It was a dark and stormy night when I fell in love with funny mysteries. My babysitter had put on the VHS of the extremely quotable 1985 classic Clue and I was hooked by the opening credit music and fabulous ensemble cast list. (I am totally listening to the soundtrack while I write this post.) I already loved the classic board game; since that night, I’ve sought out reads that gave me that same feeling of intrigue, excitement, and laughs. After all, what’s better than your favorite movie and game but a treasure trove of books with those same comedic tones and whodunnit vibes?
After devouring acerbic Agatha Christie books and a slew of silly Carl Hiaasen stories, I vividly remember complaining to my brother that I wished there were even more funny mysteries out there to enjoy. That all changed in the fall of 2019 when both the film Knives Out and the book Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts were released. In fact, I loved Tuesday Mooney so much, it ended up being one of my picks for WSIRN #275: How many book clubs is too many book clubs? So just in case they are reading, thank you to Rian Johnson and Kate Racculia for inspiring a recent renaissance of hilarious sleuths and murderous riddles.
I’ve compiled this list of whodunits in the hopes that they will have you grinning, chuckling, and even laughing out loud. Since humor can be very subjective, these mysteries range in style to offer something for every reader, from goofy jokes or clever wit all the way to the darkest of dark comedy. Whether you try to figure out the killer like some of my bookish friends or just go along for the ride like myself, funny mysteries can be the perfect read when life feels heavy or you need an exciting escape.
The cunning delight doesn’t stop there. Please make sure to share in the comments all about your favorite funny mysteries. I can’t wait to hear which titles on this list you have read and what titles you would add. Until then, happy sleuthing!
12 funny mysteries to brighten your day
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Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone (The Ernest Cunningham Mysteries #1)
An innovative interactive tale with a killer premise and laugh-out-loud moments. Ernest Cunningham is a quick-witted expert on murder mysteries; he even writes books about the genre. All that knowledge soon comes in handy as he finds himself snowed in during a family reunion and learns that everyone has killed someone and there is a killer on the loose. There are lots of meta references like the “10 Commandments of Detective Fiction” and I absolutely adored all the times Ernest breaks the fourth wall by speaking directly to the readers. Important to note — the plot, deaths, and backstories might be grittier than one expects from the cover and title. In fact, after a particularly upsetting scene, I almost DNF’d the print book around the halfway mark. Luckily, a friend mentioned she tore through the audiobook narrated by Barton Welch, inspiring me to pick it back up in audio to find out whodunnit. I am so glad I did! Especially since the second in the series has the rare honor of being EVEN better than the first and there is a fabulous Christmas novella as well. More info →
Glory Be (Glory Broussard Mysteries #1)
The first in a sharply funny new series about Glory Broussard, a quite unique older amateur sleuth. Glory is a church-going, red hat club member who also happens to be a bookie. She runs her gambling business from the local coffee shop and isn’t above a bit of blackmail. Glory is soon sparked into action after news that her oldest friend, a nun at a local Catholic church, has passed and her death is suspiciously ruled a suicide. Luckily, Glory has the help of her daughter, Delphine, a lawyer living in NYC who has come back home with a few troubles of her own. Readers looking for a strong sense of place will appreciate the Lafayette, Louisiana setting that grapples with issues like segregation and racism. The story comes to life on audio fantastically performed by the one and only Bahni Turpin. Since this mix of cozy mystery meets crime novel has a bit of a grit, content warnings apply. More info →
Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries #6)
My favorite self-aware, media-loving Security Unit investigates a murder? Sign me up! When Murderbot finds a dead body on the normally peaceful Preservation planet, they are tasked by their companion Dr. Mensah to assist the local security office with the investigation. As usual, Muderbot’s trademark snarky sarcasm is on full display and it's even more entertaining when they are on the trail of a killer. Written as a standalone whodunnit, readers new to the series can feel free to start with this quick paced novella. Highly recommend the wonderful audiobook narrated by Kevin R. Free that perfectly captures Murderbot’s sly humor. More info →
Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies (The Vacation Mysteries #1)
The cover may look light and breezy but a delightfully layered puzzle of a story lies inside. I was immediately hooked into this creative tale by the witty and cynical footnotes provided by famous author Eleanor Dash. While on the tenth anniversary tour for her popular “Vacation Mystery” series, Eleanor is quickly drawn into mysterious happenings that seem targeted to kill her ex-boyfriend and star of her books, Connor Smith. (It doesn’t help that she was actually thinking of offing him herself.) This first in a series is full of beautiful locations and rollicking twists. Some of the action takes a bit of time to really get going but the ending is worth the slow build. I’m looking forward to reading more of Eleanor’s adventures and hoping she keeps providing her hilarious footnotes. More info →
The Dead Guy Next Door (Riley Thorn #1)
Readers may recognize Lucy Score’s name from her popular romance novels but she also writes amusingly zany mysteries! Moonlighting meets Psych in this whodunit filled with silly jokes. Riley Thorn is simply trying to put her life back together after a nasty divorce while living in a not-really-legal rental home with a crew of wacky neighbors. But she keeps having pesky psychic visions of a murder and unfortunately, they come true when her neighbor is killed right under her nose. Now Riley has to work with Nick Santiago, an annoying yet handsome P.I., to figure out the case before the bad guy comes back to get her. Fun (and a bit absurd) detective work ensues. (Open door.) More info →
