Crafty Cozy Mystery Book Recommendations
Craft-Themed Cozy Crime With Creative Amateur Sleuths
A crafty cozy is a subgenre of cozy mystery that involves a fun hobby (such as knitting, quilting, or scrapbooking) and a murder mystery. Information about the crafting hobby is woven into the story and often drives a portion of the plot or subplot. The story isn’t all about the craft, but it isn’t all about the mystery, either. The two elements are carefully blended together in the same way that food is mixed into the mystery in a culinary cozy.
Common Elements of Craft-Themed Cozies
In crafty cozies, the protagonists are not your typical amateur sleuths. They are passionate about their hobby, whether it’s quilting, crocheting, or decoupage. Their creative instincts and DIY skills are not just for show; they’re often vital to unraveling the mystery, adding a unique problem-solving aspect to the genre.
Cozy mysteries with a craft theme frequently include crafting tips or patterns, such as knitting or crochet patterns, to engage the reader further and inspire DIY projects. This interactive element enhances the reading experience and encourages readers to try the crafts themselves. These extras usually appear at the end of the book but can sometimes be woven into the story.
10 Crafty Cozy Mysteries Worth a Read
You'll find plenty of choices when diving into craft-themed cozy mysteries. Many books are part of a series, so you can stick with your favorite characters and hobbies when you find something you like. This curated list of crafty cozy mysteries will help you kickstart your crime reading journey.
If you'd rather look at the covers of the books in this article, check out this Crafty Cozy Lookbook.
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Basket Case
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This book was written by Nancy Haddock.
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This book was published by Berkley.
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This book is the first book in the Silver Six Crafting Mystery series.
Basket Case is the first book in the Silver Six Crafting Mystery series from national bestselling author Nancy Haddock. The series features a group of spirited retirees known as the Silver Six. The Silver Six live together in the small town of Lilyvale, Arkansas. The group is known for their crafts…and their troublemaking! In Basket Case, a well-meaning niece shows up with plans to keep them in line, but the Silver Six won’t be corralled, especially when a body turns up, and one of them gets accused of crafting a murder plot! The Silver Six start sleuthing, and hijinks ensue. Look for recipes and craft tips at the end of the book.
Dire Threads
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This book was written by Janet Bolin.
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This book was published by Berkley.
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This book is the first book in the Threadville Mystery series.
Dire Threads by Janet Bolin is the first book in the five-book Threadville Mystery series. Nearly every book in this series has been nominated for a Bloody Words Light Mystery Award (Bony Blithe), an annual Canadian award for light, traditional mysteries. The books are set in Threadville, a small town in Pennsylvania, known for its fabric, needlecraft, and embroidery. In Dire Threads, amateur sleuth Willow Vanderling, who also owns a machine embroidery shop, is forced to unravel the threads of a mystery when she gets pulled into a murder investigation. Mystery lovers will enjoy the puzzle in this one, and crafters will appreciate the machine embroidery tips. (Note: Janet Bolin also writes the Deputy Donut Mystery series under Ginger Bolton.) Read the Cozy Crime Reads Interview with Ginger Bolton.
Hooked On Murder
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This book was written by Betty Hechtman
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This book was published by Berkley.
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This book is the first book in the Hooked On Murder series.
Hooked on Murder is the debut novel in the long-running Crochet Mystery series by national bestselling author Betty Hechtman. Set in Tarzana, California, the series follows book event manager Molly, who runs the weekly crochet group at Shedd & Royal Books and More. Molly gets hooked on murder when she stumbles on the crochet group leader’s dead body and becomes the number one suspect in the crime. The book includes a recipe and a crochet pattern, so you can get crafty when you finish reading. Betty Hechtman also writes the Yarn Retreat Mysteries.
Stuck on Murder
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This book was written by Lucy Lawrence.
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This book was published by Wheeler Publishing.
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This book is the first book in the Decoupage Mystery series.
Stuck on Murder is the first in a trilogy of crafty cozy mysteries known as the Decoupage Mysteries. The series, written by Lucy Lawrence, follows protagonist Breanna Miller, who moves from Boston to a small rural town in Massachusetts. She gets a job at a shop specializing in decoupage. Things get sticky when the mayor is found in the trunk of a car, and Breanna finds herself cutting and pasting clues to save a friend. (Note: Lucy Lawrence is a pen name used by New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay early in her career.) Jenn McKinlay writes the Library Lover’s Mysteries, the Hat Shop Mysteries, and the Cupcake Bakery Mysteries.
Color Me Murder
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This book was written by Krista Davis.
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This book was published by Kensington Cozies.
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This book is the first book in the Pen and Ink series.
