Shorter days, darker nights and colder temperatures mean chunky knitwear, cosy socks, plenty of blankets and plenty of books! Autumn feels like the perfect time to get lost in the pages of cosy mysteries, so we’ve put together a selection of some of our favourites for your autumn TBR!
The Thursday Murder Club (Richard Osman)
In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders. Elizabeth, a former MI5 agent, Joyce, a retired nurse, Ibrahim, a retired psychiatrist and Ron, a former trade union leader, are all wonderful characters, endearing and unique, and each bring their own particular skills to the table when it comes to solving crimes.
The first in the series, The Thursday Murder Club, involves a murder right on their doorstep – the killing of a property developer. The second book, The Man Who Died Twice is the story of Elizabeth’s former husband and secret service agent who has broken into the home of a criminal banker, and when £20m worth of diamonds go missing, the banker suspects him.
The third book in the popular series, The Bullet That Missed has recently been released, and it’s just as cosy and delightful as the others – picking up the books are like sitting down with old friends. These books are definitely more character-driven novels than plot, but they are lovely to read!
The Dedley End Mysteries (Victoria Walters)
Murder at the House on the Hill is the first book in the Dedley End series by Victoria Walters (you can read our exclusive interview with her here!) and features Nancy and her grandmother Jane who run the Dedley Endings Bookshop, selling crime, thrillers and mystery books in a quiet Cotswold village. One day, the wealthy and reclusive Roth family open up their impressive mansion for the first time in 30 years, inviting the village to a lavish engagement party. The festivities are quickly cut short, when the new wife of Harry Roth is found dead. But who among the guests could be capable of her murder…and why?
Murder at the Summer Fete is the second book in the series, picking up a few months after Murder at the House on the Hill. The annual Dedley End village fete is just around the corner, and Nancy is thrilled when bestselling author, Thomas Green, agrees to launch his new novel there.
When a body is discovered at the summer fete, the death scene mirroring that in Thomas’ latest bestseller, they realise that there’s another killer in Dedley End, but can they outsmart someone who appears to have pulled off the perfect crime?
A Spoonful of Murder (J.M. Hall)
Every week, three retired school teachers have their ‘coffee o’clock’ sessions at the Thirsk Garden Centre café. But one week, as they are catching up with a slice of cake, they bump into their ex-colleague, Topsy. By the next week, Topsy is dead.
The last thing Liz, Thelma and Pat imagined was that they would become involved in a murder. But they know there’s more to Topsy’s death than meets the eye – and it’s down to them to prove it…
There are a lot of characters to get to grips with, but it is well written and charming (and generally manages not to be too cheesy as well!)
This is charming escapism, and the perfect book to curl up with while of course enjoying a cup of tea!
The Marlow Murder Club (Robert Thorogood)
77-year-old Judith Potts lives on her own just outside Marlow, keeping herself busy by setting crossword puzzles for The Times. One evening she is swimming in the Thames, and witnesses a brutal murder. One evening, while out swimming in the Thames, Judith witnesses a brutal murder. The local police don’t believe her story, so she decides to investigate for herself, and is soon joined in her quest by Suzie, a salt-of-the-earth dog-walker, and Becks, the prim and proper wife of the local Vicar.
Filled with twists, turns and more than a few red herrings, this book is fun, cosy and wonderful escapism!
