Reading Recommendations: Cosy Crime and Classic Sci-Fi

Dear listeners,

Welcome to the first reading recommendations newsletter of 2026! Once a month, I pop into your inbox to share what the Shedunnit team — that is, me and my production assistant Leandra — have been reading while we are making the show. Perhaps you will find some inspiration for what you might read next here? I hope so.

Caroline Has Read: A Case of Life and Limb by Sally Smith

If you're a reader of my personal blog/newsletter, you might remember that in December 2024 I received Sally Smith's debut historical crime novel, A Case of Mice and Murder, as a Christmas present and had read it by the end of Boxing Day. Imagine my delight when I opened a present from my husband this Christmas and found the sequel! I once again dedicated most of the 26th to reading it in full and had a lovely time. I'm not sure that Smith writes "cosy crime" precisely, but I certainly had a very cosy time with this crime novel.

Once again, Smith takes us back to the Inner Temple in London in the early 1900s, with her barrister-detective Gabriel Ward as our guide. This time, the case he must unravel mostly takes place within the walls of the Inner Temple (an ancient and peculiar community of lawyers in the City of London) as various residents have been receiving unpleasant parcels containing body parts. I liked this inward focus, since I find the setting one of the most fascinating things about this book. I also enjoyed Gabriel's gentle character growth over this book as he begins to admit that he can make space in his rigid routines for the occasional friend or pet. Long may his adventures continue.

Caroline Will Read: Curiosity Killed the Cat by Joan Cockin

The Shedunnit Book Club is reading this 1949 detective novel about a murder in a village taken over by the Ministry of Scientific Research during WW2 as our book for February, so I will be reading this one shortly so I can make the bonus episode about it. I'm very intrigued — Cockin seems like a fascinating person and I have high hopes for her crime fiction.

Leandra Has Read: Nobody's Baby by Olivia Waite

In this second instalment of the Dorothy Gentleman sci-fi mystery series, a baby is discovered on board the HMS Fairweather. As the passengers are hundreds of years into their trip to a new Earth with medical intervention preventing procreation, such an occurrence should be impossible. Ship detective Dorothy Gentleman not only has to uncover how this child came to be but also why the mother doesn't remember having him. Could something more sinister be at play?

I received an advanced reader's copy of Nobody's Baby from the publisher, and as I enjoyed my time with the first book, Murder By Memory, I looked forward to this being my first read of 2026. It's the perfect series of novellas for those who gravitate toward cozy mysteries. It's more character-driven than plot-driven, and the setting of this luxury interstellar liner takes centre stage. It was a light, relaxing way to start of my 2026 reading.

Leandra Will Read: Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees

As the Shedunnit Book Club is celebrating the hundredth anniversary of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd in January, I have been slowly reading a 1926 fantasy classic with a friend. We started this title before the December holiday season but then set it aside until the new year. It follows numerous inhabitants of the fictional city, Lud-in-the-Mist, who are slowly realising that they have a fairy problem. While the city borders the land of Faerie, it has been decades since they've severed their connections with their neighbours. In recent weeks, however, children are suspected of eating fairy fruit, the ex-mayor witnesses blood trickle down from the lid of a coffin, and Master Nathaniel Chanticleer keeps hearing "the Note". I am about halfway through this narrative and thoroughly enjoying it. The writing is lush, filled with beautiful descriptions, but it's also whimsical and packed with odd, humorous moments. I hope the final half is just as strong!

That's how we're starting the year, book wise! What are you going to be reading? You can let us know by replying directly to this email or by leaving a comment to join the conversation with other readers. We're also going to be recording a bonus episode shortly just for Shedunnit Book Club members all about our reading intentions for 2026, so if you aren't already a member, you might like to join in time to hear that in early February.

Until next time,

Caroline

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