Thanksgiving Cozy Mysteries to Curl Up With This Autumn

A Plattering of Murder by J.C. Eaton

Charcuterie trays may be on the menu, but murder is on the bill

Excitement is in the air as charcuterie chef, Katie Aubrey, is asked to showcase her magnificent creations for a once-in-a-lifetime library event featuring world renown mystery authors. The only snafu is Edith Ellroy, the obnoxious ghost and former food critic who just can’t stand to leave Katie alone. And while Edith means well by offering advice, she has a penchant for interfering at the worst moments. But that’s not what’s troubling Katie. Her demanding Aunt Regina, who was supposed to stay at her parents’ house for a visit, is now planning on staying at Katie’s, and Katie cannot say no.

To make matter worse, Regina is the senior editor for a major publisher and has a laundry list of authors, some of whom will be at the library event, ready and waiting to string her up to dry! And while the charcuterie trays are absolutely savory and stunning, the dead body that surfaces in the library’s waterfall fountain is anything but! It turns out to be a noted author who managed to butt heads with Katie’s aunt throughout the event. And when Regina’s bracelet is found in the fountain with the man’s hair wrapped around it, she becomes the primary murder suspect.

And while Katie tries to run her business as usual, it becomes virtually impossible. From crazed fans to an author mourning party, she thinks she has seen it all. But when another body crops up, the fingers can’t move fast enough to point to Regina. And Edith’s meddling means more mayhem and misery. If Katie doesn’t move quickly, the real killer will! (from Amazon.com)

Death of a Tom Turkey by Lee Hollis

The relationships between bad-tempered Tom Farley and his neighbors are as bitter as a bowl of raw cranberries, but would one of them have taken it far enough to replace birdshot with a real bullet and make him a target at a shooting competition? That’s what the injured turkey farmer is claiming from his hospital bed—in between terrorizing the nurses—and he insists it’s because a property developer is looking to buy them all out for big money. But Tom says he was born on that land, and he intends to die on it. Sadly, that happens sooner than he expects.

Now an inquisitive Hayley has a cornucopia of suspects to consider, from an agoraphobic therapist to an ex-Army sniper, while also preparing for Thanksgiving. But with the strange twists and dark secrets still to be revealed, this case will not be as easy as pie . . . (from Amazon.com)

Pilgrim in the Parlor by Kathi Daley

A heartwarming cozy mystery series about losing everything, taking a chance, and starting again.

After suffering a personal tragedy Abby Sullivan buys a huge old seaside mansion she has never even seen, packs up her life in San Francisco, and moves to Holiday Bay Maine, where she is adopted, quite against her will, by a huge Maine Coon Cat named Rufus, a drifter with her own tragic past named Georgia, and a giant dog with an inferiority complex named Ramos. What Abby thought she needed was alone time to heal. What she ended up with was, an inn she never knew she wanted, a cat she couldn’t seem to convince to leave, and a new family she’d never be able to live without.

In book 6 in the series Abby and Georgia are readying the inn for the Thanksgiving Holiday, when tragedy strikes and one of the guests turns up dead.

Meanwhile, a new group of guests have checked in, each with their own story to tell. Jeremy and Annabelle have moved into the basement apartment, Abby takes a walk down memory lane, Velma has a decision to make, and Georgia must come to grips with her own fear and doubt relating to her relationship with Tanner. (from Amazon.com)

Thanksgiving Dinner Death by Leighann Dobbs

A new month, a new holiday, and Juniper Holiday is ready for stuffing to happen!

This year, Juniper has invited most of Crescent Cove to her Thanksgiving feast. Even that annoying Detective Mallard and his gang of ducklings.

The mansion is decorated. The table is set. The cooks (both living and ghostly) are trying new recipes. Everything is perfect until someone ends up face-down in the pecan pie.

Juniper is determined to solve the case before Detective Mallard can ruin her fun with his rules, but will she manage it before the killer decides to try again, or will this Thanksgiving meal be Juniper’s last supper? (from Amazon.com)

Turkey in the Trap Room by Kathi Daley

After suffering a personal tragedy Abby Sullivan buys a huge old seaside mansion she has never even seen, packs up her life in San Francisco, and moves to Holiday Bay Maine, where she is adopted, quite against her will, by a huge Maine Coon Cat named Rufus, a drifter with her own tragic past named Georgia, and a giant dog with an inferiority complex named Ramos. What Abby thought she needed was alone time to heal. What she ended up with was, an inn she never knew she wanted, a cat she couldn’t seem to convince to leave, and a new family she’d never be able to live without.

In book 12 in the series, Lacy takes over as director for the local Thanksgiving Pageant after the director they had appointed is bitten by a snake. The pageant seems to have met with bad luck from the beginning but when the star is found dead in the trap-room Abby becomes convinced the entire production is cursed.

