Okay, that might have been a little misleading. I’m talking about “cozy” mysteries and the book I just picked up at the library after seeing the author’s guest appearance at Helen Ginger’s blog, Straight from Hel.
I’m reading Dead Air: A Talk Radio Mystery by Mary Kennedy. It’s off to a great start…a talk show therapist with scads of bizarre callers makes an interesting protagonist. And it doesn’t hurt to have a handsome and sexy cop in the picture.
Which leads me to talk about cozy mystery series. I’m always interested in new ideas authors have for creating a market niche with a unique setting, or an unusual vocation or hobby for the protagonist, or a bizarre cast of characters in an unlikely location.
Just from Colorado authors there are knitting mysteries (Maggie Sefton), bird watching series (Christine L. Goff), and home crafting mysteries about everything from making soap to cheese (Cricket McRae). Diane Mott Davidson writes about Goldy Bear’s Catering Service and Beth Groundwater’s new series will feature a white water river ranger.
I like to visit a website called Cozy Mystery List. Here mysteries are categorized by everything from setting to protagonists’ occupations. There are series that feature animals, stories grouped by location, mysteries with senior sleuths and more. Not all cozy authors are listed, but it’s a great place to start if you’re searching for something new and different.
Are you a fan of cozy mysteries? If so, who are your favorite authors?