season reading.

14. A Murder for the Books by Victoria Gilbert

Another bookish mystery for the pile!

A Murder for the Books is perfect for anyone who sees a title mentioning books and immediately thinks, "Yep, that's going on my TBR."

The story combines a literary setting with a murder investigation, giving you the best part of a cozy mystery: a charming world filled with people who suddenly become suspicious when someone ends up dead.

Perfect for: Bibliophiles who can't resist a book-themed mystery.

15. Books Can Be Deceiving by Jenn McKinlay

Books can be many things: comforting, entertaining, expensive when you keep buying them, and apparently evidence in a murder investigation.

Books Can Be Deceiving is a great choice for readers who love mysteries centered around libraries, books, and small communities. The title also delivers one of my favorite cozy mystery reminders: never assume you know what anyone is hiding.

Perfect for: Library lovers and readers who want a classic bookish cozy.

16. By Book or by Crook by Eva Gates

Another title that basically screams, "Put me on your fall reading list."

By Book or by Crook combines books, a charming coastal setting, and murder. If you like the idea of curling up with a mystery while the weather outside gets colder, this is exactly the kind of atmospheric read to consider.

Perfect for: Book lovers who enjoy coastal settings and traditional cozy mysteries.

17. Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle

A mystery involving rare books? Sign me up.

Homicide in Hardcover is a particularly good pick for readers who enjoy the more literary side of cozy mysteries. The world of books provides plenty of possibilities for secrets, rivalries, valuable objects, and, unfortunately, murder.

Perfect for: Bibliophiles, collectors, and readers who love mysteries involving valuable books.

18. A High-End Finish by Kate Carlisle

If you enjoyed the bookish atmosphere of Kate Carlisle's other mysteries, A High-End Finish gives you another opportunity to dive into a world of craftsmanship, antiques, and secrets.

It’s the kind of cozy mystery that works particularly well when you want something entertaining but not overly dark.

Perfect for: Readers who enjoy antiques, restoration, crafts, and murder mysteries.

19. On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle

Coffee and murder might not sound like a healthy combination, but it makes a fantastic cozy mystery.

On What Grounds is a natural pick for anyone who thinks coffee should be its own food group. The café setting gives the mystery a warm, familiar atmosphere while the murder gives everyone something significantly less relaxing to discuss.

Perfect for: Coffee addicts and readers who love café-centered mysteries.

20. Death by Cashmere by Sally Goldenbaum

Cashmere sweaters, a seaside community, and murder? Now we're getting somewhere.

Death by Cashmere is a cozy choice for readers who love small-town settings with distinctive local businesses and colorful characters. It has the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to move into the fictional town, preferably after the murderer gets caught.

Perfect for: Knitting fans, crafty readers, and seaside cozy mystery lovers.

21. Clammed Up by Barbara Ross

A coastal mystery with a wonderfully seafood-themed title, Clammed Up is another great option for your fall TBR.

Barbara Ross combines a small-town setting with family drama, local secrets, and a murder that needs solving. If you like cozy mysteries where the setting feels like a character of its own, this one is worth checking out.

Perfect for: Coastal mysteries and readers who enjoy strong community settings.

22. The Penford Manor Murders by Fiona Veitch Smith

A mysterious manor house, society secrets, blackmail, and murder? The Penford Manor Murders has all the ingredients for a deliciously atmospheric fall read. Set in 1930, this historical cozy mystery follows Clara Vale as she investigates a suspicious death at Penford Manor, where it seems everyone has something to hide.

Perfect for: Fans of historical mysteries, manor houses, and classic whodunits.

23. A Killing in C-Sharp by Alexia Gordon

Music and murder make an interesting combination in A Killing in C-Sharp.

If you've already read a dozen bookshop and café mysteries and want something with a different flavor, this is a great change of pace. The musical setting gives the mystery its own personality while keeping that cozy, character-driven feeling.

Perfect for: Music lovers and readers looking for something different from the usual cozy setting.

24. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

If you haven't met the Thursday Murder Club yet, fall is a pretty great time to do it.

The premise is wonderfully entertaining: a group of friends living in a retirement community meet regularly to investigate cold cases. Then an actual murder lands right on their doorstep.

The characters are what make this one especially enjoyable. They’re clever, funny, curious, and absolutely unwilling to let the police have all the fun.

Perfect for: Readers who want humor, friendship, clever mysteries, and memorable characters.

Which Cozy Mystery Should You Read This Fall?

With 24 books on the list, choosing just one might be the hardest mystery of all.

If you're a book lover, start with Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop, The Secret, Book & Scone Society, A Murder for the Books, or Homicide in Hardcover.

If food and drinks are your love language, try Killer Donuts, Apple Pies and Poisoned Lies at the Cider Falls Festival, Live and Let Chai, On What Grounds, or The Penford Manor Murders. 

For something with a spookier fall feeling, I'd pick Plantation Shudders or The Body in the Trees. 

And if you want humor and unforgettable characters, The Thursday Murder Club should be high on your list.

The best part? You don't have to wait until Halloween to start. Cozy mysteries work all season long, especially when you have a warm drink, a soft blanket, and absolutely no intention of being productive.

So grab a book, make yourself something cozy, and settle in. Just maybe don't accuse everyone in your house of murder when you get too invested in the investigation.