It’s time to say good-bye to another year and reflect on what made 2025 good, bad, and ugly. Let’s talk about the good first—cozy mysteries! The bad and the ugly (defined by their actions and deeds) can bugger off, or in this case, the authors will take care of them for us! And cozy mystery authors seem to do it best. Granted the action isn’t necessarily on the page, but we can fill in the blanks with our own special flair. That’s why cozy mysteries are my favorite escape genre, the authors know how to deal with those dreadful individuals and put a smile on our faces while they do it. For that reason, I will never stop reading feel good mysteries. Sometimes the fictional world is the best therapy of all.
Here are some of my favorite escapes of 2025. Mind you, there were soooo many incredible mysteries that have graced my reading list this past year, I cannot possibly note them all in one short blog. The authors who have generously given me their time and attention for an interview at the Cozy Corner, have an asterisk next to the title of their book with the month they were featured, in case you would like to go back and read more about these wonderful writers.
To all the readers who visit Fresh Fiction, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you. You are one of the VERY, VERY GOOD things to happen to us this past year.
A VERY FAIRY FUNERAL by A.N. Sage
An introverted fairy, a secret society of undertakers, and a talking cat—what a deadly combination!
In the Mistbrook Manor Funeral Home, Lyra Moore prefers the company of the dead to the living. As a fairy in hiding and the town’s funeral director, she’s perfected the art of staying out of the spotlight—until an unclaimed body appears on her doorstep under mysterious circumstances. No one knows who the victim is or how he died, but Lyra is determined to leave the case to the authorities. She does not need any more strangers knocking on her door, at least not breathing ones.
Unfortunately, life outside Fairy has other plans. When Lyra returns home to find an odd man lurking in her living room, he claims to be a detective, yet Lyra can see right through his lies. Even without her fairy magic!
Reluctant to leave well enough alone, Lyra stumbles on a secret society of undertakers with a unique calling: solving crimes.
With her own magic to conceal, and a bratty talking cat—who happens to be a changeling stuck in feline form thanks to an administrative slip-up and a foolish feud—Lyra finds herself entangled in the mystery with no way out.
But can she crack the case while keeping her magical secret? Or will the truth refuse to stay buried?
Mystery Amateur Sleuth [ Oliver-Heber Books, On Sale: January 28, 2025, e-Book, / ]
SILENT AS THE GRAVE by Rhys Bowen, Clare Broyles
Retired Detective Molly Murphy Sullivan goes undercover in the next book in the New York Times bestselling series from Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles.
With a newborn and two children, Molly Murphy Sullivan is tackling motherhood. Her husband, Daniel, is off to work in Washington as Easter break begins in New York. Her dear friend and writer, Ryan O’Hara, is shooting a movie, one of the first to involve a real plot and actors. He invites Molly and the children to visit the set and watch the excitement. When one of the actresses is fired, Molly’s adopted daughter, Bridie, is called to replace her in the scene. Turns out she’s a natural and is asked to star in the rest of the film. Molly is skeptical about leaving Bridie alone on set, but her great friends, Sid and Gus, offer to chaperone her.
The movie industry is still experimenting with ways to get the best shot, like pretending to tie Bridie to real train tracks. But soon, their special effects start to malfunction. After a few mishaps where no one is hurt, the special effects turn deadly. With rumors of a feud between studios, Molly believes these malfunctions are sabotage. She is invited to go undercover on set to investigate the burgeoning film war. Once again, Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles deliver an engaging mystery full of vibrant historical details and thrilling escapades featuring one of mystery’s most beloved sleuths.
Mystery Historical | Mystery Cozy [ Minotaur Books, On Sale: March 11, 2025, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9781250890818 / eISBN: 9781250890825 ]
MURDER BY CHEESECAKE by Rachel Ekstrom Courage
Golden Girls Cozy #1
The first novel in the all-new Golden Girls Cozy Mystery Series!
When Dorothy’s obnoxious date is found dead in a hotel freezer, it not only ruins a gorgeous cheesecake but threatens the elaborate St. Olaf–themed wedding Rose is hosting.
Things are heating up, and not just because of Blanche’s hot flashes. Rose’s cousin is eloping to Miami, and Rose is playing host. If she can’t balance the groom’s family’s snobbery against the traditional St. Olaf wedding week guidelines, her hometown may never accept her cousin again!
Dorothy quickly realizes she needs a date with whom she can exchange wedding-related wisecracks. Turning to a newfangled VHS dating service, she believes she’s found the ideal conversationalist. Unfortunately, what looks good on TV can actually be a total jerk in real life. It seems she’ll just have to enjoy the company of Sophia, Blanche, and whomever Blanche has targeted for a hookup.
As the Girls all pitch in, Rose is thrilled that the tea-and-fish-themed kickoff event is perfect, not a herring out of place. That is until Dorothy’s date is found dead—face-planted in an otherwise scrumptious-looking cheesecake. With every guest a suspect (especially Dorothy) and a marriage on the line, the four besties must ID the real killer, get the should-be-happy couple down the aisle, and make sure nobody from St. Olaf gets lost in the wilds of Miami. It’s up to the Golden Girls to sleuth out a way for friendship and love to win the day!
