Mystery/Thriller

Is this a Real Punny Cozy Mystery Title, or Not? 

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Elisa Shoenberger

Contributor

Elisa Shoenberger has been building a library since she was 13. She loves writing about all aspects of books from author interviews, antiquarian books, archives, and everything in between. She also writes regularly for Murder & Mayhem and Library Journal. She's also written articles for Huffington Post, Boston Globe, WIRED, Slate, and many other publications. When she's not writing about reading, she's reading and adventuring to find cool new art. She also plays alto saxophone and occasionally stiltwalks. Find out more on her website or follow her on Twitter @vogontroubadour.

There’s nothing quite like a good punny title for a cozy mystery. Who can resist reading a book called Eggescutive Orders or To Helvetica and Back? For the dubious, yes, those are real book titles. The former is the third book in the White House Chef Mystery series by Julie Hyzy; the latter is the first in Paige Shelton’s Dangerous Type Mystery series.

While some folks have likely groaned at them, I love these punny titles. All of them. I love the clever wordplay and the signaling that what you are about to read is going to be good fun, which is why I’m reading cozies in the first place.

In fact, the Economist wrote about their own punny titles in 2017, including: “Rooms for improvement” (in a story about British housing); “Though Mooch is taken, Mooch abides” (on the firing of Anthony Scaramucci).” So cozy mysteries are in good company. The article noted that while some say puns are the lowest form of humor, it noted, “Yet puns demand intelligence, creativity, and general knowledge: the best draw on cultural references, allude to several things at the same time and are intricately constructed.” The article noted that there was a monthly pun competition in New York called the Punderdome. It appears that it is still alive and kicking.

So in honor of all things great and punny, I’ve put together this quiz of punny cozy titles. Can you find the real punny title, or will you choose the fake one that I created? (Of course, I’m hoping that someone might be inspired to use these titles!) Will you come up all roses or be in deep fried trouble?

a woman laughing with a book in her lap
Photo by Allef Vinicius on Unsplash

Below are the results. Only Look once you’ve taken the quiz, lest you get spoilers:

Curds of Prey by Korina Moss, Book 3 in A Cheese Shop Mystery

A Good Day to Pie by Misha Popp, 2nd book in the Pies Before Guys series

Murder is a Piece of Cake by Valerie Burns, 2nd in A Baker Street Mystery Series

Photo Finished by Christin Brecher, first in A Picture Perfect Cozy Mystery

A Fatal Groove by Olivia Blacke, Book 2 in the Record Shop Mysteries

Pleading the Fish by Bree Baker, 7th book in the Seaside Café Mysteries

A Game of Cones by Abby Collette, 2nd book in An Ice Cream Parlor Mystery

Digging Up Daisy by Sherry Lynn, 1st book in A Mainely Murder Mystery Series

A Spell for Trouble by Esme Addison, 1st book in An Enchanted Bay Mystery

Misfortune Cookie by Vivien Chien, 9th book in A Noodle Shop Mystery

The Plot and the Pendulum by Jenn McKinlay, 13th book in the Library Lover’s Mystery Series

Silent Bud Deadly by H.Y. Hanna, 2nd book in the English Cottage Garden Mysteries


Want more mystery quizzes? Here’s a quiz to find out if you are the sleuth or the sidekick. Or interested in reading actual cozies with punny titles? Here’s a great list! Go forth and have some pun!