Cozy mysteries got me through cancer. Maybe medical intervention did most of the work, but I spent over a year exhausted, foggy, and barely functioning. Iโd lie on the couch devouring cozy mysteries about aristocrats, ancient Roman informers, or butterfly collectors, and the hours would speed by. Tales of amateur sleuths baking a peach pie or cooking for a crowd could make me feel better.
What I most appreciate about the genre is that it avoids gruesome killers, sexual predators, or horror that keeps me up at night. If we ever see the dripping of blood on someoneโs carpet in a cozy, we immediately learn that the donut shop owner always hated that carpet. And the victims are rarely the loveliest, kindest, most accommodating people you meet. Theyโre often unpleasant, like an obnoxious salesperson or a selfish ex, rather than someoneโs wonderful mom, third-grade teacher, or favorite babysitter.
Nearly every hobby, profession, social niche, and setting has appeared in a cozy mystery. Still, some protagonists feel interchangeable, too many plots are easy to solve, and the cozy mystery formula can feel wearying. So, why not change things up a bit?
Iโve read hundreds of cozy mysteries and will likely read hundreds more. If youโre looking for something new, here are five cozy series that avoid being formulaic and feature slightly unusual protagonists:
Grace Toppingโs Laura Bishop Mysteries
Laura Bishop stages homes for sale by decluttering, rearranging, and adding charming details. Recently divorced, sheโs trying to build a business while navigating numerous obstacles. Iโd love a real-life Laura Bishop to transform my apartment, but will have to settle for the staging tips that begin each chapter.
Jacqueline Winspearโs Maisie Dobbs Mysteries
Maisieโs story begins in the early 1900s and shows her starting out as a young servant, becoming a nurse, and ending up with her own detective agency. I loved the historical details, the attention to period manners and nuance, and Maisieโs gift at analyzing human behavior. Iโve only read five of the fifteen Maisie books, but as I wrote about them on my All-Time Favorite Mystery Author list, โWhen it comes to mysteries, Iโd much prefer to read about crimes solved by an imperfect but charming female sleuth who knows how to serve tea.โ
Simon Brettโs Mrs. Pargeter series.
Melita Pargeter is the wealthy widow of a criminal mastermind who pampered her and deliberately kept her unaware of his activities. He left her money and a black book filled with excellent connections to former colleagues who, after Mr. Pargeterโs death, went straight. Whenever Mrs. Pargeter senses something amiss, she consults the black book to find specialists in whatever it is she needs; safe-cracking, finding a missing person, or returning millions of dollars in stolen paintings to the museums from which they were purloined.
Melissa Westemeierโs Nun the Wiser Mysteries
Sister Bernadette is a sweet, retired nun and English teacher living in a senior residence that once housed her order and its school. There are a few quirky, nosy, or unapologetically unpleasant neighbors, but everyone knows and respects Sister Bernie. When a crime occurs, Sister Bernie, guided by the values of her profession and skilled in dealing with people of all kinds, treats Detective AJ Lewis as if he were still one of her students. Apparently, she still has something to teach him about human behavior.
J. Michael Orenduffโs Pot Thief Mysteries
Iโm planning to add Orenduff to my list of All-Time Favorite Mystery Authors. His series follows Hubert โHubieโ Schuze, a potter and amateur sleuth who helps his neighbors, occasionally solves a mystery involving pottery, and meets a good friend every afternoon to enjoy tortilla chips with margaritas. He doesnโt consider digging up ancient Anasazi pots from areas now protected by federal law to be stealing but rather honoring the Native Americans who once roamed New Mexico. Now all he has to do is convince the authorities. Iโve read five of the ten-book series and enjoyed them all, usually while munching on tortilla chips.
These days, cozy mysteries feel like a refreshing sorbet in between literary novels (I host the New Books in Literature podcast channel for the New Books Network). Although I no longer require extreme medical intervention, I still need cozy mysteries as a respite from the struggles of life. And if I can find a cozy mystery series that feels different, fresh, and innovative, so much the better.
Any suggestions?
G.P. Gottlieb is the author of the Whipped & Sipped Mysteries (Battered, Smothered, and Charred, Anamcara Press). She is on the board of Sisters in Crime Chicagoland and a member of SinC Colorado, MWA, and Blackbird Writers. As host for New Books in Literature, a podcast channel on the New Books Network, Gottlieb has interviewed nearly 280 authors.
