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?
Hi Patricia .. up until Mum’s illness I was always out and about .. but have read the odd ‘cozy’ since she’s been ill & enjoyed the books .. I used to love the detective series all varieties as a kid & still love some murder/detective series as light relief on tv – my switch off mode .. One day I shall get time to read more .. cheers Hilary
I like cozies. I haven’t read a ton of them, but they’re fun reads. Elizabeth Spann Craig’s Pretty is as Pretty Dies is terrific! And some of Agatha Christie’s would count as cozies I think – I’ve loved all of her books!
Hi Kay — I enjoy live readings — when Ann Parker was in Fort Collins, she read from her Leadville historical mystery series. Excellent introduction to a fine character.
I read cozies when the cover, tag line, and blurb lure me in. Cricket McRae’s books were the last I read … but a live reading lured me in there. Loved the voice of the main character.
I agree, Elizabeth, Mary’s an excellent writer. I’m enjoying “Dead Air” so much.
Oh, I do love them. 🙂 Mary is a friend–she and I are on a group together…lovely lady and does a lot of volunteer work for books for troops. Great writer, too!
I really haven’t read enough to know what’s cozy and what’s not! The Talk Radio idea sounds like a good one, though.
I love cozy books especially when the weather is bad outside and get seated comfortably on the settee and read.
Yvonne.
I read thrillers, too, and almost all other genres. But a good cozy is hard to beat when you want a quick, entertaining read. I enjoy them most on snow days (which it looks like we might have in a mini-version today).
I enjoy a nice mix of cozy and thriller. Thanks for the link, I’ll definitely check out that.
Mason
Thoughts in Progress
I don’t read many cozy mysteries. I like larger or multiple settings with diversity of characters. Oh, and wormholes too.
Think I’m more of a thriller fan…
I like some cozy series. I consider Agatha Christie cozy and love her.
While I can’t profess to be a diehard fan of the genre (Charlaine Harris/Sookie Stackhouse, etc. is about as close to a Cozy series I follow), I grew up watching Murder She Wrote with my mother and will always think of that show when I think of the Cozy.
I really appreciate how diverse and accessible the genre is, and should definitely read more of it.
EJ
Patricia – Some cosy mysteries (like Elizabeth Spann Craig’s are terrific! So are Beth Groundwater’s and some others. I think it can be too easy to slide into “cute” with cosies. Murder is not cute. Elizabeth and Beth don’t do that, but some I’ve read do.