Best Culinary Cozy Mystery Books
Culinary Cozies to Satisfy Your Appetite for Mystery
A culinary cozy is a subgenre of cozy mystery that combines yummy food with a light-hearted but suspenseful murder mystery investigation. The well-timed descriptions of delicious desserts and comfort food help to create the cozy tone and fuzzy feelings this type of crime fiction is known for. In the best cozy mysteries, it seems perfectly natural to wonder who poisoned the judge of the pie-baking contest while also craving a piece of killer apple pie.
Common Elements in Culinary Cozies
Amateur detectives are the heart of nearly every culinary cozy mystery. Whether they own a bakery, work as a food critic, or create craft beverages, their culinary prowess often plays a crucial role in solving the mystery. For example, they might whip up magical pies or perform other food-related feats that add unique flavors and twists to the story.
One of the most delightful aspects of culinary cozies is the inclusion of recipes. These cozy recipes tantalize your taste buds and invite you to recreate the mouthwatering delights described in the book. It's a unique and interactive way to bring the story to life, making your reading experience all the more engaging and enjoyable.
Culinary Cozy Mystery Book Recommendations
There are many great culinary cozy mysteries out there. Most of them are part of a series, so you can get multiple helpings of the books you like best. If you’d like to start a new mystery series, here are ten of the best cozy mysteries in the culinary cozy genre to explore. Each is the first in a series of at least three or more, with some cozy mystery series containing dozens of books.
Here is a Culinary Cozy Lookbook featuring book covers from every book in this article.
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An Appetite for Murder
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This book was written by Lucy Burdette
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This book was published by Berkley
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This book is the first book in the Key West Food Critic Mystery series.
An Appetite for Murder is the first book in Lucy Burdette’s long-running, award-winning Key West Food Critic Mystery series. It follows Jersey girl Hayley Snow, an aspiring food critic who moves to Key West and ends up a suspect in a murder investigation after a series of unfortunate events involving a cheating boyfriend, a dead boss, and a key lime pie. Hayley does some amateur sleuthing to clear her name. The setting and food descriptions will make you crave Key West, and the included recipes will help you fulfill at least part of the craving. You can also purchase a companion cookbook with a collection of recipes featured in the series.
Assaulted Caramel
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This book was written by Amanda Flower.
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This book was published by Kensington Books.
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This book is the first book in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series.
Assaulted Caramel is the first culinary cozy in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series, written by Amanda Flower, an Agatha Award-winning author of over fifty mystery novels, including children’s, historical, magical, and contemporary mysteries. (The Agatha Award is a traditional mystery award named for Agatha Christie.) In Assaulted Caramel, Bailey King leaves her sweet life as a chocolatier at a fancy New York chocolate company to be with her ailing Amish grandfather in Harvest, Ohio. Things get sticky when a pushy land developer dies in the candy shop owned by Bailey’s grandparents, and suspicion falls on the family. There's a satisfying ending and an easy recipe for salted caramel fudge at the end of the book. If you like this series, you should also check out the author’s Amish Matchmaker Mystery series, which is set in the same world and features some crossover characters from the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series. See an interview with Amanda Flower.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder
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This book was written by Joanne Fluke.
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This book was published by Kensington Books.
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This book is the first book in the Hannah Swensen Mystery series.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder is the first book in the New York Times-bestselling Hannah Swenson Mysteries by Joanne Fluke. The story follows Hannah Swenson, a baker and the owner of The Cookie Jar, a popular bakery and hangout in Lake Eden, Minnesota. Her mother is trying hard to marry her off, but Hannah would rather bake treats and figure out who killed the milkman behind the bakery. This culinary cozy mystery series has dozens of delicious books. It also inspired a long-running film series on the Hallmark Mystery channel starring Alison Sweeney. Look for bonuses, like recipes, in each book. See a Hannah Swenson recipe from Joanne Fluke.
Death By Dumpling
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This book was written by Vivien Chien.
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This book was published by St. Martin's.
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This book is the first book in the Noodle Shop Mystery series.
Death by Dumpling is the first of many books in the Noodle Shop Mystery series by national bestselling author Vivien Chien. The series protagonist is Lana Lee, who (to her chagrin) works at her parent’s restaurant, Ho-Lee Noodle House. The noodle shop is in a tight-knit Asian community in Cleveland, Ohio. When some food Lana Lee delivers kills the restaurant’s property manager, multiple members of the community, including Lana Lee, become suspects in the murder. Lana Lee must dodge her family’s meddling, uncover a bowlful of secrets, and clear everyone’s name. The mouthwatering food descriptions will have you craving Chinese takeout.
