Looking for lighthearted Murder / Mystery / Crime books that will make me laugh that I can listen to on audiobook. Nothing too smart or high brow, just looking for beachy who-done-it type stuff that don’t take a lot of brainpower to process, must be comedy. I really like LM Chilton. Some people say Freida McFadden is funny, but I haven’t really found that in the few of her books I’ve read. I’m looking for tangible goofiness, not comedy through absurd melodrama or what have you. Thank you!
by TheBoredMan
17 Comments
Stephanie Plum by Janet Evanovich (She’s a bounty hunter rather than a “detective”, but there are elements of mystery as she looks into cases and hunts her targets.)
Miss Fortune by Jana DeLeon
Both are full of weird, goofy characters with a Rube Goldberg machine of Three Stooges level chaotic catastrophes.
Benjamin Stevenson is pretty funny. I’ve only read the books, and have not listened to the audios, but I loved everyone on this train is a suspect
Jesse Q Sutantos audiobooks are funny. I really enjoyed Dial A for Aunties series and Vera Wongs Unsolicited Advicefor Murderers
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q Sutanto
Try Christopher Moore.
Also Agatha Christie’s “A Murder is Announced”, narrated by Rosemary Leach is very funny.
If you don’t mind a mystery/romance hybrid, you might enjoy Amanda Quick! Mistress, Garden of Lies, and Affair are all pretty mystery forward ones. Her books have a very Clue the Movie plus romance vibe that I find super calming and pleasant.
Finlay Donovan is Killing It, by Elle Cosimano
Check out squeeze me by Carl Hiaasen, or really most of his books
If you’re open to a bit of romance mixed in, the Sunshine Vicram trilogy by Darynda Jones, starting with A Bad Day for Sunshine
Ok full disclosure, I haven’t read these, but it sounds like you may be interested in the book Murder on Sex Island by Jo Firestone, and it’s sequel, Sex on Murder Island.
Chet and Bernie series. A PI and his dog. The dog narrates. Very clever.
The Ernest Cunningham series by Benjamin Stevenson, starting with [Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60879779).
I keep recommending The Perpetual Astonishment of Jonathon Fairfax by Christopher Shevlin. (Like I type “The P” and predictive text jumps right in, like it’s screaming “I know this one! I know this!)
I swear to you this book made me happy. It was my favorite of everything I read in 2025.
Just, at least listen to the sample. I double dog dare you to resist it!
Chet and Bernie series by Spencer Quinn
Mercy watts by Hartoin
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers and Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping on a Dead Man by Jesse Q. Sutanto
The Finlay Donovan books by Elle Cosimano
She Wrote Mostly Fiction. Really made me laugh while trying to solve the mystery.