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First Person Narrator in Cozy Mysteries

Recently, I was asked the following question, by mystery reader Garaghty:

… So, I have a strange question: Have (you) come across a cozy written from the first person point of view? I know that a feature of the cozy is that intimacy, where the reader solves right along with the likable protagonist, but I’ve noticed that most are still written in 3rd person.  I was wondering if you knew of an exception…

Thank you, Garaghty, for such an interesting question, and I hope you come to love Cozies as much as I do! My initial response was that I have read very few Cozies that have been written from a first person point of view, but the more I thought about it, the more examples I came up with that actually use the first person perspective to help immerse the reader into the setting.

Agatha Christie herself, perhaps the greatest Cozy Mystery author ever, occasionally used first person perspective, especially early in her career. Poirot’s chief assistant and friend, Captain Arthur Hastings, was her most common narrator, narrating both the first Poirot case, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, as well as the last, Curtain – if you’re interested in reading a first person point of view Cozy, the Mysterious Affair at Styles would be an excellent selection!

Another excellent example of first person point of view in Cozy Mysteries is one of the earliest examples of detective fiction, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Though not considered a Cozy at the time (obviously, since the term “Cozy” wouldn’t be coined for decades), the Sherlock Holmes novels have many of the elements later covered by Cozies – an amateur (albeit brilliant, in the case of Holmes) detective, solving cases using a unique perspective not shared by the police, with relatively little graphic bloodshed or other unsavory elements. All of Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes famous cases were narrated by his faithful chronicler and assistant, Doctor Watson. Even the few mysteries where Watson was absent for part of the mystery were often recounted afterwards as Watson’s retelling of Holmes’s story, such as in The Adventure of the Empty House, when Holmes explains how he managed to survive what seemed like certain death at Reichenbach Falls.

That said, it is worth noting that the individual we follow in these novels is rarely the detectives themselves, but is far more often their primary assistant. I think this is because entering the mind of the detective is often too much of a risk – exposing the “inner workings” of a genius mind like Sherlock Holmes while retaining the character’s mystique might be too tall an order, even for the character’s creator! There are some exceptions – Christie did have Miss Marple narrate one story, Miss Marple Tells a Story, though portrayed as a letter to her nephew Raymond after the fact rather than as the case occurred – but these seem to be exceptions rather than the rule.

Even using the assistant has the risk of making the narrator seem slow or incompetent, especially if the reader can solve the puzzle faster than the narrator. With a more traditional third-person point of view, there is always some question when exactly the detective learns who committed the crime – hardly a possibility if we know their every thought! In some circles, a relatively slow, bumbling character who only exists to ask questions for the detective to answer is often referred to as “the Watson”, despite the fact that as a medical doctor, Watson must have been quite intelligent in his own right! Unfortunately it only takes one or two cases where the narrator seems at a loss while the reader has already noticed the true culprit before a character’s credibility is seriously damaged. A more distant detective might instead reasonably claim that they were waiting for decisive evidence to move against the criminal, who they naturally identified much earlier.

I can think of two more books and one series that have the first person perspective right off the top of my head: Marion Babson‘s The Twelve Deaths of Christmas, Agatha Christie‘s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, and Spencer Quinn‘s Chet and Bernie Mystery Series, although, Chet is a first tail-waggin’ narrator!

Yikes! It looks like I’ve gone a little longer than I realized on this one! Thanks again, Garaghty, for such a good question – I hope I answered it fully!

Can anyone else think of some good examples of first person point of view in Cozies? Please leave a comment!

P.S. I am getting so many great comments about mysteries that are told in the first person perspective that, rather than list them on this entry, I’m going to highlight them in the comments so that if you’re interested, you can check the authors out. Be sure to read the terrific comments!

Comments

  1. Fuzzy Visions, a new YA cozy, is told strictly through the protagonist’s point-of-view. She’s a senior high student with limited sight, and yet, she manages to solve a murder that occurs at her school. The reader is offered many twists and turns in the story while gaining much insight into the mind of a visually impaired teenager preparing to graduate and enter the next phase of her life.

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  3. There are several cozy mystery series I follow that are written in the first person. I don’t have a preference for first or 3rd person; however I think when written in first person, it makes it appear more personal. As if the main character is pulling the reader into the story with her/him. For me, it is as if I am not merely a reader, but part of the story.

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    • I agree, Margaret. I like those mysteries as I do, as you say, feel a part of the action. I just thought of another one. The Tea Shoppe mysteries by Laura Childs will have her heroines speak to the reader on their feelings and reactions to suspects and their situations and inform the reader as well as drawing them in. I like her work as well.

