Brian Kenney

In our annual crime fiction preview, LJ explores trends and presents 74 forthcoming titles to add to the collection.

Author Wesley (“Tamara Hayle PI” series) is right on trend with a cozy mystery series featuring Odessa “Dessa” Jones, a real-estate agent/caterer with a cat, a love for tea, and—oh yes, paranormal skills.

An always popular genre, crime fiction continues to grow and evolve, keeping its core readership solidly engaged but also attracting new readers. In our 2022 preview, looking at books publishing through the fall, we have found that storytelling is king, across subgenres, as authors build cases with even more attention to characterization, with a character’s psyche, family, and motivations all powering the story. Already popular cozies—light, nearly violence-free mysteries—are going strong.

Wondering if a book is a cozy? Take this quick quiz, and give yourself five points for every time you answer "yes."

Beth Kava has been reading mysteries her entire life. During her long career as a history teacher, she engaged students by helping them think of past events as mysteries to be investigated. She is currently a volunteer in her community and president of the White Plains Library (NY) Foundation, helping to support a library with, among many riches, an ever-enticing section of mysteries. She’s a member of three book groups— including the library’s crime fiction group, Book ‘Em— and her reading choices are eclectic and far-ranging.