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In this post, we’ll dive into 3 cosy murder mystery books that mix suspense with old-fashioned charm!
Featuring “Gin and Daggers” by Jessica Fletcher, “Kitty Peck and the Music Hall Murders” by Kate Griffin, and “We Solve Murders” by Richard Osman.
Whether you’re a ‘Murder She Wrote’ fan or just curious about cosy mysteries, these books bring classic sleuthing to life with quirky characters and plots that keep you turning the pages.
These books are perfect for fans of clever, well-paced mysteries, proving that you don’t need to get dark and dirty to get drawn into a murder plot.
Serving up a unique blend of humour, suspense, and mystery that’ll keep you guessing – Jessica Fletcher, Kitty Peck and the Wheelers will slake your thirst for a cosy bit of armchair detecting!
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Happy Reading, friends!
Series or Standalone? :
This is Book One in the ‘Murder She Wrote‘ series.
"Murder She Wrote: Gin & Daggers" Book Blurb:
Jessica Fletcher is off to London to deliver the keynote address at a mystery writers convention. She’s also looking forward to seeing her mentor, Marjorie Ainsworth, who’s hosting a party on her estate to celebrate her latest book. But a routine business trip becomes murderous business–when Jessica discovers Marjorie stabbed to death in her own bedroom.
What did we think?: 4 Stars
Jessica Fletcher is a hoot! I can’t remember watching any of the show, but now I want to binge all the seasons. I mean, I guessed pretty much every twist coming, but Jessica is such a strong character, that I didn’t mind following her around London as the story unfolded – “I always preferred to listen; you learn so much more that way than being compelled to verbalise what you already know.” (p27) I learned a new-to-me word on the first page “paradiddle” (drumming), and the origin story of the ‘red herring‘ (animal activists used to smoke herring, which turned the herring red, and drag the fish through fields to disguise the foxes scent). After the death of Marjorie Ainsworth, Jessica becomes the world’s leading writer of the murder mystery, and she has a bunch of hanger-ons trying to push her every which way during the investigation. I got mad when Jessica gets mugged on p87 and hurts her knees – don’t they know who she is?! Jess does have questionable taste in food though – “I could almost taste the grilled calf kidney I’d had that night, and a dessert I have never experienced again called tiramisu.” (p134) hehe. All up, I enjoyed this cosy mystery, and would totally pick up the next.
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Series or Standalone? :
This is Book One in the ‘Kitty Peck‘ series.
"Kitty Peck and the Music Hall Murders" Book Blurb:
Limehouse, 1880: Dancing girls are going missing from ‘Paradise’ – the criminal manor with ruthless efficiency by the ferocious Lady Ginger. Seventeen-year-old music hall seamstress Kitty Peck finds herself reluctantly drawn into a web of blackmail, depravity and murder when The Lady devises a singular scheme to discover the truth. But as Kitty’s scandalous and terrifying act becomes the talk of London, she finds herself facing someone even more deadly and horrifying than The Lady. Bold, impetuous and blessed with more brains than she cares to admit, it soon becomes apparent that it’s up to the unlikely team of Kitty and her stagehand friend, Lucca, to unravel the truth and ensure that more girls do not meet with a similar fate. But are Kitty’s courage and common sense and Lucca’s book learning a match for the monster in the shadows? Their investigations take them from the gin-fuelled halls and doss houses of the East End to the champagne-fuelled galleries of the West End.
What did we think?: 4 Stars
I enjoyed this one! I love a well-paced historical crime novel and this one had some interesting characters set amidst a gritty London setting. This is the second book I’ve read in recent months where a central character was described with burns from ‘limelight flare’ as a result of working in the theatre. Kitty is tasked with investigating the disappearance of a group of girls, while also learning how to perform acrobatics and sing in a cage swinging over centre stage. “It was a rotten world where a girl felt safer hanging seventy foot up without a safety net to catch her than she did going about her normal business.” (p198). While it seemed a strange choice to have Kitty investigate, if you suspend disbelief the story propels you well through to the conclusion & sets Kitty up for her next adventure. I’ll be sure to check out the next book in the series. This was a delightful surprise!
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Series or Standalone? :
This is Book One in the ‘We Solve Murders‘ series.
"We Solve Murders" Book Blurb:
Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar habits and routines: the pub quiz, his favourite bench, his cat waiting for him when he comes home. His days of adventure are over: adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy’s business now. Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul. As a private security officer, she doesn’t stay still long enough for habits or routines. She’s currently on a remote island keeping world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio alive. Which was meant to be an easy job. Then a dead body, a bag of money and a killer with their sights on Amy have her sending an SOS to the only person she trusts. A breakneck race around the world begins, but can Amy and Steve stay one step ahead of a deadly enemy?
What did we think?: 5 Stars
Yay for Richard Osman! While this one didn’t feel as cosy as the Thursday series, I still found myself giggling at parts, and think the characters will grow on me. I enjoyed the use of ChatGPT as a cloaking device for crims. With the action-focused Amy, deftly offset by the cerebral and homebody Steve – ‘I don’t have sunglasses, I’m not a male model.’ (p149) – we have a team that are set up to handle a variety of twists and turns, and with the addition of the cashed up author Rosie, the world’s their oyster in terms of future stories. ‘If you have any sort of personality, someone will eventually want to kill you.’ (p95). This retained Osman’s wit and cosy-crime charm and I’d recommend as a light read for crime-buffs.
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