Small towns, big secrets, and amateur sleuths who can’t leave well enough alone. My cozy mysteries keep the violence off the page and the humor, good food, and found family front and center. A few come with a sprinkle of the paranormal, too. Each series stands on its own, so start with whichever one calls to you. Within a series, the books are best read in order.

• The Alphabet Soup Mysteries: Chef Jessica Vasquez runs The Crock Pot in Dashwood, Texas, where murder keeps ending up on the menu.
• Burnt Ends Mysteries: Two estranged sisters and their forensics-student niece run Charlie Joe’s BBQ Shack in Prairie Rose, Texas, and try not to kill each other while they solve murders.
• Royal Griffen Hotel Mysteries: Dora Lee Griffen is 78, a fashion designer, and much sharper than her New York neighbors give her credit for. With her rescue dog Pippa at her side, she solves the murders the police can’t.
• A Medium with a Heart Series: Psychic medium Jo Webber sees ghosts in Creekview, Texas, and the ones who find her usually want their murders solved. The series is complete, so binge away.
• Cozy Purrch Café Mysteries: Alexis Belrose is a witch in hiding who runs a cat café in Larkspur Valley. The cats talk, but only to her.