Cozy Crime Fiction

Detective Roger LeCarre. Scourge of crime. Guardian of Exeter. Amateur squash player. And now, party guest at Powderham, the manor house owned by mysterious billionaire tech genius Eli Quartz. It is a small and unconventional gathering: the Bishop, a fading radio star, a desperate aristocrat, the ageing butler and his absurdly beautiful daughter—and Detective Roger LeCarre. Then a snowstorm blows in and the group realise they are trapped. And when, completely against expectations for this kind of situation, someone winds up dead, it's obvious who must solve the crime.

Do fairies exist? Maybe they do—maybe they don't. But few people in Ireland would risk upsetting them. Airport runways have been re-routed and building projects cancelled for fear of angering the 'little people'. Even in 1990, the year this mystery unfolds, superstition still abounds in the idyllic country town of Erin's Glen. And when a body turns up in the local fairy ring, suspicion falls on the supernatural folk.

Le bonheur conjugal est de courte durée pour Agatha, une fois de plus délaissée par son mari. Punition divine, un véritable déluge s'abat sur la région, plongeant le petit village de Carsley sous les eaux. C'est le moral dans les chaussettes et sous une pluie torrentielle qu'Agatha aperçoit le corps sans vie d'une jeune femme en robe de mariée, un bouquet à la main, flottant dans la rivière. Pour noyer son chagrin, Agatha n'a qu'une solution : se jeter à corps perdu dans une nouvelle enquête.

Ned Delahanty works at a rundown Wyoming convenience store. Nothing much happens there, just the way he likes it. Most customers pump their gas and drive off without ever stepping inside. When a massive blizzard blows across the plains, that all changes. Several groups of customers seek shelter at Ned’s store. Among those searching for safety are a band of crooks with the cops hot on their trail. Ned soon finds himself locked in a cunning battle of wits with his dangerous guests.

Professor Emily Cavanaugh has left Windy Corner behind and is back at Bede College on her sabbatical, determined to finish writing her book on Dostoevsky. She is soon reunited with one of her promising students, Daniel Razumov, as well as familiar faces on the teaching staff - her friend, Marguerite Grenier; her half-brother, Oscar Lansing; the abrasive division chair, Richard McClintock; and the predatory Taylor Curzon, known for her relentless pursuit of young male students - and Taylor now has Daniel firmly in her sights.

Jenny Starling is spending Christmas in a snowed-in country house cooking all the traditional food she loves. But the family she’s working for are not full of the seasonal spirit. In fact, they seem to hate each other. On Christmas Eve, someone is found dead on the kitchen table. And the head of the family is blaming Jenny! But with an incompetent detective called in, and seemingly no motive for the murder, Jenny will have to give the police a hand. She will stop at nothing to clear her name and find the real murderer.

Audrey’s small Sicilian town hires a new building inspector to deal with the influx of one-dollar homeowners - and he sets about making Audrey’s idyllic Sicilian life utterly miserable. Just when things can’t get any worse, the inspector turns up dead - leaving Audrey as the main suspect. Audrey, without an alibi, is under more pressure than she’s ever been to solve the crime. But the inspectors list of enemies was long.

When the townspeople of Harrogate almost riot over the Christmas décor thievery committed by the chair of the Elf on the Shelf Committee, I know I’m not going to survive the holiday season unless drastic action is taken. Biddy Jefferson turning up dead in my Christmas market stall is not exactly the type of drastic measure I had in mind. With no alibi and a town obsessed with pinning the murder on me, I have to clear my name. This is on top of planning the upcoming holiday ball, dealing with quirky stall owners in the Christmas market, and corralling confused tourists.

The trouble started in Greece with a favor for her new father-in-law. When Poppy Fields picked up a package in Athens, she had no idea how many people were interested in its contents. Desperately interested. Murderously interested. Now she's on the run, racing across Turkey in a cat-and-mouse game with multiple killers. Because what's in the package could change the world.

Jenny Starling has a job on a luxury paddle steamer working for a wealthy businessman. All she has to do is cook for his small number of guests. But things quickly turn sour. Then she discovers the body of one of the passengers in the store cupboard. Who wanted him dead and why? Jenny will have to ignore many red herrings and follow the clues to get to the bottom of a complex and intriguing murder mystery. This is the third of a series of enjoyable murder mysteries with a great cast of characters and baffling crimes which will keep you in suspense to the final second.

