Written By: Susan H. at Millbrae Library
Do you ever wonder what your favorite mystery character is up to now? There are several cozy mysteries with characters that feel like friends whose lives you care about. It’s especially nice when the characters are in a series of books, so you can see how their lives change over time. Characters might fall in love, get married, have children, make new friends, adopt a pet, and of course, solve mysteries as their lives evolve. Pure fun! Here are some of my all-time favorite cozy authors and characters from mysteries. Be sure and read them in publication order to get the maximum enjoyment out of the characters’ development.
Mrs. Pollifax Series
This is an older series by Dorothy Gilman, but the titles are available on audiobook at Hoopla. A wonderful, suspenseful and warm listening experience, Mrs. Emily Pollifax is a retired lady who applies to the CIA to be a spy. All her adventures are in the era before cellphones!
China Bayles Mysteries
In this series by Susan Wittig Albert, China is a big city defense attorney who “retires” to a small community and owns an herb shop. China surrounds herself with a cast of friendly characters who continue in her fictional life from book to book.
Maisie Dobbs Novels
Jacqueline Winspear's series is one of my most favorite. Her character, Maisie, is a young English maid in the time of the world wars. Maisie dramatically changes her life and the lives of those around her in wise and thoughtful ways. She incorporates many avant-garde ideas for the time, including a psychological approach to the criminal, a case map drawn in colored crayons and a ritual saying goodbye to the locations surrounding the crime.
Meg Langslow Mysteries
In this series, author Donna Andrews and her character Meg Langslow, a blacksmith, explore the marvelous complexity of life in a small southern town. With all the confusion and comfort of a huge family of quirky relations, each book is themed around a different bird and covers the antics of dogs, llamas and exotic endangered animals—all while solving a mystery.
Kopp Sisters Novels
In the Kopp Sisters Novels, Amy Stewart (yes, the author of several renowned gardening books) shares the adventures of Constance Kopp, one of the first female deputy sheriffs in the United States. Inspired by a true story, watch as Constance bravely steps out of traditional female roles in early 1914. The series also covers the experiences of two other Kopp sisters.
Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mysteries
The first novel in Deborah Crombie's series featuring a cast of British characters was published in 1993—but it's such a good series and Crombie is releasing the twentieth book in the series soon. Read along to discover how Duncan and Gemma evolve in a series that spans over two decades!
Must-Have Mysteries
Check out these other marvelous cozy mystery books whose characters stick with you.
Here are some of our all-time favorite cozy mysteries with charming characters and talented authors!
Add a comment to: Cozy Up With These Mysteries