It’s time for my ratings of the New Cozy Christmas Mysteries for 2025. Every year, I read and rate Christmas Mysteries. I have two posts this year: this cozy post and a post on New Chilling Christmas Mysteries for 2025!
My Rating of New 2025 Cozy Christmas Mysteries!
Table of Contents:
The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan: romantic Christmas suspense!
O Deadly Night (Year Round Christmas Mysteries #8) by Vicky Delaney: cozy mystery in a town called Rudolph
Death at the Village Christmas Fair (Cotswold Curiosity Shop #3) by Debbie Young: fun Christmas cozy in the Cotswolds!
The Mistletoe Murder Club by Katie Marsh: humor and female friendship!
Crescent City Christmas Chaos (Vintage Cookbook Mystery #4) by Ellen Byron: a New Orleans Christmas
Cornish Christmas Pantomime Murder (A Nosey Parker Cozy Mystery Book 9) by Fiona Leitch
The Dog Sitter Detective’s Christmas Tale (Dog Sitter Detective 4) by Antony Johnston
My Favorite:
The Secret Christmas Library has a Scottish castle setting, lots of holiday vibes and a romance! It is technically a sequel to an Audible Original audiobook called The Christmas Book Hunt, but you can read it as a standalone.
The Dog Sitter Detective’s Christmas Tale has a really interesting WWII historical mystery embedded in there. And dogs!
You also might want to check out my three favorites on my Chilling Christmas Mysteries of 2025 list because they are more of classic mysteries and not graphic at all!
My Rating System
I’ve rated these new Christmas Mysteries on:
- Holiday vibes: Do we have winter weather and holiday cheer?
- Cozy vs Scary Level: Some of these are cozy mysteries and others are a bit more intense. Let’s find the level of suspense that’s right for you?
- The mystery: how interesting, twisty, and puzzling was the mystery?
I’ll mention these if applicable:
- Series or Standalone? Do you love the idea of a series, or do you not want that commitment?
- Romance plot? Is there one? Do you want one?
The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan
- It took me a while to figure out if this was a mystery or a romance. I decided that The Secret Christmas Library is romantic suspense!
- Set mostly in Scotland, the story features a competition between Mirren Sutherland, a surveyor, and Theo Palliser, who works in an antiquarian bookshop. These characters also featured in The Christmas Book Hunt, a 2024 Amazon Original Story that is free on Kindle Unlimited.
- Jamie, a rich guy, hires the two to find a priceless book in his crumbling family castle. The book, if sold, will enable him to keep the castle.
- Jamie’s grandfather left riddles behind, and as Mirren and Theo solve them together, romance blooms.
- Thanks to William Morrow of the advance copy.
My Ratings of The Secret Christmas Library
This book is perfect for those who like romantic suspense: armchair travel, romance, and a puzzle to solve.
Holiday Vibes in The Secret Christmas Library
I LOVE Scotland (I’ve been twice, once at Christmas time) so I really enjoyed the holiday spirit!
Cozy Level in The Secret Christmas Library
A crumbly castle, The Caledonian Sleeper train, and a romance (if you like that!)
Plot in The Secret Christmas Library
I love a good puzzle mystery!
O Deadly Night by Vicky Delaney (Year Round Christmas Mysteries #8)
- Set in Rudolph, New York where it’s Christmas all year round!
- A very classic cozy that meets all my criteria
- Merry, the main character, runs a shop called Mrs. Claus’s Treasures
- Includes a Christmas parade and a “Midnight Madness” shopping event
- Series/Standalone: While this can be read as a standalone (I hadn’t read any of the other books) I think I missed a lot of backstory!
- Romance? The main character does have a boyfriend, but he didn’t play any role in this book.
- Thanks to Crooked Lane Books for the advance copy
MY RATINGS OF O DEADLY NIGHT BY VICKY DELANEY
O Deadly Night has the broadest appeal of the new fall 2025 cozy Christmas mysteries I read, with a good balance of Christmas cheer, mystery, and coziness.
Holiday Vibes in O Deadly Night
How can a town obsess with Christmas not be festive? Four and a half chocolate Santas!
Cozy Level in O Deadly Night
This is a very classic cozy mystery: small town, a bit of meddling in investigations, a crime that’s not too creepy.
Plot in O Deadly Night
O Deadly Night had a classic cozy plot with one victim and some misdirection. If you like a relaxing book that balances character interaction with the mystery, check this series out!
Death at the Village Christmas Fair (Cotswold Curiosity Shop #3) by Debbie Young
- Takes place in Little Pride, a village in the Cotswolds
- The main character, Alice, runs a curiosity shop
- As the holidays approach, there’s a festive village Christmas fair planned.
- Also ,someone in town is obsessed with Alice’s stock of antique buttons.
- Series: while this was book eleven in a series, I could easily follow the goings-on.
- Thanks so much to Boldwood books for the advance copy!
My Ratings of Death at the Village Christmas Fair
I really enjoyed this one, which had a great balance of holiday vibes, an engaging mystery, and an overall fun atmosphere.
Holiday Vibes in Death at the Village Christmas Fair
Okay, I’m an Anglophile, and I loved Christmas in the Cotswolds!
Cozy Level in Death at the Village Christmas Fair
A classic cozy with a mystery I enjoyed!
Plot in Death at the Village Christmas Fair
I thought the plot in this one was really solid!