Meanwhile new guests check into the inn including three half sisters, all the same age, who never even knew of the existence of their half siblings prior to the reading of their grandmother’s will. Their grandmother left each granddaughter a third of her extensive fortune but in order to collect the inheritance the sisters must work together to find answers and make decisions in the ten days allotted them to do so. (from Amazon.com)

The Thanksgiving Trip by Kathi Daley

The entire Thomas family takes a Thanksgiving trip to a mountain cabin after Tess learns that her father visited the area every autumn to hunt and fish before his supposed death in a fiery truck accident. After arriving at the cabin, Tess and Tony, along with Mike and Bree, team up to investigate a suspicious death, while Tess and Tony secretly talk to people who live in the area and once knew her father. Hoping to finally find answers for her unanswered questions regarding her father’s current whereabouts, Tess widens her search which lead her to a startling realization. Meanwhile, a stray dog seems intent on adopting Mike in spite of Mike’s insistence that there is no way he has room in his life for an energetic and mischievous puppy. (from Amazon.com)

Thanksgiving Treachery by Tonya Kappes

A delightfully twisty Friendsgiving cozy mystery packed with charm, secrets, and a dollop of small-town sass!

In the heart of Holiday Junction, where turkeys are stuffed and traditions run deep, the town’s glamorous Harden family finds their festivities cut short by a shocking tragedy. With everyone holding a metaphorical carving knife, it’s up to journalist Violet Rhinehammer to uncover the truth before the Leaf Dance Festival is overshadowed by scandal.

Armed with her wit, determination, and trusty notepad, Violet dives into a web of glittering pageants, art district whispers, and simmering secrets. As tensions rise and suspicions swirl, Violet races to serve up justice before the killer comes back for seconds. (from Amazon.com)

Turkey Day Murder by Leslie Meier

Tinker’s Cove, Maine, has a long history of Thanksgiving festivities, from visits with TomTom Turkey to the annual Warriors high school football game and Lucy Stone’s impressive pumpkin pie. But this year, someone has added murder to the menu, and Lucy intends to discover who left Metinnicut Indian activist Curt Nolan dead—with an ancient war club next to his head.

The list of suspects isn’t exactly brief. Nolan had a habit of disagreeing with just about everybody he met. Between fixing dinner for twelve and keeping her four kids from tearing each other limb from limb, Lucy has a pretty full plate already. So what’s a little investigation? But if she’s not careful, she may find herself served up as a last-minute course, stone-cold dead with all the trimmings… (from Amazon.com)

A Catered Thanksgiving by Isis Crawford

Whipping up Thanksgiving dinner can be stressful for anyone, but that goes double for the Field family. Everything has to be perfect, or they risk getting cut out of dominating patriarch Monty’s lucrative will. That’s where sisters Bernie and Libby’s catering company, A Little Taste of Heaven, comes in. Surely with their lumpless mashed potatoes and to-die-for gravy, even the super-dysfunctional Fields can get along for one meal. But no one can dress up disaster when the turkey goes boom right in Monty’s scowling face, sending him to that great dining room in the sky.

With everyone harboring their own cornucopia of secrets, discovering who wanted to carve up Monty won’t be easy. Worse, the Field Mansion is draped under a snowstorm, trapping them with a killer determined to get more than his piece of the pie. Bernie and Libby will have to find out who the culprit is, fast, before the leftovers—and their chances of surviving—run out for good… (from Amazon.com)

Turkey Trot Murder by Leslie Meier

The last surviving flowers on Lucy Stone’s porch have fallen victim to the first frost of the season. On the bright side, Thanksgiving, and the annual Turkey Trot 5K, are coming up in Tinker’s Cove, Maine—though sadly, Lucy’s four kids won’t be home today. But the holiday turns tragic when Lucy finds beautiful Alison Franklin dead in Blueberry Pond.

No one knows much about Alison, except that she was the daughter of ultrawealthy investor Ed Franklin, whose new wife is around Alison’s age. With heroin use increasing in town, police blame an accidental overdose, while her father casts vague accusations rooted in prejudice. But Lucy can’t understand what terrible forces could lead a privileged woman to ruin…

As a state of unrest descends on Tinker’s Cove, Lucy is thrown into a full-scale investigation. Now, Lucy must beat the killer to the finish line—or she can forget about stuffing and cranberry sauce… (from Amazon.com)

In the Blink of a Pie by Catherine Bruns

Sometimes, there’s no one you can crust…

It’s Thanksgiving in Sugar Ridge, Vermont, and Leila Khoury, manager of Sappy Endings Farm, is ready to usher in the holiday season by hosting a pie-baking contest. The day is meticulously planned, from the judging panel to the maple lattes, and Leila can’t wait for the entire town to enjoy some sweet treats.

But when a neighbor drops dead from sampling a poisoned pumpkin pie, it’s not just Leila’s perfect day that’s in jeopardy—her livelihood is now at stake. And after yet another near-fatal incident, she realizes an even more terrifying truth: the killer wasn’t targeting her neighbor, but someone even closer to home!

