Best cozy mystery books of 2026

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If you're anything like me, sometimes you want a mystery with plenty of intrigue but without the dark, gritty edge of a psychological thriller. That's exactly why I keep coming back to cozy mysteries, and 2026 has been a particularly fun year for the genre.

The 2026 cozy mysteries I think are worth picking up

One of my favourite series continues to be the Finlay Donovan books by Elle Cosimano. They perfectly blend murder, humour, and friendship, and I've even put together a dedicated page highlighting the entire series because I recommend it so often. If you love amateur sleuths and laugh-out-loud moments, these books are hard to beat.

I also really enjoyed I'm Not the Only Murderer in My Retirement Home by Fergus Craig. The premise alone (a newly released serial killer trying to settle into retirement home life only to become the prime suspect in another murder) completely won me over.

But one of the biggest releases of the year has to be Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel, which sees Lucy Foley stepping into Agatha Christie's world to write a brand-new Miss Marple mystery.

Whether you're looking for a traditional whodunit, a funny mystery series, or a fresh twist on the genre, these are the cozy mysteries of 2026 that I think deserve a spot on your reading list.

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