Note: This post was originally published on Audible.com.
A crackling fire, a mug of hot cocoa or cider, snow gently falling outside, and a cozy mystery audiobook—what could possibly make for a more pleasant December evening? Cozy mysteries are the perfect comforting listen because, unlike other mystery sub-genres, they don't contain graphic violence or sex. Yes, they’re entirely wholesome! Cozies are generally set in small communities, featuring amateur detectives. These books range from the absurd to the thoughtful, the very silly to the mostly lighthearted. Cozy mysteries are also the ideal vehicle for holiday stories. There are so many fun tropes to play with, from holiday parties gone wrong to families snowed in together at ancient manors with a killer on the loose.
We’ve rounded up a list of some of the best cozy mystery audiobooks to help you get in the holiday spirit. Here you'll find contemporary and historical cozies, classic whodunits, and ingenious heist stories. While varying in tone, plot, and setting, these picks all share an irresistible holiday atmosphere. You'll find snowstorms galore, bakeries full of tasty holiday treats, glittering get-togethers, and picturesque English villages decked out in their holiday finest.
Nita Prose is known for her dark, twisty Molly the Maid series. Now, she's written the perfect cozy holiday addition to the series with The Mistletoe Mystery. Molly's been a Christmas person ever since her gran taught her the importance of having special holiday traditions. Gran is gone now, and Molly's new boyfriend, Juan, is determined to make this an especially magical Christmas to honor her memory. But when Molly gets a present from her Secret Santa at the Regency Grand Hotel's holiday party, it forces her to question everyone she thought she could trust—including Juan. It's a festive holiday treat narrated with cheer by Lauren Ambrose.
Listeners are always in for a deliciously good time with Mia P. Manansala's Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mysteries series. But if you're looking for a tasty holiday mystery, Blackmail and Bibingka is for you. Lila is focused on getting her new business off the ground, perfecting her Bibingka recipe, and spending time with family for the holidays. But her Christmas celebrations are anything but peaceful when her troublesome cousin comes back to town and immediately finds himself the lead suspect in a murder investigation. With mouthwatering food descriptions and entertaining narration by Danice Cabanela, you don't want to miss this cozy holiday audiobook.
Contractor Shannon, star of the Fixer-Upper Mystery series, has a busy holiday season ahead of her when she's tasked with building a Victorian-style Christmas Carnival at the Cliffs Hotel. Things get even trickier when the daughter-in-law of the hotel owner turns up dead. Can Shannon bring Christmas cheer to the whole town of Lighthouse Cove while also solving a murder? If you can't get enough HGTV holiday content, this festive audiobook narrated by Jae Delane is definitely your style.
Delilah O’Leary's pizzeria is the caterer of choice for her Wisconsin town's Christmas, Hanukkah, and inclusive Chrismukkah celebrations. During the town's famous snow-sculpting competition, a missing guest from the latest Chrismukkah event is found dead. Delilah and her detective boyfriend scramble to find out what happened and save the holiday celebrations. With lots of pizza puns and a friendly cat sidekick named Butterball, this cozy holiday treat, narrated by Holly Adams, is the perfect amount of—ahem—cheesy.
There's nothing like a magical bakery to put you in a festive mood. Felicity grew up learning to bake fantastical treats from her mother at their bakery in Pixie, California. When her fortune cookies get wildly popular, Felicity has to get creative to come up with fresh fortunes. One of them comes true in a shocking way and one of her customers dies, leading the police right to the doorstep of Felicity's bakery. If you like cozy mysteries with a touch of fantasy, this audiobook narrated by Catherine Ho can't be beat.
Hayley Powell has a busy holiday season ahead as a food columnist and restaurateur in the tourist town of Bar Harbor, Maine. Things get even busier when her father, who she hasn't seen since she was a kid, turns up unexpectedly. Even worse? He's a suspect in a murder case. Can Hayley figure out whether or not her dad is guilty before it puts a major dent in her Christmas plans? Narrated by Randye Kaye, it's a twist-filled cozy mystery that will keep you guessing through to the very end.
Looking for the perfect cozy mystery to celebrate Lunar New Year? You'll find it in the 10th installment of Vivien Chien's Noodle Shop Mystery series, Peking Duck and Cover. The shops of Asia Village throw a killer party to ring in the new year—but they didn't mean for it to be literally killer. A performer in the lion dance group is found dead backstage, along with a red envelope holding four dollar bills, a very unlucky omen. Property manager Ian and family noodle shop employee Lana team up to investigate in this cozy Lunar New Year mystery narrated by Cindy Kay.