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year
Oh what fun it is to read a fabulous romystery! I told Anne this 2024 Fall Book Preview title was legit created in a lab for me. It has a ton of my favorite things: a locked room setting, smart comedy, intriguing flashbacks, steamy chemistry, and SO. MUCH. BANTER. The story begins with Maggie Chase, cozy mystery writer, and Ethan Wyatt, tough guy thriller author, receiving identical mysterious invites to spend the holidays abroad. They find themselves smack dab in the middle of a real-life whodunnit at the estate of enigmatic best-selling murder author Eleanor Ashley. The clever plot and layered romance had me turning the pages as fast as I could. (Closed door.) More info →
The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society
Fans of Murder, She Wrote and Sabrina the Teenage Witch take note. I am so glad I stumbled upon this under-the-radar paranormal cozy mystery. The quirky title really says it all. It ended up being a surprise five star read for me. I absolutely adored Sherry Pinkwhistle, a sixty-three-year-old librarian and local amateur sleuth living in the small town of Winesap. Just when Sherry starts to wonder why there have been so many strange murders lately, her cat Lord Thomas Cromwell starts giving her demon hunting advice. By talking! Thanks to her trusty group of friends and Columbo-inspired investigation style, Sherry is ready to get to the bottom of all the bizarre coincidences. While there are some creepy parts to this tale, the observant humor outweighs the scary bits; I enjoyed it before bed without being worried about nightmares. There were so many hilarious lines, I found myself reading them aloud to my husband Chad often. I will be thinking of this story for a while and I sure hope it gets a sequel! More info →
Listen for the Lie
A darkly comedic and twisty tale of true crime podcasts and small town murder. It has been five years since Lucy’s best friend Savvy was murdered in their Texas hometown and Lucy was found covered in her blood with no memory of what occurred. After the traumatizing events, Lucy has successfully slipped into anonymity by moving to LA and trying to forget all about her old life. All her hard work is completely ruined when hugely popular Listen for the Lie podcast host Ben Owens starts investigating the unsolved case. The captivating audiobook narrated by real life husband and wife duo, Will Damron and January LaVoy, is a must-listen due to their performances bringing the interspersed podcast episodes to life in a way that is lost in print. It reminded me of an R-rated Only Murders in the Building. Content warnings apply. More info →
The Framed Women of Ardemore House
Raise your hand if you also love a gothic house as a character! Jo Jones has come to England from New York after inheriting a crumbling estate and wouldn’t you know it—the groundskeeper is found murdered almost immediately after Jo arrives. Oh and Jo just fired him, so she’s a potential suspect who is also in grave danger from the true killer. I really enjoyed Jo’s sleuthy observations and humor as a neurodivergent divorcée who has moved into a possibly haunted home across the pond. The audiobook performed by Lindsey Dorcus was particularly delightful. With a great cast of interesting characters and detailed atmosphere, this would be a good fit for fans of Anthony Horowitz’s Susan Ryland books. More info →
Artifact (Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery #1)
Indiana Jones meets Bridget Jones’s Diary in this funny and fast-paced cozy adventure. Historian Jaya Jones is shocked when she receives an unexpected package from her ex (mailed on the same day he was in a fatal car accident) containing some seriously blinged out antique jewelry. With the assistance of her magician best friend and a handsome art historian she is quickly thrown into a worldwide treasure hunt with ancient artifacts, Indian royalty, and an archeological dig in the Scottish Highlands. This lighthearted backlist book is great on audio narrated by Allyson Ryan. If this series sounds like your cup of tea, there are five more installments to check out. More info →
A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer (SCYTHE Mystery #1)
Ever wonder what it would be like to be a grim reaper? Well, for forty-two-year-old and soon-to-be divorced Kathy Vallance, working for S.C.Y.T.H.E. (Secure Collection, Yielding, and Transportation of Human Essences) is like being employed by a paranormal version of The Office. She has a boring cubicle, wacky coworkers, awkward work events to attend, and a new assignment that is proving to be somewhat difficult. Kathy finally tracks down her latest soul: Connor Ortiz, a video game loving teenager who curses like a sailor and is convinced someone from her office killed him. She is skeptical at first but quickly stumbles on to some murderous evidence and agrees to work together to find out what truly happened before Connor’s soul becomes a ghost. Full of laughs, characters to root for, and quite a bit of heart, this is a perfect mix of the Finlay Dononvan series and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Adventure. More info →
Very Bad Company
Author Emma Rosenblum’s thrilling page-turners with unlikable characters making awful decisions are quickly becoming auto-buy reads for me. They are acerbic and full of sharp observations without being too scary or gory. Her latest is a fascinating look into a tech start-up’s swanky executive retreat. There is an absurd CEO obsessed with Winston Churchill, an anxious head of HR, an overeager assistant, a newcomer to the team, and more on the doomed weekend getaway. Plus, this Floridian reader was entranced by the swanky Miami setting and itinerary jam-packed with real life locales that I have either visited in person or found entertaining to Google. Think Very Bad Things plus The Social Network in South Beach. Content warnings apply. More info →
What are your favorite funny mysteries? Please share in the comments.
