Summer Cozy Mysteries Set on the Beach

by Tonya Kappes
26 Books in the Series
Most Recent: Blackmail and Bibingka (scheduled for release on June 30, 2022)

Each book of the Campers & Criminals cozy mystery series is set in Normal, Kentucky (where nothing is normal) and all are filled with southern, small-town charm.

In the first book, Beaches, Bungalows & Burglaries, we meet Mae West whose fancy lifestyle in New York City comes crashing down around her when her husband is implicated in a Ponzi scheme and the FBI raids their mansion.

With no one to turn to and no money to her name, Mae is left with the only thing the government didn't seize - a tourist campground called Happy Trails and an RV. Mae hopes that selling Happy Trails will give her the influx of cash she needs, but in the meantime - with nowhere else to live - she's moving in.

When she arrives, the plush bluegrass and crystal clear lake of the brochure are nowhere to be found. There's just a lot of dirt and a slimy, mucky lake. A lake where her husband - who escaped from prison - is found dead.

It's no surprise that Mae is the prime suspect. To clear her name, she'll need to convince the detective to investigate all the residents who lost their savings to her husband's scheming.

The Book Girls Say... As an added bonus, there are recipes included in each book in this beach read mystery series.

All of the books in this cozy mystery series are included with Kindle Unlimited as of 6/20/22.

by Eva Gates
9 Books in the Series
Most Recent: Death By Beach Read (2022)

Lucy enjoyed her job poring over rare tomes of literature for the Harvard Library, but when her 10-year relationship come to an end, she decides to rewrite the plot of her life.

She plans a getaway to the Outer Banks in search of sun, but she winds up taking a librarian job at the lighthouse library on Bodie Island.

In the most recent book in the series, Death by Beach Read, Lucy is busy renovating her new home when a dead man's body turns up on her kitchen floor.

by Mary Kay Andrews

Hattie’s had a rough time over the past several years. Her husband was killed in a motorcycle accident at 25. She works for her father-in-law carrying on the family restoration business, but she also dreams of taking on bigger projects. So, she used his life insurance proceeds to flip a small house. Unfortunately, the proceeds from that house went into another, which turned into a disaster. In addition to losing money, she lost her confidence.

When Hattie gets the rare chance to star in a beach house renovation reality show called The Homewreckers, it could be what she needs to turn everything around. What she doesn't expect is that this home makeover project will also reveal new clues in the decades-old disappearance of Hattie's favorite high school teacher, leading her to split her time between renovation and investigation.

The Book Girls Say... We were eager to read this book because Mary Kay Andrews is the queen of beach reads and because we loved the idea of a home renovation-themed romance. We were excited to discover that The Homewreckers also an excellent cozy mystery!

by Bree Baker
7 Books in the Series
Most Recent: Pleading the Fish (2022)

This beachside cozy mystery series is set in the town of Charm, North Carolina on the Outer Banks. Everly Swan has recently returned to her hometown following a breakup and opened a sweet tea shop and cafe on the beach.

In the first book in the series, Live and Let Chai, a grumpy customer is found dead on the boardwalk with one of her tea jars laying nearby. When the autopsy says he was poisoned, Everly fights to prove that she didn't do it, but the townspeople turn their backs on her. Between attacks on her and her business and a too-handsome detective, Everly is in trouble.

The Book Girls Say... If you love the cafe setting of this cozy mystery series, you'll also want to check out our list of The Best Cozy Culinary Mysteries.

by Verity Bright
Book #5 in the 11 Book Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery Series
Most Recent: Death Down the Aisle (expected publication August 31, 2022)

The fifth book in this historical fiction cozy mystery series is set oceanside at a fashionable resort in Brighton, England. It's 1921 and amateur detective Lady Elanor Swift and her sidekick bulldog are finally taking a vacation - complete with striped deckchairs, fish and chips, and a strawberry ice cream.

Her relaxing vacation plans are soon interrupted when another guest at the hotel turns up dead, and the hotel manager - eager to avoid a scandal - asks her to solve the case.

When they enter the dead man's room, however, Eleanor discovers he's not just any hotel guest - he's the husband she thought died six years ago on the other side of the world. Also in his room - their wedding photo with a cryptic message on the back.

