What’s to look forward to for cozy mystery releases during the second half of 2022? Sleuths of all ages abound, from a retiree investigating crimes as part of a small-town true crime club to a younger Instagram influencer solving a murder linked to her great-aunt’s bakery. You’ll find plenty of series starters to enjoy here along with continuations of longer-running series (including an anthology retelling of perhaps the best-known amateur sleuth, Miss Marple, releasing this fall). Settings range wildly as well. Whether you’re in the mood for a mystery set at a Hollywood antiques shop, small-town library, or even a 20th century hotel, you’re sure to find something that piques your interest and brings out your inner armchair sleuth. New to the cozy mystery genre and not sure where to start? After you add these new releases to your TBR, check out this primer on the best cozy mystery series to start with. Looking for more mystery recommendations? Subscribe to Read or Dead, Book Riot’s mystery and thriller fiction podcast. 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. 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. 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) 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.