Fiction Media Tie-In | Mystery [ Hyperion Avenue, On Sale: April 15, 2025, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781368102988 / eISBN: 9781368102971 ]
A WHISPER AND A CURSE by Darcy Burke
Hadrian Becket, the Earl of Ravenhurst, has always scorned the supernatural—until a head injury left him with the unnerving ability to see visions through touch. Though he loathes the curse, it’s proven invaluable in solving murder investigations alongside Miss Matilda Wren.
When Hadrian’s mother hires Tilda to investigate a medium who claims she can contact her late son, Tilda and Hadrian are drawn into a deadly game. Mediums across London are falling victim to the “Levitation Killer,” and the murderer’s chilling focus soon shifts to them both.
Forced to rely on his visions as never before, Hadrian must fully embrace the gift he despises—and risk everything to keep Tilda safe.
Mystery Amateur Sleuth | Mystery Historical [ Oliver-Heber Books, On Sale: March 19, 2025, e-Book, / ]
THE LIBRARIANS by Sherry Thomas
Murder disrupts the routine for four quirky librarians who hide among books to keep their secrets in this mystery from USA Today bestselling author Sherry Thomas.
Sometimes a workplace isn’t just a workplace but a place of safety, understanding, and acceptance. And sometimes murder threatens the sanctity of that beloved refuge….
In the leafy suburbs of Austin, Texas, a small branch library welcomes the public every day of the week. But the patrons who love the helpful, unobtrusive staff and leave rave reviews on Yelp don’t always realize that their librarians are human, too.
Hazel flees halfway across the world for what she hopes will be a new beginning. Jonathan, a six-foot-four former college football player, has never fit in anywhere else. Astrid tries to forget her heartbreak by immersing herself in work, but the man who ghosted her six months ago is back, promising trouble. And Sophie, who has the most to lose, maintains a careful and respectful distance from her coworkers, but soon that won’t be enough anymore.
When two patrons turn up dead after the library’s inaugural murder mystery–themed game night, the librarians’ quiet routines come crashing down. Something sinister has stirred, something that threatens every single one of them. And the only way the librarians can save the library—and themselves—is to let go of their secrets, trust one another, and band together….
All in a day’s work.
Audiobook Narrator- Louisa Zhu.
Thriller Domestic | Mystery Amateur Sleuth [ Berkley, On Sale: September 30, 2025, Hardcover / e-Book / audiobook, ISBN: 9780593640456 / eISBN: 9780593640463 ]
NIGHT OF THE LIVING BREAD by Mary Lee Ashford
Sugar Calloway and Dixie Spicer are up to their aprons in community cookbook projects, but Sugar can’t resist when the Jameson County Historical Society asks for their assistance with a cookbook featuring bread recipes. But they’ve barely begun when suddenly troubles are on the rise. Marla, the board’s president is stabbed with a bread knife, her best friend, Mame, is a suspect & some dough (of the money kind) is missing. As Sugar and Dixie try to save the cookbook project and help Mame, things take a twist with a second body. But what’s the connection? And who in St. Ignatius has been keeping secrets? And, mostly importantly, will Sugar and Dixie be able to figure out whodunnit before the killer catches up with them and they are toast.
Mystery Amateur Sleuth | Mystery Culinary | Mystery Cozy [ Oliver-Heber Books, On Sale: May 27, 2025, e-Book, / ]
THE BOTANIST’S ASSISTANT by Peggy Townsend
Narrator: Rebecca Lowman
A murder in the science lab shatters a woman’s quiet and ordered life when she decides she must solve the crime herself in this entertaining and uplifting mystery.
Plenty of people consider Margaret Finch odd. Six-feet-tall and big-boned, she lives alone in a small cabin in the woods, drives a 20-year-old truck, and schedules her life so precisely you can tell the time and day of the week by the chore she is doing and what she is wearing. But the same attributes that cause her to be labeled eccentric—an obsessive attention to detail and the ability to organize almost anything—make her invaluable in her job as Research Assistant II to a talented and charismatic botanist.
It’s those very same qualities, however, that also turn Margaret into a target after a surprising death shakes the small university where she works. Even as authorities claim the death appears to be from natural causes, Margaret fears it might be something more: a murder born of jealousy and dark secrets. With the aid of a newly hired and enigmatic night custodian, Margaret finds herself thrust into the role of detective, forcing her to consider that she may not be able to find the killer before the killer finds her.
With a cast of quirky and likeable characters that one won’t soon forget, The Botanist’s Assistant is a delightful story of perseverance and the power in all of us to survive.
Mystery Amateur Sleuth | Mystery Woman Sleuth [ Berkley, On Sale: November 18, 2025, Trade Paperback / e-Book / audiobook, ISBN: 9780593638118 / eISBN: 9780593638125 ]
About Kym Roberts
Kym Roberts writes by day and is a pro-surfer in her dreams by night. Her humor is often raunchy, her jokes are often bad, but her hunger for a story keeps the adventures coming fast. Experience the thrill & catch the wave of passion, mystery and suspense with her on her website, on Facebook, and her favorite social media site, Instagram.
Her third Scandalous Sisters book, THE WANTON WIDOW under the pseudonym Helene Matheson will release 1/6/2025.
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