Historical Cozy Mystery Book Recommendations
Cozy Crime Fiction That Combines History and Mystery
A historical cozy is a subgenre of cozy mystery that combines historical fiction with a murder mystery. It is historical because the story has a past-era setting (Regency period, Victorian era, etc.) and cozy because it is a mystery with cozy elements (amateur sleuth, offstage violence, etc.).
Common Elements of Historical Cozies
Historical mysteries are set in a specific period. Some examples include the Regency period, Victorian era, Gilded Age, 1920s, and post-World War I and II. Regardless of era, these mysteries are peppered with fascinating historical details and language designed to take you back in time and immerse you in the setting. Some historical cozy mysteries include characters based on actual historical figures to add flavor to the story and engage the reader.
The detective in historical mysteries is almost always an amateur sleuth who gets drawn into the mystery by witnessing the murder, being the accused, or knowing the victim or one of the suspects. The sleuth often has a sidekick or pet and encounters many memorable characters who help or hinder the investigations. Social changes, conflicts, events, and people from the story’s time period usually play a role in the mystery or subplots and add depth to the narrative.
10 Historical Cozy Mystery Book Recommendations
Once you start looking for historical cozy mysteries, you’ll be amazed by how many great mysteries there are. Most are part of a multi-book series, so you can settle into the era and locations you like best. If you’re unsure where to start, here is a shelf of historical cozy mysteries to explore.
Check out this Historical Mystery Lookbook to see all of the book covers featured in this article.
Note: This article may contain affiliate links. Cozy Crime Reads may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you click on one of these links and make a purchase. This commission helps to fund the cost of operating this website. Thank you in advance for your support.
A Quiet Life in the Country
-
This book was written by TE Kinsey.
-
This book was published by Thomas and Mercer.
-
This book is the first book in the Lady Hardcastle Mystery series.
A Quiet Life in the Country is the first novel in the long-running and beloved Lady Hardcastle Mystery series by T.E. Kinsey. It is set in the rural English countryside in 1908. The series star is Lady Emily Hardcastle, an unconventional widow with a mysterious past. Lady Hardcastle yearns for a quiet life, so she moves from the city to the country. She has a trusted maid, Flo, who enjoys witty banter with her eccentric employer and other activities uncommon in maids of the era. Their quiet life doesn’t last long because they find a body in the woods, investigate it thoroughly, and discover rural rivalries and village intrigue in every corner of the countryside.
Cocaine Blues
-
This book was written by Kerry Greenwood.
-
This book was published by Poisoned Pen Press; Reprint edition (November 3, 2015).
-
This book is the first book in Miss Fisher's Murder Mystery series.
Cocaine Blues, by Australian author Kerry Greenwood, is the first book in Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (also known as Phryne Fisher Mysteries). The book’s titular character, the Honorable Phryne Fisher, is a wealthy aristocrat who became bored with high society events in England and decided to try her hand at detecting. Miss Fisher settled into Australia and began solving mysteries with courage, style, and class. She is glamorous but isn’t afraid to get into the fray, whether it involves flying planes or using her pearl-handled pistol. The book series is set in 1928 and has been adapted into a film and television series aired in more than 100 countries worldwide. The film and television series has been spun into another mystery series called Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries, featuring Phryne’s niece, Peregrine Fisher, as the main character. The author of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Kerry Greenwood, also writes the Delphic Women Series and Corinna Chapman Mysteries.
The Turncoat’s Widow
-
This book was written by Mally Becker.
-
This book was published by Level Best Books.
-
This book is the first book in the Revolutionary War Mystery series.
The Turncoat's Widow is the debut novel in Mally Becker's Revolutionary War Mystery series. The first two books in this historical cozy mystery series were nominated for the prestigious Agatha Award (named for Agatha Christie). The first book is set in 1780. The story's protagonist, Rebecca Parcell, is a new widow and the subject of village gossip in Morristown, New Jersey. People think she is a Loyalist sympathizer who betrayed her hero husband, and they are ready with pitchforks. As usual, the rumormongers have it wrong. Rebecca's husband was a British spy. General George Washington, also in Morristown for the winter, knows the truth and wants her to help him prove it. Rebecca agrees to go to the British stronghold of New York City on a dangerous mission to get the information Washington needs. But she's not alone. Washington pairs her with Daniel Alloway, an escaped British prisoner and the last person to see her husband alive.
Delivering the Truth
-
This book was written by Edith Maxwell.
-
This book is independently published.
-
This book is the first book in the Quaker Midwife Mystery series.
Delivering the Truth is an award-winning novel and the first book in the Quaker Midwife Mystery series by national bestselling mystery author Edith Maxwell. In the book, Quaker midwife Rose Carroll starts sleuthing after discovering dark secrets in her community in 1888 Massachusetts. The book includes interesting historical details about the New England setting. The real-life Quaker poet John Greenleaf Whittier also makes an appearance. Edith Maxwell writes this series, award-winning short crime fiction, and other mystery series, including the Dot and Amelia Mysteries, Local Foods Mysteries, and Lauren Rousseau Mysteries. She also writes the Cozy Capers Book Group Mysteries, Country Store Mysteries, and Cece Barton Mysteries under the pseudonym Maddie Day.
