How to Cozy-fy Your Murder Mystery

As a young teen, I was obsessed with Agatha Christie novels. I borrowed them by the armload from the Toronto Public Library, and inhaled them over bowls of ice cream or steaming cups of masala chai. Yet I had never heard the term ‘cozy mystery’ until decades later. I just knew that I loved the Queen of Crime’s collection, as much for the charming British setting and period-specific slang, quirky characters, and almost polite approach to murder, in addition to a burning need to know ‘whodunnit.’ 

(Why We Love Mysteries Steeped in History.)

Today, I am both a devourer and writer of cozy stories. My first mystery novel, Detective Aunty, published in 2025 by HarperCollins, features Kausar Khan, a Miss Marple-inspired South Asian widow in her late 50s, who makes use of her considerable observational skills to solve crimes in her close-knit Toronto community. The follow-up, Moonlight Murder, recently came out in the U.S.

Though I wrote four romance novels before trying my hand at crime fiction, I quickly learned that being a fan of the genre did not make the writing any easier. Like every one of my favorite intrepid detectives (and the armchair variety too), I set my shoulder against the grindstone, and came up with a list of essential ingredients for the cozy mystery genre.

The first thing I realized was that my favorite cozy mysteries are, as the Gen Z kids say, a ‘vibe’ read, the sort of story where atmosphere is everything, and the experience of reading matters almost as much as the mystery itself. In addition to following the rules of mystery writing—include a compelling case, a cast of suspects, red herrings and clues mixed in, plus a twist surprising enough to cause readers to spit out their matcha lattes—a cozy mystery requires a je ne sais quoi extra, the details designed to entice readers to curl onto their cloud sofas and cuddle beneath a chenille quilt.

Next, the right sleuth is key to a compelling cozy mystery. From Sherlock Holmes to Hercule Poirot, to Nero Wolfe, the central detective character is the difference between a reader staying up all night to finish a book, or consigning it to the dreaded DNF pile. As a mystery reader, I want to be alternately amused or shake my head at the antics of the detective, and then be taken in by their impressive deductions. Modern examples include the inimitable Veronica Speedwell from Deanna Raybourn’s charming series, Molly Gray from Nita Prose’s The Maid, or Anthony Horowitz’s Susan Ryeland series. In Detective Aunty, Kausar Khan uses her role as an elder in the community, a wealthy widow in her late 50s, to her advantage, subverting the stereotype of the nosy ‘Aunty’ to sometimes hilarious, but always insightful, effect.

While a nuanced and intelligent detective is key to a long-term cozy mystery series, the sleuth in turn must be surrounded by an engaging community. Who would Hercule Poirot be without the faithful Hastings, Nero Wolfe without his assistant Archie? Kausar Khan has an indefatigable cheerleader in May, a retired teacher and her best friend, who is always up for some mischief. As much as readers pick up a cozy mystery for the vibes and the detective, they also want to spend time with a fun group of side characters as well.

Finally, a unique setting rounds out my list of requirements for the perfect cozy mystery. While the quintessential gentle cozy novel is set in a small village or town, with a reliable cast of characters who run the gamut of aggravating to wholesome, some of my favorite series provide an interesting spin on setting. The Veronica Speedwell novels, for instance, are set in England during the late-Victorian era, while Molly Gray’s adventures take place almost entirely in a luxury hotel. In Moonlight Murder, Kausar Khan explores more of the Greater Toronto Area, which like most large cities, is made up of distinct neighborhoods, each with their unique features.

I’ll always have a soft spot for this wildly popular subgenre of crime fiction, and now I know why: I love to follow the adventures of an intriguing amateur sleuth, someone who may not have been trained in policing, but has come to the vocation for personal reasons. I also enjoy reading about the supportive cast of friends and even enemies who populate the detective’s world, and to visit a well-beloved small town or big city again and again. So long as the vibes are good, I know I’m in for a fun reading adventure.

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