What are Cozy Mysteries?

Why do I love cozy mysteries? After having to read so much for college (yuck) and after squeezing 10 hours of work into an eight-hour day, I want a break! Reading is one of those breaks; a mini vacation. I love a good story, especially cozy mysteries. They immediately pop me into another world with someone else’s problems or celebrations. But, at the same time nothing is too earth shattering, complex or “heavy”. A good cozy mystery will allow me to “escape” without leaving the living room.

Defining a cozy mystery is a little more difficult. The main character is a woman. But, not too perfect a woman or people wouldn’t like her (let’s be honest here). She is usually single. Always smart. She is rarely in the law enforcement career field. She is usually in a profession that allows her the freedom of time to snoop for clues and solve crimes. There is usually at least one romantic love interest. Sometimes she is even married with one or more children. So far, I’ve only read of American heroines, although I would love to read some from different countries.

The plot is, of course, a mystery (usually murder) mixed with eccentric relatives and/or friends, and a love interest of some sort. There is always enough description of the crime to properly set the stage for the mystery so that the reader can try and solve it too. In my opinion, the odd thing about these books is that there could be a really gross murder; but it doesn’t come across that way. The facts register but for some reason they don’t bring down the tone of the book. It seems a very odd thing to say; but once you read one of these books you’ll understand where I’m coming from. There are usually at least a few dangerous and or suspenseful escapades. The murderer is always caught. The romance is always fun to read but never overly sexual. The sexual bits are usually more innuendo than anything else.

A lot of the series being published include tips. These could be in the form of recipes, home improvement tips, gardening tips, you get the message. I don’t need those in my stories but they are a kind of a bonus. A lot of my favorite cozy mysteries are part of a series. I get to “know” these characters and can’t wait to see what they get up to in the next book. I have several favorites, which I will happily introduce you to below.

The first series that I started reading got me hooked on the genre. The book was called “One for the Money” by Janet Evanovich. The main character is Stephanie Plum. She is a works for bail bondman tracking down people who have skipped bail. She is not good at this job at all! She has a hysterical supporting cast starring her friend Lula and her Grandma Mazur. She has two love interests…although after 18 books, I am beginning to wish she would just choose already. The first book in this series is called ‘One for the Money”. There are 18 of them so far…so get reading!

Incidentally there is also a movie version of the book coming out in Jan 2012. I’ll be seeing that opening week

I also really like Kate Collin’s flower shop mysteries. She is a flower shop owner (so she can come and go as she pleases). Her love interest is a private detective/bar owner. Unlike the Stephanie Plum series, her romance is progressing quite nicely. I won’t spoil the surprise anymore by telling you about it. The first book in her series is “Mum’s the Word”.

Another author that I keep an eye open for new releases is Kristan Higgins. She has written several, hysterical cozy mysteries. However, each book stands on its own. I love, love her books. The first book she published is called “Fools Rush In”. Her stories usually take place somewhere in New England. If you take one recommendation from this hub, it should be to read one her books.

All the series I mentioned have made me laugh out loud and stay up way too late into the night because I couldn’t put the book down. I hope you have just as much fun with these characters as I have had.