Cozy Mystery Books

Welcome to my Cozy Mystery Page

I’ve been reading cozy mysteries for years. Lilian Jackson Braun’s Cat Who books caught my attention long ago. Since then, I’ve enjoyed Jackie Layton, Annie McEwen, Amanda Flower, and so many others. If you aren’t familiar with cozy mysteries, here is a basic description: a gentle crime fiction story, often with humor, set in a small community without violence, sex, and swearing. The lead character is an amateur sleuth, usually a woman who has a pet and a job that sounds fun, like a bookstore or bakery. The stories lead to the culprit and have a tidy resolution. They read like a puzzle for the reader to solve. I’m excited about my journey into the genre. I hope you enjoy it too.

Book one in the Lyndi Lavender cozy mysteries:

One Rotten Apple

Small town charm, a fall festival… and one uninvited corpse.

After twenty years of photographing war zones, Lyndie Lavender longs for peace. She finds it—at least at first—when she moves to her Aunt Cordy’s homestead near the quiet town of Seldom Seen, South Carolina. The gentle rhythm of her new life is upended when Lyndie stumbles across a dead body on the opening day of her aunt’s beloved Apple Fest.

Determined to uncover who killed one of the locals—and marred her aunt’s festival—Lyndie dusts off her camera and natural curiosity. With her sister Laurel at her side and Aunt Cordy’s charming new tenant, Zach Hudson, lending a hand, Lyndie finds herself snooping, spying, and untangling secrets the town folks didn’t even know.

Finding a killer isn’t on Lyndie Lavender’s calendar. But neither is walking away.

Purchase at Amazon

Love this endorsement from Jackie Layton:

Lyndie Lavender attends Seldom Seen’s fall festival where you can find everything from apple bobbing to sheep to a dead body. You’ll cheer for Lyndie and her crew as they poke around looking for clues. The story is delightful! The characters are interesting and people readers will want to spend time with. You've got a winner with this story. -Jackie Layton, author of Low Country Dog Walker Cozy Mysteries, A Texas Flower Farmer Cozy Mysteries, and An Organized Crime Cozy Mysteries