A Very English Murder
-
This book was written by Verity Bright.
-
This book was published by Bookouture.
-
This book is the first book in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series.
A Very English Murder is the first installment in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series by Verity Bright. The story, set in 1920s England, features an aristocratic female sleuth in her late twenties named Lady Eleanor Swift. Ellie has just inherited an English manor with a rigid but faithful butler (is there any other kind?). She has been traveling the world for the last few years and is keen for more adventure. She befriends the old manor’s bulldog, sets off into the countryside, and gets mixed up in an intriguing mystery that could change her life. All of the books in this historical cozy mystery series, including A Very English Murder, are reminiscent of Golden Age mysteries. They are classic whodunnits with multiple suspects, fair mysteries that can be solved by the reader, and witty dialogue.
Because I Could Not Stop For Death
-
This book was written by Amanda Flower.
-
This book was published by Berkley.
-
This book is the first book in the Emily Dickinson Mystery series.
Because I Could Not Stop for Death is the first book in the Emily Dickinson Mystery series by cozy mystery powerhouse Amanda Flower. The book follows Willa Noble and her employer, Emily Dickinson, as they work to solve a puzzle involving the mysterious death of Willa’s brother. The book contains beautiful lines of poetry and factual information about Dickinson’s life, the era (late 19th century), and the setting (19th century Amherst and Washington DC). Amanda Flower writes many other cozy mystery series, including the Katherine Wright Mysteries, Amish Candy Shop Mysteries, Amish Matchmaker Mysteries, Farm to Table Mysteries, Magical Bookshop Mysteries, Magical Garden Mysteries, India Hayes Mysteries, Piper and Porter Mysteries, and Living History Mysteries. She also wrote the Amish Quilt Shop Mysteries under the pseudonym Isabella Alan.
Murder at the Dolphin Hotel
-
This book was written by Helena Dixon.
-
This book was published by Bookouture.
-
This book is the first book in the Miss Underhay Mystery series.
Murder at the Dolphin Hotel is the first book in the Miss Underhay Mystery series by Helena Dixon. The book is set in the 1930s on the English Coast. The sleuth is Kitty Underhay, a modern gal who lives in her family’s ancient hotel. When hotel rooms get ransacked, people start whispering about a missing family jewel, and a dead body drops, the wonderfully complex Kitty puts on her t-strap heels and pairs up with new hotel security guard Matthew Bryant, to get to the bottom of things. Matthew is an ex-army captain with a mysterious past and a few secrets of his own. Helena Dixon also writes award-winning romance novels under the name Nell Dixon.
Mastering the Art of French Murder
-
This book was written by Colleen Cambridge.
-
This book was published by Kensington.
-
This book is the first book in the American in Paris Mysteries series.
Mastering the Art of French Murder is the first American In Paris Mystery novel by author Colleen Cambridge. The story, set after the war in midcentury Paris, stars Tabitha Knight, a Detroit transplant and the fictional friend and neighbor of French chef Julia Child (yes, the Julia Child). When someone is murdered with Julia’s knife, Tabitha finds herself in the middle of a delectable mystery. The book offers tidbits about the post-World War II era and provides some fun, factual information about Julia Child. Bon appetit! Colleen Cambridge also writes the Phyllida Bright Mysteries, which features the fictional housekeeper of Golden Age mystery novelist Agatha Christie.
Her Royal Spyness
-
This book was written by Rhys Bowen.
-
This book was published by Berkley.
-
This book is the first book in the Royal Spyness series.
Her Royal Spyness is the first book in Rhys Bowen's Royal Spyness series, which is among the most popular historical cozy mystery series in existence. The book features amateur sleuth Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, 34th in line for the English throne. She lacks money and prospects but has a clever mind and a desire for independence. She finds plenty of adventure when she sets out on her own. The author does a lovely job of describing the 1930s London setting and the decadent lifestyles of the wealthy aristocracy. Rhys Bowen also writes the Evan Constable Mysteries, the Molly Murphy Mysteries, and many other stand-alone books.
Murder at High Tide
-
This book was written by Lee Strauss and Norm Strauss.
-
This book was published by La Plume Press.
-
This book is the first book in the Rosa Reed Mystery series.
Murder at High Tide, by Lee Strauss and Norm Strauss, is the first book in the Rosa Reed Mystery series. The protagonist is Rosa Reed, an Englishwoman who left her fiancée and her job as a Police Constable for a new life in 1950s California. The series offers a dash of everything from the rock ‘n’ roll decade (from poodle skirts to Elvis Presley). The Rosa Reed Mystery series is a spinoff from the bestselling Ginger Gold Mystery series, which kicks off with an introductory novel called Murder on the SS Rosa. Lee Strauss also writes the Higgins and Hawke Mystery series.
Shop for Historical Mysteries on Bookshop.org
You can find the historical cozy mysteries on this list and shop for other cozy mysteries in the Cozy Crime Reads Shop on Bookshop.org. When you purchase on Bookshop.org, the profits go to independent bookstores.