Color Me Murder is the first book in the Pen and Ink Mystery series by New York Times bestselling author Krista Davis. The story focuses on Florrie Fox, an adult coloring book artist who runs the Color Me Read bookstore in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. Florrie gets drawn into a murder investigation and encounters all sorts of colorful characters. She uses her sketching skills and artistic eye to draw clues and evaluate evidence. Readers can get in on the fun, too, since the front and back covers of the Pen and Ink books are meant to be colored. Florrie also likes to bake, so look out for recipes at the end of the book! Krista Davis also writes several cozy mystery series, including the popular Domestic Diva Mysteries and the Paws and Claws Mysteries.
Murder, Plain and Simple
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This book was written by Isabella Alan.
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This book was published by Berkley.
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This book is the first book in the Amish Quilt Shop Mystery series.
Murder, Plain and Simple is the first book in the Amish Quilt Shop Mystery series by Agatha award-winning author Isabella Alan. The story stars amateur sleuth Angela Braddock and her ornithophobic French bulldog. The recently unengaged Angela has inherited an Amish quilt shop. She decides to leave her Texas home and make a go of it in the predominantly Amish community of Rolling Brook, Ohio. Her late aunt's quilting circle does their best to make Angela feel welcome, but things fall to pieces when she becomes a prime suspect in an Amish man’s murder. A patchwork of mystery, romance, and humor ensues. (Note: Isabella Alan is the pseudonym for Amanda Flower. Amanda Flower writes many other cozy mystery series, including the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries and the Amish Matchmaker Mysteries.)
Murder Wears Mittens
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This book was written by Sally Goldenbaum.
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This book was published by Kensington Cozies (reprint edition).
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This book is the first book in the Seaside Knitter Society Mystery.
Murder Wears Mittens kicks off the popular Seaside Knitters Society Mystery series by Sally Goldenbaum. The book is set in a scenic resort town in Massachusetts called Sea Harbor. The main character is a warm-hearted sleuth named Cass Halloran. Cass and her seaside knitting circle hatch a plot to bring together estranged family members but end up stringing together clues when one of the family members is murdered and a hidden fortune is discovered. The author weaves many yarns, patterns, and projects into the plot to make this a crafty cozy mystery. The book even includes a bonus knitting pattern at the end. Sally Goldenbaum also writes another craft-themed series called the Queen Bees Quilt Shop Mysteries.
Still Knife Painting
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This book was written by Cheryl Hollon.
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This book was published by Kensington Cozies.
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This book is the first book in the Paint & Shine Mystery series.
Still Knife Painting is the first book in Cheryl Hollon's Paint and Shine Mysteries. It follows Miranda, a Kentucky transplant who hosts events combining painting, moonshine, and Southern comfort food. Things are going great until the cook gets stabbed with her own knife. With the sheriff in over his head, Miranda decides to do her own sleuthing. People who like Southern cozy mysteries will enjoy the charming characters and the Appalachian setting in Kentucky's picturesque Daniel Boone National Forest. Cheryl Hollon also writes the Webb's Glass Shop Mystery series.
Keepsake Crimes
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This book was written by Laura Childs.
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This book was published by Berkley.
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This book is the first book in the Scrapbooking Mystery series.
Keepsake Crimes is the first book in prolific cozy mystery writer Laura Childs's 16-book Scrapbooking Mystery series. This New York Times bestselling craft cozy is set in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. The sleuth is scrapbooking shop owner Carmela Bertrand, who is the only person who might be able to save her ex-husband from the scrap heap when he is mysteriously framed for murder. The book includes scrapbooking tips and recipes. Laura Childs also writes the Tea Shop Mysteries and Cackleberry Club Mysteries.
Last Wool and Testament
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This book was written by Molly McRae.
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This book was published by Berkley.
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This book is the first book in the Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery series.
Last Wool and Testament is the first cozy crafting mystery in the Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries by award-winning author Molly MacRae. The story's protagonist is Kath Rutledge, who returns home to the quirky and charming town of Blue Plum, Tennessee after inheriting a yarn shop from her beloved late grandmother. Nothing is easy, though. Someone was killed, people think Granny did it, and the yarn shop has a ghost. Fortunately for Kath, the ghost is just as interested in solving the mystery as she is, and between the two of them (and the fiber and needlework artists who meet at the shop), they may be able to catch a killer and clear Granny's name. Molly McRae also writes the Highland Bookshop Mysteries and the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries.
Shop For Crafty Cozies on Bookshop.org
Bookshop.org is an online bookstore. Every purchase from Bookshop.org supports independent bookshops. You can find all the craft-themed books on this list as well as other cozy mystery recommendations in the Cozy Crime Reads Shop on Bookshop.org.