Epilogue to a Christmas Murder by Lauren Elliott (Beyond the Page #11)
- Takes place in Greybourne Harbor, Massachusetts
- The main character, Addie, runs a bookstore in town
- Series: this is book eleven in a series and I recommend reading the other books first. I felt lost about Addie’s social life.
- The author did try to catch me up, but that made the first few chapters feel pretty info-dumpy. The main character was in the UK in another book, there was a lot of past romantic drama. It was a lot!
- I struggled a bit with this one!
- Thanks to Kensington Books for the advance review copy.
My Ratings of Epilogue to a Christmas Murder
If you’ve read this series, dive in! And if you love the idea of a cozy about a bookstore owner, check the series out!
Holiday Vibes in Epilogue to a Christmas Murder
There was a snowstorm, a holiday wedding, and a book stealing elf!
Cozy Factor in Epilogue to a Christmas Murder
This is a very classic cozy (small town, bookstore, pets, a cute British detective inspector/potention love interest) for those who love cozies!
Plot in Epilogue to a Christmas Murder
It could have been my general confusion, but I found this plot a little lacking.
The Mistletoe Murder Club (Bad Girls Detective Agency #4) by Katie Marsh
- Set in Sunshine Sands, a seaside town in England
- Takes place during a “panto,” a British Christmas pantomime play
- This is technically book four in the Bad Girls Detective Agency
- The “Bad Girls” are Clio, an ex-actress, Amber, an ex-police officer, and Jeanie, a harried mom
- Series: I have not read the prior books in the series, and was able to follow, though it would be better to have read the prior books!
- Thanks to Boldwood Books for the advance copy
My Ratings of The Mistletoe Murder Club by Katie Marsh
With a lot of humor and strong themes of female friendship, The Mistletoe Murder Club is perfect for those who want some ho-ho-ho in their holidays.
If you love a book set during a holiday Pantomime, check out The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett
Holiday Vibes in The Mistletoe Murder Club
This has some holiday vibes, but not the strongest!
Cozy Factor in The Mistletoe Murder Club
This does not follow the traditional cozy format, but does have humor and a small town setting.
Plot in The Mistletoe Murder Club
The plot was fairly straightforward but had some surprises in store.
Crescent City Christmas Chaos (Vintage Cookbook Mystery #4) by Ellen Byron
- Set in New Orleans during Réveillon season, this is book four in the Vintage Cookbook Mystery series
- Ricki, the main character owns Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbook and Kitchenware shop.
- While I enjoyed learning about new holiday traditions, I found this one a little chaotic (it is in the title!) and not as cozy and cheery as I hoped.
- Series: As a newbie starting in the middle of the series, this book confused me a bit.
- Thanks to Severn House for the advance reader copy.
My Ratings of Crescent City Christmas Chaos
While this one was a bit chaotic (ha!) for me as a holiday themed cozy, if you are a reader of the series, I think you will enjoy it!
Holiday Vibes in Crescent City Christmas Chaos
I didn’t know anything about Réveillon or Christmas carnival season and its kickoff, Twelfth Night. So that’s was fun to learn about, and I love food!
Cozy Factor in Crescent City Christmas Chaos
On the plus side, there were lots of food and family themes in the book. And Christmas IS a chaotic time, but I like my books to feel a bit more escapist!
Plot in Crescent City Christmas Chaos
I felt like personal issues overshadowed the murder mystery plot in this one.
Cornish Christmas Pantomime Murder (A Nosey Parker Cozy Mystery Book 9) by Fiona Leitch
- A former police officer now living in a Cornish village solves crimes
- One of the actors in the Christmas pantomime is dead. Who did it and why?
- Jodie, her mum Shirley, her daughter Daisy, and her new DIC husband Nathan are getting ready for Christmas but are drawn into this case.
- Series: once again, I have not read any of this series and I kind of wish I had. I clearly missed the Jodie-Nathan romance
- Thanks to Joffe Books for the advance reader copy!
My Ratings of The Cornish Christmas Pantomime Murder
Holiday Vibes in The Cornish Christmas Pantomime Murder
We get a good introduction to pantomime tradition, and a caroling service, but I can’t say this had the MOST holiday vibes.
Cozy Factor in The Cornish Christmas Pantomime Murder
Because I think (correct me in comments if I’m wrong) the main character is a former police officer and her husband is a DCI, this book borders on a classic mystery. Maybe “cozies” as Americans understand them are not as much of a UK thing? Give me your thoughts in comments.
Plot in The Cornish Christmas Pantomime Murder
I thought this book had a very solid plot, which makes me inclined to check out this series!
The Dog Sitter Detective’s Christmas Tale (Dog Sitter Detective 4) by Antony Johnston
- Gwen is a sixty-something struggling actress (who is dating a dishy DI)
- Whilst (hehe) cleaning out her father’s house, she finds a mysterious folder that propels her into the case of a missing German who might be connected to a wartime mystery.
- Really enjoyed this mystery. While not the most holly jolly, it was a good read!
My Ratings of The Dog Sitter Detective’s Christmas Tale
Holiday Vibes in The Dog Sitter Detective’s Christmas Tale
Not the very strongest, but good enough!
Cozy Factor in The Dog Sitter Detective’s Christmas Tale
A fun cozy read!
Plot in The Dog Sitter Detective’s Christmas Tale
Very strong!
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