Culinary Cozy Reads
Sara Grajek

These days, there are many styles of murder mysteries. Some are written to keep you guessing throughout the book, wondering ‘whodunit’. Some keep you jumping at every turn of the page, with plot twists and turns. Others can be defined as cozy mysteries. These usually feature an amateur detective, are set in a small town or village, and are gentle reads. The murder is not gruesome or graphic and may even take place out of sight with only a quick description. Most of the book takes place with the main character (who is usually very likeable) tracking down the killer, with the help of the local police (who is often very handsome). Sub-categories have even developed within cozy mysteries, with culinary, quilting, animals, and home repair themes. Culinary mysteries may be set in a restaurant or catering business and recipes are usually included for the dishes that are mentioned in the story.

In Jessica Beck’s, The Donut Shop Mysteries, Suzanne Hart is owner of the local donut shop. When she finds her friend and loyal customer dead in front of her shop she quickly takes on more than just baking. With the help of a hunky state police officer, she becomes an amateur investigator, determined to find out who killed her friend. A cast of characters including an ex-husband, a wacky best friend, and an ex-cop who gives inside information all add up to create a fun, light-hearted mystery. Start with Glazed Murder and work your way through to the most recently published Tragic Toppings. Pair with your own Krispy Kreme doughnut and a cup of coffee for extra fun.

While you are making your coffee, you can start Cleo Coyle’s Coffeehouse Mystery series. With titles such as Through the Grinder, Roast Mortem, and her newest, Murder by Mocha, Coyle serves up a shot of mystery and love in each offering. Set in New York City, the Coffeehouse Mysteries are written by a husband and wife team under the pseudonym of Cleo Coyle and each book is set in a popular NYC location. Tidbits about coffee and coffee making are interspersed with murder mystery as barista Claire Cosi tracks down murderers in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and sleuths with NYPD firemen.

Laura Childs has several popular mystery series, including one set in a Tea Shop. In Death by Darjeeling, the Indigo Tea Shop is a local Charleston favorite. At a catered event, one of the guests is found dead due to drinking tea. Naturally, the shop owner, Theodosia Browning, is the first suspect. She must take the investigation into her own hands in order to prove her innocence and save the tea shop. Look for other titles in the series such as Shades of Earl Gray and Scones and Bones. For light mysteries that will make you hungry for more, stop by Rowan Public Library for one of these delicious reads today!