Diversifying Bookshelves: 9 Great Cozy Mysteries by Writers of Color

Walter Mosley said, “A man’s bookcase will tell you everything you’ll ever need to know about him.”

When I read this quote ten years ago, I confidently scanned my own bookshelf expecting to be the most widely read author in the world. Well, to my horror, my bookshelf was packed with books written by White men.

It’s a fact of the digital age that we’re all, mostly unknowingly, trapped in our individual bubbles, whether it’s a bubble of our own making, or by our overlords, the algorithms, or even the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists.

Many of us are comfortable in our bubbles, but for some the idea we’re in a bubble not of our own making is unbearable. As on the TV commercials of the depressed woman breaking free of her depression after taking the advertised drug, we’re driven to break free of our bubble.

And I believe reading fiction is the closest way we can get to know the lives and minds of others. And cozy mystery series are perfect to enter the world of ‘others’ as they’re books that are usually light-hearted romps with great food and no graphic violence.

Here’s my suggested reading list of cozy mysteries to help diversify your bookshelf. I also highly recommend this comprehensive site of all things cozy: Cozy Mystery.

*

Jesse Q. Sutanto, Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man)

Led by an interfering Asian auntie who solves murders, great food and tea descriptions, and a diverse cast of likable characters, Sutanto’s series is both funny and thought-provoking.

Valerie Burns, Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder (Baker Street Mystery #1)

This delightful culinary cozy series introduces social media influencer Maddy Montgomery, her 200-pound English Mastiff named Baby, and a sleepy Michigan town waking up to the murder of their mayor.

Ashley-Ruth Bernier, The Bush Tea Murder

Most Americans don’t know the US Virgin Islands set in the turquoise waters of the Caribbean are part of the United States. But food journalist Naomi Sinclair reminds us of this in this brand new charming mystery filled with great food, fun, sun, and murder. The perfect beach read.

Olivia Matthews, Against the Currant (Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries #1)

In Little Caribbean, Brooklyn, Lyndsay Murray from Grenada is opening Spice Isle Bakery with her loving but meddlesome family. Things immediately go south when Claudio, her rival, turns up murdered and Lyndsay is the prime suspect.

Gigi Pandian, The Accidental Alchemist (Accidental Alchemist Mystery #1)

This long-standing series begins with a three-and-half-foot gargoyle called Dorian Robert-Houdin who needs help from alchemist Zoe with his quest to decipher a centuries-old text that explains exactly what he is. A most lovable gargoyle.

Nekesa Afia, Dead Dead Girls (Harlem Renaissance Mystery #1)

Nekesa Afia herself most aptly describes her debut mystery as, “It’s a prohibition-era mystery where tiny, tired lesbian Louise Lloyd is extorted into solving a string of murders.”

Jennifer J. Chow, Ill-Fated Fortune (Magical Fortune Cookie #1)

With mouthwatering descriptions of puffy pineapple buns and creamy egg tarts, Chow takes us into the world of personalized fortune cookie maker, Felicity Lin, who has to solve the murder of a customer to protect her fledgling bakery.

Adrian Andover, Whiskey Business (Mixology Lounge Mystery #1)

Andover’s gay male sleuth, Reece Parker, is unusual in a genre dominated by women authors and female protagonists. Reece’s literary-themed underground cocktail lounge, Subplot, becomes the site of a murder, and Reece has to solve the case to prove his innocence and save his lounge. A perfect ‘mix’ from start to finish.

And last but not least, my own book:

MJ Soni, The Masala Chai Mystery Club

Neeti Shah, a reluctantly retired librarian who loves wearing her sarees, teams up with her chai-loving friends to delve into the investigation of their despised homeowners association president’s murder, which echoes the plot of their latest Agatha Christie book club read, The Dumb Witness.

***