Cheddar Off Dead
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This book was written by Korina Moss.
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This book was published by St. Martin's.
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This book is the first book in the Cheese Shop Mystery series.
Korina Moss is the author of Cheddar Off Dead, the first book in the Cheese Shop Mystery series. This debut novel won an Agatha Award for Best First Novel. The sleuth is Cheese monger Willa Bauer, who just opened a French-inspired cheese shop in Yarrow Glen a small town in Sonoma Valley. When a picky food critic meets the pointy end of a cheese knife, you cheddar believe Willa will try to clear her name before there is parm-anent damage to her reputation. This book contains lots of references and info about cheese as well as a tasty cheese recipe at the end of the book. See a book club kit for Cheddar Off Dead.
Glazed Murder
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This book was written by Jessica Beck.
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This book was published by St. Martin's,
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This book is the first book in the Donut Shop Mystery series.
If you want to make a long-term commitment to a culinary cozy mystery series, the Donut Shop Mystery series by New York Time bestselling author Jessica Beck might fit the bill. The series has a whopping 58 cozy mystery books and one recipe book. It starts with Glazed Murder, which introduces amateur detective Suzanne Hart, owner of Donut Hearts coffee shop in April Springs, North Carolina. Suzanne is a delightfully nosy baker and quickly gets sucked into a mystery when a body is found on the steps to her shop. The author goes above and beyond by including a recipe corresponding to events in every chapter.
Meet Your Baker
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This book was written by Ellie Alexander.
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This book was published by St. Martin's.
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This book is the first book in the Bakeshop Mystery series.
Meet Your Baker is the first book in the popular Bakeshop Mystery series by Ellie Alexander, who has written multiple series and dozens of mystery novels. The baker, Juliet Capshaw, moves home to Ashland, Oregon, to work at Torte, the family bakery. Ashland is a charming town with quirky community members, lots of tourists, and a Shakespeare festival. When the curtain falls on a real-life Lady Macbeth, Juliet starts sleuthing and realizes everyone has a secret. This cozy culinary mystery includes several original recipes created by the author, her parents, and her extended family.
Read a Cozy Crime Reads Interview with Ellie Alexander and see a recipe from Ellie Alexander.
On What Grounds
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This book was written by Cleo Coyle.
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This book was published by Berkley Books.
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This book is the first book in the Coffeehouse Mystery series.
On What Grounds is the first of many books in Cleo Coyle's New York Times bestselling Coffeehouse Mystery series. Much of the action occurs in and around New York City’s historic Village Blend coffeehouse, managed by Clare Cosi and her cat, Java. When the assistant manager is found dead in the storeroom, and the police fail to see signs of foul play, Clare launches her own caffeine-fueled investigation. The book includes recipes and coffee-making tips.
Pies and Prejudice
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This book was written by Ellery Adams.
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This book was published by Berkley.
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This book is the first book in the Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery series.
Pies and Prejudice is the first book in a five-book Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery series by Ellery Adams, a New York Times bestselling author with over 50 books in the cozy mystery genre. Pies and Prejudice is set in Havenwood, Georgia, where amateur sleuth Ella Mae LaFaye bakes enchanted pies that have magical effects on everyone who eats them. Ella Mae must use her charms to clear her name when she is accused of murdering someone with her rolling pin. Pie recipes are included at the end of the book so you can make your own sweet magic.
Bayou Book Thief
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This book was written by Ellen Byron.
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This book was published by Berkley.
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Bayou Book Thief is the first book in Vintage Cookbook Mystery series.
Bayou Book Thief, the first book in the Vintage Cookbook Mystery series by award-winning author Ellen Byron, features Ricki James, a young widow who has moved back home to New Orleans for a fresh start. Ricki is turning her love of vintage cookbooks into a business. Her new gift shop, located in the Bon Vee Culinary House Museum sells vintage cookbooks and kitchenware. This is how Ricki gets tangled up with a book thief, who ends up dead in a donation box in Ricki's shop after trying to steal an armful of cookbooks. Ricki, the quirky museum staff, and her jazz-playing neighbor try to read the clues and figure out whodunnit before they end up cooked. Bayou Book Thief includes recipes inspired by the author's personal collection of vintage cookbooks.
Read the Cozy Crime Reads Interview with Ellen Byron and see a Vintage Cookbook recipe from Ellen Byron.
Shop for Culinary Cozies on Bookshop.org
Shop for the culinary cozy mysteries on this list and see other fun book recommendations in the Cozy Crime Reads Shop on Bookshop.org. Purchases made on Bookshop.org support independent bookstores.