Can Leila figure out who’s behind the murder, before the dough hits the fan? (from Amazon.com)

Thankful, Grateful, Busted by JB Lynn

When her friend volunteers her pet photography services to the local animal shelter, Kiki Long finds herself partnered with a juvenile delinquent who is performing court-ordered community service.

Soon after, the girl is accused of setting fire to the home of a stuffy animal shelter board member. With the Sheriff’s Department stretched thin, Kiki is asked to not only document the crime scene but to ask around about the teenager who’s gone missing.

Kiki juggles her volunteer responsibilities and professional obligations while trying to put together a Thanksgiving dinner for the ragtag group she considers to be family. (from Amazon.com)

Trapping, Turkeys, and Thanksgiving by Tonya Kappes

USA Today Bestselling author Tonya Kappes brings you southern and quirky characters in her mystery series. Her stories are charged with humor, friendship, family and life in small southern towns.

Mae West is bound and determined to stay in shape for her wedding day and with all the delicious southern dessert Mary Elizabeth is serving for Thanksgiving Mae has joined the local running group to race in Thanksgiving’s annual Turkey Trot.

She never figured murder would be on the menu and a couple of people she loves have a perfect motive.

The list of suspects isn’t exactly brief especially when one of the governor’s recently pardoned prisoner is at the top of the list. Mae has a pretty full plate between trying to plan a wedding that will satisfy everyone, keeping Dottie in line as well as trying to get a long with her future mother in law.

So what’s a little investigation to keep her mind off things? If Mae’s not careful, she may find herself served up as a last-minute course with all the trimmings. (from Amazon.com)

Thanksgiving Turkey Tragedy by Leighann Dobbs

Ah, Thanksgiving. A time for family and friends to gather around the table and overindulge in holiday treats. And for some, a time to die.

When my new boyfriend, Detective Alec Blanchard, suggested entering the annual Turkey Trot race, I had no idea I’d be running for my life. Exactly where does the pumpkin pie and whipped cream enter in?

It was bad enough that philanthropist Todd Spellman was murdered right in broad daylight, but for it to happen on a major holiday really put a damper on the celebrating. My friend Lucy and I decided we needed to help Alec out with the investigation, even though he was less than thrilled about it. But investigating was in our blood, so we did. (from Amazon.com)

Thankfully Dead by Kate Bell

Ah, Thanksgiving. A time for family and friends to gather around the table and overindulge in holiday treats. And for some, a time to die.

Thanksgiving in Paradise by Kathi Daley

The shroud is lifted and truths too disturbing to believe are unveiled when an explosion at the town hall traps Tj under a pile of rubble as the walls of the building rain down around her. When the dust settles Tj is left wondering if you can ever really know another person or if the armor you see is simply an illusion created to conceal the lies that are buried beneath.

While Tj struggles with the duplicity of someone she’d previously held dear, she is also forced to deal with the fact that two popular residents are dead with four others in the hospital clinging to life.

As the remaining town council members struggle to rebuild from the ashes of what was lost, Tj commits to helping Roy find the individual responsible for this horrific event while trying to juggle an important life decision. (from Amazon.com)

The Trouble with Thanksgiving by Addison Moore & Bellamy Bloom

My mother has decided to host her old friends from school at the inn for an early friendsgiving celebration. But before the last slice of pie can be served, the gathering goes from friendly to deadly. Now, it’s up to me to track down the killer. Okay, so that hot homicide detective I married might protest that last part, but I can’t help it. While the whole town might be craving a Thanksgiving meal, I have a hankering for justice. (from Amazon.com)

Killer Thanksgiving Pie by Carolyn Q Hunter

Thanksgiving is a big deal for pie and book shop owner, Bertha Hannah, largely because it happens to be the most pie-related holiday on the calendar. Bert soon finds herself overwhelmed with the number of orders which need

to be completed before the holiday rush, but she’s vowed to let nothing keep her from honoring her annual commitment to volunteer at the local soup kitchen.

Unfortunately, the holiday production schedule comes to a shuddering halt, when an unknown man is stabbed to death in the alleyway behind the kitchen. Could his murder be related to a recent string of mysterious deaths that Bert read about in the paper, or was the man merely the victim of a random mugging?

As she is dragged further and further into the investigation, Bert begins to wonder if she’ll ever be able to find the time and peace to stop and give thanks this year.

Enjoy this mysterious holiday treat by the beloved Carolyn Q. Hunter! (from Amazon.com)

In Conclusion

So that’s it for today! Have you found some cozy reads to add to your To Be Read list? I know that I have. I love to read seasonally and so reading Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas themed cozy mysteries makes me so happy. I hope this list will help you feel happy too!

You Might Also Enjoy:

If you love to read holiday themed cozy mysteries, I’ve got some other lists you might enjoy:

Thanksgiving Cozy Mysteries to Curl Up With This Autumn

Books Mentioned in this Blog Post: