10 Best Humorous Mystery Books Brimming with Wit
If you're someone who likes to unravel plot twists while chortling over satirical punchlines, then boy, do we have a treat for you! We're about to delve into the wacky world of humorous mystery novels, where laughter and intrigue go hand-in-hand. These aren't your run-of-the-mill whodunits, rather they are a delightful buffet of comedic capers wrapped in suspenseful narratives.
From cleverly written characters who wield their wit as efficiently as they solve mysteries, to plot lines that keep you on the edge of your seat even as you chuckle, these novels create a perfect blend of comedy and thrill. We promise they won't disappoint - especially if your sense of humour thrives in the absurd, satirical, or just plain hilarious.
And it's not all about belly laughs. These books are smart and their authors, masters of their craft, effortlessly intertwine comedy and mystery creating stories that will keep you thoroughly entertained from start to finish. Countless twists, surprising revelations, and sharp dialogue will have you flicking through the pages late into the night.
So without further ado, let's get to exploring the 10 best humorous mystery books brimming with wit. Buckle up, reader, you're in for a wild ride!
『Finlay Donovan Is Killing It』
"Getting the job done" for one single mom takes on a whole new meaning in Finlay Donovan is Killing It. A USA Today bestseller! One of Suspense Magazine's "Best Thrillers of 2021" One of New York Public Library's Best Books of 2021 Nominated for the Left Coast Crime 2022 Lefty Award for the Best Humorous Mystery “Finlay Donovan is irresistible!”—Janet Evanovich Finlay Donovan is killing it . . . except, she’s really not. She’s a stressed-out single-mom of two and struggling novelist, Finlay’s life is in chaos: the new book she promised her literary agent isn’t written, her ex-husband fired the nanny without telling her, and this morning she had to send her four-year-old to school with hair duct-taped to her head after an incident with scissors. When Finlay is overheard discussing the plot of her new suspense novel with her agent over lunch, she’s mistaken for a contract killer, and inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a problem husband in order to make ends meet . . . Soon, Finlay discovers that crime in real life is a lot more difficult than its fictional counterpart, as she becomes tangled in a real-life murder investigation. Fast-paced, deliciously witty, and wholeheartedly authentic in depicting the frustrations and triumphs of motherhood in all its messiness, hilarity, and heartfelt moments, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is the first in a brilliant new series from YA Edgar Award nominee Elle Cosimano.
Author | Elle Cosimano |
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Price | $9.99 |
Publisher | Minotaur Books |
Release Date | Feb 02, 2021 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Moving Toyshop』
When a poet, Richard Cadogan, receives an unexpected £50 advance from his publisher for his new poetry book, he decides to go to Oxford for a well deserved holiday. The change of scenery and peace of mind is what he needs to recover his inspiration for writing, but little he suspects that what he envisioned as a leisurely time spent on long walks and visiting friends will turn into a mystery solving adventure full of unexpected and dangerous twists. After an eventful train journey, Cadogan arrives in Oxford late at night only to realise that he has forgotten the exact address of his stay. Relying on a distant memory of the place he boarded in years ago he accidentally enters a toyshop where, to his surprise and fright, he finds the dead body of a women. Before he knows he is knocked out and spends his first night of the holidays locked in the backroom of the shop. When he finally recovers from the concussion the body is gone and the toyshop turned mysteriously into a grocery store, and Cadogan himself is accused of trespassing and stealing food. Luckily for the puzzled poet his old university friend, the professor of literature, Gervase Fen is there ready to plunge into the midst of this mystery. The Moving Toyshop, first published in 1946, is Edmund Crispin's most famous novel featuring eccentric amateur detective, Gervase Fen.
Author | Edmund Crispin |
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Price | $6.8 |
Publisher | A&C Black |
Release Date | May 15, 2014 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Spellman Files』
Izzy Spellman, a twenty-eight-year-old amalgamation of Nancy Drew and Bridget Jones, launches her career as a private investigator while working for the firm of her outlandishly dysfunctional family. A first novel. Reprint.
Author | Lisa Lutz |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Simon and Schuster |
Release Date | Jan 27, 2009 |
Source | Google Books |
『One for the Money』
Discover where it all began—the first “snappily written, fast-paced, and witty” (USA TODAY) novel in the beloved Stephanie Plum series featuring a feisty and funny heroine who “comes roaring in like a blast of very fresh air” (The Washington Post), from Janet Evanovich, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dirty Thirty. Meet Stephanie Plum, a bounty hunter with attitude. In Stephanie’s opinion, toxic waste, rabid drivers, armed schizophrenics, and August heat, humidity, and hydrocarbons are all part of the great adventure of living in Jersey. She’s a product of the “burg,” a blue-collar pocket of Trenton where houses are attached and narrow, cars are American, windows are clean, and (God forbid you should be late) dinner is served at six. Out of work and out of money, Stephanie blackmails her bail-bondsman cousin Vinnie into giving her a try as an apprehension agent. Stephanie knows zilch about the job requirements, but she figures her new pal, el-primo bounty hunter Ranger, can teach her what it takes to catch a crook. Her first assignment: nail Joe Morelli, a former vice cop on the run from a charge of murder one. Morelli’s the inamorato who charmed Stephanie out of her virginity at age sixteen. There’s still powerful chemistry between them, so the chase should be interesting…and could also be extremely dangerous.
