I’ve been reading mysteries for longer than about any other genre, and I don’t remember being taken by many (if any) of the covers of the books I read as a teen.

There were the silver Agatha Christie books with different highlight colors for each series, and there were the pulp James Bond covers I discovered, but not much else stands out. The first mystery cover I clearly remember being taken by was CS Harris’s What Angels Fear. And some of my favorite series have gorgeous covers (you’ll see a couple below).

This is the genre that has the most variety in covers. There are some illustrated covers, some that focus on the text, some that are seemingly simple yet striking, and others that are simply beautiful.

 

Lily Adler Mysteries by Katharine Schellman

The Body in the Garden (2020)
Silence in the Library (2021)
Death at the Manor (2022)
Murder at Midnight (2023)

Cover design by Nicole Lecht

Published by Crooked Lane Books (The Quick Brown Fox & Company)

I discovered this series and then quickly devoured all four books.

As with many of the other series I especially like, each book has a similar design but a different primary color.

Once you look more closely you see elements of the design change on each cover, in this case different botanical elements giving you a sense of the different seasons.

They seem deceptively simple, yet are quite lovely.

A Fatal Illusion (2023) by Anna Lee Huber

Cover art by Larry Rostant

Published by Berkley (Penguin)

Every book in this series has a lovely cover that reminds you of a painting, which matches perfectly Lady Darby, who is a portrait artist.

Like most of the other covers, there are two primary shades–a background shade and strong share for the main character’s dress.

For this book, I really like the red and blue contrast, with that peculiar shade of blue you get as evening falls.

Lady Darby: The Anatomist’s Wife (2012), Mortal Arts (2013), A Grave Matter (2014), A Study in Death (2015), A Pressing Engagement (2016), As Death Draws Near (2016), A Brush with Shadows (2018), An Artless Demise (2019), A Stroke of Malice (2020), A Wicked Conceit (2021), A Perilous Perspective (2022), A Fatal Illusion (2023)

The Price of Lemon Cake (2023) by Jennifer Ashley

Cover design by Kim Killion

Published by JA / AG Publishing (Self-Published)

Although the series is published by Berkley, the novellas–such as this one–are self-published.

The Berkeley covers (which I do like) all have a woman on a staircase in period dress. The novellas all are food still-lifes.

A still life doesn’t necessarily say mystery, but it does say food and kitchen, and for a self-published book I think it’s quite lovely.

Kat Holloway: A Soupçon of Poison (2015), Death Below Stairs (2018), Scandal Above Stairs (2018), Death in Kew Gardens (2019), Murder in the East End (2020), Death at the Crystal Palace (2021), The Secret of Bow Lane (2022), The Price of Lemon Cake (2023)

A Sinister Revenge (2023) by Deanna Raybourn

Cover design & illustration by Leo Nickolls

Published by Berkley (Penguin)

I adore these covers.

More silhouettes (I hope they never go out of fashion), and that gorgeous embossed design.

The sepia tones here are plainer than other covers, but I don’t find it a bad thing, just a little different, and the sepia tones really seem perfect for the modern reading thinking back on that era.

Veronica Speedwell: A Curious Beginning (2015), A Perilous Undertaking (2017), A Treacherous Curse (2018), A Dangerous Collaboration (2019), A Murderous Relation (2020), An Unexpected Peril (2021), An Impossible Impostor (2022)

A Newlywed’s Guide to Fortune and Murder (2023) by Dianne Freeman

Published by Kensington Books

No artist credited.

I really do enjoy these covers. They’re fun and swirly and twisty and colorful.

I just wish the publisher had credited the artist.

A Countess of Harleigh Mystery: A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder (2018), A Lady’s Guide to Gossip and Murder (2019), A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder (2020), A Fiancée’s Guide to First Wives and Murder (2021), A Bride’s Guide to Marriage and Murder (2022), A Newlywed’s Guide to Fortune and Murder (2023)

A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons (2022) by Kate Khavari

Cover design by Nicole Lecht

Published by Crooked Lane Books (The Quick Brown Fox & Company)

This is such a pretty cover, with the flowers and the vial of (presumably) poison, and that border that subtly signifies “historical mystery”.

It’s lush, with deep colors, and immediately drew my eye.

I just wish I’d liked the story as much as I liked the cover.

Saffron Everleigh series

The Deadliest Fall (2023) by Charlie Cochrane

Cover art: L.C. Chase

Published by Riptide Publishing

Yes, I know. Another monochrome cover with silhouettes.

What can I say? I know what I like, and I am loving this trend.

There is again that shade of blue that says, “evening” and even “inky shadows”.

Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

The Thursday Murder Club (2020) The Man Who Died Twice (2021), The Bullet That Missed (2022), The Last Devil to Die (2023)

Cover design by Richard Bravery, Hand lettering by Joel Holland

Published by Viking (Penguin Books)

These are relatively simple covers, but I really like that simplicity.

They remind me of some book series my parents had on their bookshelves, but I can’t at all remember anything about those books except bold text on a beige/tan background.

Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies (2022) by Misha Popp

Cover design by Trish Cramblet

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (The Quick Brown Fox & Company)

I wasn’t sure how I initially felt about this cover, but I found that it stuck with me as time passed, and that it was recognizable at a quick glance.

I feel like the knife is a bit over the top, but I suppose they needed some way to emphasize murder part of the mystery.

Pies Before Guys series

Mystery on the Menu: A Three-Course Collection of Cozy Mysteries (2023) by Nicole Kimberling

Cover Art by Amber Whitney of Unicorn Empire

Published by One Block Empire (Blind Eye Books)

I feel like the lemon slice is the focal point that tells you one of the characters works in food service. Where else, besides restaurants, do you really see lemon slices?

Oddly, the bloody knife isn’t immediately noticeable, as it’s directly below the red strawberries.

Kensington Books: 1
One Block Empire: 1
Riptide Publishing: 1
Self-Published: 1
Berkley: 2
Viking: 4
Crooked Lane Books: 6

The Books of 2023: Yearly Reading Roundup