For centuries, the Koh-i-Noor diamond has set man against man and king against king. Now part of the British Crown Jewels, the priceless gem is a prize that many have killed to possess. So when the Crown Jewels go on display in Mumbai, security is everyone's principal concern. And yet on the very day Inspector Chopra visits the exhibition, the diamond is stolen from under his nose. The heist was daring and seemingly impossible. The hunt is on for the culprits.

It was planned as an act of charity: a new piano for the parish hall, an amusing play to finance the gift. But its execution was doomed when Miss Campanula sat down to play. A chord was struck, a shot rang out and Miss Campanula was dead. A case of sinister infatuation for the brilliant Chief Detective-Inspector Alleyn.

Fall has come to Fort Connor, Colorado, and the cool air has inspired the knitters at the House of Lambspun to start on their hats and mittens. It's also brought an influx of students to the university town—and into the shop for knitting classes. Kelly Flynn is happy to teach them the tricks of the trade—until one of them is found dead on the river trail near Kelly's house. Compelled to investigate, Kelly finds herself following a path that twists more easily than the yarn with which she knits. Knowing the killer could be close, Kelly must work fast.

After two hit reality TV shows brought ex-detective Georgia Thornton into America's living rooms, audiences can't get enough of her quest for love and justice. Now producers have come up with an all-new show set in a haunted castle in Golden, California. Georgia and nine other contestants will need to solve the mystery of a young woman who disappeared at the castle in 1960. Except there's a problem waiting for everyone when they arrive: a groundskeeper is found drowned at the bottom of the castle's empty pool.

The Cotswolds, 1924. At the Old Forge in the quiet village of Maybury-in-the-Marsh a cry of anguish rings out: lady of the house Amy Phelps has been discovered dead. But with all the windows and doors to her room locked from inside, how – and by whom – was she killed? Arbuthnot ‘Arbie’ Swift finds himself in the unlikely position of detective. The celebrated author of The Gentleman’s Guide to Ghost-Hunting is staying at the Old Forge to investigate a suspected spectre, but now the more pressing matter of Amy’s murder falls to him too.

Nadia moves back to her hometown to assist her family with the family business–Carlton Manor–which is the only funeral home in Alto, GA. She is confronted by her ex and discovers a body in their hearse which has been painted Pepto-Bismal pink by the town thugs. Nadia becomes friendly with a local detective who becomes a familiar figure.

A body is found near a picture-perfect Cotswolds village...but the upstanding local residents couldn’t possibly be involved, could they? Murder is the very last thing on Melissa Craig’s mind when one of her neighbors pops in to complain loudly about a minor local robbery. She’s far too busy thinking about her next book.... But when the evening paper lands, there is a shocking headline. A young woman’s body has been found in the nearby woods, and it seems the local robbery may offer a crucial clue.

Late March is prime reading weather in the small northern Michigan town of Chilson. Though snowfall and cloudy skies deter outdoor activities, life inside the bookmobile is warm and cheerful. But as Minnie and Eddie are making the rounds to deliver comforting reads, they see something strange: loyal bookmobile patron Ryan Anderson making a sudden U-turn and speeding away. When Minnie discovers the police want to question Ryan about a bank robbery and the death of a security guard, she realizes she's one of the only people who thinks Ryan isn't morally bankrupt.

In a symbolic journey of reconciliation, the Monsoon Express is travelling between hostile neighbours India and Pakistan. The passenger list includes politicians, celebrities, former Mumbai policeman Inspector Chopra and his baby elephant ward, Ganesha. Then a senior diplomat is found murdered in his cabin. Accusations fly, tensions rise and an international incident seems certain. But is the murder political - or personal?

The Premier No.1 Garage is the place to go in Mumbai if you want a luxury car. Even Mumbai's biggest gangster shops there - he's just ordered a classic race car worth millions. But now the car is gone. Stolen from a locked room in the middle of the night. Who stole it? The mechanic who is addicted to gambling? The angry ex-worker? The car thief pulling off one last job? And how on earth did they make it vanish from the locked garage? Inspector Chopra has just days to find the culprit - and the missing car - before its gangster owner finds out...and takes violent revenge.