P.S. 15 funny books for when you need some relief from a heavy world, A baker’s dozen of cozy mysteries, and 16 page-turning mysteries that aren’t too dark and gloomy.
About the author
Brigid Misselhorn is our MMD Book Club Community Administrator. Her go-to genres are mystery, romance, and sci-fi. You can find Brigid on Instagram @brigid_emily.
48 comments
I love the Expectant Detectives series (just two books so far) by Kat Ailes. So funny! A great cast of characters who are pregnant in the first book and have year-old babies in the second book. Set in the Cotswolds and includes a dog, Helen, that always causes trouble. I alternated between reading the physical book and listening on audio and enjoyed the audio.
Oh fun Patti, I have seen this series in the library a few times and have wondered how they are! Thank you for the recommendation. Love a dog getting into trouble.
Absolutely loved Vera Wong‘s Unsolicited Advice For Murderers by Jesse Sutanto. Even more delightful on audio.
This was such a great book!
Yes, I was going to say the same thing! And…she has a new book publishing in April!
This list description speaks right to the hear of my pleasure reading. Love murder mysteries, but don’t like it too dark.
Agreed, Abby! I have to avoid thrillers for the most part for that very reason.
I just started listening to A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seals. Described as Miss Marple meets Pride and Prejudice. Beatrice is absolutely hilarious, and Mr. Grubb is 1000 time more disgusting that Mr. Collins.
Oh Melanie! This is one of my absolute favs and I am so glad you mentioned it! You are in for a hilarious treat for sure.
(I didn’t include it on this list since I have already waxed poetic about it in a previous Summer Reading Guide and one of my earlier MMD posts- 21 spine-tingling but not TOO scary audiobooks for fall https://modernmrsdarcy.com/spine-tingling-but-not-too-scary-audiobooks-for-fall/ )
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto. So funny, especially on audio!
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers. I truly enjoyed the offbeat characters and the surprise ending.
Boy, I want to read all of these! A series I enjoy in this category–well, not usually laugh out loud funny, but amusing at least, is Lawrence Block’s series “The Burglar Who….” Bernie Rhodenbarr is a professional burglar (who runs an antiquarian bookstore as a cover), who in the course of burlary winds up as a suspect in a murder. Naturally he has to solve the murder to clear himself.
Yes, naturally he does!
Will definitely look these up, Thanks Judy!
I just listened to “Collared” (Andy Carpenter, #16) by David Rosenfelt and laughed throughout the whole book. I haven’t read any others in the series so luckily it worked fine as a stand alone.
Thank you for this great list! I enjoy a mystery with humor in it. I’ve listened to the Ernest Cunningham mysteries and Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies on Libby and loved both.
Thank you! Like many of us, I’m sure, I am needing some escapist literature right now. Last night I went searching for some and kept thinking what I really wanted was a warm-hearted and funny mystery like Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers (a book that would fit in well on this list), and here you are with a whole list of suggestions. I seriously appreciate it.
So glad you enjoyed the list and as a fellow escapist reader, hope you find a good mystery to read, Deirdre. And totally agree with all the Vera Wong suggestions in the chat! I also thought the Aunties series by the same author was funny.
Wow, I haven’t even heard of most of these and have only read a couple Murderbot mysteries, as well as Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone. When I think of funny whodunnits, I think of The Thursday Murder Club Series, as well as Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce series, But your list is intriguing!
Love those Flavia books, Suzy. And glad to hear many of these mysteries were new to you! I was on the hunt for some recent releases and under the radar picks.
Are there any mysteries that DON’T involve murder or at least one violent death? I think I’ve read some in the past, but at the moment what occurs to me is SPIDERWEB FOR TWO: :A Melendy Maze” by Elizabeth Enright, which is about an unusual treasure hunt; altho sleuths are children, puzzles & clues are intriguing.
