I write cozies, so the number one question I get is … “But what exactly is a cozy mystery?”
Glad you asked! A cozy is a subgenre of mystery (for more on genres, check out Genres and the Readers Who Love Them). Cozies are PG or G-rated murder mysteries with no graphic violence, typically set in a quaint town. They are murder-lite. They’re the Norman Rockwell of mysteries.
They’re a refreshing escape from the modern world.
Cozies are incredibly fun to read and so much fun to write. There is no sex, no cursing, and no overt danger. You can share a cozy mystery with your mother-in-law and not get embarrassed by an unexpected raunchy scene. You can listen to them on an audio book in your car and not have to roll the windows up at a stop light. They are, by definition, safe for work.
The most fun thing about cozies is usually the hook, i.e. the main character’s passion. It can be a hobby or how they make a living, but it’s usually fun and relaxing and, well, cozy. The main character (MC) can own a bed and breakfast or work in a library or run a coffee shop. She (because the MC is typically a ‘she’ in cozies) might knit or bake or have a great eye for antiques. No matter what the hook is, the MC isn’t a professional sleuth (or PI or cop) but the hook always ties into the mystery somehow.
Another thing I love about cozies is that the victim almost always ‘deserved it.’ They’re trying to sell historic City Hall to be torn down by evil developers. They’re setting off sirens to disrupt the mating habits of endangered birds that only nest in a fifteen mile range. They’re selling regular bread and labeling it as “gluten-free.” In many cases, their death is an accident, or is straight-up karmic justice, and as a reader, sometimes you even find yourself rooting for the killer!
There are so many wonderful possibilities in cozies. I love writing cozy mysteries because it’s like weaving a warm sweater with a riddle hidden in the yarn. I also like twisting the rules and pushing the limits to add my own unconventional imagination to the mix. I enjoy breathing life into characters that can bake the perfect cookie and save the day at the same time.
Just remember that in every cozy – conventional or otherwise – there’s always a mystery to be solved, a hook to explore, and a location to fall in love with. Reading a cozy is like taking a vacation with your best friends with a few challenging puzzles sprinkled in for added adventure. And, sometimes, there might even be a little romance to spice up your trip.
#TheWriteLife #OliviaBlacke #killermystery
