Quirky Cozies: Wonderfully Weird Cozy Mysteries

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partial cover of Mimi Lee Gets a Clue by Jennifer J. Chow

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Anne Mai Yee Jansen is a literature and ethnic studies professor and a lifelong story lover. She exists on a steady diet of books, hot chocolate, and dragon boating. After spending over a decade in the Midwest and the Appalachians, she returned to the sun and sandstone of California’s central coast where she currently resides with her partner, offspring, and feline companions. Find her on Instagram @dreaminginstories

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Cozy mysteries are generally known for their quirky characters, small-town settings, amazing food descriptions, and warm, fuzzy vibes (despite all the murder). But some are quirkier than others.

What makes a cozy mystery exceptionally quirky, you ask? Excellent question!

For starters, it might be the characters. As an example, Gigi Pandian’s Accidental Alchemist series revolves around an actual centuries-old alchemist and her living-gargoyle bestie (who also happens to be a wildly gifted gourmet chef), who solve alchemy-related murders in their new home in the Pacific Northwest. Throw in a couple of angsty teenagers and a café owner with a dodgy past, and you can understand how the unique cast of characters sets the stage for quirkiness.

That being said, it might also be the setting. One of my faves is the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen mystery series by Mia P. Manansala. Set in Shady Palms, IL, a town filled to the brim with eccentric events, businesses, and characters. Not only that, but the fictional Chicago suburb has its own beauty pageant and corn festival, not to mention about a million quaint shops and restaurants with their own (sometimes murdery) flair. It’s charming and, well, shady, and the town is as much a character as the human—and canine—characters are.

Then again, there’s the mystery itself. I can’t help but think of the mystery in Ally Carter’s It’s the Most Wonderful Crime of the Year. I mean, the superstar murder mystery writer nicknamed the Duchess of Death goes missing from a locked room in her own house during a whiteout blizzard. The two mystery writers invited to her home for the holidays are caught in the middle of it, and the house is full of suspicious characters with strong motives. Every step of the way is exciting, intriguing, and so very, wonderfully odd.

So whether a cozy gets its quirk from a supernatural premise, a bizarre cast of characters, an idiosyncratic setting, or the mystery at its core, these quirky cozies will linger in your memories for a long time.

Under Lock and Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian

I absolutely adore Gigi Pandian’s Secret Staircase Mystery series (book 4, The Library Game, was released this March). Tempest Raj was a stage magician until an accident ruined her reputation and sent her back home to northern California. Her family of magicians runs a very unusual home renovation business for clients who want a secret staircase, a speakeasy, or some other illusion built into their homes. But when Tempest returns, it’s not long before a dead body is found in the walls of their latest renovation project. Not only is it impossible for the body to have gotten into the walls, but the victim was Tempest’s stage double. She will have to figure out what happened and whether or not she believes the family curse is real. This series is super quirky because the family’s background in stage illusions factors strongly into the apparently impossible murder scenarios. (Bonus: If you like this series, Pandian has written others and they’re all fantastic!)

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A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales

The first book in this Regency cozy is a witty introduction to Beatrice Steele. Contrary to expectations, Beatrice dreams of solving crimes rather than making a smart match. But when her family attends a big to-do at Stabmort Park (love the place names in this one!) and a prospective suitor literally dies on the dance floor, well, it’s not the most disappointing thing in the world. The characters are fantastic, and the mystery at the core of this one is top-notch. Seales’ humor is a little like if National Lampoon did a take on Jane Austen, and I’m there for it. Happily, the next book in the series, A Terribly Nasty Business, is slated for release this June.

Murder in G Major by Alexia Gordon

The first book in the five-book Gethsemane Brown series—all of which are worth reading (and you’ll be hard pressed to stop reading after just this one)—makes a big impression. Gethsemane Brown is a very talented violinist about to begin her role as an assistant conductor in Ireland. But when things don’t go as planned, she winds up in a tiny town in rural Ireland teaching music at a boys’ school to help prepare them for a competition. That’s when things really go pear-shaped, because the cottage she’s living in is haunted by another talented musician whose ghost wants her to exonerate him for the murder of his wife. A whole slew of perfectly eccentric characters populate the small town, and Gethsemane has to figure out how to solve the murder, live with a ghost, and usher her students to victory.

