From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cozy mysteries, also referred
to simply as "cozies," are a subgenre of crime
fiction in which sex and violence are downplayed
or treated humorously, and the crime
and detection take place in a small, socially intimate community. The term was
first coined in the late 20th century when various writers produced work in an
attempt to re-create the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.[1]
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Characters
The detectives
in such stories are nearly always amateurs (village policeman Hamish Macbeth,
featured in a series of novels by M.
C. Beaton, is a notable
exception) and frequently women. They are typically well-educated, intuitive,
and often hold jobs (caterer, innkeeper, librarian, teacher, dog trainer, shop
owner, reporter) that bring them into constant contact with other residents of
their town and the surrounding region.[2] Like other
amateur detectives, they typically have a contact on the police
force who can give
them access to important information about the case at hand, but the contact is
typically a spouse, lover, friend or family member rather than a former
colleague.[3] Dismissed by
the authorities in general as nosy busybodies (particularly if they are
middle-aged or elderly women), the detectives in cozy mysteries are thus left
free to eavesdrop, gather clues, and use their native intelligence and
intuitive "feel" for the social dynamics of the community to solve
the crime.[2]
The murderers
in cozies are typically neither psychopaths nor serial killers, and, once
unmasked, are usually taken into custody without violence. They are generally
members of the community where the murder occurs, able to hide in plain sight,
and their motives—greed, jealousy, revenge—are often rooted in events years, or
even generations, old. The murderers are typically rational and often highly
articulate, enabling them to explain, or elaborate on, their motives after
their unmasking.
The supporting
characters in cozy mysteries are often very broadly drawn and used as comic
relief. The accumulation of such characters in long-running cozy mystery
series, such as those of Charlotte
MacLeod, frequently
creates a stock
company of eccentrics,
among whom the detective stands out as the most (perhaps only) truly sane
person.
Content
Cozies
virtually never dwell on sexuality or violence, or employ any but the mildest profanity. The murders
take place off stage, and frequently involve relatively bloodless methods such
as poisoning and falls from
great heights. The wounds inflicted on the victim are never dwelt on, and
seldom used as clues. Sexual activity, even between married characters, is only
ever gently implied and never directly addressed, and the subject is frequently
avoided altogether.
The cozy
mystery usually takes place in a town, village, or other community small (or
otherwise insular) enough to make it believable that all the principal characters
know, and may well have long-standing social relationships with, each other.
The amateur detective is usually a gregarious, well-liked individual who is
able to get the community members to talk freely about each other. There is
usually at least one very knowledgeable, nosy, yet reliable character in the
book who is intimately familiar with the personal history and
interrelationships of everyone in the town, and whose ability to fill in the
blanks of the puzzle enables the amateur detective to solve the case.[2]
Cozy mystery
series frequently have a prominent thematic element introduced by the
detective's job or hobby. Diane Mott Davidson's cozies, for example, revolve around
cooking, Parnell Hall's around crossword puzzles, Monica Ferris's around needlework, and Charlotte
MacLeod's "Sarah
Kelling" series around art. Other series focus on topics ranging from
fishing, golfing, and hiking to fashion, antiques, and interior decoration.
Cat-lovers are well-represented among the ranks of cozy-mystery detectives,
notably in the work of Rita
Mae Brown and Lilian Jackson Braun, as are herbalists (of whom the best
known is Ellis
Peters' medieval
sleuth Brother
Cadfael).[4]
Avoidance of
explicit sex and violence, emphasis on puzzle-solving over suspense, a
small-town setting, and a focus on a hobby or occupation are all frequent
elements of cozy mysteries. The precise boundaries of the sub-genre remain
vague, however, with the work of authors such as Aaron
Elkins and Philip
R. Craig considered
borderline cases.
I think this article says it all. Believe it or not, I have authors and writers asking me, "What is a cozy?"
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post, Debbie!
~Nancy Jill Thames, Author
"Queen of Afternoon Tea"