What are cosy crime mysteries? Plus, 10 of the best books in the genre

From classics to more contemporary titles, these novels keep readers gripped with minimal violence but plenty of twists

Poisoned quiches, mysterious manor murders and pensioners-turned-detectives are some of the most popular plotlines in the genre

It may be unusual to think of crime stories as quaint, but that’s the staple of the cosy crime sub-genre.

A non-graphic murder with minimal violence and profanity, usually set in the countryside or small town, cosy crime mysteries often focus on the unlikely everyday person who solves a crime.

Light-hearted, optimistic with an interesting protagonist and satisfying resolution, cosy crimes are one of the best forms of escapism with equal helpings of mystery, suspense and delight.

From the typical English countryside setting where an impossible murder takes place behind a bolted door, to a woman in Minnesota trying to save her bakery only to find it being turned into a crime scene, here are The National’s picks of 10 cosy crime mysteries to read.

Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie

Christie is the master of the cosy crime genre. To date, Evil Under the Sun is one of her most popular books and was a bestseller for 80 years after its publication in 1941.

Featuring her most celebrated character, detective Hercule Poirot, the story is set at a seaside hotel in Devon, England, where he is on vacation. Poirot’s holiday is cut short, however, by the murder of one of the guests – actress Arlena Stuart who is found strangled on the beach.

As Poirot begins his investigation, he discovers that all the suspects, from Arlena's husband Kenneth to her stepdaughter Linda and lover Patrick Redfern, have solid alibis. More disturbingly, Poirot is beginning to suspect that this apparent crime of passion is much more sinister than meets the eye.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke

The first book in the Hannah Swensen mystery series by Fluke is set in the small town of Lake Eden, Minnesota. Hannah is the owner of the most popular bakery in the state, The Cookie Jar. She is witty, ambitious and talented and often finds herself too busy for a dating life while avoiding her mother’s matchmaking schemes.

But when Ron LaSalle, the delivery man from the local dairy, is found murdered behind Hannah's bakery with her famous Chocolate Chip Crunchies scattered around him, Hannah must investigate to catch the killer and restore her bakery's reputation.

Cover Her Face by P D James

Cover Her Face by P D James is a murder mystery set in a village in the English countryside. Photo: Faber and Faber

The 1962 debut crime novel by James is one of her best with an intricate plot that is wonderfully written. The story takes place in the fictional village of Chadfleet. A young unmarried mother and housemaid, Sally Jupp, is murdered at the Maxie family manor house. Detective Chief Inspector Adam Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard arrives and begins his investigation into who could have strangled Sally behind a bolted door.

As Dalgliesh starts to put the pieces together, he finds himself in the centre of the complex relations between the Maxie family members and their associates, all of whom are connected to Sally through a web of lies, secrets and motives.

Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death by MC Beaton

The first book in the Agatha Raisin mystery series by Beaton, this one follows the 53-year-old ex-public relations executive who retires to the picturesque Cotswold village of Carsely.

Undomesticated but determined to gain the approval of the villagers, Agatha enters the local baking contest. Everything goes awry when the judge of the competition, Reg Cummings-Brown, dies from a poisoned quiche Agatha bought from a store.

Mortified that her cheating is now public knowledge and the reason someone is dead, Agatha needs to prove that this was a case of murder despite the police ruling it as an accident.

Death Comes to Pemberley by P D James

Combining the best of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and James’s wonderful world of suspense and mystery, Death Comes to Pemberley is the cosy crime sequel to the classic Regency-era story.

The story is set in 1803, six years after Elizabeth and Darcy are enjoying married life at the Pemberley estate. As they prepare for their annual ball, Elizabeth's sister Lydia arrives hysterical, claiming her husband Wickham has been murdered. But the body that’s discovered isn’t Wickham's but his friend's Capt Denny. And for some reason, it’s also Wickham who confesses to the murder.

However, Darcy doubts his guilt. As Wickham stands trial for murder, Darcy and Elizabeth work to uncover the true killer and find themselves lost in lies, secrets and affairs.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

Young and ambitious Flavia de Luce is excited to solve her first murder. Photo: Delacorte Press

Flavia de Luce has a passion for poison. It’s the summer of 1950 and the 11-year-old aspiring chemist is living at the once-grand mansion of Buckshaw where she finds herself intrigued by a series of strange events. It all starts when a dead bird is found on the doorstep with a postage stamp pinned to its beak. Hours later, a man is found lying in a cucumber patch dying.

More excited than disturbed, Flavia decides to investigate the murder herself using her shrewd observations and knowledge of poisons to pin down the suspects, one of which is her own father.

The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

Mma Precious Ramotswe is Botswana's first female private.

Despite being hired to track down a missing husband, uncover the truth about a conman and follow the movements of a rebellious daughter, there is one case that she can’t stop thinking about – the missing 11-year-old boy who has been snatched by witch doctors.

Using her wisdom, warmth and wit, Mma Precious finds herself on the dark side of witchcraft and human sacrifice as she’s determined to solve the mystery of the missing boy.

The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun

A journalist and a cat work together to solve the murder of an art critic. Photo: Berkley Trade

Jim Qwilleran is a former crime reporter who takes a job covering the art beat at The Daily Fluxion newspaper. As he starts to study the competitive art world, which is filled with rivalries and intrigue, the eccentric art critic George Bonifield Mountclemens, whom Jim was renting a room from, is murdered.

Strangely enough, Jim meets George’s Siamese cat Koko, who appears to be able to read backwards. Jim teams up with Koko the cat, and together they follow a number of clues to solve the mystery and find the killer.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

The 2020 debut novel by author and television presenter Osman follows a group of four retirees – Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron. Living in the affluent and peaceful Cooper's Chase retirement village in Kent, the group meet every Thursday to investigate unsolved murders.

But when a live murder happens in their neighbourhood, the Thursday Murder Club sets out to solve the mystery of who killed the local property developer. Pushing 80 with their combined skills and life experiences, the group find themselves in the midst of a complicated series of events and rivalries within their picturesque village.

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

Two narratives of mystery and intrigue are woven together in Horowitz’s book. Alan Conway is a bestselling crime writer and his editor, Susan Ryeland, with whom he's worked for years, understands his work and main character, detective Atticus Pund. But the more Susan reads his latest story, the more she realises there's a story hidden within the story – it’s a tale of jealousy, greed, ambition and a coming murder.

Moving between the story of Susan and the novel she’s reading, each is filled with dark twists, turns and lots of suspense.