Holiday Book Recommendations

A curated list of mystery book series for holiday gift giving

What is it about books in a series? I suppose it is somewhat like binge-watching series on streaming services. We like to get invested with a character who is complex or a group of similarly complex characters. Then we like to see them handling different situations.

If you have a mystery-lover to shop for this holiday season, a series is the perfect gift. I have compiled a list below of series that I have enjoyed, along with links to author websites. If you have a series you would recommend, put it in the comments.

Beginning with the more police procedural-style mystery and progressing to lighter fare:

Sarah Stewart Taylor‘s Maggie D’Arcy series follows a Long Island detective to Ireland, in the first book The Mountains Wild, in order to assist with an investigation that is connected to the disappearance of her cousin 23 years previously. Taylor’s writing is beautiful and evocative and the mysteries in this series of four books are first-rate. Follow this link to Sarah's website. Taylor has a new series set in rural Vermont in the mid-1960s, which I have been enjoying as well. It follows a newly transplanted state police officer, Franklin Warren, and his enigmatic neighbor, Alice Bellows, who has some secrets of her own.

Tessa Wegert‘s Shana Merchant series follows Shana, a New York State Trooper stationed in Alexandria Bay in upstate New York on the St. Lawrence River. Wegert has the admirable ability to deftly spin tales about the Thousand Islands that balance authentic-feeling police procedure, characters to root for, edge-of-your-seat suspense, and a healthy dose of local flavor. There are six books in the series, and Wegert has just launched a spin-off series featuring many of the same characters which is just as perfect. Check out Tessa's website here.

Luanne Rice‘s books about Conor and Tom Reid The Shadow Box, Last Day and Last Night feel like a series in the making. Conor, a state trooper, and his brother Tom, a Coast Guard commander, work together to solve two shocking murders. Set on the Eastern Connecticut and Western Rhode Island shoreline, the books capture the small town feel of fictional Black Rock, in Last Day, and the grandeur of the real-life Ocean House hotel, in Last Night. Both books have well-devised twists and interesting characters you like to spend time with. Best of all, they feature art and artists prominently in their storylines, which is always a draw for me! For more information on Luanne Rice, click here.

Edwin Hill‘s Hester Thursby series follows Harvard librarian Hester in her side business, finding people. The series takes Hester down some very dark paths, but her innate practicality, surprising inner strength and a cast of friends who manages to keep her both alive and happy make this series a satisfying read. Edwin has two more recent stand-alone novels as well. For more information, click here.

Louise Penny‘s Inspector Gamache series is one you have probably heard of. Set in the fictional village of Three Pines, with its quirky cast of villagers find themselves up to their eyeballs in murder in this soon-to-be 20 book series. Find more details, click here.

Elise Hart Kipness’s Kate Green series is perfect for the sports lover in your life. Featuring a sports reporter who follows a lead no matter how dangerous in the high-stakes world of professional sports. Check out Elise’s books here.

On the lighter side, Richard Osman‘s Thursday Murder Club series may already be on your radar, but it is worth mentioning nonetheless. The titular club is made up of four octogenarians living in a retirement home in England. These four are anything but retired. Comprising a psychiatrist, a labor organizer, a nurse and a former spy, they make the most wonderful cast of characters. Throw in a regular support cast of colorful characters, including the police who hate to rely on the pensioners and the local criminals who also seem beholden to the group and you have the makings of many enjoyable stories. Osman weaves in a light wit, even in plots that address much weightier subjects, as is the case in The Last Devil to Die. The series has been picked up by Netflix in a fun romp, but the books are able to highlight his characters much more satisfactorily. For more information, click here.

Elle Cosimano‘s Finlay Donovan series, the first book of which Finlay Donovan is Killing It finds Finlay, a single mom and author, behind on her book and her bills. When she is mistaken for a killer-for-hire the fun really starts. The entire series puts Finlay into growing peril, each situation more outrageous than the next, all while juggling child-care with her useless ex-husband and extraordinarily useful nanny, Vero. And she even keeps writing. These are such a fun read, they should be on your TBR pile. Find out more, here.

Finally, for true cozy mystery fans, I have a few suggestions. Korina Moss’s Cheese Shop Mysteries, beginning with Cheddar Off Dead, follow Willa Bauer and her colorful friends in Yarrow Glen, a fictional town in Sonoma Valley, as they solve murders in their quaint town. See the whole series, here.

If you prefer pizza, check out Mindy Quigley’s Deep Dish Mysteries, set in Wisconsin and featuring some of the most delectable-sounding pizzas you can imagine, along with some intriguing mysteries and a little romance with the hunky police officer, who just happens to be a grandson of Al Capone. Dive in, here.

If you love lots of different foods, check out Lucy Burdette’s mouthwatering Key West Food Critic Mysteries. Not only is the wild and wonderful island of Key West a character, but the murder mysteries are clever, and the food is varied and delicious. Set sail on your adventure, here.

If you prefer a northern coast, Christine Falcone’s Melanie Bass series is based on the Connecticut coastline, with a visiting nurse as the main character. Melanie finds trouble in the most unlikely places. You will love her dog, Bruno. To find out more, visit Chris’s Amazon page.

And finally, if you prefer your cozy mystery more heavily tuned to history and books, check out Elizabeth Penney’s delightful Cambridge Bookshop Series, which follows Molly Kimball and her mother and aunt as they run Thomas Marlowe Manuscripts and Folios, the oldest bookshop in the quintessential college town, Cambridge, England. Crack open more info here.

If you have a series you recommend, leave it in the comments.