The Book Girls Say... If your idea of the perfect summer vacation is a villa in the south of France, then you'll also want to join Lady Eleanor in the summer of 1923 in Book #10, The French for Murder. Her plans to lounge by the pool and paddle in the ocean turn into another investigation when a famous movie star is found dead in the wine cellar.

by Susan Gillard
74 Books in the Series
Most Recent: Tangerine Dream & Murder (2019)

Donuts, Delights & Murders is the first book in this donut-themed cozy mystery series set in tropical Key West.

Heather is new to town and just opened Donut Delights. When the owner of the seafood restaurant next door is poisoned, all the other neighbors point suspect the new shop owner.

The Book Girls Say... If you love the food-theme of this cozy mystery series, you'll also want to check out our list of The Best Cozy Culinary Mysteries.

All of the books in this cozy mystery series are included with Kindle Unlimited as of 6/20/22.

by Michael Craft

Dante O'Donnell wasted his younger years dreaming of stardom and picking the wrong men. Now in his 50s, he's working as a concierge for a vacation rental company in Palm Springs.

When he discovers a dead body floating in the pool at one of the rentals, he knows he's in trouble. Not because he did it, but because he was previously suspected of murdering his husband, making him an obvious suspect.

In order to clear his name, he'll have to team up with the cop turned PI who nearly arrested him the last time around. Jazz had her career derailed by racism, her PI business is struggling, and she's fighting for custody of her kid. She needs Dante just as much as he needs her. If they can solve the murder, they both be able to save themselves from personal and professional disaster.

The Book Girls Say... It's not yet clear if Michael Craft plans to write additional stories about Dante and Jazz, but readers are already hoping for more.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 6/20/22.

by Emma Jameson
3 Books in the Series
Most Recent: A Death at Silversmith Bay (2022)

This British cozy mystery series is set along the sandy beaches and rolling green hills of St. Morwenna island in the Cornwall region. It appears to be a perfectly idyllic and relaxing retreat, but there's a killer among the smiling local faces.

In the first book in the series, A Death at Seascape House, Jemima (Jem) Jago has recently returned to the island. She'd vowed never to return to her childhood home, but the offer to catalog a collection of antique shipwreck records is a dream job that she can't refuse.

She hasn't been back on the island long when a grumpy local busybody is found dead. The victim also happens to be Jem's old nemesis and Jem is the prime suspect. It turns out, however, that many of the island residents had reason to want Edith dead. But which one of them did it?

The books in this series are included with Kindle Unlimited as of 6/20/22.

by Alicia Bessette

After being laid off from her reporting job, Callie returns to her hometown of Cattail Island to take a job at the local bookstore. The store has always been a safe place for her to turn when facing hard times. In fact, it's also where she found comfort after her mom died.

Years ago, Callie's mom Teri fell from the top of the lighthouse. The anniversary of her death is approaching, which has townspeople gossiping about it once again. Then comes the devastating news that the lighthouse has claimed another victim. The police rule it suicide, but Callie thinks it was murder. And she thinks the same of her mom's death as well.

Callie is determined to find answers with help from new friends and beloved books. But she's making enemies along the way, and when another death shocks the island, she's afraid she could be next.

The Book Girls Say... In addition to the cozy mystery, the plot of this story also includes a treasure hunt element that many readers will enjoy. This 2022 book is listed as the first in the Outer Banks Bookshop Mystery Series, so we expect that additional titles will be forthcoming.

by Tamara Berry
2 Books in the Series
Most Recent: On the Spine of Death (expected publication November 29, 2022)

If your idea of the perfect summer is a getaway to a rustic cabin, then add Buried in a Good Book to your summer reading list.

Tess Harrow is a bestselling writer of thrillers, but this summer, she just wants to take a break to bond with her daughter after her recent divorce. But they've barely settled in when an explosion rocks the cabin and Tess finds herself pulled into a murder investigation.

The local sheriff turns out to be the spitting image of the detective that Tess writes in her books, her young daughter is fascinated by dead bodies, and the neighbors are pointing their fingers at Bigfoot. Nothing about this summer is going as she had planned.

by Addison Moore
3 Books in the Series
Most Recent: Hibiscus Homicide Cruise (expected publication September 29, 2022)

Escape to the tropics this summer with this cruise ship cozy mystery series. Trixie is in her late 40s and going through a divorce because she found out that, while she was packing for their anniversary cruise, her husband was sleeping with not one, but three other women. So she's setting sail to Hawaii without him, and she's even going to blog about it.