This collection of holiday whodunits is a must-listen for cozy mystery lovers and all fans of the Queen of Mystery, Agatha Christie. In these winter-themed tales, you'll find dangerous snowdrifts, mysterious dinner guests, and deadly gifts. Oh, and beloved detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple make appearances.
Marking the debut of Valerie Burns's Baker Street Mystery series, Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder kicks off with a question: What happens when a social media maven, accustomed to presiding over her perfectly curated life, is stood up at her own livestream wedding? The answer for Maddy Montgomery is starting fresh in the tiny town of New Bison, Michigan, where she has inherited a house, a bakery (even though she doesn't bake), and a giant dog (even though her Louboutins aren't made for walking). Boring? Not with a killer on the loose. This deliciously transporting tale centers on an unexpected, fashion-loving sleuth you can't help but root for.
This cozy murder mystery is set in 1920. Shortly before Christmas, Major Lennox finds a dead body on his doorstep. Hoping for answers, he travels to his uncle's grand estate, Melrose Court. But murders start piling up soon after he arrives, and so does the snow. This is the first book in a historical cozy mystery series starring Major Heathcliff Lennox, a very tall World War I pilot named, to his dismay, after the brooding hero of Wuthering Heights.
This witty cozy mystery stars Flavia de Luce, a precocious 11-year old sleuth. It's Christmas, and chemistry-loving Flavia is busy in her lab, working to perfect a trap to catch Saint Nick. But she's drawn away from her experiments when a film featuring a famous actor begins shooting at her family's crumbling estate, Buckshaw. The whole town is shocked when a body turns up on set, and Flavia is determined to find the killer. Jayne Entwistle voices the young sleuth. And if you enjoy this holiday cozy, you'll be delighted to know that Flavia has a whole series of mysteries.
Lady Georgiana Rannoch is not excited about spending Christmas snowed in with her brother and sister-in-law. So, when she manages to secure a position hosting an extravagant holiday party in her mother's picturesque village, she couldn't be happier. But she's not expecting to encounter a murder on her first day in town—or, again, on her second day or, again, on her third. If Georgiana can't catch the killer soon, half the village residents might wind up dead. Performed by the Audie Award-winning Katherine Kellgren, this festive and historical cozy is a standalone mystery but also part of Rhys Bowen's wonderful, long-running Royal Spyness series.
What could be cozier and more wintery than a mystery set on a Christmas tree farm? Devastated after her fiancé bails on their wedding, Holly White returns home to her family's Christmas tree farm in rural Maine, hoping a little Christmas magic will cheer her up. But when Margaret Fenwick, president of the Mistletoe Historical Society, is found bludgeoned to death on the farm, Holly's vacation turns into a race against time to find the murderer and prove her family's innocence. Twelve Slays of Christmas is the first in a series of three Christmas Tree Farm Mysteries.
Fans of golden age mysteries will enjoy this thoughtful cozy about a young woman reckoning with her past. It's Christmas 1922 in Cambridge, England, and Posie Parker is determined to get to the bottom of an old mystery: the disappearance of renowned doctor William Winter. But when she starts digging into the past, she finds more ghosts and secrets than she bargained for. Clare Wille narrates this holiday-themed historical whodunit, as well as the other books in the series.
For those who like a little magic in their mysteries, this bewitching cozy makes for the perfect holiday listen. Part-time journalist and full-time Slip Witch, Harlow Torrent is looking forward to a break from her duties during the holidays. But when a murder occurs in her small town of Harlot Bay, she finds herself dealing with a whole lot of mayhem instead of sipping cocoa by the tree. Holiday Witch is part of the Torrent Witches series of cozy mysteries with a supernatural twist.
This anthology of fun seasonal stories includes contributions from three seasoned cozy mystery writers: Joanne Fluke, Leslie Meier, and Laura Levine. Each story features candy canes, and, of course, murder. A trail of candy canes leads to a body; a man falls to his death while trying to install a candy cane on his roof; and a glass candy cane provides the clues to an old case. Candy Cane Murder is an irresistible blend of humor, holiday cheer, and old-fashioned sleuthing. Hungry for more? This standalone listen is linked to two series, Hannah Swensen and the Jaine Austen Mysteries.
