15 Cozy Mysteries Coming Out in the Second Half of 2022

When Yale Yee’s cousin Celine comes to visit from Hong Kong, the two reluctantly run a food stall together following encouragement from Celine’s father. But after one of their customers is murdered and suspicion falls to their bubble tea, Yale and Celine must work together to find the real killer.

Former TV costars turned business partners Jay Allan and Cindy Cooper run a Hollywood antiques shop in Palm Springs, California. When 90-year-old silver screen star Yana Tosh puts their business in the running to sell her collection of vintage costumes, Jay and Cindy are determined to secure this potentially life-changing deal. But after their prime competitor turns up dead, the two must prove their innocence to save their reputations and their business.

Kitchen manager Margery and her wife Clementine desperately wish for the upcoming secondary school Christmas concert to be a drama-free evening. But when a music teacher is murdered and theater teacher Mrs. Smith is accused of the crime, Margery and Clementine (or, as they’re known around their small English town, the Dinner Lady Detectives) must put on their sleuthing hats to determine what really happened.

The first book in this queer cozy mystery series, The Dinner Lady Detectives, was released last year in the UK and is available as an ebook in the U.S. A print version of the first book is coming to the U.S. in October from Canelo Crime, with the sequel ebook-only in the U.S. this year.

After her fiancé abandons her at the livestreamed altar and she receives a surprising inheritance, influencer Maddy Montgomery moves to her late Aunt Octavia’s Michigan home to run her bakery. If Maddy can keep the bakery open for at least a year, she will receive the rest of her inheritance as outlined in the will.

But when the mayor is found stabbed with a knife that has Maddy’s fingerprints on it, she must investigate within the close-knit town to solve the murder and clear her name.

When librarian Marvey Harris discovers a mysterious list of names — one of whom was recently found dead under suspicious circumstances — she is horrified to see the name of newspaper owner and close friend Spencer Holt included. After informing Spencer of the potential danger he’s in, the two work together to catch the creator of the list before anyone else is harmed.

Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple series set the foundations for the cozy mystery genre. This upcoming short story anthology, with contributions from 12 contemporary mystery writers, brings together plenty of new cases featuring the iconic sleuth.

The contributing authors are: Naomi Alderman, Leigh Bardugo, Alyssa Cole, Lucy Foley, Elly Griffiths, Natalie Haynes, Jean Kwok, Val McDermid, Karen M. McManus, Dreda Say Mitchell, Kate Mosse, and Ruth Ware (September 13, Harpercollins)

Cheesemonger Willa Bauer’s new shop in the Sonoma Valley region is starting to pick up steam, just in time for the Yarrow Glen fall festival. They’ve even attracted a celebrity guest: culinary influencer Phoebe Winston. But when Phoebe is killed and cheese shop employee Archie is framed for the crime, it’s up to Willa to clear his name.

When her cousin Ronnie returns home following 15 years of no contact, amateur sleuth and owner of The Brew-ha Cafe Lila Macapagal cannot bring herself to trust him. And after Ronnie is accused of murder, Lila feels that her suspicious about him bringing trouble wherever he goes were proven right. But despite her misgivings, Lila is compelled to investigate for the sake of her family.

Separated at birth, reunited fraternal twins Keaton and Koby run a bookstore and soul food café in the Pacific Northwest town Timber Lake. When Koby’s foster mom Mama Zola moves to town, she and bookstore employee Pete become murder suspects when they find the body of someone with whom they had recently argued. It’s up to Keaton and Koby to use their sleuthing skills and find the real killer.

Evelyn Elizabeth Grace Murphy struggles with agoraphoria, in part related to trauma from discovering her mother dead when she was a child. She rarely leaves the halls of The Pinnacle hotel, which her father owns. When an artist hosting a party at The Pinnacle reports his work stolen and is later found dead, Evelyn must work with hotel employee Mac Cooper to prove the innocence of movie star Henry Fox, who was falsely accused of the crime.

In the second installment of this Lefty Award-winning series, culinary anthropologist and cooking show star Miriam Quiñones-Smith is horrified to discover a body in her front yard. Shortly after, the head chef of a local country club is found dead following an argument with his sous chef. It’s up to Miriam to solve the crime before anyone else is hurt.

This book is the second installment of a historical mystery series following Phyllida Bright, Agatha Christie’s housekeeper who has a knack for solving crimes. When a victim is poisoned ahead of a local charity event organized by renowned mystery writers, it’s up to Phyllida to catch the killer… and the clock is ticking.

To follow her dreams of becoming a professional photographer, Liv Spyers moves to New York City and works part-time at her grandparents’ key shop. When she is invited to shoot with events photographer Regina Montague at the glamorous Holiday Debutante Ball, Liz feels as if her career is finally taking off.

But by the end of the night, billionaire Charlie Archibald is found killed. Liv must use her wits and eye for detail to clear Regina’s name when she is accused of the crime.

Judith, Suzie, and Becks are three amateur sleuths who form the Marlow Murder Club in their small English village. When a local groom-to-be is found dead just days before the wedding, Judith cannot shake her suspicious that foul play is involved and brings the club together to investigate.

Juni Jessop runs a record-slash-coffee shop called Sip & Spin Records with her sisters Tansy and Maggie in Cedar Springs, Texas. When a killer strikes close to their shop and their uncle is falsely arrested for the crime, she and her sisters must work together to catch the real culprit.