The Cozy Mystery List Blog

You can tell that the holidays are coming up by the Cozies that are coming out… October will have six new holiday-themed Cozies, all of them Christmas in this case!

First, Donna Andrews will be putting out The Gift of the Magpie, the 28th in the Meg Langslow Mystery Series, and one of many Christmas entries in the series. Meg is taking some time out of the holiday season to volunteer at Caerphilly’s Helping Hands, a charity where locals volunteer to help out at tasks that their neighbors can’t do and can’t afford to have done for them. When one of the locals she’s been helping out is murdered, she needs to investigate to help make sure that the killer comes to justice.

Next up, Nancy Coco (aka Nancy J. Parra and Nell Hampton) will be releasing Have Yourself a Fudgy Little Christmas, which will be the 9th in the Candy-Coated Mystery Series. Allie is trying to finish up renovation s on the Historic McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop to return in time for the holidays, but for now is staying at Frances’s apartment. When she gets a mysterious note, she goes to meet the sender only to find her dying in a snowdrift – and her dying words are “Frances”, which the police take to be the name of her killer. Allie will need to find the real killer in time for the holidays. 

Carolyn Haines will be putting out A Garland of Bones, which will be the 22nd in the Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery Series. Instead of taking a traditional Christmas, Saras is enjoying this holiday by taking a road trip with her friends to a B&B in Columbus, Mississippi. However, the trip is quickly plagued by strange injuries, with incidents occuring at karaoke, at a historic home tour, and later, when a woman who became suspicious of the accidents, a near fatal incident with an arrow. Sarah will need to help determine whether these really are just accidents, or if someone is hoping for something a little more sinister for Christmas this year.

Next up, Carlene O’Connor will be putting out Murder at an Irish Village, the 6th in the Irish Village Mystery Series. Siobhán’s brother, James, is planning on getting married soon, and the entire O’Sullivan family is enjoying the holidays with his fiancee’s family. The festivities are cut short, however, when the grandfather, a famous conductor, is crushed beneath a harp in a local concert hall. The family suspects that it might be murder, and Siobhán is the best bet for determining what really happened to grandfather this holiday.

David Rosenfelt will be releasing Silent Bite, which will be the 22nd in the Andy Carpenter Mystery Series. Andy is starting to enjoy the holiday, having just finished up a Caribbean holiday cruise to get into the Christmas spirit. Returning home, his first check-in is naturally the Tara Foundation, his animal rescue organization that has always been closer to his heart than his law practice. When he arrives, he learns that his partner Willie’s old cellmate, Tony, has been arrested for murder, and Willie believes he didn’t do it. Andy might not believe Tony, but he certainly hopes Willie is right, and takes him on as a client.

Finally, Rebecca Tope will be putting out A Cotswold Christmas Mystery, the 18th in the Cotswold Mystery Series. Thea is preparing for a family Christmas, and her daughter Jessica has come to stay at the house. Unfortunately, a the mother of a neighboring family has gone missing, which will demand a lot of the family’s attention, not only from Thea but also from her stepdaughter Stephanie.

For more Christmas Cozies, check out the Christmas Mystery Book List page on the site.