Until fairly recently, if I looked at the crime fiction table at my local Waterstones, I would see an array of covers featuring eerie landscapes, sinister shadowy figures and young female murder victims. These days, however, I’m confronted with a multitude of cats, cakes and desirable properties, both in this country and abroad. Once redolent of a chamber of horrors, it’s starting to look more like my bucket list.
There has been a wholesale “cosification” of crime fiction: angst and evisceration are out, humour and gentle poignancy are in. And it doesn’t take Miss Marple to work out who is responsible.
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**The Telegraph reports:**
Until fairly recently, if I looked at the crime fiction table at my local Waterstones, I would see an array of covers featuring eerie landscapes, sinister shadowy figures and young female murder victims. These days, however, I’m confronted with a multitude of cats, cakes and desirable properties, both in this country and abroad. Once redolent of a chamber of horrors, it’s starting to look more like my bucket list.
There has been a wholesale “cosification” of crime fiction: angst and evisceration are out, humour and gentle poignancy are in. And it doesn’t take Miss Marple to work out who is responsible.
**Read more:** [**https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2025/08/21/richard-osman-cosy-crime-thursday-murder-club/**](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2025/08/21/richard-osman-cosy-crime-thursday-murder-club/)