As a fan of The Great British Baking Show, this one is a no-brainer. The Golden Spoon centers on a murder that takes place in the middle of “Bake Week” – an annual baking competition hosted by “America’s Grandmother”, Betty Martin. The book promises the usual cast of competitors – the kindly grandmother, the promising young professional, the enthusiastic novice – but each harbors their own secret.

I’ve been lucky enough to read this ahead of time, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you’re into baking shows (and don’t mind a peek behind the reality TV curtain) I highly recommend The Golden Spoon, which releases on March 7.

2023 is shaping up to be a wonderful year for those of us who love cooking and crime. Next on the list is Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers. The book features a lonely tea shop owner living in San Francisco who discovers a dead man in her tea store one morning. Like many an auntie, Vera is convinced she can do a better job of investigating than the police, so she swipes some evidence and gets to work.

This book combines some of my favorite themes – older female sleuths, business owners, tea (!). It has Aunty Lee’s Delights vibes, with the bonus that it takes place in SF (where I live). I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy when it releases on March 14.

Last in our trio of cozy food-related crime is Mastering the Art of French Murder, set in 1940s Paris. The book features Tabitha Knight, an American who makes friends with Julia Child (and starts learning to cook from her). When the pair get involved in a murder investigation, it’s up to Tabitha to solve the case – lest she get accused instead.

This is pretty high on my TBR – I’m saving it for a warm, cozy day where I can be inspired by all the delicious food (and maybe make some myself). If you’re as excited as me for a book that pairs mouthwatering food and murder investigations, Mastering the Art of French Murder releases April 25.

Update: read my review here!

As I read my witchy Hallowe’en picks last year, I realized that I quite like a well-executed coven. You can tell really great stories about the trust and tension between extraordinarily powerful, independent women who must rely on each other. VenCo promises just such a story as Lucky, a Métis millennial in Toronto, finds a magic spoon that leads her to secretive network of witches. Lucky follows the cll of the spoon to New Orleans with Myrna, a member of VenCo, while dodging a witch hunter.

Venco promises a bit of everything – mysterious organizations, long held secrets, power struggles. I’m also excited to see how the book tackles diverse traditions of magic – which can be a tricky topic. VenCo releases February 7, and I can’t wait to get in for this magical ride.

Update: read my review here!

As you might expect from someone who started a blog to write about Miss Marple, I have a soft spot for elderly protagonists. I also love fantasy novels, the more tongue-in-cheek, the better. (PTerry is a particular favorite.) So when I read about The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher, I knew I would have to read it this year (even if it’s a bit out of left field).

The story follows 83-year-old Edna Fisher, who discovers that she’s the Chosen One. Edna is determined to leave her nursing home and knitting behind and fulfill her mission to save the Knights from a dragon-riding sorcerer. Apparently, things get complicated as she learns more about her foe – and the Knights themselves.

I’m pretty excited to see what Anderson does with this story – there’s so much potential for a truly nontraditional protagonist in a fantasy story. If you’re also excited for what looks to be a funny and snd clever take on fantasy storytelling, The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher will be out on April 21.

While it’s nice to read intricate magic systems based on complex logic, it can also be great to get back to the basics – magic based on myths and legends. When you blame magic on the gods, you can do away with a lot of exposition and just focus on, what if? And as we learned with Magic for Liars, mysteries can be a particularly interesting way to explore the real-world dynamics of a magical world, bringing the epic stories down into everyday life.

In that light, Threads that Bind looks like a particularly fascinating read. The story follows Io Ora, a descendant of the Greek Fates, as she investigates a series of murders in her city. The story promises fun magic, intriguing interpersonal drama, and a great mystery – what more could a cozy reader want? Threads that Bind releases June 13 and I look forward to reading it while wishing I were on a Greek beach.

There’s nothing better in the winter than a manor house mystery set in the snow. (I have a healthy fear of snow – I grew up in Florida – but the cozy vibes are what’s important here.) There’s a specific type of drama that you can only get with a close knit family group, one of whom has murdered someone, with nowhere to go but frost and ice. updates and maintains this tradition, leveraging a ski chalet instead of a family manor to great effect.

I’ve been lucky enough to read a preview of this and absolutely loved it. Stevenson clearly loves his Golden Age mysteries and the book follows “fair play” rules – that is, you should be able to figure out the mystery based entirely on information in the book. At the same time, Stevenson’s protagonist is a fully involved party, adding a layer of complexity to the puzzle. Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone releases on January 13 and I can’t wait to share it with others.

I’ve been a fan of Janice Hallett since I first read The Appeal, and loved The Twyford Code last year. So of course I’m extraordinarily excited for her upcoming book, The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels. This is another epistolary, this time focused on research documents from a true crime research effort.

Hallett is simply a master of the truly complex epistolary mystery. Her novels are piles of documents across several media. Not only that, but she’s excellent at creating distinct character voices that bring each story to life. I am so excited for this one that I’ve ordered the UK copy to be shipped here. It will release in the UK on January 19.

I adore Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series, and I can’t wait until the next book lands. There’s very little information on this to-date – but I am Hyped Up to see what Joyce, Elizabeth, Ron, and Ibrahim get up to next year. This has a tentative publish date of September 14, and I can’t wait to curl up next fall with a nice mug of tea and my sleuthing pensioner friends at Cooper’s Chase.