The Best Cozy Mysteries and Thrillers to Add to Your Winter TBR

There is something especially satisfying about reading a mystery in the middle of winter. Maybe it is the contrast between the cold, quiet weather outside and the increasingly suspicious collection of characters on the page. Or perhaps it is simply that mysteries give us exactly what we want from a winter read: an intriguing setting, a problem to solve, and a story capable of making an entire afternoon disappear. Set me up with one of these, a cup of tea, and a snowy winter afternoon and I’m set.

This January, Crooked Lane Books is delivering plenty of murder, mayhem, and amateur detective work for mystery readers to enjoy. Whether you prefer your mysteries cozy, quirky, atmospheric, or filled with national-level conspiracies, these five new mystery books deserve a place on your winter TBR.

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RV Dead Yet by Penny Warner (January 5, 2027)

A relaxing RV vacation sounds like an ideal way to see the country—at least until marital tension, suspicious circumstances, and a high-stakes investigation begin interfering with the itinerary.

In RV Dead Yet, award-winning author Penny Warner combines a scenic vacation setting with all the clever sleuthing and unexpected complications. What begins as a getaway soon becomes something much more dangerous, forcing the characters to trade sightseeing for investigating.

A Murder Most Irregular by Vicki Delany (January 5, 2027)

A mystery set around a Sherlock Holmes-themed bookshop is almost impossible for a book lover to resist. Add a body discovered on the beach, and you have the beginning of a delightfully bookish investigation.

A Murder Most Irregular is the twelfth installment in Vicki Delany’s nationally bestselling Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series. This time, bookseller and amateur detective Gemma Doyle finds herself following a killer’s trail after discovering a body on the beach.

Gemma has built her reputation on keen observation and deductive reasoning, making her a fitting modern-day sleuth for a series inspired by Sherlock Holmes. The literary references and bookshop setting add an extra layer of fun, particularly for readers who enjoy mysteries that celebrate classic detective fiction while introducing original characters and crimes.

The Numbers by David Parry (January 26, 2027)

If your ideal mystery is less “quiet village” and more “race to prevent nationwide disaster,” The Numbers belongs at the top of your list.

David Parry’s fast-paced conspiracy thriller centers on a series of mysterious kidnappings occurring across the United States. At first, the cases may appear disconnected. As clues begin to emerge, however, they point toward a much larger conspiracy—one with the potential to collapse the country’s financial system.

Rather than solving a single isolated crime, the characters must determine who is behind the kidnappings, what the victims have in common, and how everything connects to a threat with national consequences.

Be warned: this may not be the book to begin immediately before bed unless you are fully prepared to say, “Just one more chapter,” at least six times.

The Curious Case of the Bludgeoned Birder by Lucy Connelly (January 26, 2027)

Birding may be peaceful in theory, but in The Curious Case of the Bludgeoned Birder, the hobby takes a decidedly more dangerous turn.

The second installment in Lucy Connelly’s Welsh Village Mystery series returns readers to the small Welsh city of Dillynaidd. Dr. Gwen Griffiths must investigate the latest killer threatening the community, but this particular case requires her to confront one of her biggest fears: birds.

That personal complication gives the mystery an amusing and relatable twist. It is one thing to investigate a crime when you feel confident and in control; it is another to do it while surrounded by the very thing that makes you deeply uncomfortable.

A Pint of Murder by Cate Malone (January 5, 2027)

Taking ownership of an Irish pub should come with a few expected challenges: learning the business, getting to know the regulars, and figuring out how to pour the perfect pint. Discovering a body before the ink has even dried on the deed is decidedly less standard.

A Pint of Murder introduces a new cozy mystery series from Cate Malone. The story follows the unexpected new owner of an Irish pub whose fresh start becomes a murder investigation almost immediately.

Fans of Carlene O’Connor and Ellie Brannigan will want to add this one to their lists, especially if they enjoy mysteries in which the location feels like a character of its own.

Which January Mystery Should You Read First?

These January mystery releases offer a little something for every kind of mystery reader. Whichever one you choose, these mysteries are ready to keep you guessing until the final reveal. The only mystery left is which book you will read first?

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