Many of us enjoy contrasting and comparing. Refer back to the blog post titled "My TOP TEN (10) Best Cozy Mysteries to Watch During the Holiday Season".
1. Murder, She Wrote — “A Christmas Secret”
Book Pairing: A Murder, She Wrote Christmas
(2016)
Author: Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain
Why Pair?
The TV episode and the holiday novel
both emphasize warmth over violence, focusing on
small-town secrets, charity events, and emotional resolution—ideal
for December reading by the fire.
2. Agatha Christie’s Poirot — “Hercule Poirot’s Christmas”
Book Pairing: Hercule Poirot’s Christmas
(1938)
Author: Agatha Christie
Why Pair?
This is one of the rare true
Christmas-set Christie novels. Reading it alongside the episode
enhances the locked-room tension and makes the family drama feel even
frostier.
3. Father Brown — “The Star of Jacob”
Book Pairing: The Innocence of Father Brown
(1911)
Author: G.K. Chesterton
Why Pair?
The episode draws on Chesterton’s
moral puzzles rather than a single story. Reading the collection
highlights how Father Brown’s insight into human nature drives both
versions.
4. Midsomer Murders — “Ghosts of Christmas Past”
Book Pairing: Faithful unto Death
(1989)
Author: Caroline Graham
Why Pair?
The book introduces Chief Inspector
Barnaby and the eccentric English villages that define the
series—perfect for readers who enjoy layered village secrets and
restrained suspense.
5. Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries — “Cocaine Blues”
Book Pairing: Cocaine Blues
(1990)
Author: Kerry Greenwood
Why Pair?
This is a direct adaptation. Reading
the novel first reveals Phryne Fisher’s sharper internal monologue
and social commentary, while the show adds visual glamour and warmth.
6. Agatha Christie’s Poirot — “The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding”
Book Pairing: The Adventure of the
Christmas Pudding (1960)
Author: Agatha
Christie
Why Pair?
Both the book and episode feel like
bite-sized holiday treats—short, clever, and
perfect for busy December nights.
7. Aurora Teagarden Mysteries — “A Bone to Pick”
Book Pairing: A Bone to Pick
(1999)
Author: Charlaine Harris
Why Pair?
This pairing showcases modern cozies
at their best: book clubs, inheritance mysteries, and an amateur
sleuth whose curiosity feels very reader-friendly.
8. Grantchester — Christmas Special
Book Pairing: Sidney Chambers and the
Shadow of Death (2012)
Author: James Runcie
Why Pair?
The book’s reflective tone and
post-war setting mirror the Christmas specials’ focus on faith,
forgiveness, and quiet emotional depth.
9. Agatha Christie’s Marple — “A Caribbean Mystery”
Book Pairing: A Caribbean Mystery
(1964)
Author: Agatha Christie
Why Pair?
Sunlit escapism paired with classic
deduction—reading this during winter offers a cozy mental vacation
without losing that comforting puzzle-solving rhythm.
10. Murder on the Orient Express (2017 Film)
Book Pairing: Murder on the Orient Express
(1934)
Author: Agatha Christie
Why Pair?
Few mysteries reward rereading like
this one. Watching after reading invites reflection on the moral
ambiguity that makes it a timeless December/New Year’s choice.
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