Finding Cozy or Traditional Mysteries

I've been asked many times "what are cozy mysteries?" -- it's an occupational norm for those who write them. Essentially they are mysteries that feature an amateur sleuth, minimal violence and swearing, and usually a small town setting. The sleuth's profession or hobby is often an important feature.

Similar to traditional mysteries, the cozy term is a more specific identifier. Traditional mystery authors (Agatha Christie, Dashiell Hammet, Earl Stanley Gardiner, Dorothy Sayers, Louise Penney, Terence Faherty) are not 'gory,' but have detailed murder descriptions and (dare I say it?) more elaborate plots. Their protagonists tend to be professional crime solvers, though not necessarily police. I think of these traditional crime solvers as spending more time in their heads than protagonists in cozies -- or thrillers, for that matter.

If you'd like to listen to podcast discussions about traditional mystery authors' books, head to the Classic Mystery Backlist. There are many wonderful lists of the books, this site gives you an audio option. It's a wonderful resource.

I use The Cozy Mystery Blog List as a resource for cozies. There are so many Facebook groups that deal with cozy mysteries, that you could hardly get through them in a morning. I often visit Lisa K's Book Reviews, Cozy Mysteries 24/7, Murder and Mayhem Cozy Mysteries, Joy's Clipboard Reviews, and Save Our Cozies.

One group that gives a great entree to the genre is Craving for Cozies, which has a 2017 challenge of sorts. Individuals post information on books they are reading or have read. You don't need to join the challenge, you can simply peruse the lists of those who have chosen to participate. You indicate the number of cozies you plan to read by 'joining' one of the categories. You could think of the grouping names as a level of addiction to the genre.

Peckish – 1 – 10 Cozy Mysteries
Famished – 11 – 20 Cozy Mysteries
Yearning – 21 – 40 Cozy Mysteries
Starving – 41 – 60 Cozy Mysteries
Ravenous – 61 – 80 Cozy Mysteries
Voracious – 81 – 100 Cozy Mysteries
Completely Satiated – 101 or more

I wish I had come across the group earlier, but it's never too late to join. I joined at the 'famished' level. The only drawback to trying to write three books this year is that I read less!! And I do read many other types of books. 

If you say you don't have time to read, think audiobooks. Probably half of my reading is done in the car -- I do drive a lot. I buy a few used ones to keep in the trunk (to avoid the agony of being without a book), but I generally get mine from the library. To share the joy, I did a blog post on inexpensive access to audiobooks.

Now that hot weather has reached the northern hemisphere, it's time to pull out a lawn chair and grab a book. Or five.
                                                   *     *     *     * Check out Elaine's web page, sign up for her classes, or receive her newsletter.