9 Delightfully Ghosty Cozy Mysteries

Who says a ghost has to be scary?

In the world of cozy mysteries, ghosts are just as likely to help solve a murder as they are to haunt an old house. They turn up in bookshops and bed-and-breakfasts, linger around historic buildings, attach themselves to treasured possessions, and occasionally make life very complicated for the living. Fortunately, cozy mystery sleuths tend to take their supernatural companions in stride.

If you like your mysteries with quaint towns, quirky characters, old houses, a touch of humor, and just enough paranormal activity to send a pleasant shiver down your spine, these nine ghostly cozies belong on your reading list.

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Demons Are a Ghoul’s Best Friend by Victoria Laurie

Professional ghost hunter M.J. Holliday is accustomed to dealing with things that go bump in the night, but her latest assignment takes her to Northelm Boarding School near Lake Placid, where something much nastier than an ordinary ghost is causing trouble. A dangerous entity known as Hatchet Jack is terrorizing the school, and M.J., her partner Gilley, and handsome Dr. Steven Sable have to find a way to send him packing. This second Ghost Hunter Mystery is a little spookier than your average paranormal cozy, blending supernatural chills with humor, mystery, and romantic sparks.

Get Up and Ghost by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson

Chantilly Adair's life changes dramatically after a fall down the stairs at the Castleberry Historical Society leaves her with the ability to see ghosts. One particularly persistent spirit has been haunting a local barbecue restaurant for more than a century—and when the restaurant's owner is murdered, Chantilly suddenly needs her ghostly acquaintance's help. Set in small-town Georgia and featuring a historical society, eccentric Southern friends, a handsome detective, and plenty of paranormal activity, this is a fun introduction to the Midlife in Castleberry series.

The Ghost and the Dead Librarian by Cleo Coyle

Bookshops and ghosts are already an irresistible cozy combination, but Cleo Coyle adds another delightful ingredient: a wisecracking private detective straight out of the 1940s. Young widow Penelope has revived her aunt's struggling Rhode Island bookshop—and inadvertently awakened the ghost of PI Jack Shepard. When an eccentric librarian is found dead among the mystery shelves with her own strangely prescient obituary nearby, Pen and Jack don't believe her death was a suicide. Together, the bookshop owner and her spectral detective set out to discover who really wanted the librarian permanently checked out.

Ghost Mortem by Jane Hinchey

Audrey Fitzgerald doesn't believe in ghosts—at least not until the spirit of her best friend suddenly appears in her apartment. Unfortunately, he can't remember exactly how he died, although he suspects someone murdered him. Audrey sets out to discover the truth and soon finds that solving crimes might be one of her hidden talents. A talking cat, an attractive detective, and Audrey's reluctant introduction to the paranormal add plenty of fun to this first book in the Ghost Detective series.

The Ghostly Grounds: Murder and Breakfast by Sophie Love

At 39, Marie Fortune has had enough of her stressful Boston life and decides it's time for a change. A trip to coastal Maine leads to an unexpected inheritance: a ramshackle historic house overlooking the harbor that Marie decides to transform into a bed-and-breakfast. There's just one little complication—the house is haunted. Add an unusual dog and an unexpected death, and Marie's fresh start quickly becomes a murder investigation in this first Canine Casper Cozy Mystery.

Here Ghost Nothing by Dina Marie

B&B owner Clara Kelly sees a promising opportunity when a famous YouTuber comes to Salem planning a high-profile stunt: he'll spend an entire night inside a house supposedly haunted by an angry ghost. If he succeeds, a million dollars will be donated to help feed local people in need. But when the influencer turns up dead and the resident ghost becomes the prime suspect, Clara has to investigate. With some assistance from the victim's own ghost, she begins unraveling the secrets surrounding his very human friends and enemies.

Looking for more magic? Try these witchy cozies and paranormal stories.

Jacob’s Coins by Gillian Larkin

After the sudden deaths of their parents leave siblings Grace and Frankie Abrahams struggling to keep their antique shop afloat, Frankie decides storage-unit auctions might be the answer to their financial problems. What he doesn't know is that Grace can see the ghosts lingering inside some of those abandoned lockers. Their first purchase comes with an unexpected bonus: the spirit of a 17-year-old boy named Jacob, who remains mysteriously attached to items inside the unit. Grace sets out to discover what is keeping Jacob from moving on in this short and unusual paranormal cozy.

The Thrill of the Haunt by E.J. Copperman

Alison Kerby's Victorian guesthouse in the New Jersey shore town of Harbor Haven already has a couple of permanent residents who happen to be dead. Her ability to communicate with ghosts has earned her a reputation as the town's "ghost lady"—and brought her some unwanted investigative work. When a homeless man is murdered shortly after asking Alison to help him with a troublesome spirit, she takes the case. Meanwhile, another seemingly unrelated investigation also turns deadly, leaving Alison to sort through suspects and clues from both sides of the grave.

Thyme to Kill by Tegan Maher

Newly divorced Toni Owens is ready for a fresh start, so she takes a leap and buys a mountain lodge. Unfortunately, the lodge needs plenty of work—and Toni's new life becomes considerably more complicated when the first friend she makes in town is discovered standing over a dead body. Determined to clear her friend's name, Toni starts investigating. Along the way, she also acquires a goofy dog, a helpful handsome neighbor, and a ghost who isn't exactly thrilled about sharing his home with its new owner.

Cozy Mysteries from the Other Side

Ghost-themed cozies offer a particularly fun twist on the traditional amateur-sleuth mystery. After all, most detectives have to rely on fingerprints, witness statements, and suspicious alibis. These sleuths sometimes have the luxury—or the headache—of simply asking the dead what happened.

Of course, their ghostly companions rarely make things quite that easy. Some can't remember how they died. Others have unfinished business, secrets they aren't ready to reveal, or their own ideas about how an investigation should proceed. And sometimes the ghost is every bit as mysterious as the murder itself.

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