Cozy Case Files as Classic Cocktails

What goes best with a good cozy? A mug of coffee, sure. A cup of tea, absolutely. But nothing beats a good cocktail! Here are our hand-picked cocktail pairings for each book in the sampler.

Of Manners and Murder by Anastasia Hastings

Pimm’s Cup: A London staple created in the 1800s, the same city and century this book takes place. It is meant to be a slow sipping, sweet, and relaxing cocktail. Violet’s Aunt Adelia was once an “Agony Aunt,” listening to people’s problems and offering advice, giving people the same experience as this charming drink. Adelia abruptly leaves her role as the Agony Aunt, and Violet is stuck with that burden. The job proves to be more than just hearing woes and gossip, as a client who wished to share her fears is suddenly found dead. Violet must assess all of her clients—a variety of people who can be both sweet and sour—much like the fruit inside a Pimm’s.

Vinyl Resting Place by Olivia Blacke

Old Fashioned: Typically made with bourbon or rye, an Old Fashioned is the perfect pairing to sip this book while listening to some retro tunes. It can even fit in perfectly at Sip & Spin Records in Texas, the charming old-school record shop that Juni Jessup and her sisters Tansy and Maggie own. After finding a dead body in the supply closet, their story takes a bitter turn—but not like the bitters in the drink. To save their family and their life savings, the sisters need to choose to put up their shop for bail collateral in order to clear their uncle’s name and find the real murderer.

Against the Currant by Olivia Matthews

Rum Punch: Originating in the Caribbean, the fruity Rum Punch is the perfect pairing for protagonist Lyndsay Murray’s story, as throughout all her ups and downs, she tries to stick to her Grenadian roots in her family’s West Indian bake shop. The sweet ingredients complement Lyndsey’s sweet treats. When a competitive bakery owner walks into her shop, things turn dark—not like the dark rum—as he is found dead the next day. Lyndsey must prove her innocence while maintaining the good reputation of her bakery, and her good relationship with her family.

Muffin But the Truth by Ellie Alexander

Espresso Martini: What goes better with a muffin than a shot of espresso? For a weekend getaway, Jules Capshaw takes her baking team on a catering retreat in the woods. Things go south after some arguing after heavy drinking (no, not espresso martinis) and they find a member facedown in the water. Jules has to uncover the truth before someone spills the beans and ruins her business.

The Raven Thief by Gigi Pandian

Dark and Stormy: Two simple ingredients—rum and ginger beer—to pair with a not-so-simple situation. Secret Staircase Construction has finished their first project, with Tempest Raj officially on the team. The construction team is invited to a mock séance as a way to celebrate their client’s new house and her new life without her cheating husband. Clasped hands in the dark create the perfect storm to hide who the actual murderer was. 

Primer and Punishment by Diane Kelly

Mojito: Mint, lime, simple syrup: a sweet yet tangy drink best after a hard day’s work. It’s an ideal drink for carpenters Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck in hot Tennessee. The houseboat they worked on is in mint condition once they’re done with it. The same cannot be said for the adjacent ship’s resident. Once Whitney and Buck finish applying the primer to their houseboat, they hear an explosion in which the neighbor is found dead. Finding the suspect is not so simple after all, as the victim had over a dozen enemies. 

Fateful Words by Paige Shelton

Irish Coffee: Add some (Irish, not Scotch) whiskey to your usual cup of coffee when reading this book. A welcome drink after a cold night at an inn, but something you’ll have to put down when the innkeeper falls—or is pushed—off the roof. With her boss mysteriously absent as well, time is of the essence, as bookseller Delaney Nichols has to disrupt her shop’s annual literary tour around Edinburgh to save her bookshop’s reputation. 

The Body by the Sea by Jean-Luc Bannalec

Sidecar: A French cocktail served chilled without ice, nothing can prepare you for the chills you’ll get when witnessing Commissaire Georges Dupin’s first murder on his home turf in Brittany. It’s location prevents it from being protected from enemies, but what if the murder is one of its own residents? Like the lemon juice and triple sec things turn sour, and Dupin only has two new colleagues to help him solve this murder in order to feel safe in his hometown once again. 

All That Is Hidden by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles

Manhattan: For a book that takes place in New York City, what is more fitting than to pair it with a Manhattan? Loyal Greenwich Village resident Molly Murphy Sullivan is taken off-guard when her policeman husband is running for the sheriff of New York and is planning to move to another part of Manhattan—a fancy home on Fifth Avenue. Their once perfect marriage is now bittered (not with angostura bitters) due to this disagreement, leaving Molly to question as to why Daniel is making such drastic changes so quickly. Why is Daniel running for sheriff on the corrupt Tammany ticket? The mysteries of Manhattan continue, as Molly is drawn into the dangerous world of politics to figure out what peril her husband might be in.

With many of our beloved Minotaur series—both old and new—our 17th installment of the Cozy Case Files will bring you the beginnings of nine cozies you won’t want to stop reading.

Download the Sampler here, for FREE!