What Is A Cozy?

Jenny tackled this question a few months ago in her blog. She did a series of posts starting with this one.

But I don't know that I've ever answered that question in my own blog. If not, it's about time. The question seems straightforward enough but, as with any genre or sub-genre, not everyone agrees. The following is my take on what constitutes a "cozy" mystery.

-The protagonist is not a law enforcement professional. That is, the person who solves the murder is not who you would expect to do so. She (and it's most often a she) would not be a police office, a forensics expert, a private investigator, etc.

-Violence happens off-stage. This is especially true with regard to the murder(s). The reader doesn't get a lot of blood and gore. A protagonist or other character may be threatened with violence, but usually isn't seriously hurt. I have read a couple lately with our heroine being conked on the head or some such, but it's still pretty rare.

-Often the police are depicted as inept. I'm glad to see this trend changing in the newer cozies. It's not that the professionals don't know what they are doing, but they may not have the specialized knowledge of a certain job that the protagonist does, or they are hampered by the rules they have to follow. Rules that a tea shop owner or a housewife doesn't have to obey.

-Pets, particularly cats, seem to be involved a lot. Some books have them front and center, like Rita Mae Brown's The Cat Who series. Others are just pets. But it's unusual to find a protagonist in a newer cozy who doesn't own at least one pet.

-Bonus material, as Jenny calls it, has become de rigueur. It's hard to find a cozy published within the last two years that does not include at least one recipe. And depending on the protagonist's job, there can be patterns or how-to advice as well. These are fun little additions at the end of the book, but they can make a write want to shy away from career for her amateur detective that wouldn't easily lend itself to these bonuses.

-The tone is light. Even though we're dealing with murder, the overall tone of cozies is light. The murder itself is treated with seriousness, but the investigation often finds our protagonist in embarrassing, if not downright compromising, situations.

-(Addendum)Most are written in first person, so the reader only knows what the protagonist knows. This can be effective, but also annoying. As when the protagonist describes herself using terminology no woman I know would use.

-(Addendum) Titles are often puns on the job the protagonist holds. Curiosity Killed the Cat-sitter is one of the better ones.


That's about it. Are you familiar with cozies? Have I missed anything. Do those descriptions sound like anything you've read? Or would like to read?

. . . And This One's For Mary . . .

I've already talked about how the format for CWC has changed. We have one submission to critique for this month, and homework to bring in a short scene for everyone to mark up at the meeting.

And since Jenny won't be submitting--long story that she tells better on her blog--we're looking for things to do for February. I offered to lend everyone a cozy to read. They can read as far as they want, then write up what they thought, where they stopped and why. I want to get a discussion going about what the found fun, irritating, exciting, etc. I think this will lead to figuring out what's expected in cozies and what's optional.

The nice side effect of this exercise it that I got to go through the ones I've already read that I haven't loaned to Carrie the extraordinary hairdresser/first reader. Deb has kindly allowed the rest of us to adopt her if we want, and Carrie agrees, of course.

Anyway, as I went through the stack, there were books that I immediately identified as good fits for each person in the group. Ali will like this one with the funny protagonist, Shane should identify with the protag fixing up her house, etc.

Then I have to wait to see if I chose wisely.

A Good Time to Get Cozy

Here in Colorado, the snow is falling and it's COLD. It's the soft, gentle snow--at least in my neighborhood--that makes it look like December outside.

Feels like a great time to snuggle in with a cup of hot cocoa and sink into a good cozy. Think I'll go home and do that tonight.

Now the question: Writing or reading?

So Why Do You Want to Write Cozies?

Mary asked me that question at our latest CWC meeting.

Jenny mentioned that she had visited the library and checked out three cozies. She took to heart my comment that there are certain genre conventions, just as there are in fantasy or romance or sci/fi, and it would be helpful to be critiqued by people who are familiar with those conventions. Her initial response was "Good writing is good writing." Well, yeah. But there are still certain things one expects when picking up a particular genre.

Anyway, Jenny was talking about some of the things that bugged her in the first book she picked up. I countered with my own pet peeves from a couple well-known cozy authors.

After listening to us banter back and forth for a few minutes, Mary asked her question.

My answer was immediate. I grew up on these kinds of books. When they're done well, they are a great escapist read. These are the books you take on vacation with you--to read on the plane, or the beach, or before turning out the light at the hotel. They're fast and light. And the best ones can still stay with you long after "The End."

Agatha Christie did them so well. And so do many of the modern cozy writers. I hope to profile some of them in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, Jenny is blogging about her experience as a cozy newbie--and doing a great job of deconstructing what makes a cozy cozy. Check it out.

So, why do you want to write what you write?

Full Names

I recently finished a cozy that I really enjoyed. The puzzle was good, the characters were quirky, the small town was realistic and endearing.

You heard the "but" right?

BUT, the author kept using the characters full names. I can see, maybe, doing that once in a while. It was rare, though, for this author to ever just use the first name. I found it distracting to read "Joe Brown" or "Cathy Green" all the time.

What do you think? Is it helpful to keep reminding the reader of the characters' full names? Is it just me?