25 Fall Cozy Mystery Books to Snuggle Up With This Autumn

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Somebody else might have a totally different opinion – and that’s completely okay – but I honestly think fall is the best season for atmospheric books. 

I’m talking spooky houses, dark academia vibes, and all that beautiful, mysterious stuff. 

Fall always feels a little eerie, a little cozy, so it’s the perfect setting for stories that make you want to curl up with a blanket and a warm drink.

In my opinion, the best genre to read during fall is cozy mystery. 

If you’re not familiar, cozy mysteries are basically mystery books where the dark, intense elements are toned way down.

They’re usually a little funny, full of quirky characters, and often feature an amateur sleuth who might even be an adorable little animal.

These books are so charming, light-hearted, and easy to enjoy, which makes them perfect for fall reading.

Anyway, before I completely go off on a tangent, if you’re thinking about adding some books to your fall reading list, you have to check out these cozy mystery picks I’ve gathered for this post. 

I made sure to only include cozy mystery books that are actually set in fall, so think haunted houses, Halloween themes, pumpkins, autumn festivals, and all that wonderful, seasonal goodness.

I also have a separate post where I’ve listed some of my all-time favorite cozy mysteries (no matter the season), so feel free to check that out too.

But for this post, it’s all about the most atmospheric, autumn-perfect cozy mysteries that everyone should read.

Mulberry Mischief by Sharon Farrow

If you love autumn feels mixed with small-town mystery (and berries), this book will keep you glued for hours. 

Marlee Jacob runs The Berry Basket in a cute little town on Lake Michigan, and while she’s busy stocking elderberries for flu season, a very strange lady named Leticia shows up asking for mulberries to keep away evil spirits. 

At first, Marlee thinks Leticia is just being her usual quirky self – after all, it’s almost Halloween – but when a man ends up dead on Leticia’s property with a mulberry-wood arrow in his chest, things get seriously spooky. 

Leticia disappears, secrets about a rich family surface, and Marlee has to piece it all together before things get out of hand. 

It’s a little creepy, very twisty, and full of autumn charm. And, there are berry recipes at the end. I love when mysteries come with snacks.

Enchantments and Escape Rooms by Amy McNulty

Dahlia is a witch who’s been trying to keep life quiet and simple in her magical town. 

But when her old friend opens an escape room and asks for her magical help to get it ready, things take a dark turn. 

Someone dies during the first test run. And Dahlia feels so guilty and wonders if her spells went wrong or if someone wanted that person dead. 

The only way to find out is to go back into the escape room herself and this time, losing the game could mean losing everything. 

This one gave me such spooky, tingly feelings, like when you know something’s wrong but can’t put your finger on it. So good for a crisp autumn evening.

Trick or Treat Murder by Leslie Meier

What’s more perfect for October than cupcakes, haunted houses, and a mystery? 

Lucy Stone is juggling a million things – baking treats, helping her kids get ready for Halloween, taking care of her new baby – and now she has to deal with a dangerous arsonist in town. 

Fires are popping up everywhere in Tinker’s Cove, and then someone dies. 

When the body of the town’s oldest homeowner is found after a fire, it’s clear this is more than an accident.

Lucy can’t help but snoop around, but the more she digs, the scarier it gets. 

You’ll feel like you’re right there in Maine with the cool breeze, pumpkins, and danger lurking behind every corner.

Gear, Grills, & Guns by Tonya Kappes

Mae West (yes, that’s her real name) is trying so hard to make her small Kentucky town feel normal even though nothing in Normal is ever normal. 

This time, she’s organized a big fall car show to boost the town’s charm and tourism. 

But when a man is found dead at the campground she manages (in one of the rental cabins no less) and a camper goes up in flames, her good plans start crumbling. 

Luckily Mae has her funny, clever Laundry Club Ladies to help her solve the mystery before things get worse. 

