Welcome to Emily's Reading Room

Pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup of tea, and settle in. This site is dedicated to cozy mystery books — that wonderful genre where amateur sleuths solve crimes in charming small towns, no one reads anything too disturbing before bed, and there is usually a cat involved.

Whether you are a longtime cozy reader looking for your next series or a newcomer wondering what all the fuss is about, you will find what you need here. We cover the major subgenres, maintain detailed reading order guides for popular series, spotlight the authors who make the genre great, and offer curated recommendations for every taste.

New to Cozies? Start Here

Never read a cozy mystery? Not sure what they are or where to begin? Our Start Here page will walk you through the basics and point you toward the best gateway books.

Browse by Subgenre

Cozy mysteries come in many flavors. Do you want a mystery set in a bakery with recipes in the back? Try culinary cozies. Prefer a mystery where a clever cat helps solve the case? Check out cat & pet cozies. Love the supernatural? Paranormal cozies have witches, ghosts, and magic. See all subgenres.

Reading Order Guides

Many cozy mystery series have fifteen, twenty, or even thirty books. Our reading order guides list every book in each series in the correct order, with notes on where to start and what to expect. Featured series include Hannah Swensen, Three Pines, Agatha Raisin, and The Cat Who...

Author Spotlights

Get to know the writers behind your favorite series. Our author spotlight pages cover their backgrounds, writing styles, and complete bibliographies. From Louise Penny to M.C. Beaton, from Joanne Fluke to Kerry Greenwood.

Curated Recommendations

Looking for something specific? We have recommendation lists for beginners, fans of Hallmark mystery movies, readers who want books with recipes, and more. See all recommendation lists.

Around the Web

Looking for more cozy mystery resources? Here are some of our favorite sites: