When you encounter the term “crime fiction,” what comes to mind? Most mystery lovers think of heinous acts, witty detectives, and dangerous suspects, but for those of us who prefer their escapist stories without extreme violence and gore, cozy mysteries might be more your of cup of tea. While this subgenre involves serious crimes (usually murder), these violent acts occur offstage, and readers can rest easy knowing that everything will be solved by the end of the story.

Cozy mysteries typically focus on amateur sleuths and are set in charming locations, such as quaint villages, libraries, and cafés. There’s also an absence of profanity and gruesome descriptions. This year notably saw the rise of cozy mysteries set in a range of shops — from record shops and noodle shops to cheese shops and glass shops — so what should we expect in 2024? In this post, I want to share my top four predictions for next year’s cozy mystery trends.

1. Romcozies

Thanks to BookTok and Bookstagrammers, contemporary romance novels have exploded in popularity in both physical and digital formats. These books explore popular romance tropes such as friends to lovers, fake relationships, enemies to lovers, and forced proximity, and it just so happens that these tropes transfer very well to other genres. For everyone out there who needs a sweet, escapist read without graphic scenes and sex, romcozies are the perfect solution.

It’s unclear when they first surfaced, but author Gabby Allen claims to have coined the term “romcozy” — a combination of romance tropes and a cozy mystery —  a few years back. Given how successful romance novels and cozy mysteries have been this year, I predict that romcozies will blow up in 2024, providing tons of opportunities for readers to attempt solving crimes while following the love stories of the main characters. A wholesome “whodunit” involving a jaded bookshop owner and a charismatic customer? A slow burn romance between a timid pastry chef and a confident aspiring detective in a mysterious bakery? Sign me up!

2. Fairy Tale Characters

If there’s one thing TV series such as Once Upon a Time, films like Disney’s live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid, and magical novels such as Cinder can teach us, it’s that people love consuming media with fairy tale characters.

While authors such as Maia Chance (whose books include Snow White Red-Handed and Cinderella Six Feet Under) have already written cozy mystery series that feature beloved fairy tale characters, I predict that even more books of this particular subgenre will see a boost in popularity next year. We’ll see classic characters such as Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, and Hansel and Gretel, but we’ll also see underrated ones who don’t get as much attention, such as Rose Red. I’d love to read about these characters solving crimes, interacting with other familiar faces in magical settings, and potentially realizing that the true wolf in sheep’s clothing might have been under their noses all along.

3. Regency-era Mysteries

If you’re waiting for Bridgerton Season 3 with bated breath like I am, this trend won’t come as a surprise. While Regency-era romances are already booming, I predict that there’ll be another surge leading up to the release of the hit Netflix show’s latest season — as well as after its premiere. (Fans of the series will need something to distract them while they wait for a potential Season 4, after all.)

Earlier this year, novels such as Julia Seales’ A Most Agreeable Murder, which combines elements of Jane Austen‘s Pride and Prejudice and Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple books, rose in the bestseller lists, an early indicator of all the Regency-era cozy mysteries to come in 2024. I’d love to see a mix of well-known characters, such as those from the Austenverse, interact with new faces in ballrooms, drawing rooms, and perhaps a dark closet or two while digging around for clues. (Oh, the scandal!)

4. More Deliciously Diverse Titles

Since the 1930s, a large number of writers have set their cozy mysteries in charming British villages and manor houses. However, more and more authors have started writing about unique locations and characters from around the world — with a focus on delicious food to boot. In the past few years, cozy mysteries that feature diverse characters and elements have grown in popularity, such as African American author Abby Collete’s A Deadly Inside Scoop, Filipino American author Mia P. Manansala’s Arsenic and Adobo, Taiwanese Italian American author Vivien Chen’s Death by Dumplings, and Cuban American author Raquel V. Reyes’s Mango, Mambo, and Murder.

Given the ongoing push for cultural diversity in publishing, I predict that there’ll be even more diverse food-related cozy mystery titles – both self-published and traditionally published — next year. I’m hoping to see novels set in cities and countries that aren’t considered mainstream in literature, as well as unsung dishes and characters who come from different backgrounds that many of us might not know much about. Reading, after all, is a powerful way to learn more about other cultures without ever having to step foot outside our own homes.

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And there you have it — my top four predictions for next year’s cozy mystery trends. How about you? What do you think will be popular in 2024?

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Rose Atkinson-Carter is a writer with Reedsy, a marketplace and blog that helps authors with everything from finding the best book writing templates and creative writing classes to hiring a ghostwriter and more.