It’s small-town charm mixed with suspense and I couldn’t help but smile at how determined Mae is to protect her town and her new job. 

Of Spice and Men by Sarah Fox

When hollywood comes to a small town, what could go wrong? 

Marley runs the Flip Side Pancake House and the descriptions of the food made me hungry. 

A movie crew arrives to film a scary movie remake, and everyone is buzzing with excitement. 

Marley even gets a special tour of the set, but things turn sour fast when the makeup artist ends up dead in a fire. 

Was it an accident or something far darker? Even worse, Marley’s boyfriend’s old flame is one of the top suspects.

But Marley isn’t one to sit back – she’s digging into secrets behind the camera, and soon the real drama unfolds. 

Town in a Pumpkin Bash by B.B. Haywood

I love when small-town festivals turn mysterious, and this book totally delivered that cozy autumn feeling. 

Candy is helping with Cape Willington’s big Pumpkin Bash by running the haunted hayride.

But while setting up the spooky fun, she stumbles on something way scarier – a real dead body hidden near the fake tombstones. 

What was supposed to be fun turns into a serious mystery as Candy tries to figure out who the victim is and why they ended up there. 

Her search takes her through graveyards and old houses full of secrets, and I kept wondering what skeletons (literally and figuratively) she’d uncover. 

The Skeleton Haunts a House by Leigh Perry

Honestly, this one made me smile because it stars Sid, who is a real living skeleton. 

Sid usually has to stay hidden, but Halloween means he can finally go outside dressed as – what else? – a giant dog suit, pretending to be Scooby-Doo. 

But while Sid and his human friend Georgia are at the Haunted House attraction, a real body turns up. 

And just like that, Halloween gets deadly serious. The police close off the place, trapping everyone inside, including Sid, who decides to sneak around in plain skeleton form to hunt for clues. 

It’s spooky, funny, and such a clever twist on the cozy mystery. I adore Sid because he’s the sassiest skeleton detective ever. 

Death by Jack-O’-Lantern by Alexis Morgan

If you like small-town mysteries with a bit of pumpkin spice, this one is a treat. 

Abby is busy helping plan Snowberry Creek’s Halloween Festival (because she can’t say no to committee duties). 

But when she stops by a pumpkin farm, she finds the grumpy farmer stabbed in the middle of his own corn maze.

The cops think a homeless veteran might be to blame, but Abby’s friend Tripp insists he’s innocent. 

So Abby puts her sleuthing cap on and dives into the twisty, turning mystery to find the real killer before someone else gets hurt. 

The fall vibes in this book were so lovely and I could almost smell the pumpkin fields and cider.

Terrible Tidings in Hillbilly Hollow by Blythe Baker

This one is short, sweet, and so much fun.

Emma is trying to run her kettle corn stand at the winter carnival, raise money for the historical society, and avoid riding the scary old Ferris wheel. 

But then someone winds up dead. The grumpy old bookstore owner is found in the parking lot, and now his ghost is stirring up trouble. 

Emma has to solve the case fast before the whole carnival falls apart and before a certain handsome doctor (who just might pop the question) gets dragged into the mess.

Pumpkins in Paradise by Kathi Daley

Tj Jensen is a busy high school teacher juggling soccer coaching and the town’s big pumpkin festival when her close friend Zachary is found dead and no one seems to care how or why. 

Even the new deputy wants to close the case without asking questions. But Tj can’t let it go.

She follows a trail of old puzzles and secrets buried deep in the town’s past to uneearth twists and clues that made me want to help her solve it.

I love when cozy mysteries include old riddles and hidden truths. This one felt like curling up with warm cider on a crisp autumn day.

Make sure you check out these books if you want to read the best cozy mystery stories set in fall – they’re seriously so good.

And don’t forget, I’ve also written another post featuring my personal all-time favorite cozy mysteries, plus one more all about cozy mystery books with Black main characters, which, honestly, is pretty iconic on its own.