The best cozy mysteries that will get you through the winter

“Very few of us are what we seem.” — Agatha Christie, The Man in the Mist

Excited about feeling that chill in the morning now that we’re well into November? Are you looking forward to that deep freeze from December through February? (Possibly until May. We live in Canada, after all.)

ME NEITHER!

Fortunately for me, I have a go-to genre, with never-ending titles and series that get me through the winter. 

Cozy mysteries have been around for a long time, and they’ve been mastered by authors like Joanne Fluke, Rhys Bowen and Laura Childs, to name only a few.

So, what exactly is a cozy mystery?

Think of Jessica Fletcher. Remember her? From Murder, She Wrote? 

When I used to watch the show, all I could think about was how someone always died around her — her neighbours, her friends, even people connected to her people. All. Dead. 

But then I realized that it followed a very distinct formula that goes something like this:

An intelligent woman, who lives in a small town, who is very busy in her own right — but not too busy to be a busybody when it comes to solving murders around her. (That always happens!)

And that is exactly the recipe cozy mysteries follow, with key ingredients like an intelligent protagonists, usually female and usually single (which opens the door for a possible romance) who’s mastered a skill (cooking, baking, writing, etc.), who lives in small community, where generally everyone knows everyone — which means there’s an interesting cast of characters — and who sees it as her duty, for some reason or another, to try solving a murder (which always happens. Did I get that point across?) but then gets in the way of local law enforcement and detectives. (Jessica Fletcher to a tee, am I right?!)

All of this together with some comical irony is rolled into a neat little package called a “cozy mystery.” 

And I’m a huge fan! (Did I mention that?) 

Influenced by Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie, who wrote 66 detective novels, these weirdly named mystery series leave all the horror and gore out of the picture, making these the perfect cozy mysteries! 

So, I thought I’d do some of my own digging — get it? — and find my favourite Canadian cozy mysteries to share with you.

Starting with Louise Penny and her Armande Gamache Series, which has won respect worldwide for its brilliance. The lead is not a single female, but he sure is intelligent. Not to mention the cast of characters in the Three Pines mystery series are hilariously charming.

Vicky Delany, in addition to her pen name Eva Gates, boasts multiple series. My favourite one being the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series, where Gemma Doyle runs a bookshop in Cape Cod. She also published a book from a promising new series that takes place on a resort in the Catskills — it was delish!

The Lane Winslow Mystery series by Iona Whishaw takes place in the Kootenays in BC, mid-twentieth century. The protagonist is an ex-intelligence officer who investigates locally, but also travels (à-la Jessica Fletcher) to the States in a couple of the later editions.

Saskatchewan is the backdrop of Gail Bowen’s Joanne Kilbourn Mystery series that debuted in 1990, with the latest addition coming out earlier this year. The political science professor has matured and grown with the series, including a romantic plot line alongside her sleuthing adventures.

The Penny Brannigan Mystery series is written by former journalist and college professor  Elizabeth J. Duncan. Penny Brannigan is a Canadian expat living in a small town in North Wales. She’s a manicurist whose side gig as a local sleuth manages to get her into some “nail-biting” situations. (How could I not?)

Oddly coloured body parts set the stage for Cathy Ace’s Cait Morgan series. The Welsh-Canadian protagonist manages to come across bodies around the world during her travels with her husband. 

All these are all light on the heavy — perfect for vacation brain — filled with fun, funny, charming, and delightful stories and characters. Some include delicious recipes (or knitting patterns) mentioned in the mysteries. 

They are so pleasant and enjoyable, they will warm the cockles of your hearts on any cold winter day.

If you need me, I'm comfy with a cup of tea reading one of my beloved cozy mysteries. So, please don’t need me. (Not at least until May.)

xo

Maya B.