♪♫ Its the most wonderful crime of the year! ♫♪ As the days get shorter and colder, and we’re driven inside earlier and earlier in the day, I can’t help but long for something cozy. And what better way to get cozy than to curl up in a warm blanket, with a hot beverage, and a good book? Today, we’re going to look at perhaps the coziest genre available–cozy mysteries!
What are Cozy Mysteries and Why Do We Like Them?
Cozy Mysteries are a type of mystery that generally feature a few specific things:
- The crime happens “off screen”
- There is no graphic violence, swearing, or sexual content
- The “detective” is not a member of law enforcement, but is usually an average person such as a baker, knitter, or librarian
- The detective is also usually a woman
- The setting is usually a small town
Readers enjoy cozy mysteries because they provide the thrill of solving a mystery without having to worry about the blood and guts that comes from other types of murder mysteries. While these stories will often still feature death, the means will be a bit more tame, such as someone eating a poisoned cookie, as opposed to someone getting their head lopped off. I think, too, there’s a thrill in reading a story where an average person solves the crime. If you’re a bit of an armchair sleuth yourself, it’s certainly easy to put yourself into the position of the detective and pretend that you could do this, too.
Death by Chocolate, by the Book…
My favorite part of cozy mysteries are the titles. They are incredibly clever, punny, and fun. And best of all, it can be a really helpful tip to potential readers, letting them know what kind of detective this story will have. Here are just a few examples of what I mean:
- A Cup of Flour, a Pinch of Death
- Hot and Sour Suspects
- Death by Bubble Tea
- Cheddar Off Dead
- Death Bee Comes Her
- Mousse and Murder
- Assault and Pepper
You get the idea!
Every Flavor of Death
Cozies come in many different varieties. Here are just a few to keep you entertained!
- Culinary Mysteries: The sleuth is a baker, a cook, or a caterer, serving up justice along with the meal
- Pets: The detective is a cat, dog, or other crime-solving animal
- Bookish: These stories are set in a library, or a bookstore, and the detective can be a librarian, bookseller, author, or just an avid reader!
- Retirement: Not one to let age slow them down, these detectives are 65+ and ready to solve some crimes!
Related Genres:
If you’re looking for something similar to a cozy mystery, here are a few other genres you might want to try:
- Whodunnits: These golden-age detective stories start with a crime (usually a murder) and spend the rest of the book trying to discover who did it. While it varies from book to book, they tend to be less graphic than other mystery subgenres.
- Historical Mysteries: These mysteries are set in the past, and focus a lot on historical details and setting
- Romance: Who doesn’t love love? These books are guaranteed to have a happy ending! ♥
- Cozy Fantasy: All the magic and world-building, but none of the life-or-death stakes
Recommended Reading:
Catering to Nobody (Diane Mott Davidson) Even though working a wake isn’t Goldy Bear’s idea of fun, the Colorado caterer throws herself into preparing a savory feast featuring Poached Salmon and Strawberry Shortcake Buffet designed to soothe forty mourners. Her culinary efforts seem to be exactly what the doctor ordered . . . until her former father-in-law, gynecologist Fritz Korman, is struck down–and Goldy is accused of adding poison to the menu. Now, with the Department of Health impounding her leftovers, her ex-husband trashing her name, and her business close to being shut down, Goldy knows she can’t wait for the police to serve up answers. She soon uncovers more than one skeleton in the closet, along with a veritable slew of unpalatable secrets–the kind that could make Goldy the main course in an unsavory killer’s next murder.
The Thursday Murder Club (Richard Osman) In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet weekly in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes; together they call themselves The Thursday Murder Club. There’s Red Ron, the infamous former socialist firebrand, still causing trouble; gentle Joyce, widowed, pining for another resident, but surely not as innocent as she seems; Ibrahim, a former therapist who understands the darker side of human nature; and Elizabeth? Well, no one is quite sure who she really is, but she’s definitely not a woman to underestimate. When a local developer is found dead, the Thursday Murder Club suddenly find themselves in the middle of their first live case. The friends might be septuagenarians, but they are cleverer than most. Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before its too late?
A Killer Plot (Ellery Adams) In the small coastal town of Oyster Bay, North Carolina, you’ll find plenty of characters, ne’er-do-wells, and even a few celebs trying to duck the paparazzi. But when murder joins this curious community, the Bayside Book Writers are there to get the story…Olivia Limoges is the subject of constant gossip. Ever since she came back to town-a return as mysterious as her departure-Olivia has kept to herself, her dog, and her unfinished novel. With a little cajoling from the eminently charming writer Camden Ford, she agrees to join the Bayside Book Writers, break her writer’s block, and even make a few friends. But when townspeople start turning up dead with haiku poems left by the bodies, anyone with a flair for language is suddenly suspect. And it’s up to Olivia to catch the killer before she meets her own surprise ending.
Wish You Were Here (Rita Mae Brown) Curiosity just might be the death of Mrs. Murphy—and her human companion, Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen. Small towns are like families: Everyone lives very close together. . .and everyone keeps secrets. Crozet, Virginia, is a typical small town-until its secrets explode into murder. Crozet’s thirty-something post-mistress, Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen, has a tiger cat (Mrs. Murphy) and a Welsh Corgi (Tucker), a pending divorce, and a bad habit of reading postcards not addressed to her. When Crozet’s citizens start turning up murdered, Harry remembers that each received a card with a tombstone on the front and the message “Wish you were here” on the back. Intent on protecting their human friend, Mrs. Murphy and Tucker begin to scent out clues. Meanwhile, Harry is conducting her own investigation, unaware her pets are one step ahead of her. If only Mrs. Murphy could alert her somehow, Harry could uncover the culprit before the murder occurs—and before Harry finds herself on the killer’s mailing list.
Shady Hollow (Juneau Black) Reporter Vera Vixen is a relative newcomer to Shady Hollow. The fox has a nose for news, so when she catches wind that the death might be a murder, she resolves to get to the bottom of the case, no matter where it leads. As she stirs up still waters, the fox exposes more than one mystery, and discovers that additional lives are in jeopardy. Vera finds more to this town than she ever suspected. It seems someone in the Hollow will do anything to keep her from solving the murder, and soon it will take all of Vera’s cunning and quickness to crack the case.
