Cozy Case Files, Volume 27: A Cozy Minotaur Sampler

by Carolyn Haines, Katie Holt (Editor), Elizabeth Penney

Looking for a new cozy series? In the new edition of Cozy Case Files, Minotaur Books compiles the beginnings of seven charming cozy mysteries publishing in Spring/Summer 2026 for free and easy sampling.

The twenty-seventh edition of Cozy Case Files features cozies from the following Carolyn Haines, Elizabeth Penney, Sandra Jackson-Opoku, Cate Conte, Donna Andrews, Jo Nichols, and Vivien Chien.

Unravel a farmer's disappearance with the help of Mississippi's resident ghost and spirit guide in Ode to the Bones. Investigate the death of a historian during a Viking festival before it's too late in Dungeons and Danger. Help Savvy clear her name after someone is found dead at a company luncheon Savvy catered in Savvy Summers and the Po'boy Perils. Uncover how a cat could be tied to a ghostly island legend and two disappearances in Purranormal Activity. Solve a murder on a horse farm while also trying to keep horses safe in Probable Caws. Prove the innocence of the cottage owner's friend who has been accused of murder in Murder on Charity Lane. Attend a birthday party that ends with someone's ex in a dumpster in And Then There Were Bun.

236 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 21, 2026

About the author

Carolyn Haines is the USA Today bestselling author of over 70 books. In 2020, she was inducted into the Alabama Writers Hall of Fame. She was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alabama Library Association, the Harper Lee Award for Distinguished Writing, the Richard Wright Award for Literary Excellence, as well as the "Best Amateur Sleuth" award by Romantic Times. Born and raised in Mississippi, she now lives in Alabama on a farm with more dogs, cats, and horses than she can possibly keep track of.

Reviews

[Marseydoats · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of these stories were good, but the Donna Andrews was AMAZING! I can't wait for the new book to release in August!

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this mix of familiar and new to me authors. Two that caught my eye were authors I haven’t read before with Dungeons and Danger (a historian dies during a Viking festival) and Purranormal Activity (the start of a cat-themed mystery). I also enjoyed the wide range of professions among the female sleuths across each of the stories. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Lora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cozy Case Files, Volume 27 is St.Martin’s Spring/Summer 2026 Sampler. This is a collection I always look forward to, offering sneak peeks at new books from some of my favorite authors. I wish more publishers would release sampler collections like this. It has definitely left me excited for the upcoming releases featured here.

[Mysteryfan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I made a mistake when I picked this up. I thought it was a collection of novelettes. It's actually the opening chapters for several upcoming cozies, some by new-to-me authors, other familiar ones. I was reminded of Vivien Chien's series and got a taste of Donna Andrews new one. The one by Elizabeth Penney looked intriguing. So no regrets