Halloween decorations are going up, and talk of the paranormal abounds! And if you love spooky tales, you don’t have to limit yourself to ghost-hunting TV shows or true crime podcasts. There’s a whole host of books out there to enjoy as well!
So what exactly is a paranormal cozy mystery?
Well, some of them are exactly what you’d expect: light mysteries with ghosts involved. Usually the sleuth can see or communicate with the ghosts, but most other characters can not. Oftentimes, the sleuth is pulled into a mystery out of a desire to help ghosts find peace. A classic example is Night of the Living Deed, a ghostly cozy set on the New Jersey shore.
But “paranormal” has also been applied to any cozy with a hint of magic. By far the majority of these are witchy cozies, where the sleuth wields some kind of magical power (everything from making magic-filled bakery goods to reading minds or using powers inherited from mermaids). Most often the sleuth is a new witch coming to terms with their power. And one of the best things about this brand of cozy is, of course, the familiars! Two of my favorite examples are Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates or A Potion to Die For by Heather Blake.
Some paranormal cozies use skeletons instead of ghosts or vampires instead of witches, but most are in the above two categories. Some set their sleuth in a magical community with other fantastical folk, like Herbs and Homicide by Astoria Wright. Whatever appeals to you, you can definitely find a paranormal cozy to while away long October evenings!