In the first book of the series, Cruising Through Midlife, no sooner does Trixie board the ship than she discovers a dead body. But that's not her only startling discovery - it turns out she now also sees ghosts.

The Book Girls Say... Readers describe this series as part travelogue and part cozy murder mystery, with a side of paranormal.

The first two books in this cozy mystery series are included with Kindle Unlimited as of 6/20/22.

by Kathi Daley
6 Books in the Series
Most Recent: Hide & Seek (expected publication October 11, 2022)

Sydney Whitmore is a forensic psychologist who has been living in San Francisco. A recent case left her with PTSD, so she moved home to Shipwreck Island - the resort her family owns on the west coast.

In the first book of the series, Truth or Dare, ten high school students go on a camping trip, but only eight return. None of the witness statements match up at all, so Sydney will use her psychology experience to try to get the truth.

All of the books in this series are available with Kindle Unlimited as of 6/20/22.

by Tricia O'Malley
8 Books in the Althea Rose Series
Most Recent: Eight Ways to Tequila (2021)

Althea Rose is the owner of Luna Rose Potions & Tarot Shop in the Florida Keys. The first book of the series, One Tequila, involves a love triangle and murder, but readers describe as good clean fun.

Most of the books in this series are available with a Kindle Unlimited subscription as of 6/20/22.

by Jenna St. James and Maddy Maddson
2 Books in the Cooper Cove Series
Most Recent: Merriment & Murder (2019)

These cozy mysteries are written by a mother/step-daughter duo. Maddy was in high school when they were writing the stories, so they made the three main characters high school seniors. This gives these books a different vibe than other cozy mysteries.

The Book Girls Say... Most cozy mystery books are on the shorter side, but Seaside and Homicide is novella length at just under 150 pages.

The books in this series are available with a Kindle Unlimited as of 6/20/22.

by Nancy CoCo
#3 in the 10 Book Candy-Coated Mystery Series
Most Recent: A Midsummer Night's Fudge (2022)

Allie McMurphy owns a quaint victorian hotel and a fudge shop on Michigan's Mackinac Island.

The third book in the series, Oh Say Can You Fudge, takes place over the Fourth of July - quintessential summer! When a man known for his pyrotechnic displays turns up dead in a fireworks warehouse that went up in smoke, Allie must help determine if it was arson or murder. Can she solve the crime in time for the town to enjoy their star-spangled celebration?

The most recent title in this series, A Midsummer Night's Fudge, also takes place during the summer, complete with more fireworks.

Four of the books in this series, including Oh Say Can You Fudge, are included with Kindle Unlimited as of 6/20/22.

The Book Girls Say... Looking for another cozy mystery that takes place during the 4th of July, consider A Parting Shot by J.C. Kenney from the Allie Cobb mystery series.

by J C Williams
2 Books in the Series
Most Recent: The Case of the Brazen Burglar (2020)

There is only one detective agency on the Isle of Man, and they are pretty much useless. Sam, the agency's most eager employee, is particularly bad at his job.

Fortunately, this island in the Irish Sea has very little that needs detecting. At least not until now...

Someone has anonymously requested Sam's services to track down a glamourous and mysterious art dealer on the island. But the real target isn't the art dealer, it's the international crime boss who followed her there.

Sam is eager to impress his pretty colleague, but this time he may have bitten off more than he can chew.

This book and its sequel are included with Kindle Unlimited as of 6/20/22.

by K.C. Ames
5 Books in the Series
Most Recent: A Podcast to Die For (2021)

This beach read mystery series features recently divorced Dana who leaves behind her hectic San Francisco life when she inherits a beach house in a Costa Rican seaside town.

In the first book of the series, A Beach House to Die For, Dana's fresh start in the beach town gets off to a rocky start when she's suspected of murder.

The Book Girls Say... This cozy mystery series is recommended for those who love quicky characters, animals, and tropical settings. In addition to solving mysteries alongside Dana, you'll also get a glimpse at the Costa Rican justice system, which differs from that in the US.

All of the books in this cozy mystery series are included with Kindle Unlimited as of 6/20/22.