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  5. I must admit I rather like the 1st Person POV.
    Val McDermid’s Kate Brannigan series is told by Kate herself. These are favourites of mine.
    If we go back to the early twentieth century, the classic ‘Dr Thorndyke’ detective novels by R. Austin Freeman, are also first person, told by Thornyke’s compatriot – His Watson, if you will – Jervis. (Who I’m not sure ever gets a first name.)
    More vintage ones are ‘The Black’ by Edgar Wallace, and ‘The Thin man’ by Dashiell Hammett.
    Coming back to contemporary, the ‘Connor Westphal’ novels by Penny Warner are also told from the heroine’s own POV.
    So are the ‘Holmes and Russell’ novels by Laurie R. King, which are told by Mary Russell.
    The ‘Queen Bee’ mysteries by Hannah Reed are another example, as are Jackie Chance’s Poker mysteries, Sujata Massey’s Rei Shimura Japanese mysteries, and of course the Amelia Peabody books by Elizabeth Peters, as well as Donna Andrews’ Meg Langslow Mysteries.
    This is mostly just the bookshelf in front of me, so I’d say that it’s actually far more common than it seems.

    I didn’t realise there were so many! Browsing through one of the bookcases in the spare room adds another dozen names to the list!
    Including Jerrilyn Farmer’s ‘Mad Bean Catering’ mysteries, and Sharon Short’s ‘Josie Toadfern’ Stainbusting mysteries.

    I’ll shut up and give somebody else a chance. Lol! But it seems that good writing just pulls you in and you don’t always notice the POV.

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  6. Oops! A new one that I just got this morning – an early Xmas present – is Janet Bolin’s ‘Threadville’ series. Also 1st person. (I’m reading it and I didn’t even notice! D’oh!)

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    • Thanks, Susan. I agree that when you are in the midst of a book of such a nature, it is harder to analyze the writing style until you’ve finished it as you are too busy enjoying the book which is the point.

      Appreciate your bringing up those authors, I hadn’t tried most of them and I will now.

      Seasons Greetings
      Rob J

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      • I can. Lol! Do you want more? I can easily make up a list. 🙂
        Most of my cozies are in one place, so I can get to them easily enough.

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        • Susan*, if it wouldn’t be any trouble, it would be great if you would tell us about more Cozy Mystery authors who use the first person perspective. Thank you! (I would have to open every book and read the first paragraph or two because there is no way I would be able to remember them!)

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          • Okay, I’ve had a little time off, and I’ve spent a quality hour with the bookshelves… 🙂
            I’ve had a great time, too! Rediscovering old favourites, and even one or two that I didn’t know I had! Lol!

            Cynthia Baxter – Reigning Cats and Dogs series
            Carol Lea Benjamin – Rachel Alexander & Dash (Her Pitbull)
            Claudia Bishop – Dr McKenzie Mysteries
            Jacklyn Brady – Piece of Cake Mysteries
            Sinclair Browning – Trade Ellis series
            Dana Cameron – Archaeologist Emma Fielding Mysteries
            Dorothy Cannell – Ellie Haskell Mysteries
            Sammi Carter – Candy Shop Mysteries
            Jeffrey Cohen – Double Feature Mysteries (Sleuth is a cinemaphile.)
            Laura Disilverio – Mall Cop Mysteries
            Carol Nelson Douglas – Midnight Louie Mysteries (Partly narrated by the cat, himself…)
            Laura Durham – Wedding Planner Mysteries
            Selma Eichler – Desiree Shapiro Mysteries
            Sharon Fiffer – Jane Wheel Mysteries
            Kerry Greenwood – Corinna Chapman, Baker, series
            Carolyn Haines – Sarah Booth Delaney series
            Lyn Hamilton – Archaeological Mysteries
            Honor Hartman – Bridge Club Mysteries
            Jane Isenberg – Bel Barrett Mysteries
            Claire M. Johnson – Mary Ryan Mysteries
            Linda O. Johnson – Pet Sitter Mysteries
            Susan Kandel – Cece Caruso Mysteries (Sleuth writes biographies of famous mystery writers…)
            Lee Charles Kelley – Jack Fleming, Dog Trainer Mysteries
            Toni L.P. Kelner – Laura Fleming Mysteries
            John J. Lamb – ‘Bear Collector’ Mysteries (Teddies! Lol!)
            Virginia Lanier – Bloodhound Mysteries
            Victoria Laurie – MJ Holliday, ‘Ghostbuster’, Mysteries
            Kathryn Lilley – ‘Fat City’ Mysteries
            Hailey Lind – Art Lover Mysteries
            Ada Madison – Professor Sophie Knowles series. (Maths!)
            Rosemary Martin – ‘Murder-a-go-go’ Mysteries (Set in the swinging ’60’s!)
            Amanda Matetsky – Paige Turner Mysteries
            Susan McBride – Debutante Dropout series
            Lynn Murray – Josephine Fuller Mysteries
            Tim Myers – Soapmaking Mysteries
            Linda Palmer – ‘Daytime’ Mysteries (Sleuth is a writer for a daytime soap opera.)
            Emilie Richards – Ministry is Murder series
            Fran Rizer – Callie Parish Mysteries
            Natalia M. Roberts – Jenny T. Partridge Dance Mysteries
            Malcolm Shuman – Alan Graham Mysteries
            Jessica Speart – Rachel Porter Mysteries
            Patricia Sprinkle – Thoroughly Southern mystery series
            Livia J. Washburn – Delilah Dickinson series
            Wendy Lynn Watson – Mystery-a-la-mode series. (Icecream Shop)