Author | Janet Evanovich |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Scribner |
Release Date | Jun 04, 2019 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Deep End』
Swimming into the lifeless body of her husband's mistress tends to ruin a woman's day, but becoming a murder suspect can ruin her whole life. It's 1974 and Ellison Russell's life revolves around her daughter and her art. She's long since stopped caring about her cheating husband, Henry, and the women with whom he entertains himself. That is, until she becomes a suspect in Madeline Harper's death. The murder forces Ellison to confront her husband's proclivities and his crimes--kinky sex, petty cruelties and blackmail. As the body count approaches par on the seventh hole, Ellison knows she has to catch a killer. But with an interfering mother, an adoring father, a teenage daughter, and a cadre of well-meaning friends demanding her attention, can Ellison find the killer before he finds her?
Author | Julie Mulhern |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Country Club Murders |
Release Date | Feb 17, 2020 |
Source | Google Books |
『Fearless Fourteen』
Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum and her motley companions--including Grandma Mazur, vice captain Joe Morelli, and Bob the Dog--become entangled in an adventure involving the Burg's premier funeral home and a family pot roast.
Author | Janet Evanovich |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | St. Martin's Paperbacks |
Release Date | Jun 23, 2009 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Eyre Affair』
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The first novel in the renowned Thursday Next series, which “combines elements of Monty Python, Harry Potter, Stephen Hawking, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (The Wall Street Journal). “A literary wonderland [that] recalls Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker series [and] the works of Lewis Carroll.”—USA Today Meet Thursday Next, “part Bridget Jones, part Nancy Drew, and part Dirty Harry” (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times), a literary detective without equal, fear, or boyfriend—and welcome to a surreal version of Great Britain, circa 1985, where time travel is routine, cloning is a reality (dodos are the resurrected pet of choice), and literature is taken very, very seriously. England is a virtual police state where an aunt can get lost (literally) in a Wadsworth poem, militant Baconians heckle performances of Hamlet, and forging Byronic verse is a punishable offense. All this is business as usual for Thursday, renowned Special Operative in literary detection, until someone begins kidnapping characters from works of literature. When Jane Eyre is plucked from the pages of Brontë’s novel, Thursday must track down the villain and enter a novel herself to avert a heinous act of literary homicide. Don’t miss any of Jasper Fforde’s delightfully entertaining Thursday Next novels: THE EYRE AFFAIR • LOST IN A GOOD BOOK • THE WELL OF LOST PLOTS • SOMETHING ROTTEN • FIRST AMONG SEQUELS • ONE OF OUR THURSDAYS IS MISSING • THE WOMAN WHO DIED A LOT
Author | Jasper Fforde |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Penguin |
Release Date | Feb 25, 2003 |
Source | Google Books |
『Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure』
Tara Holloway has got your number. A special agent on the IRS's payroll, she's dead-set on making sure that money crimes don't pay... Tax cheats, beware: The Treasury Department's Criminal Investigations Division has a new special agent on its payroll. A recovering tomboy with a head for numbers, Tara's fast becoming the Annie Oakley of the IRS—kicking ass, taking social security numbers, and keeping the world safe for honest taxpayers. Or else. Tara's latest mission finds her in hot pursuit of ice-cream vendor Joseph "Joe Cool" Cullen. Along with frozen treats he's selling narcotics—and failing to report his ill-gotten gains on his tax returns. Over Tara's dead body. Then there's Michael Gryder, who appears to be operating a Ponzi scheme...with banker Stan Shelton...whose lake house is being landscaped by Brett Ellington...who happens to be dating Tara. If following that money trail isn't tough enough, now Tara must face a new conundrum: Should she invest her trust in Brett—or put him behind bars? New love always comes at a cost but justice? Priceless.
Author | Diane Kelly |
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Price | $11.99 |
Publisher | St. Martin's Paperbacks |
Release Date | Nov 01, 2011 |
Source | Google Books |
『Spying in High Heels』
L.A. shoe designer, Maddie Springer, lives her life by three rules: Fashion. Fashion. Fashion. But when she stumbles upon the work of a brutal killer, her life takes an unexpected turn from Manolos to murder. And things only get worse when her boyfriend disappears - along with $20 million in embezzled funds - and her every move is suddenly under scrutiny by the LAPD's sexiest cop. With the help of her post-menopausal bridezilla of a mother, a 300 pound psychic and one seriously oversexed best friend, Maddie finds herself stepping out of her stilettos and onto the trail of a murderer. But can she catch a killer before the killer catches up to her...
Author | Gemma Halliday |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Createspace Independent Publishing Platform |
Release Date | Jan 01, 2011 |
Source | Google Books |
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Price | unknown |
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Source | Google Books |
In the end, the laughs you seek may sometimes lie in the most unexpected corners, twisty turns and concealed clues. A well-written humorous mystery book delivers just that - an exhilarating rollercoaster ride filled with wit, humor, suspense and mind-boggling whodunits. The books listed are exceptional examples of this wonderfully unique genre. Take a walk with these flawed yet endearing sleuths, feel the thrill of unraveling clues and chuckle at the perfectly timed comedic undertones that punctuate tense suspense-filled moments. Remember, laughter is not just the best medicine; it's the perfect accompaniment to mystery too. So why not make some popcorn, cozy up in your favorite reading corner, and plunge into a world where humor and mystery dance an intricate tango. Guaranteed, these books will keep you smirking, chuckling, and guessing - all at the same time. After all, who said a good mystery should always have a seriously stern face. Enjoy the read, and here's to many more moments of mystery and merriment!
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