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Top 3 Cozy Mysteries with Small-Town Secrets curated by Penelope McGrath

Top 3 Cozy Mysteries with Small-Town Secrets - curated by Penelope McGrath

Top 3 Cozy Mysteries with Small-Town Secrets

— curated by Penelope McGrath —

Disclosure: I’m an Amazon Associate. If you grab a book through my links, I may earn a small commission—fuel for more dark thrills.

In these towns, everyone knows your name—and your alibi. This Top 3 proves that even the sweetest settings hide scandal, betrayal, and murder. A historian drops dead during a community event. A fairground favorite takes her last breath near a pie stand. And in a charming harbor town, perfume formulas become deadly clues.

If you love nosy neighbors, secret pasts, and mysteries where the killer could be the lady behind the bakery counter, this trio of free cozies is your next binge.


1) Murder in Windy Hollow — Iris Kingsley

Genre: Cozy Mystery / Small Town • Format: Free

Cinnamon dough, buried family legacies, and a historian who didn’t live to tell the tale. Gossip rises like steam—and someone’s stirring more than batter.

Read for Free →

2) Fairground Fatality — C. Hardy

Genre: Cozy Mystery / Festival • Format: Free

Baking competition meets cold-blooded murder. Can Clara clear her name before the sheriff stops looking for other suspects—and the pie tent closes for good?

Read for Free →

3) Murder in Harborview — Harper Burton

Genre: Cozy Mystery / Amateur Sleuth • Format: Free

A border collie with a nose for murder. A perfume formula worth killing for. And a woman whose scent memory might be the only key to the truth.

Read for Free →

Perfect for readers who want…

  • Festival pies, whispered alibis, and scandalized committees
  • Harbor views, canine sidekicks, and perfumed clues
  • Warm kitchens with knives that aren’t just for chopping
Stay curious, stay aware… because in small towns, everyone has a secret—and some are buried deeper than the bodies.

馃帴 Bonus Escape: Puerto Rican Rainstorm Ambiance

Captured on a stormy night in Puerto Rico—real thunder pounding the windshield, calming and chaotic until you glance at the backseat. The perfect soundtrack for cozy crimes with sharp edges.

Watch the Puerto Rican Rainstorm Ambiance →


Curious what’s hiding behind the neighbor’s perfect smile?

Discover more dangerously delightful stories→

Want more twisty tales and cozy crimes?

Join my newsletter and I’ll send you one of my own thrillers—free for new subscribers who love secrets, scandal, and sharp sleuths.

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What to Read Next

With thrills,
Penelope McGrath


馃摎 About Penelope McGrath

Penelope McGrath writes psychological thrillers and twisted mysteries from Puerto Rico, where she’s raising two toddlers and collecting story ideas in every thunderstorm.

Follow her on Goodreads →

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