Mimi Lee Gets a Clue by Jennifer J. Chow

The Sassy Cat Mystery series has a zany premise: pet groomer Mimi Lee’s adorable little white kitten, who she names Marshmallow, can share his thoughts with her (think: telepathy). This definitely throws Mimi for a loop, and between her newly opened business and the ailing chihuahuas her new clients have been bringing in, she’s forced to call out a local breeder for sketchy practices. Unluckily for her, he’s murdered shortly after she confronts him, and all signs point to her. Now it’s up to her and Marshmallow to find the true killer before the police arrest Mimi for murder. I mean, how could I not include a cozy mystery with a telepathic cat sidekick on this list??

A Spell for Trouble by Esme Addison

Witches, mermaids, and murder? The first book in Esme Addison’s Enchanted Bay mysteries definitely goes all in, and it’s well worth it. The story follows Alex Daniels as she ventures from her safe life in New York City to her small hometown in North Carolina to help out at the family apothecary. Sure, her dad told her not to return. And yeah, it’s annoying that the rumor mill is whispering about supernatural powers in Alex’s family. But the real kicker is when the local businessman Alex’s aunt yells at turns up dead and said aunt is put under house arrest. As Alex tries to find the real murderer (because no way it’s her aunt!) she also gets a jump on figuring out her own powers, because time is of the essence. Let’s just say that it’s no surprise this one was nominated for an Agatha Award; lucky for readers, A Brew for Chaos (the latest book in the series) is set for release this fall!

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series has gotten a lot of attention, and for good reason. Set at a retirement village in the UK, the central cast of characters is chock full of personality. Ringleader Elizabeth is a former spy, Ron is a former union boss, Ibrahim is a psychologist, and Joyce is…well, she’s lovely. The shenanigans they get up to are absolutely bonkers, and it’s hilarious when they play up the “I’m just a senile old person over here” stereotype (always in a way that underscores just how competent they all are). The mysteries are fun, and I especially enjoy the way the books raise questions around what makes someone “good” or “bad,” because it’s not always the same thing as what makes someone a criminal. Book 5, The Impossible Fortune, is set for release this fall, and Netflix enlisted director Chris Columbus to make a film of the first book that is due out in August.

Suburban Dicks by Fabian Nicieza

Andie Stern, mother of four, is massively pregnant when she stumbles upon a murder at a gas station. As a former FBI profiler, she notices some suspicious details that make her believe this wasn’t the robbery-gone-wrong the police say it was. So between childcare and pregnancy, Andie winds up teaming up with former classmate Kenny Lee, who also happens to be a disgraced journalist with a lot to prove. Together, the pair lead readers on a hilarious and thought-provoking investigation that digs deep into the suburban community’s long history of systemic racism. I’m not sure if Nicieza always intended to write a sequel, but Andie and Kenny return in The Self-Made Widow, which has been out for a few years now.

Ukulele of Death by E.J. Copperman

I’m not sure I need to explain why this one’s quirky, since it’s the first of the Fran and Ken Stein Mysteries—book 3, Switcheroo, was just released. Get it: Fran and Ken Stein (Frankenstein)? Anyway, aside from the larger premise of the Stein siblings—detectives who help adult adoptees find their biological parents—being hired by a woman trying to locate a rare ukulele, the novel is flagrantly and delightfully ridiculous. The humor is offbeat and complements the paranormal elements nicely. The story itself is completely wacky, so if that’s what you’re looking for, then this is the book for you!

Still Sleuthing for Stories?

We’ve got you covered! The world of cozy mysteries is vast and delightful. See what suits your fancy on this list of winter cozy mysteries and this list of quozies (queer cozies). Or if you want a little fun, go ahead and judge a book by its title with the reads on this list of cozy mysteries with the punniest titles.