Cozy Reads for those Dark & Stormy Nights

“Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves,
We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!” 
 Humbert Wolfe

Cozy Reads for Those Dark & Stormy Nights. Sept. 6, 2024.

An unusual, late summer storm descended our area sending one of our dogs scurrying under the bed, terrified of the lightning and thunder. But as quickly as it came the storm it left us an hour later and by the next day summer had properly resumed. But the mood had begun to shift. There was a change in the air that gave the barest hint of Autumn. Summer had started to make its slow, clinging exit and soon we would be reaching for sweaters. The nightly autumnal breeze arrived as a gentle and welcome friend. Yet come winter it turns into a howling force, locked outside our doors begging to be let in. Autumn traditions burned into my soul come alive and I can’t help but think of many comforts it brings such as snuggling up in the evening with a book. And there are so many books!

If you are a follower here, then you will know that there are two categories of books I draw on for cozy Autumn reads. The first is Victorian British literature with their wonderfully descriptive and thrilling narratives set in foggy moors and gothic estates. Victorian literature continues in popularity finding new audiences each generation. The second favorite category of literature is the golden age of detective fiction which emerged in the 1920s and 30s. This era also produced many cozy autumn reads. Agatha Christie is usually who we think of in this genre, but there were other writers in this period that also supplied us with plenty of cozy English village mysteries that still boast many fans worldwide. The following list I compiled has books from both categories that I have enjoyed tremendously.

Please note: Internet Archive, a popular and free resource for many, many books was hacked and is currently down. Two of the books listed below have links to Internet Archive that aren’t working at this time: “Why Shoot a Butler” and “Among the Shadows”.

Cozy Reads for those Dark & Stormy Nights

*Links to read selected books for free included.

1. Why Shoot a Butler by Georgette Heyer. Why shoot a butler indeed? The butler is never the victim, but always the accused. In this book the butler, with no outside connections other than an ill sister, is shot dead in his car and everyone scratching their heads. A perceptive, visiting barrister senses something more sinister is going on though in this small village. Georgette Heyer never fails to spin out an entertaining yarn with twists and turns along with wry humor as she does in this mystery.
2. She Came Back by Patricia Wentworth (a Miss Silver mystery). Miss Silver mysteries are another great source of Fall reads. In this book a woman who has been dead for 3 years suddenly arrives back at home to her husband. When she undoubtedly proves her identity, her husband agrees to reunite with her, but can’t shake his suspicions. Then she turns up dead. Miss Silver mysteries are favorite cozy reads for me.
3. Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë. All the Brontë sisters excelled at gothic writing which is why their work continues to endure. This one may be my favorite as it is quite suspenseful when a mysterious woman shows up with her son in a village to secretly hide from her abusive husband. A local man takes an interest in her when her past catches up with her.
4. Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. This book is without a doubt one of the most page-turning, nail biting Victorian thrillers I’ve read. It has been in print since first written as it is still very popular. Walter meets a woman in white one night who escaped an insane asylum. When he arrives at his destination he meets a woman, Laura, who looks very much like her and is engaged to be married. Walter senses something is wrong and sets out to save her along with her sister, Marian. Most spectacular is our heroine, Marian who sets out to save her sister through any means necessary and goes head-to-head with a cold and evil count. I have no nails left when I read this book.
5. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. Another page turner involving a rare, sacred Hindu yellow diamond that was stolen by a British soldier who murders its guardians. He later leaves the diamond to his niece from who it is stolen. But who is it? The man she loves or the local Indian jugglers?
6. Clouds of Witness by Dorothy Sayers. Sayers is one of the queens of the golden age of detective stories and is well-know for her Lord Peter Wimsy books. Lord Peter Wimsy is a rich lord who has a penchant for mystery solving. In Clouds of Witness he regales us with his British wit throughout this book while trying to free his falsely accused brother of murder charges. This lighthearted mystery kept me chuckling with the banter.
7. The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham. Margery Allingham also one of the four queens of mystery writing during the golden age of detective stories, my regret is not trying one of her books sooner. The Crime at Black Dudley drew me right in and I was turning pages rapidly. A weekend house party goes awry after a guest is found murdered during a game. Very quickly the rest of the guests find themselves trapped by sinister criminals. Except it wasn’t the criminals who committed the murder.
8. Among the Shadows by L.M. Montgomery. I have recommended this collection of Montgomery’s short stories before especially if you love her work. These stories have a bit of a spooky mood but are still light reading that is worthy of the cozy fall book list. Some of the stories include a house party with an uninvited guest, the mysterious young woman waiting by the gate one night, and the door the kids opened that solved a mystery.

Have a cozy night!

*No monies received from affiliates. All opinions are my own.