The best culinary cozy mysteries with murder on the menu

Why am I passionate about this?

Nancy Drew was the gateway drug for my mystery reading and writing addiction. I love unusual sleuths, and sleuths with secrets such as Mrs. Pollifax, Miss Marple, and Stephanie Plum. Dubbed the “takeout queen” by my kids, I love cooking shows and had the good sense to marry a man who enjoys making ice cream.


I wrote...

Book cover of The Rocky Road to Ruin

What is my book about?

Riley Rhodes is the new manager of Udderly Delicious, a specialty ice cream shop in Connecticut’s bucolic Quiet Corner. A professional disaster on a mission in Rome forces her to leave behind her career as a librarian for the CIA, but not her talent for digging out secrets. While whipping up batches of to-die-for flavors like cherry amaretto and pumpkin caramel spice, she stumbles into the murder of a family friend, and uses her sleuthing skills to unmask a killer. 

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Death by Bubble Tea

Meri Allen Why did I love this book?

In Death By Bubble Tea, Jennifer Chow introduces us to the fascinating world of Los Angeles’ night markets where her sleuth, Yale Yee (named for the aspirations of her education-minded parents) runs a bubble tea stand with the help of her cousin, Celine. Bookish, quiet Yale couldn’t be more different than her brash, social media influencer cousin, but together they make a culinary splash and solve a murder that mars the opening night of the market. Intriguing cutthroat foodie culture, millennial energy, and warm family relationships distinguish this debut cozy.

By Jennifer J. Chow,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Death by Bubble Tea as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Two cousins who start a food stall at their local night market get a serving of murder in this first novel of a delicious new cozy mystery series by Jennifer J. Chow, bestselling author of Mimi Lee Gets a Clue.

When Yale Yee discovers her cousin Celine is visiting from Hong Kong, she is obliged to play tour guide to a relative she hasn’t seen in twenty years. Not only that, but her father thinks it’s a wonderful idea for them to bond by running a food stall together at the Eastwood Village Night Market. Yale hasn’t cooked in years,…


Book cover of Honey Roasted

Meri Allen Why did I love this book?

Crime is always brewing near amateur sleuth Clare Cosi’s NYC Village Blend Coffeeshop. Though set in the city, the village surrounding the coffee shop is a close-knit community that comes together for gossip over a good cup of joe. The latest in Cleo Coyle’s series, Honey Roasted not only shows us how to brew a perfect cup of cappuccino, but also takes us into the world of urban beekeeping. The death of a friend mars Clare’s wedding plans, but she’s not going down the aisle until she unmasks the killer.

By Cleo Coyle,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Honey Roasted as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Coyle's latest Coffeehouse mystery is a honey of a tale....A primer on bees, coffee, and some of New York's most unusual and exciting areas make for a fascinating and mysterious read."—Kirkus Reviews

Clare Cosi is busy as a bee planning her honeymoon when murder buzzes into the Village Blend in this all-new mystery in the beloved New York Times bestselling Coffeehouse series by Cleo Coyle.

While struggling to find a romantic (and affordable) destination for her upcoming honeymoon, coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi whips up a honey of a drink made from honey-processed coffee. Clare plans to serve her outstanding new…


Book cover of The Diva Says Cheesecake

Meri Allen Why did I love this book?

Krista Davis’ long-running Domestic Diva series is always a treat. Sophie Winston, a creative caterer in charming Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, has been sleuthing for fourteen books, and the latest, The Diva Says Cheesecake is just as fresh and fun as the first. Davis’ witty and warm-hearted sleuth is surrounded by a cast of fun characters that bring the social setting to life. The Diva has done it all from high tea and Thanksgiving dinners, weddings, and celebrity cooking shows, and all of Davis’ recipes are to die for.

By Krista Davis,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Diva Says Cheesecake as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In a delicious new Domestic Diva Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Krista Davis, entertaining guru Sophie Winston is faced with a midsummer nightmare when a celebration in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, is the appetizer for murder . . .

