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Imagine your terror at finding out that Jessica Fletcher was
moving from Cabot Cove to your neighborhood! Would you stay up at night just
wondering when this unassuming, friendly woman was going to befriend you? Would
you wonder which of your friends would be the first, and then second, third,
even fourth to die? I loved watching Jessica solve all the murders in Cabot
Cove, then when she ran out of neighbors, have to move to New York. If you are
reading this article about cozy mystery books, you probably have enjoyed
watching Jessica solve her way through one community after the next. She is a
prime example of a Cozy Mystery Heroine….
Cozy mysteries have become a booming business. Many cozy
mystery readers are intelligent women looking for a “fun read" that engages the
mind, as well as provides entertaining fun… something to “look forward to
getting back to." This is not to say that intelligent men don’t read
cozies…they do!
The crime-solver in a cozy mystery is usually a woman who is
an amateur sleuth. Almost always, she has a college degree’ whether she is
using it or not. Her education and life’s experiences have provided her with
certain skills that she will utilize in order to solve all the crimes that are
“thrown her way." The cozy mystery heroine is usually a very intuitive, bright
woman. The occupations of the amateur sleuths are very diverse: caterer, bed
and breakfast owner, quilter, cat fancier/owner, nun, gardener, librarian, book
store owner, herbalist, florist, dog trainer, homemaker, teacher, needlepoint
store owner, etc. These are just a few examples of what the amateur sleuth
does…. When she’s not solving crimes, that is!
The cozy mystery usually takes place in a small town or
village. The small size of the setting makes it believable that all the
suspects know each other. The amateur sleuth is usually a very likeable person
who is able to get the community members to talk freely (i.e. gossip) about
each other. There is usually at least one very knowledgeable and nosy (and of
course, very reliable!) character in the book who is able to fill in all of the
blanks, thus enabling the amateur sleuth to solve the case.
Although the cozy mystery sleuth is usually not a medical
examiner, detective, or police officer, a lot of times her best friend,
husband, or significant other is. This makes a very convenient way for her to
find out things that she would otherwise not have access to… Do you know any
caterers or dog trainers who have access to autopsy reports? I don’t! (Unless
you count some of my favorite cozy characters…)
At the same time, it is probably safe to say that the local
police force doesn’t take the amateur sleuth very seriously. They dismiss her
presence, almost as if she doesn’t exist. This of course, makes it convenient
for her to “casually overhear" things at a scene of the crime.
More and more, cozy mystery books are being written as parts
of a series. The reader becomes emotionally involved and connected with the
reoccurring characters. It’s almost as if the reader is “going home" to a
familiar place when she reads her next cozy mystery book in a series. (Of
course, publishers of these series must enjoy knowing that fans of a series
guarantee the success of each book in the series. It’s not uncommon for fans of
a cozy mystery series to pre-order a book before it is available at the
stores.)
In a series, it is important that the characters are
likeable, so that the reader will want to visit them again. The supporting
characters are equally important to the reader. It is for his reason that there
are so many funny, eccentric, and entertaining secondary characters. Can you
imagine wanting to read the second book in a series that has all of it’s
characters as scummy, low-life people, perpetrating evil deeds and being
downright mean all of the time?
Cozy mysteries are considered “gentle" books… no graphic
violence, no profanity, and no explicit sex. Most often, the crime takes place
“off stage" and death is usually very quick. Prolonged torture is not a staple
in cozy mysteries! The victim is usually a character who had terrible vices or
who treated others very badly. Dare I say…. the victim “deserved to die?" And,
there are usually connections between the victims (if indeed there are multiple
victims… which usually, in a cozy mystery, there are!), even though the reader
is not aware of the obvious connections until the amateur sleuth solves the
crimes.
Sex (if there is any) is always behind closed doors. It is
implied…. at most! Two characters may go from having a late-night, romantic
dinner to----fast forward----one person taking a cup of coffee up to their
partner, who is enjoying the delicious luxury of sleeping in. Enough said!
Cozy mysteries tend to be fast-paced, with several twists
and turns throughout each book. There are usually several red herrings to
provide distracting clues to the reader. The amateur sleuth is able to sift
through the clues, tossing the useless information out while analyzing the good
clues. There is a lot of puzzle solving involved in a cozy mystery.
The cozy mystery puts an emphasis on plots and character
development. You definitely could not convert a cozy mystery novel into an
“action movie" with a lot of car chases and young, gratuitously topless
actresses! An expression comes to mind that could easily differentiate the cozy
mystery from other types of mysteries…………. “Brains over Brawn" every time. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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