With the holiday season soon upon us, now is the time to start choosing the right novels to keep you occupied during your stay. There’s something innately special about pulling out a fresh book while lying by the pool that you just can’t match at home.
Mystery books tend to dominate the industry, with the cosy variety pairing perfectly with both travel and relaxation. You still get that hit of dopamine from the intellectual whodunnit without something so challenging it’ll require flicking back a few pages to follow again with the plot.
If you’ve already made your way through a huge chunk of the best-sellers lists or simply want a few recommendations, here are our favourite cosy crime books of all time that you won’t want to put down during your holiday.
All the Other Mothers Hate Me, Sarah Harman
A contemporary and witty novel from Sarah Harman, All the Other Mothers Hate Me delves into the troubles of parenthood and the pressures that women face from others in their social circle.
The story follows Jen, a struggling single mother living in West London, and failed member of the band Girls’ Night. Her son, Dylan, attends a local private school funded by an arrangement with his father, Will. Because of this wealthy environment, Jen constantly feels like an outcast among the posh London mothers.
After a school trip one day, one of Dylan’s classmates goes missing – the son of a frozen food business owner. It’s then Dylan who becomes the prime suspect. And it doesn’t help matters when Jen finds evidence that could back this up. To prove everyone wrong, Jen decides to find out the truth about the missing boy. Along the way, the story covers the difficulties of making new friends and the scary reality of how you never really know people’s true intentions, regardless of how well you think you truly know them.
Death Comes to Marlow, Robert Thorogood
The second instalment of Robert Thorogood’s Marlow Murder Club Series is our favourite. The storyline is clever, with plenty of twists and turns. You already feel a close connection to the series’ trio of amateur sleuths (Judith, Becks, and Tanika) and can delve further into their chaotic lives, in addition to a brand-new ‘murder’ to solve.
Newcomers to the series needn’t worry about reading the first book beforehand, as this plot is entirely self-contained. While you will miss out on the trio’s origin story and may encounter a minor spoiler or two, it won’t impact your understanding of this latest adventure.
Death Comes to Marlow starts with the protagonist Judith receiving an invitation to a pre-wedding garden party at the wealthy Sir Peter Bailey’s residence. His fiancée, who is much younger, is not particularly well-liked among his adult children. Later in the evening, when Sir Peter goes to retrieve a celebratory bottle of champagne, the guests are startled by an explosion. Sir Peter is then found lifeless inside a locked room.
Was it murder? If so, how could one carry out such a crime? You’ll have to find out. It’s a story that doesn’t dive into heavy logistics. Rather, a jovial group of intelligent women who don’t care too much for the law, only the truth for answers.
Yellowface, R.F. Kuang
While more of a literary thriller, Yellowface is a unique take on mystery. The main character is the real ‘monster’ in the story, and we’re just here for her downfall. R.F. Kuang’s bestseller brilliantly covers societal issues surrounding “cancel culture” and the ethics around who truly gets to tell personal stories She converts this into a captivating and scarily realistic tale.
You don’t need to get far into the book before things begin to spiral. Protagonist June Hayward visits her long-time ‘friend’, Athena Liu, whom she secretly loathes for being not only more successful but also a better writer.
After a light-hearted night of drinking, Athena suddenly begins to choke while making pancakes, which leads to her untimely demise. While most would immediately call emergency services for help, June takes an unfinished manuscript of Athena’s around the Chinese Labour Corps during WWI.
With very little knowledge about said history, she makes her own contributions and publishes under a new name. This is to high praise around the world. But how would a woman with no interest in these topics and no known lineage to tie her to events understand how to write something so captivating? some people seem to know the real reason, and they’re going to bring June down one way or another.
It’s one of those books that’s eerily close to what we see on social media and the news. And a refreshing way to expose identity and legacy theft that many writers experience daily.
Everyone on This Train is a Suspect, Benjamin Stevenson
Benjamin Stevenson’s Everyone on This Train is a Suspect pays homage to every great whodunnit crime novel in the best of ways. Plenty of characters, each with a complex story and quirks, that’ll keep you guessing: could it be them?
The book is narrated from the perspective of the main character, Ernest Cunningham. He constantly reminds us that it’s possible to deduce the killer early on using clues that adhere to ‘Knox’s Commandments’. Albeit, despite all of these hints, it’s still a guessing game right until the reveal.
The plot starts with Ernest being invited to a writer’s convention aboard the Ghan. This is one of the world’s most famous locomotives that travels across the Australian Outback from Darwin to Adelaide. Here, you’ll be introduced to the other writers, each with a different personality (and motive). The drama all starts when one of the writers is found dead in their cabin. Because Ernest finds himself stranded with a train full of characters who know how to beat the system, finding the culprit poses a massive challenge.
The franchise’s previous book, Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, delivers another spectacular read. Fortunately, it doesn’t limit you in understanding the story. You will find spoilers throughout the book, though. We’d recommend grabbing a copy, so you have plenty to read while relaxing by the pool.
The List of Suspicious Things, Jennie Godfrey
The premise of the book involves a search for the Yorkshire Ripper, a killer who instilled fear in all northerners back in the day. However, The List of Suspicious Things is a charming tale around a group of pre-teens in the north of England trying to find their way during difficult times. It follows Miv, a young girl whose mother has become a shell of herself and whose father is threatening a move down south to escape the danger of the murders in the news.
On the verge of losing everything she knows and loves, she takes it upon herself to find the real killer and remain in her hometown for good. From following their teacher to staking out the local convenience shop, the story covers a range of adult topics, from racism to affairs and abuse. Yes, there’s a killer to hunt down, but there’s more going on in this small town than you’d originally have thought.
Jennie Godfrey beautifully balances the warmth of a tight-knit community with a highly enticing mystery. Not every detail in the book leads directly to a murder clue. However, the rich character dynamics mean you never feel like you’re missing out. It is the absolute epitome of an excellent cosy crime novel.
The Guest List, Lucy Foley
Set on an island just off the coast of Ireland, The Guest List follows your typical Agatha Christie setup. A group of guests, a murder, and no way of leaving. On the island, you’ll get to experience the ‘perfect’ wedding between Jules and Will. Suddenly a storm causes the lights to cut out. As things regain normality, the sudden discovery of a body quickly interrupts the peace.
Each invitee has their own motive, and you’ll jump between the characters often. This includes the bride, the best man and even the wedding planner. No one is who they say they are, and old grudges soon surface. The violent weather also certainly doesn’t help.
The book is slow but detailed. You’ll gradually build up to the events of the murder. But for the most part, you don’t even know the identity of the unfortunate victim. Lucy Foley expertly puts you as the sleuth in the story. She carefully takes you on a journey that leads to that eventual ‘eureka’ moment, which is deeply satisfying and quite surprising.