Tour Guide Cozy Mysteries… Mystery Books that Involve Travel:
What better time to travel than in the summer months? Well, that is true if you have children in school… My guess is that most empty-nesters or people who have opted from having children would rather travel during the times when school is in session… making places of interest a whole lot more accessible and less crowded. Either way, you can take along a cozy mystery which features travelling as a central theme:
Peter Abresch: James P. Dandy Elderhostel Mystery Series
Taffy Cannon: The first novel in the Roxanne Prescott Mystery Series features a tour guide for a very first-class tour business.
Lynne E. Chandler: Mrs. Baul Investigates: Bishop Kidnapped in Egypt
Hy Conrad: Conrad writes the Abel Adventures Mystery Series which revolves around mystery-solving tours.
William Doonan: The Henry Graves Mystery Series features an octogenarian who works on a cruise ship as a senior investigator.
Dorothy Gilman: In Mrs. Pollifax Mystery Series, Mrs. Pollifax is often traveling. In Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station, she is on a tour group to China.
Sue Henry: The Maxi & Stretch Mystery Series features a 60s something RV traveler who sleuths across the country with the help of her Mini Dachshund.
Maddy Hunter: The Passport to Peril Mystery Series features a tour guide who travels with her senior citizen group… who prove that there is such a thing as being “young at heart”.
Anna Loan-Wilsey: The Hattie Davish “Have Typewriter Will Travel” Mystery Series features a traveling secretary/typist in the late 19th century. Hattie travels to different locales in the USA.
Marie Moore: The Sydney March Mystery Series has, as its sleuth, a woman who takes vacationing groups on tours.
Nancy J. Parra (aka Nancy Coco & Nell Hampton): Wine Country Mystery Series – Taylor O’Brian runs wine tours in Sonoma valley – California.
Emily Toll: Are you Booked for Travel?… as in the Booked for Travel Mystery Series which features a widowed tour guide with a penchant for sleuthing.
Livia J. Washburn: The Literary Tour Mystery Series… With tours that are based on literary works, “plots” (as in the type you find in cemeteries!) are sometimes on the agenda.
Marty Wingate: The Birds of a Feather Mystery Series stars a tourist manager in Smeaton-under-Lyme.
Aaron Marc Stein: The Bombing Run
♦ To access more Cozy Mysteries by Theme click on this link ♦
Kathy says
I found Livia J Washburn series – Literay Tour mystery series. Just started reading it, so far it’s great.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Hi Kathy,
Thank you so much for bringing Washburn’s new tour agency series to my attention. I have added her to the above list, as well as added the series to her page on the site.
Thanks, again!
Rochelle says
Hi
Sue Henry has a wonderful travel series based on a senior woman named Maxie and her dog Stretch. They travel around the States and Canada in their RV.
Mary says
Thank you so much for putting this site together. I have read mysteries for years and drive my husband crazy when he goes to the library for us. He wanders around for half an hour looking for books for me. He suggested, before heading out today that I look for some authors to make his life easier. I found your page immediately and cannot wait to read some of the books posted on your site. Hope he hurries home!!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Welcome to the site, Mary! Hope your husband was able to find you some new authors to try at the library.
Jeanne says
I followed the recommendation here and read the four Sue Henry books with Maxie and Stretch and absolutely loved them. The mystery was great and intriguing, the story had substance and I loved the characters. I loved Maxie’s spunk, adventure, independence and thoughtfulness. Also I really enjoyed the details of the sights to see during Maxie’s travels since I really enjoyed traveling in New Mexico where she went in one story. I was very sad to finish the last (4th) book, and hope another comes soon!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Here’s hoping that Sue Henry‘s next mystery is a Maxie & Stretch!
Bill says
How about Peter Abresch’s Elderhostel series?
Sleuths Jim Dandy and Dodie Swisher always meet on an elderhostel in different places with different activities.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thank you, Bill, I will go add Peter Abresch to the Tour Guide & Travel Mystery Books Theme.
David says
In Aaron Marc Stein’s Matt Erridge series, Matt and Mathilda, his basset hound, join a tour group in Belgium in “The Bombing Run.” I think this qualifies: amateur detecting by a man and his dog, interesting locales.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thanks, David, for telling us about Aaron Marc Stein’s The Bombing Run.
Shannon says
I am in a Mystery Cozy Book Club that has read for years now and still to this day one of the most fun, light reading books is Alpine for You -it is just hilarious! If you would like a laugh-check her out!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Shannon, thanks for telling us about your enjoyment of Maddy Hunter’s Alpine for You.
PAK says
Whenever we travel to another state, my first stop is to this website. Some places have lots of mysteries (Florida), but other states are a bit more obscure. Your site has always come to my rescue. I am looking for some Canadian (Niagara Falls) mysteries. Any help?
joan j says
I am looking for any mysteries involving Norway’s fjords as I am taking a cruise in September 2015. Also my daughter wants us to go to Cornwall on our return to Harwich, England. I know about Daphne du Maurier (spelling?) novels and the ones by Nicola Upson using her as a detective. (not quite cosys) Do you know of any? I have read all of Agatha Christie’s books over and over since I was a teenager and she has some in the West and her home was in Devon. Can anybody think of any? I like to take a couple of paperbacks with me. No ebooks as I want to HOLD the book.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Joan J, for sure you might want to get a copy of Katherine Hall Page’s The Body in the Fjord!
Donna Mc says
Wow, I thought I had fully explored this site but I never stumbled upon this category before! Sounds like there are some interesting books out there about traveling and mysteries. Mom will probably like the senior tours series, I think that might make a good Christmas present this year!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Donna Mc, oh my gosh, I just took a look at the Tour Guide & travel theme, and can’t believe it’s been that long since we all worked on it! I keep adding to the themes as Cozy Mystery readers tell me about authors I’ve missed as well as when I post new-to-the-site authors who use the themes as their settings.
Susan* says
Dorothy Gilman’s Mrs Pollifax is always travelling somewhere different. In ‘Mrs Pollifax on the China Station’ she is part of a tourist group in Communist China.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Susan, that’s a good suggestion. I’ll add it to the list.
Meaghan C says
The Starling and Swift mystery series is really good by M.J. Mandrake. Kitty Swift is an interpreter for the deaf on a luxury cruise ship. She and her service dog Chica solve mysteries. It’s a great series!