Five Cozy Mystery Shows for Winter Doldrums

Winter can be a tough season. Sure, it’s a time for holidays, gift-giving, and togetherness, but it’s also the season of short cold days and long frozen nights. It’s the time of doldrums, especially for those of us who get depressed, clinically and seasonally. All these things on their own already earn us the kind of medicine that only a cozy mystery series can provide, but there’s a major factor that inspired me to write this list a little earlier than last time: the election.

We are already entering the fascist haunted house ride that is the next administration and the president hasn’t even been sworn in yet. Taking part in any kind of resistance, let alone observing it all through the news media, is draining. It can be easy to give into the spartan, monk-like notion that we must deny ourselves frivolities and unproductive joys lest we miss something important. It’s good to stay informed, especially in a time like this, but it’s equally important to nourish ourselves with happiness too. It’s said that the brain gives way more weight to negative information as a threat-detecting mechanism. There are plenty of threats to detect, but life grows all the dimmer if we feed ourselves only the hard-tack and gruel of terrible news. It feels more important than ever to seek moments of joy and rest, and what’s more joyful or restful than a great, warm-bath, cozy mystery series?

Below is a handful of light-hearted, comforting mystery series that might help pass some of the winter with a warmer mood. I’ve also devised a little name-generator meme, so that we can all see what kind of cozy sleuth we could be.

Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)

I would argue that this series didn’t start off as a cozy mystery, at least not entirely. The first season leavened its whodunnit with plenty of humor and a cast of wonderful New York character actors, but its overall aims were more solemn and poignant. The death of Tim Kono was a melancholy trip down Mabel’s memory lane that touched on themes of lost friendships, star-crossed hearts, and criminal conspiracies. With each successive season, the blend of serious and sweet remained, but the proportions changed, favoring the heightened goofs and gags over the more grim impacts of murder. The most recent season, with its Hollywood satire, colorful Westies gang, and Melissa McCarthy tackling Meryl Streep cemented Only Murders as one of the coziest mysteries going. If you’re already a fan, maybe a rewatch is in order.

My Life is Murder (Acorn TV, Amazon)

What’s not to love about Lucy Lawless? Playing queer icon Xena is one thing, but in serving up sly Cylon and notably awesome Pawnee resident proves that she can do just about anything. In this Australian-New Zealand series, Lawless plays the retired detective Alexa Crowe, who’s ostensibly left the crime-solving beat behind to relax and bake bread, but is inevitably pulled back in. Sure, she’s not an official detective anymore, but old habits die hard and despite any plans for a quiet life, she helps her pals in the local PD crack case after case. Lawless is effortlessly steely, sexy, and warm by turns and delivers a performance with more depth and humanity than one might always expect from a cozy mystery.

Poirot (BritBox, Amazon)

What could be more comforting than a classic Agatha Christie chamber mystery? David Suchet delivers a seminal performance in this 1980s series as the Belgian crime-solver extraordinaire Hercule Poirot. It’s delightful viewing, whether you’ve read the original novels or not. There’s something satisfying chintzy watching this all-time classic sleuth gather each episode’s cast together to recap the events and accuse the murderer. Suchet’s Poirot exudes relaxed confidence and uses a light daffiness to distract from his brilliance. This series plays all the famous hits but also covers lesser-known Poirot tales. Like Kenneth Branagh’s Poirot film trilogy, the series also tackles the late-career mess that is Halloween Party, but it has its own very different take with a new story all its own.

Elsbeth (Paramount+)

Carrie Preston is an underappreciated national treasure and the zippy howcatchem Elsbeth gives her an incredible setting to do her thing in. Elsbeth is an ace lawyer who’s moved from Chicago to New York as a part of a consent decree that places her as an observer of the NYPD’s detective work. Using a combination of her brilliant brain, colorful wardrobe, and an obfuscating goofiness, Elsbeth always catches the killer by the episode’s end. It’s wildly entertaining to see what kind of guest stars the show pulls in from stage and screen alike, and its overarching plots are perfectly mixed with the murder-of-the-week shenanigans. Similar to The Good Wife (where Elsbeth originated as a character), there’s an ever-expanding world of returning characters to enjoy. If you’re not already watching, you simply must get into it! This season has Preston’s husband and Evil alum Michael Emerson as a deliciously evil judge with a grudge.

Murder, She Wrote (Peacock)

I included this god-tier cozy mystery series in last year’s list because it is and will forever be one of the best shows to ever do it. My initial plan was to include an entirely fresh slate, but then the world’s most prolific and successful serial killer famous mystery writer Jessica Fletcher appeared in my home late at night. Wielding an empty vial of poison and illuminated only by the flashing lightning of a thunderstorm, Jessica explained to me why this perfect, amazing show must always be the last word in cozy mysteries and that I wouldn’t be getting the antidote unless I relented. So here it is! Spare me, Jess!

And now for a lil’ meme. I proudly present the Cozy Mystery Series-o-Matic! And please be sure to tune into Murder Al Fresco starring Dr. Lorraine Cardigan, a famous novelist who solves mysteries in Thistle Hills.