Only cozy mystery series with at least two books out are considered for this ranking. Long-running shows succeed in this genre because we become invested in the protagonists and look forward to seeing them again and again.

There are so many excellent cozy mystery series that compiling a list of the best would be a difficult feat. (In reality, I intended for this to be a top 10 list but ended up with too many.) Please share your preferred examples in the comments below!

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AGATHA RAISIN

BY MC BEATON

At the age of 52, Agatha Raisin quits from a successful career in public relations and goes to a cottage in a seemingly calm English countryside. “The Quiche of Death” is the first novel in the series.

AMELIA PEABODY

BY ELIZABETH PETERS

Amelia Peabody, a self-proclaimed spinster at the age of 32, has decided to use a large portion of her inheritance to travel to Egypt. Many readers have fallen in love with this book and its feisty, witty, and unwavering heroine because of the era she lives in (1880). Crocodile on the Sandbank was the first novel I ever read from this series and I was hooked.

AUNT DIMITY MYSTERIES

BY NANCY ATHERTON

The American Lori Shepherd family solves mysteries with the assistance of their departed aunt, Dimity, who writes to them in a blue leather notebook from the other side. This is the first book, and it’s called Aunt Dimity’s Death.

BLANCHE WHITE

BY BARBARA NEELY

Blanche White is a shrewd housekeeper, but she has a nasty tendency of finding herself mixed up in murder mysteries. Blanche on the Lam, the first novel.

BODY MOVERS

BY STEPHANIE BOND

Carlotta, a former debutante who is now a shopgirl, has a lot on her plate between her fugitive parents, her brother’s gambling addiction, their loan shark debts, and Carlotta’s part-time job transporting remains to the morgue. Body Movers is the debut novel.

BOOKTOWN MYSTERY

BY LORNA BARRETT

Can I move to Tricia’s town, where she operates a mystery bookstore? When she becomes a murder suspect, she finds herself borrowing from her own works. Book One: Murder is Binding

CAT WHO

BY LILIAN JACKSON BRAUN

Journalist Jim and his kitties Koko and Yum Yum investigate mysteries. The author released the first three novels in this series in the mid-1960s, but additional installments didn’t appear until 20 years later. Book One: The Cat Who Could Read Backwards

CHIEF INSPECTOR ARMAND GAMACHE

BY LOUISE PENNY

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, of the Sûreté du Québec, is captivated by the rustic, picturesque community where he discovers long-buried truths. Since its 2005 debut, this series has garnered a slew of accolades. To begin with, there is Still Life, the author’s first novel.

COFFEEHOUSE MYSTERY

BY CLEO COYLE

Clare, the series’ protagonist, is the manager of a Greenwich Village cafe that has played host to a surprisingly high number of gruesome killings. On What Grounds is the First Book.

FLAVIA DE LUCE

BY ALAN BRADLEY

Flavia de Luce, a bright eleven-year-old with a love for chemistry and a knack for investigating crimes, is at the center of this book, which is set in 1950s England. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie was her first novel.

GETHSEMANE BROWN MYSTERIES

BY ALEXIA GORDON

Paranormal cozy mysteries about a classical pianist who becomes shipwrecked on a southwestern island. True ghost fans will understand my enthusiasm. Murder in G Major, the first of the series.

GOLDY BEAR CULINARY

BY DIANE MOTT DAVIDSON

Most of my favorite cozy mysteries revolve on food and cooking. Goldy lives in a rural area of Colorado, where she works as a caterer and raises her son and daughter after her divorce. To establish her innocence in the first novel, she must conduct a murder investigation. Book One: Catering To Nobody.

HANNAH SWENSEN

BY JOANNE FLUKE

Another small-town, food-centered coziness set in Minnesota, this one at a bakery. Hallmark’s Murder She Baked film adaptations are based on these books. First book: Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder

HER ROYAL SPYNESS

BY RHYS BOWEN

Lady Victoria Georgiana “Georgie” Charlotte Eugenie is attempting to lead a normal life in London in the year 1932. She is the 34th in line to the English throne and the cousin of King George V, yet she has little money. Her Royal Spyness is the debut novel.

INSPECTOR SINGH INVESTIGATES

BY SHAMINI FLINT

Singaporean Inspector Singh is on the case as he investigates homicides around Asia. The unique locales and protagonist of this series are two of its biggest draws. Book One: Inspector Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder.

MAHALIA WATKINS SOUL FOOD MYSTERIES

BY A.L. HERBERT

I did warn you that cookbook cozies are my absolute fave! Now make that stuff soul food, and I am so there. Our heroine operates Mahalia’s Sweet Tea, a soul food restaurant in Maryland. First book: Murder with Fried Chicken and Waffles

MAMA DETECTIVE

BY NORA DELOACH

You’ll have to sift through several used bookstores (physical or virtual) to find the first book, but it’ll be well worth your time. The main characters, an Atlanta paralegal and her mother, are a close-knit family. Mama Solves a Murder is the first novel by this author in this series.

MISS MARPLE

BY AGATHA CHRISTIE

No compilation of mine would be complete without the great Agatha Christie. Miss Jane Marple, is a popular investigator in the series. I really enjoy The Body in the Library. Book One: Murder at the Vicarage.

MRS. MURPHY

BY RITA MAE BROWN

This cozy mystery series holds a particular place in my heart. With the assistance of her Welsh Corgi (I’m a sucker for a Corgi) and tiger cat, a postmistress who reads postcards that aren’t addressed to her solves murders. Wish You Were Here is the debut novel.

NO. 1 LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY

BY ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH

An acclaimed show starring Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s top cop and the country’s lone female sleuth. She’s smart, charming, and genuinely cares about doing good for others. The #1 Ladies’ Detective Agency was the first novel in the series.

PSYCHIC EYE MYSTERY

BY VICTORIA LAURIE

When a customer dies under mysterious circumstances, psychic intuitive Abby finds herself entangled into the investigation. Winning blend of comedy, romance, and mystery. First book: Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye

SINGAPOREAN MYSTERIES

BY OVIDIA YU

Rosie “Aunty” Lee, a wealthy widow in Singapore, utilizes her wits and contacts to investigate mysteries while simultaneously running a popular home-cooking restaurant. Aunty Lee’s Delights is the debut novel.

SOPHIE KATZ

BY KYRA DAVIS

Lighthearted series about a mystery writer named Sophie Katz who keeps getting caught up in actual murder investigations. Sex, Murder, and a Double Latte is the author’s debut novel.

TEA SHOP MYSTERIES

BY LAURA CHILDS

In Charleston, where Theodosia Browning owns a tea store, high society parties are proving fatal for some of the guests. Death by Darjeeling is the first novel.

WITCHCRAFT MYSTERIES

BY JULIET BLACKWELL

When Lily casts a spell, naughty ghosts often appear. She owns a San Francisco vintage clothes boutique and, on the side, investigates homicides using her unique skillset. Secondhand Spirits is the first novel.

So, if you’re in the market for a cozy mystery series to get invested in, look no further. These are all long-running shows with lots of books out (so you won’t have to wait too long for a new installment). And I promise, you won’t be disappointed. Have you read any of these? Let me know what you thought.

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