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It’s the combination that goes together like tea and scones: food and mysteries.

Maybe it’s because writers spend so much time dreaming up plots, characters, alibis and red herrings that they miss too many meals. 

Of course, it’s not their fault. It’s difficult to remember to restock the fridge when your shopping list reads:

   • shampoo

   • milk

   • a place to stash Colleen’s   

       body

The Queen of Crime herself, Agatha Christie, was no slouch at mixing murder with a good meal. From Hercule Poirot with his perfectly symmetrical boiled eggs and endless pots of chocolat to Miss Marple, who was just as likely to discover an upper-crust dinner invite or a scrumptious four o’clock tea as she was a mystery to solve.

And Christie wasn’t alone. Dorothy Sayers and Rex Stout celebrated and glorified food. The Golden Age of Detective Fiction might as well have been called the Golden Age of Writing About Things We Wish We Were Eating Right Now.

And their audiences loved it. It was the Depression, after all. So if you couldn’t dine like a Duke, you could at least read about it. (And rejoice in the fact that you didn’t have a household staff who was stealing the silver or relatives likely to bump you off for the inheritance.) 

Today, readers can find a virtual smorgasbord in their contemporary mysteries, too. Cozies, in particular, are a rich source of menu ideas. And calories. From appetizers right through to dessert. Fresh local fare? Lynn Cahoon’s "Farm-to-Fork" series. Drinks with dinner? Lee Hollis’s "Food and Cocktails" mysteries. And for dessert, a few slices of something sweet from Karen Rose Smith’s "Daisy’s Tea Garden" series and Sarah Graves’s "Death by Chocolate" books. Or hire Diane Mott Davidson’s Goldy Schulz to cater the entire affair -- and unmask the culprit before the chafing dishes are cleared.

In the early days of the mystery story, food may not have had a starring role. But it was definitely starting to make a cameo appearance. While Sherlock Holmes was occupied with his pipe and his puzzles, Mrs. Hudson was fetching a second breakfast for diligent Dr. Watson.

Pity poor Edgar Allan Poe. While he’s credited with inventing the American detective story, he never really picked up on the idea of serving readers a light bite to go with it. 

Too bad. Even The Cask of Amontillado might have gone down better with a good cheese and a few crackers.

Eve Calder writes the Cookie House Mysteries, including AND THEN THERE WERE CRUMBS, where mysteries and food go together like cookies and milk.

I can't speak for anyone else, but here's how I prepped to write a cozy mystery about a star baker and her mouth-watering desserts.

We Are Bookish asked 22 writers which books we reach for when we need a little comfort and courage. Here are the picks. 

(And if you have time, drop me a line on Twitter, Goodreads or email and share yours. I'm curious to hear  what everyone's reading at the moment ... )

Hear  a  little  more  about  pastry  chef Kate  McGuire  --  and  what  makes  her  tick  --  in  my  Q&A  with  Criminal  Element.

With Coral Cay, I created my Florida dream town.  A comfortable village that’s big enough to support a downtown populated with shops, a local grocer and a bookstore. And small enough that the denizens know each other on sight.

Here's a little behind-the-scenes dish.