The Comfy Cozy Mystery

Murder. Mayhem. Clues, Suspects, and Lies. A red herring or two. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

Throw in an amateur sleuth, a small charming town or village, a cast of eccentric characters, a victim, and you have a cozy mystery.

Sound a little like Cabot Cove? Jessica Fletcher and Murder, She Wrote is an iconic picture of what a cozy mystery is. Cozies focus on plot and character development; they are like a puzzle you can’t stop working.

I love a good mystery. Mysteries are all around us, in many different forms. Just this morning it was a mystery to me where all the coffee went. I mean, it’s morning, I need coffee. Did someone sneak in and steal all my coffee? Did I forget to buy coffee? Did I drink all the coffee without realizing it was now gone? Would someone be killed because there is no coffee? No coffee could be motive. I questioned my husband and my son, but they claimed to know nothing about my coffee. No, there can only be one suspect in this mystery – me. I’m the only one in my house who drinks coffee. Well, unless my mom is visiting, and I would never accuse her of such a nefarious crime. Besides, she always comes to my house bearing gifts of the delightful roasted beans.

To some people, it may seem that a cozy mystery is like drinking decaf, but cozies have twists and turns, the unexpected, and those nasty little “red herrings” to throw you off. No, cozies are full-caff, exciting fun.

There’s nothing like following along with our nosy heroine, or hero, as they gather clues, rub people the wrong way with their questions and accusations, and get their side-kicks in all kinds of trouble, or vice versa – all done as they doggedly pursue the killer. The fun is in solving the crime, getting to the end of the book and finding you were right! DING, DING, DING – weekend satisfaction complete!

A murder does occur. But, traditionally, there is little to no actual violence in a cozy. The murder takes place off the pages of the book, and is only mildly described, with a sparing amount of blood and gore. Again, the focus is on plot and solving the “puzzle”.

Our want-to-be detective will have a connection to the local sheriff or police. It may be a family member on the police force, a spouse, or close friend affiliated with local law enforcement. But whatever form, our clever bloodhound will have a way to get the scoop on some important clues for their investigation.

Another thing about cozies is that – again, I’ll say traditionally – there is no…er…sex. Well, at least not explicit…um…sex. No, any…sex…is generally implied. This means I can share my cozy mysteries with my mom, my aunts, or my church friends, without any embarrassment or questions like, “What kind of books are you giving me?” (Of course, these days, this rule isn’t completely, strictly adhered to with all cozy authors, and there may be some subdued descriptive scenes)

Also, generally, profanity is nonexistent, or held to a minimum. But, times they are a’changing. You may come across the occasional bad language.

While there are some cozies written with a male protagonist, our amateur sleuth is usually a woman. I have nothing against female sleuths, but, I would like to see more strong male characters in this lead role.

It’s true that classic cozies are set in a captivating small town or village. The reality is that today small towns are vanishing, so modern cozies may tend to use something like a bakery or bookstore as the setting. This allows our cast of characters a common place to be together and build relationships…and solve murders!

Cozies are fun, quirky, engaging, and entertaining. As a reader, you can’t wait to get back to characters that feel like friends, and the little town that feels like home.

Of course, there are all those pesky murders.

Have a favorite cozy author or series? I would love to hear from you!