10 New Mysteries Arriving In August 2026! The Next Big Cozy Whodunnits To Read
We are in the throes of Summer (at least in the Northern hemisphere!) and the days are filled with sunshine – hurrahhhh.
For most of us, that means getting some much-needed Vitamin D, and if we can do that while spending time with our favorite books, that’s even better.
So, whether you are in the garden, by the pool, at the beach, or just relaxing in your comfiest chair, these are the next big whodunits coming your way in August 2026.
As usual, I have tried to get as good a mix as possible so that at least one or two grab your attention, so let’s get to it!
A Murderer’s Guide to Mardi Gras by Ellen Byron
Release Date: August 4th
Part of the Vintage Cookbook Mystery series, A Murderer’s Guide to Mardi Gras is book number 5.
The New Orleans carnival season turns deadly when Ricki James-Diaz joins the notorious Krewe of Chew to support her chef boyfriend Virgil, who’s being crowned king.
The revelry ends abruptly when the krewe’s captain is found strangled with his own medallion, and suspicion falls on his wife, a friend of Ricki’s, who has just learned of his infidelity.
With enemies ranging from a displaced co‑founder to a wronged college friend and an ousted mistress, Ricki must sift through tangled relationships, Mardi Gras politics, and culinary rivalries to unmask a killer before her first carnival becomes her last.
The Unknown by Riley Sager
Release Date: August 4th
Not strictly cozy, but Riley Sager is a juggernaut when it comes to crime fiction, so there’s a lot of buzz about this one!
The Unknown sends struggling actress Marin Keane to New Avalon, a remote Vermont island with a century‑old mystery. In 1926, five spiritual mediums vanished, leaving only their dresses hanging from an oak tree.
Cast in a major film about the case, Marin arrives with a legendary co‑star and an obsessive director, only to find the island still thick with eerie symbols, séance lore, and the lingering presence of Daisy Rue’s diary.
When a medical emergency strands the crew and disappearances begin again, Marin must decode Daisy’s account and decide whether she’s facing sabotage, a human predator, or something the island has been hiding for a hundred years.
Murder at Christmas by T A Williams
Release Date: August 5th
This is book 16 in the Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Mystery series, and while you don’t have to have read the previous installments, they do help you understand how Dan ended up in Italy and married, etc…
This time around, Private investigator Dan Armstrong, his wife Anna, and faithful dog Oscar head to a secluded Alpine chalet for a pre‑Christmas escape, only to find their host terrified for his life.
As Dan digs into the secrets simmering beneath the family gathering, he uncovers buried rancor and distrust among the guests.
When a heavy snowstorm cuts them off, and one person ends up dead, Dan must decide whether it’s an accident, suicide, or murder, and whether he’s truly hunting a killer in the snow.
The Widows’ Guide to Foul Play by Amanda Ashby
Release Date: August 10th
The Widows’ Detective Club is back with book 5 as we continue to follow a group of women whose attempts to reclaim their lives keep bumping up against murder.
When pantomime season comes to Little Shaw, librarian Ginny Cole is roped into helping with a production of Mother Goose starring temperamental national treasure Monica Larkwell.
Monica’s troubled return to the village turns deadly when Ginny finds her crushed beneath a fallen chandelier in her dressing room. Convinced it’s murder, Ginny and the widows’ detective club investigate Monica’s entourage and long‑buried secrets, only to uncover CCTV of a killer in a giant purple goose costume.
With danger mounting backstage, the widows must solve the case before the curtain falls on them next.
Casting Call 4 Murder by J. C. Eaton
Release Date: August 11th
At a murder mystery weekend in a grand Victorian mansion, the book club ladies of Sun City West finally get to indulge their love of sleuthing without the inconvenience of a real corpse.
Phee Kimball is relieved her mother’s friends are only play‑acting, until a genuine dead body interrupts the fun.
Convinced they can crack the case, the seniors enlist Phee and dive into amateur detection. But the killer takes their meddling very seriously, turning the game deadly and forcing Phee and the club to outwit a murderer determined to bring the curtain down on them all.
Death Writ Large by Susie Dent
Release Date: August 13th
When mysterious symbols appear as graffiti around Oxford, lexicographer Martha Thornhill recognizes them from an invented alphabet created by a deceased writer whose papers she once handled.
As similar markings appear near the body of a university lecturer, Martha and her colleagues are asked to lend their linguistic expertise, unconvinced by the police’s verdict of suicide.
With new messages seemingly promising more death, Martha realizes a vengeful presence is stalking Oxford, and may be turning its attention to her team next.
The Dog Park Murders by Angela Barker
Release Date: August 25th
Dog-loving groomer Juliette Macintyre is used to side‑eye in Labrador Falls thanks to her disgraced ex‑cop father, but she’s determined to prove herself, starting with grumpy neighbor Joel Cunningham, who runs the Brewed Awakening café and insists he doesn’t like dogs.
When Juliette discovers the widely disliked Maurice Allsop dead in the dog park, strangled with one of her own custom leashes, Joel reluctantly steps in to help clear her name…
The Maple Bakery Murder by R.L. Killmore
Release Date: August 27th
Newcomer Ginger Mills thinks Cinnamon Falls will finally give her a fresh start with days spent baking seasonal treats in her lovingly renovated Maple Bakery and a harmless crush on handsome regular Austin.
But her cozy dream shatters when a dead body is found in the bakery, instantly turning the “new girl” into a prime suspect and town gossip fodder.
With most locals doubting her innocence, Ginger and Austin team up to investigate…
Killer Twist by Jo Furniss
Release Date: August 27th
Jo Furniss’s Killer Twist is a clever, meta‑whodunnit set at a crime‑writing festival where murder leaps from the page to real life.
When a celebrity author is killed, a Scandinavian purveyor of Nordic noir and an English “crim‑ance” novelist form an unlikely investigative duo, drawing on their very different approaches to crime fiction.
Surrounded by rival writers, ambitious bloggers, agents, and superfans, they must decide which professional grudges and career slights are grave enough to kill for.
A Body in the B&B by Katie Marsh
Release Date: August 31st
Author of the Mistletoe Murder Club books, Katie Marsh has a new series beginning with A Body in the B&B which takes readers to a Lake District guesthouse run by the Christie sisters, whose simmering sibling tensions are interrupted by a very real corpse.
When a guest is found dead, the sisters must bury old grudges long enough to protect their business and clear their names.
Police suspicion and local gossip quickly converge on the B&B, forcing them into amateur sleuth mode as they trawl through booking records, alibis, and the complicated lives of their fellow guests.
Looking Forward To August 2026
If this is what August looks like, cozy‑crime fans might need bigger TBR piles and stronger tea!
Between snowy Alpine chalets, murderous pantos, dog‑park skulduggery, and pumpkin‑spiced peril in Cinnamon Falls, these ten mysteries offer armchair travel, sharp humor, and satisfyingly twisty plots.
Whether you’re in the mood for theatrical drama, academic intrigue, or small‑town gossip with a body or two, there’s a new release here to suit every sleuthing style.
Just don’t blame me when your “one book” weekend turns into a full‑blown crime spree!