            (Wow! This list is long! But you did ask! 🙂 )

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  7. Sophie Kelly’s Magical Cat series is written first person. So is her new new Second Chance Cat series written under the name Sophie Ryan. Also Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody series is written from a first person point of view with Amelia as the narrator.

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  8. Mary Daheim’s Emma Lord Mysteries, where Emma, Alpine’s newspaper owner/editor, is the main character is another example of 1st person narration.

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  11. I think I read more cozies written in first person than ones written in third person. Just a few that haven’t been mentioned already : Jenn McKinley’s Hat Shop series, Heather Weber’s Lucy Valentine series, Betty Webb’s Desert series (although that one is a bit gritty for a cozy), Laura Morrigan’s pet psychic series… Really, the list goes on and on.

    One thing that bothers me in reading isn’t first vs third person but when authors try to write in present tense vs past tense. I almost always find those clumsy and difficult to read.

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    • Vicki, I’m with you when it comes to present tense vs past tense. I have trouble reading books written in present tense. I find myself substituting present tense verbs with past tense verbs–LOL. I’ve stopped reading these books–I find them very annoying.

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    • Vicki, if I had read this comment before so many Cozy Mystery series have been submitted here, I would have wondered who you were able to find who wrote in first person narrative. However, it looks like there are lots and lots more authors out there who write first person perspective Cozies! Thanks for adding Jenn McKinlay‘s Hat Shop series, Heather Webber‘s Lucy Valentine series, Laura Morrigan‘s Call of the Wild series, and Betty Webb‘s Lena Jones Desert series to the list.

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  12. Susan* must have quite a bookshelf full of cozies. The better to comment on this question, my dears. I tend to clear off and donate every few years.
    The submission guidelines I’ve read for at least one publisher states that third person is the only acceptable POV for fiction. First person, present tense seems a little odd. How can the narrator be telling the reader what is happening right now both at the beginning and at the end of the story? However, first person, past tense makes the story personal and pulls one into the mind of the narrator. I love the Amelia Peabody series and certainly didn’t remember the first person narration. I’ll give some of the series mentioned here at try. Thank you all.

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  13. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier is one of the best first person narratives, in fact, we don’t even know the real name of the narrator! But Du Maurier was one of the best writers of all time, she was talented enough to do something that is impossible for most authors. It’s kind of a cozy, too, isn’t it? Or maybe more of a romantic gothic in the old-fashioned sense of the term. Anyway, an excellent read!

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  14. Nancy Atherton’s Aunt Dimity series is all first person narrative. I’m rereading “Aunt Dimity’s Christmas” (as I do every Christmas) right now. 🙂

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  15. Hmmmmm………………….I hadn’t really focused, or even paid any attention to first person vs third person.

    I think most of the cozies I read are written in the first person, so a list could be very long. Right now I’m reading a Krista Davis ‘Diva’ book and it’s written in the first person. Just to name a few, I glanced through some books on my shelf. Isabella Allen’s Amish Quilt Shop series, Carl’s Chocolate series, Burdette’s Key West Food Critic series, Gerber’s Cookbook Nook series, and (although I haven’t got one here to look at), I think Kylie Logan’s League of Literary Ladies/Button Shop series are all written in the first person.

    I find it interesting that some chapters in Maron’s Deborah Knott series are narrated by Deborah and some by Dwight. However since I don’t have a copy here, I can’t say for sure whether they are in the first person or third person (I believe they are written in the first person, though). If so, that would raise the question “who is the first person?” – Deborah or Dwight? Probably each are the first person in their respective chapters. UNLESS you want to assign Dwight 2nd person status because he is male, AND Deborah deserves first person status because she just is!!!

    Confused yet?

    Gotta go back to baking cookies (yum!) and cleaning (ugh!).

    HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!

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    • MJ, apparently I had never “really focused, or even paid any attention to first person vs third person.”!

