Fun, Light, and Cozy Summer Mysteries
Summertime Cozy Mystery Books
Summer cozy mysteries are lighthearted seasonal whodunits. They are set during the summer months (June, July, and August).
Summertime elements and themes almost always play a major role in the story. Plots often include summer festivals, picnics, vacations, holidays (such as the Fourth of July), and foods that help to create a cheerful contrast to the murder mystery.
Summer cozy mysteries can be read any time of year, but are particularly enjoyable during the warmest months when you can sit in the sun while reading about beachy settings, delicious foods, and summertime get-togethers.
If you’re looking for a good summertime cozy mystery, here are 18 books to try. All of them are part of a current or classic cozy mystery series, but can be read as stand-alone books.
Deadly Summer Nights is the first book in the Catskill Summer Resort Mystery Series by Vicki Delany. In this cozy mystery, an entertainment organizer resorts to detective work at a 1950s Catskills vacation spot when a guest is murdered.
Four Parties and a Funeral is the first book in the Catering Hall Mystery Series by Maria DiRico (Ellen Byron). In this mystery, a catering hall owner in Queens has her hands full with summer parties, a reality TV show booking, and a murder mystery.
The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives is the first book in the series of the same name by Jenny Kane. In this summer-themed cozy mystery, two fish and chip shop employees investigate some fishy business in an idyllic Cornish village on the coast.
Not They Who Soar is part of the Katharine Wright Mystery Series by Amanda Flower. In this historical cozy mystery, Katharine Wright takes a summer trip to the 1904 World's Fair and encounters a strange mystery only she can solve.
Pink Lemonade Cake Murder is part of the Hannah Swensen Mystery Series by Joanne Fluke. In this summer cozy mystery, a Minnesota baker serves up pink lemonade desserts and justice during the town's Summer Solstice Celebration.
Cruising for Murder is part of the Myrtle Clover Mystery Series by Elizabeth Spann Craig. In this cruise ship mystery, a senior sleuth and her senior sidekick search for a missing passenger on a summertime Alaskan cruise.
Danger at the Sheepdog Trials is part of the Northwoods Knitting Mystery Series by Amelia Pine. In this summer cozy mystery, a yarn shop owner and her nosy knitting circle investigate a mystery during a summer festival in the Northwoods.
Without a Shadow of Doubt is part of the Olivia Penn Mystery Series by Kathleen Bailey. In this summer mystery, A Virginia advice columnist investigates seven suspects who all have something to hide during a Highland Games festival.
Buried in Shamrocks is part of the Hamptons Murder Mystery Series by Lisa Q Mathews. In this summertime mystery, a single mom dabbles in mystery while summering in an Irish-themed town during the Great Shamrock Fair
Killer on the Court is part of the Murder, She Wrote Mystery Series by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran. In this cozy mystery, Jessica Fletcher's sunny summer beach bungalow vacation with her nephew's family turns into a killer investigation.
Live and Let Fly is part of the Kite Shop Mystery Series by Clover Tate. In this summertime whodunit, a kite shop owner tries to win her Oregon town's annual kite festival and solve a high-flying mystery with multiple suspects.
Dead, White, and Blue is part of the Northwoods Mystery Series by Annie McEwen. In this summer cozy mystery, a woman helps out at her family's Northwoods resort and tries to solve a 4th of July mystery with her bestie.
Wonton Terror is part of the Noodle Shop Mystery Series by Vivien Chien. In this summer cozy mystery, the manager of a Chinese restaurant tries to solve a food truck mystery at Cleveland's Asian Night Market festival.
Boiled Over is part of the Maine Clambake Mystery Series by Barbara Ross. In this summertime mystery, a woman working for her family’s Maine clambake company cooks up tasty seafood and a murder investigation.
No Good Tea Goes Unpunished is part of the Seaside Cafe Mystery Series by Bree Baker. In this summer cozy, an iced tea shop owner caters a summer wedding in coastal North Carolina and starts investigating when a mystery brews.
The Diva Hosts a Murderer is part of the Domestic Diva Mystery Series by Krista Davis. In this summer holiday mystery, an Old Town Virginia entertaining guru juggles Fourth of July fireworks, patriotic pastries, house guests, and homicide.
A Midsummer Night’s Fudge is part of the Candy Coated Mystery Series by Nancy Coco. In this summertime mystery, a woman working for her family’s Maine clambake company cooks up tasty seafood and a murder investigation.
Murder at Last Chance Cove is the first book in the Pacific Northwest Cozy Mystery Series by Kim Griswell. In this mystery, a writer in an RV park tries solving a real-life mystery that’s just as strange and twisty as the bestsellers she pens.
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