I’m one of those readers who love to match their reading to the current season. Now that it’s December, nothing sounds more appealing than snuggling up with a hot mug of cocoa, a few Christmas cookies (heavy on the sprinkles), and a Christmas mystery. Here are six of my favorite Yuletide-related cozy mysteries.
I Am Half Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley – Precocious doesn’t even begin to describe eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce, who lives to conduct chemistry experiments in her lab, annoy her older sisters, and assist the local constabulary in solving crimes. The more recent books in the series have gotten quite a bit darker and more serious, but this book retains the lighthearted flavor of the early books. 
Mistletoe Murder by Leslie Meier – This was the first Christmas cozy I read and it perfectly conveys both elements of a holiday-themed cozy: the hectic bustle of mom in Maine as she prepares for Christmas and the sinister undercurrents of the town, which is not as picturesque as it seems.
The Mischief and the Mistletoe by Lauren Willig – Lauren Willig delivers romance, intrigue, and humor in this holiday-themed Regency. Plenty of interesting details about how Christmas was celebrated during the Regency as well as an appearance by Jane Austen.
The Twelve Clues of Christmas by Rhys Bowen – I always enjoy Georgie’s adventures in England in the 1930s and this book delivers plenty of Christmas traditions and a fun mystery.
If you love Christmas books and/or mysteries, I hope you’ll check out my holiday novella, Menace at the Christmas Market. Location scout Kate goes to the local holiday Christmas market in a charming English village, but instead of finding gifts she encounters a mystery that threatens to derail her Christmas.
Bonus: Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson – It’s not a cozy mystery, but isn’t this book on everyone’s list of Christmas favorites? I’ve loved this book since I read it as a kid and one of my favorite Christmas memories is reading it to my kids.
Those are some of my favorite cozy books that are prefect for the holidays. What are your favorite Christmas mysteries?
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