      Thank you for telling us about: Krista Davis‘ Domestic Diva series, Isabella Alan‘s Amish Quilt Shop series, JoAnna Carl‘s Chocoholic series, Lucy Burdette‘s Key West Food Critic series, Daryl Wood Gerber‘s Cookbook Nook series, Kylie Logan‘s League of Literary Ladies and Button Shop series, & Margaret Maron‘s Deborah Knott series (at least, every other chapter!)

      I’m waiting until our daughter flies home for Christmas before I bake our Christmas cookies. I knew that if I made them before she gets home >>> I couldn’t guarantee there would be any left for her!

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  17. I don’t really pay attention to first v. third but since I’m thinking of it now I’ll add Susan Wittig Albert (China Bayless series) Alice Duncan (Daisy Gumm Majesty and Mercy Allcutt series), Sheila Connolly (Orchard series–maybe her other series also but I haven’t read them yet), Catriona McPherson (Dandy Gilver series), Jeanne M. Dams (Dorothy Martin and Hilda Johansson series). I can’t say that all these series are first person but by far the majority of them are.

    Thanks for this entry, Danna. I’ve found even more authors to read 🙂 (and learned that series is both singular and plural!)

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  20. Thank you so much, Danna–and your blog readers–for all of these fabulous suggestions! I appreciate your taking the time to answer my question. Have a great evening!

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  21. Two of my very favorite authors: Dorothy Howell and Laura Levine. Both write in first person, and are so FUNNY!! I’ve read all their books more than once…to me, the mark of a really good read!

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  22. I read 1st person, past tense, narratives exclusively. I know that limits me to some fantastic novels, but I just can’t get into the story if it’s written differently…

    Some of my favorites (not already mentioned) are Joan Hess, Jeff Abbott, Sarah Graves, Tim Cockey, & David Handler.

    Hess writes 2 different series, one set in a college town in Arkansas where the protagonist, Claire Malloy, is a bookstore owner. The other is set in a backwater town in Arkansas called Maggody. Her main character is the local sheriff named Arly Hanks. Claire Malloy is probably a bit more cozy than the Maggody series but both are fantastic series and both are written in first person.

    Abbott wrote 4 books in the Jordan Poteet series set in Mirabeau, Texas. Poteet is a librarian who begins to discover secrets from his past while solving murders. Very solid books.

    Graves writes the ‘Home Repair is Homicide’ mysteries with her main character Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree. Tiptree spends her time renovating an old turn of the century house and along the way finds herself solving murders. I like the tone & humor of the books…

    Cockey’s Hitchcock Sewell series are great. Sewell is an undertaker who often gets tasked to look into suspicious circumstances surrounding his “guests'” death. A fun & funny series.

    David Handler wrote 8 books in the Stewart Hoag series. Hoag is a ghostwriter helping famous people pen memoirs, autobiographies, and the like. It’s cozy with a mix of celebrity/Hollywood-esque situations. Very good, in my opinion.

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    • Greg, thank you for telling us about all of these authors who write their Cozies in first person narrative. I read some of these series, and am surprised to find out they are first person! I don’t even notice it while I’m reading…

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  23. I don’t think anyone has listed the Bert and Nan Tatum mysteries by Barbara Taylor McCafferty and Beverly Taylor Herald. In these you get 1st person narrative twinned. Each chapter is 1st person from Bert and the next is 1st person from Nan.

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  24. I thought of a couple more 1st person narratives. Anne George’s Southern Sisters told in 1st person by Partricia Anne (Mouse). I just began the first book of Tamar Myers’ Den of Antiquity series and immediately realized it is in 1st person as well.

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  25. One of my favorites is the Miss Fortune Mystery Series by Jana DeLeon, told in first person from the POV of Fortune Redding.

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    • Shari, thank for telling us. I was going to go add her to the list, but then I remembered that I don’t have a list going. There were so many great comments telling us about so many first person narrators that I had to stop listing them!

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  27. My Blue Ridge Library Mystery series is told in 1st person — from the POV of Amy Webber, 30-something curvaceous librarian!

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  28. I’m curious if anyone here can answer this. Is A Mysterious Affair At Styles in present tense or past tense writing? I have been looking at writing styles etc and trying to learn about them. I have not been able to find out anything on this particular book other than its first person.
    I don’t know enough about past present etc tense to recognize them yet. So I would hope someone here could help in answering my inquiry into whether this book is done in present or past tense.

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  29. Just found this thread. Fascinating. I am fairly new to the term cozy mystery. It is a word I learnt during the pandemic but I discovered The Magical Cats Series about 7 years ago. Love them! As a rule I stay away from first person narratives but the good ones usually catch my attention whether cozy, action who done it etc. Great list of cozy series mentioned here. I am going in search of them. So many books, so little time …

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