Old Town's midsummer festivities are getting a tasty addition this year. To coincide with a public performance of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Bobbie Sue Bodoin, the Queen of Cheesecake, has hired Sophie to organize a dinner with a dessert buffet on the waterfront. Bobbie Sue's homegrown company is thriving, and since her baking dish overfloweth, she wants to…


Book cover of Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder

Meri Allen Why did I love this book?

Cookie-baking sleuth Hannah Swenson is the star of one of the first culinary cozy series. From Book One, Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, through her latest, Joanne Fluke’s cozies have found a huge audience thanks to the long-running series and the Hallmark Channel’s versions. Hannah owns The Cookie Jar, a popular bakery in small town Eden, Minnesota while fending off her mother’s attempts to marry her off and her own amateur snooping. How can a reader with a sweet tooth resist titles like her latest, Caramel Pecan Roll Murder?

By Joanne Fluke,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

First in the New York Times-bestselling mystery series: “A cleverly plotted cozy full of appealing characters and delicious cookie recipes.”—Publishers Weekly

Take one amateur sleuth. Mix in some eccentric Minnesota locals. Add a generous dollop of crackling suspense, and you've got the recipe for this mystery series featuring Hannah Swensen, the red-haired, cookie-baking heroine whose gingersnaps are almost as tart as her comments and whose penchant for solving crime is definitely stirring things up.

While dodging her mother’s attempts to marry her off, Hannah runs The Cookie Jar, Lake Eden’s most popular bakery. But after Ron LaSalle, the beloved deliveryman…


Book cover of Cheddar Off Dead

Meri Allen Why did I love this book?

This book should come with a warning: Moss’ delicious descriptions of her fictional shop’s offerings will send you running to the nearest cheese shop. Warm-hearted Willa Bauer has opened her French-inspired cheese shop, Curds and Whey, in Yarrow Glen, a small town in the beautiful Sonoma Valley. When she becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a vicious food critic, she must fight to clear her name.

By Korina Moss,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Cheddar Off Dead as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In Korina Moss's cozy series debut, Cheddar Off Dead, cheesemonger Willa Bauer discovers that her new home in a small Sonoma Valley town is ripe for murder... something here stinks to high heaven, and Willa knows it's not the cheese.

Cheesemonger Willa Bauer is proving that sweet dreams are made of cheese. She’s opened her very own French-inspired cheese shop, Curds & Whey, in the heart of the Sonoma Valley. The small town of Yarrow Glen is Willa's fresh start, and she's determined to make it a success – starting with a visit from the local food critic. What Willa…


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Evil Alice and the Borzoi

By DK Coutant,

Book cover of Evil Alice and the Borzoi

DK Coutant Author Of Evil Alice and the Borzoi

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Professor Cross Cultural Psychologist Dog Lover Traveler Reader

DK's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

Cleo Cooper, a cross-cultural psychology professor, is living the dream on the Big Island of Hawaii. With ocean-dipping weekends, she enjoys her dog, her job, and her boyfriend Ben - until the day she’s on a research vessel and a dead body is caught in the dragline.

The police determine it is murder and set their sights on a gentle former student, Kai. It doesn’t take much urging from Kai’s auntie for Cleo to investigate. But Ben grows distant, and Cleo’s dog grows ill. A couple of accidental deaths later, and someone makes an attempt on her life.

What happened to Cleo’s life in paradise? Can she discover the true killer? Can she stop the killer before the killer stops her?

Evil Alice and the Borzoi

By DK Coutant,

What is this book about?

Paradise is shaken when the body of a young woman is dragged onto a university research vessel during a class outing in Hilo Bay. Cleo Cooper is shaken when she finds her favorite student is on the hook for the murder. Danger lurks on land and sea as Cleo and her friends are enticed to search for the true killer. In between paddling, swimming, and arguing with her boyfriend, Cleo discovers all is not what it seems on the Big Island of Hawaii. But will she figure out the truth before she becomes the next victim?


5 book lists we think you will like!

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