THE CHRISTMAS BOOKSHOP by Jenny Colgan might also quality as humorous mystery, as feisty female protagonist gradually uncovers mysterious secret past of elderly owner–now that I think about it, his rambling store with unknown depths might have been inspired by TARDIS of Dr. Who (Colgan has also written Dr. Who novels).
As far as I can recall, mystery in FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK by Georgette Heyer doesn’t include murder (tho what falls out of secret panel is meant to scare); characters’ clever quips are evocative of a 1930’s movie, in fact the time novel was written, often called golden age of entertaining mysteries.
Maybe scanning the many titles on my GoodReads lists might refresh my memory.
I was just wondering the same thing the other day and I am happy to report that the new short story A CLASSIC CASE by Alicia Thompson fits the bill. It is part of the Busybodies collection on Amazon and available in both ebook and audiobook format. I have yet to read the other stories in the collection but will report back if I do.
(Free for Kindle Unlimited members and just a couple of dollars to purchase for those who are not part of Kindle Unlimited.)
I love Donna Andrew’s’ “bird” series. The first book, Murder With Peacocks, had me actually laughing. Great characters, nothing paranormal.
Also Krista Davis’ “diva” books. Not funny so much as fun.
Two of my very favorite series!
Oh my goodness, Listen for the Lie is such a fun read, and the grandmother’s 70 Birthday party was laugh out loud, and when I still need a chuckle, I think of that one section of that book. I highly recommend this book for a fun read.
That part is hilarious, Kay! It really is an entertainingly dark humor mystery.
I will have to check these out! Thank you for the recommendations, Jody.
Vivien Chien’s Noodle Shop mysteries are very entertaining. Delightful covers, too.
I have had these on my TBR list for years, Jeannette! They sound great.
I love Gigi Pandian’s Secret Staircase mysteries, but I haven’t read the Jaya Jones ones yet. Adding them to my TBR!
I need to try that series by her next, Kelli!
Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz! Such a fun read and there are multiple books in the series.
I loved these, too. Very funny and quirky.
M- Perfect timing cause I have copy of this checked out from the library! My mother in law loves this series.
I love Jana Deleon’s Miss Fortune Mysteries. I love the characters and laugh out loud when reading them. I think they need to be read in order.
This is my favorite mystery series when I need a laugh. The things Gertie gets up to . . . !
David Rosenfelt’s Andy Carpenter series is very entertaining, I really like his humour. You can read any one on its own but it’s more fun in order as you get to know the characters as they come in.
I recently had the pleasure of meeting a local Northern California author named Cindy Sample. Her 1st series, starting with Dying for a Date, features amateur sleuth and single soccer mom Laurel McKay. The books are set primarily in California Gold Country, and are filled with quirky characters and witty dialogue. I’ve only read one so far, but I look forward to completing the series.
I love the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. There are times I’ve almost fallen off the couch laughing! Not all of her escapades are murder mysteries. She’s a bail bonds investigator and some who skip bail are hilarious!
I love the Booking Agents series ( two books so far) with the first book being Grave Reservations. The main characters are a psychic travel agent and a Seattle police detective who team up to solve crimes. They are very fun and funny!
Oh Grave Reservation is so fun, Terri! Thank you for the reminder that I need to continue that series.
I’m such a fan of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series! Both funny and heartwarming they always put a smile on my face.
I love the Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt. Andy is a reluctant lawyer who has plenty of money and keeps trying to retire, but keeps getting dragged into cases for one reason or another. Usually, it involves someone innocent charged with murder, so Andy has to investigate to find the real killer. His snarky, dry wit is so fun! The author is a real life dog lover/rescuer, so there are dogs, always dogs!
These are exactly the kinds of mysteries I like!! Thank you! I would definitely add the Veronica Speedwell series to this list also.
I came here to recommend Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers but several other readers have beat me to it!
I would add the Finley Donovan series by Elle Cosimano.
Seconding the Ernest Cunningham books and the Flavia deLuce books.
Totally agree on Finley series, Jill. I think you would enjoy The Grim Reapers…. cause it had similar tone and humor.
I love the Finley Donovan series. I re-read the scene at Panera Bread with her agent over and over again; it never gets old . . . I always laugh. And I have loved the Ernest Cunningham books.
You helped me clarify the kinds of mysteries I like — thank you!! This is absolutely the mystery genre I adore. Jesse Suntanto’s mysteries and the Finlany Donovan series are among my favorites, and both are excellent on audio. Is the new Richard Osman book comedic enough to be in this category? I tried Thursday Murder Club and was not into it.
My favorite laugh-outloud series in no particular order: Finley Donovan (Elle Cosimano), Miss Fortune (Jana DeLeon), Claire Malloy (Joan Hess), Arly Hanks (Joan Hess), Stephanie Plum (Janet Evanovich), Southern Sisters (Anne George). Several are not current, but that makes them all the more endearing and each series read more than once.
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