Why You Should Read Cozy Mysteries: Part 2
What are cozy mysteries?
As a cozy mystery author, my most-asked question is, “What are cozy mysteries?” The quick answer is, “They’re kind of like a Hallmark mystery,” but that seems like a cop-out answer to me because cozy mysteries have a lot of characteristics that make them unique. And the things that make cozy mystery books unique are the exact same reasons you should read them!
If you missed Part 1, find it here.
Let’s dive into more reasons you should read cozy mysteries!
5. Cozy mysteries feature everyday people.
The people who solve the crimes in cozy mysteries are everyday people like you and me. We call these people amateur sleuths. They’re small business owners, small-town newspaper reporters, baristas, authors, administrative assistants, and so on.
These sleuths are usually NOT professional detectives. Instead, they’re someone who stumbles upon a dead body or whose loved one is falsely accused of a crime, and they take it upon themselves to try to solve the crime. Sometimes the local police department works somewhat willingly with the sleuth, but often the police shut them out. Either way, it’s an interesting dynamic!
The supporting cast of characters are the friends, family members, neighbors, and even “enemies” of the amateur sleuth. Some help the sleuth, others provide comic relief, and still others try to thwart them at seemingly every turn.
Regardless of who you are, you can easily imagine yourself as one of the characters in a cozy mystery.
6. Cozy mysteries have numerous suspects.
In cozy mystery stories, everybody’s a suspect! Not really, but it seems that way sometimes. Often the sleuth and/or one of their close friends or family members is a suspect, which makes it all the more imperative to solve the crime as quickly as possible. Nobody wants their loved one to end up in jail for a crime they didn’t commit!
Throughout the story, different suspects come to light, and each of them have either the means, method, or opportunity. The sleuth’s job (and the reader’s!) is to determine who has all three so they can identify the real killer. But they have to be careful, because …
7. Cozy mysteries are full of red herrings.
A red herring is a clue or piece of evidence that’s intended to misdirect or distract the sleuth (and reader) of a cozy mystery. These are sprinkled throughout the book and often end in wild goose chases. And since cozy mysteries can be quirky, there might be a literal wild goose chase!
For seasoned cozy mystery readers, one of their goals is to try to spot the red herrings and not get drawn off track in their own quest to find the culprit.
8. Cozy mysteries are clean.
As you can probably imagine based on all the other characteristics of cozies, they’re full of good, clean fun. They don’t include adult themes or coarse language. For the most part, you can give one two a ten-year-old without wondering if they’ll read something inappropriate for their age.
Some cozies include a secondary romance storyline, but it’s not graphic by any means. Any physical contact is limited to what you might see in a Hallmark movie or PG romance, and sex isn’t mentioned outright.
Please note there are can be exceptions to these rules (as there are with any rules), so before giving a cozy mystery to a child, do your research or read it yourself first!
9. Cozy mysteries are usually written in a series.
I’ll admit I’m more likely to pick up a book if it’s part of a series. Why? Because if I love it, I can keep reading more books I love set in the same world with familiar characters! Cozy mystery books are almost always written in a series of four or more books. Some series even have more than twenty! I often don’t make it THAT far into a series because at some point I start to wonder, “Why do people keep living in this same small town where there’s a murder every two months for years on end?”
But overall, I love, love, love book series, so if you love reading books in a series, then cozy mysteries are definitely for you!
So there you have it: nine reasons why you should read cozy mysteries! I hope I’ve convinced you to try out this genre if you haven’t before.
A great place to start is with my Totally 80s Mysteries. This complete cozy mystery series takes you back to the 1980s, when solving crimes looked totally different than it does today. Join church secretary Beckett Monahan as she takes it upon herself to solve a series of crimes in her small Midwestern town.