Many of you know how much I love science fiction, but you
may not know what my other favorite genre is. Actually, I’m a HUGE cozy mystery
fan.
I had the opportunity to share this little known fact with
some writer friends a few weeks ago and was shocked to learn that not everyone
knows what a cozy mystery is. But this is understandable when I think about it.
The publishing heyday of cozies was back in the 80s and 90s.
I grew up reading classic cozies from Agatha Christie. But I
cut my teeth on some of the masters like Elizabeth Peters (Amelia Peabody,
Jacqueline Kirby, and Vicky Bliss), Alisa Craig—writing as Charlotte MacLeod
(Grub-and-Stakers, Peter Shandy, and Sarah Kelling & Max Bittersohn),
Carolyn Hart (Death on Demand, and Henri O), and Ellis Peters (Brother
Cadfael).
There are some contemporary examples, most notably the Janet
Evanovich Stephanie Plum series and Sue Grafton’s alphabet series.
So what sets a cozy mystery apart?
I guarantee you it’s not just about little old ladies with
cats. Yes, Murder She Wrote falls within the genre, but there is so much more
to these amazing books.
A cozy mystery is a story where the sex and violence happen
off stage and are down-played. The hero is usually a heroine. A large number of
the protagonists are women. But these women are intelligent, resourceful, and
intuitive. They aren’t usually professionals who would be involved with crime,
but there are notable exceptions.
The idea behind a cozy is an intellectual read where the
reader has the same chance of solving the mystery as the writer. The writer
must play fair and place the clues where the reader can find them. But they do
NOT have to be obvious.
The setting of cozies is of prime importance. Even f set in
a larger metropolis, the idea is to create a village setting where the main
characters gather and know each other. In a cozy the setting is truly one of
the characters and because the reader identifies with it so much series are
common.
The crime is always (okay, there are a few exceptions, but
I’m not fond of them) a murder and the murderer is typically rational and often
highly intelligent and articulate.
A lot of cozies revolve around a career or hobby, such as
Diane Mott Davidson’s cozies which revolve around cooking.
Now that I’ve introduced you to the genre, do you have any
favorites? (Can anyone say, The Cat Who?) I’d love to know and discover some new cozy gems.
Don’t forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie
Hi, Edie, Loved the Cat books as a teen. Also came to love Mrs. Pollifax - just reread one not too long ago. Great explanation of the cozy! Great job with genre talk! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed Mrs. Pollifax, too. I also love the Anne Perry books. Thanks for stopping by, Blessings, E
DeleteOoh, The Cat Who... So sorry there won't be anymore. Amelia Peabody's adventures are my favorite. Unfortunately, we've read the last of those, too.
ReplyDeleteSandra, I'm now using my Audible credits and getting all the Amelia books on audio. It's fun getting to experience them again. Thanks so much for dropping in! Blessings, E
DeleteThanks for defining cozy mystery for us. I too, wondered how it differed from other mysteries.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn, I'm glad it was helpful. Thanks so much for stopping by, Blessings, E
DeleteI love the Mrs. Pollifax series - a grandmotherly woman who knows karate and always wanted to be in the FBI - she gets sent around the world on wonderful adventures. I've read them all.
ReplyDeleteHeather, I think you've hit on why we all love cozies so much. Each of us wants to be that character, and because they're so 'ordinary' we see the possibilities! Thanks for sharing, Blessings, E
DeleteAnne George's Southern Sisters mysteries. Love them. Even got my husband to love them, too.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's a great series too! Thanks so much for sharing! Blessings, E
DeleteBecause of Janet Evanovich and Sue Grafton, I got hooked on mysteries and now write cozies. I like to figure out what clues are real and what are there to catch the reader whether I'm the reader or the writers. Thanks for sharing this information!
ReplyDeleteThat's so awesome! I signed up for email updates on your blog and I'm excited to read your books. Thanks so much for stopping by, Blessings, E
DeleteEdie, check out Radine Trees Nehring's 'To Die For' series. She's an Arkansas/Oklahoma author, and I absolutely love her cozies.
ReplyDeleteGayle, I haven't read any of hers yet. I'm definitely putting them on my must read list. Thanks for the suggestion! Blessings, E
DeleteMy favorite cozy detective? Hercule Poirot! The diminutive little Belgian always comes through with the solution to the crime...as soon as the little gray cells have time to work. I love cozies too and just finished writing my first one. Your definition is excellent- a closed circle of suspects in a controlled setting, clues and misclues well placed, no explicit anything, just a great read.
ReplyDeleteJack, he is a classic and one of the first I fell in love with! I think your definition is even better. Be sure to let us know when your book comes out! Blessings, E
DeleteThanks for defining Cozies. I hadn't thought about the Janet Evanovich and Sue Grafton books as being cozies.
ReplyDeletePat, like most genres, it continues to evolve. Although the language is spicy, I've spent a lot of time studying Evanovich's dialogue. She's a master, especially at writing phone conversations. Fascinating stuff! Thanks for stopping by, Blessings, E
DeleteAs a librarian, I know this genre well however, not all cozy mysteries are JUST cozy. So many genres cross over now it's hard to put a label on the spine. I am the Readers Advisory Person at our library and I was amazed how many didn't know about Sudoku mysteries. Yup, that's right, and there are crossword puzzle mysteries. So much fun out there. Go to your local library or get on the web site and look at their data bases. You'll find all sorts of cozy mystery writers. Best wishes.....Beth
ReplyDelete