I have a question that has been in the back of my mind for quite a while. I guess that I should preface this entry by saying that I have noticed that there are quite a few Cozy Mystery authors today who feel they “owe it” (my term, not theirs!) to their readers to tackle social problems/topics/questions.
I just wondered about you all… Do you seek out Cozy Mysteries that deal with today’s “hot topics” or do you believe that your Cozy Mysteries should offer you an escape from topics that are better left to local and national news shows?
Maria says
I prefer my mysteries to be cozy and mysterious not newsy! I watch the 11:00 news and read the paper – I read books to relax! Keep the books cozy!
Marisa says
If I wanted social problems in my mystery books, I wouldn’t read cozies, I would read thrillers. Sorry, no Agatha Christie – Raymond Chandler mix.
Angela says
I agree with Maria. I read cozies to relax and escape. I don’t mind passing mentions of social issues if it’s true to the character or relevant to the story but I don’t want to see anyone breaking out their soapbox and lecturing. Leave that for the real world in my opinion.
Deborah says
I definitely read for relaxation and enjoyment and do not want issues emphasized. Once or twice I have innocently wandered into a novel that became a soap box. If the plot is strong enough, I just skim over the lecturing parts to get to the resolution, but if the story is weak, I just go on to another book! My list of books I want to read is too long to waste time on books I’m not really enjoying.
marge says
I’m with you folks – don’t want a lecture about an author’s favorite cause, although I do want the protagonist to be socially and morally responsible.
Patti says
I read to get away from it all. Don’t want to tackle any heavy subjects in my cozies. There is a time and a place for everything.
Jo says
I’d rather escape.
On the other hand – are they trying to tackle social problems/topics/questions, or are they just using them as inspiration? If they don’t have an agenda, I think I’d be less likely to mind…
Carrie says
I also read cozy mystery books to escape from my day to day world. I don’t particularly care what the author has to say about current events. A cozy mystery isn’t the right place to air their opinions. If they want to teach or preach then they should use a different forum.
For me, Cozy mysteries are my way of escaping from my day to day reality for a while and having some “me” time away from having to think about wars or political, environmental, socialogical or medical issues. Every time you hear the news or read a newspaper there is enough doom laden reporting without also hearing about it in my leisure reading.
For me, the only exception would be when the events or issues are historical. Then it can enhance the plot and make it more “real”. For instance David Roberts books about Lord Edward Corinth give an accurate picture of political events leading up to the Second World War or Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series give the reader a better appreciation of what life was like after the First World War.
If the author wants to preach they should find a pulpit and not invade my leisure time.
Anne says
It is hard not to mention the World Trade Center or Katrina but that is history not social…so that is as far as I want it taken. I escape in my cozy books…
Laura says
Well said, Carrie! I agree with you all. I need to escape from the realities of today. It can seem overwhelming at times. In cozies, the real guilty party is always caught and punished. I don’t need an author to tell me how to think, but I like to see problems solved and everyone happy with the results.
Stephanie says
I actually like some social commentary from time to time, but only if it fits cohesively with the story. I think Alexander McCall Smith is an example of an author who does this very well.
His No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency books are most emphatically NOT social commentary-laden, generally speaking, although the tragic issue of HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa comes up a few times. But, this is just a fact of life down there, so it would be false to the milieu for it not to come up.
At the same time, McCall Smith’s Isabella Dalhousie books DO deal with social issues quite frequently. But, this is because the main character is a philosopher (of the applied variety), so it makes a lot of sense for the character to think and talk a lot about modern social issues.
To me, it’s all a matter of fit in a book. If someone’s getting up on a soapbox, that’s ok by me as long as he/she’s “in-character,” so to speak, it moves along the plot, and it doesn’t dominate the entire book.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Stephanie, you bring up a good point about the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency… but, as I recall, Alexander McCall Smith put off telling us about the HIV character (I don’t want to give away any spoilers…) until quite a bit into the books. He didn’t use the HIV as a prop, but rather as a reality.
As for Isabel Dalhousie’s philosophical agenda… I find myself tuning in and out of those parts of the (audio) books quite a bit. It’s difficult for me to take Isabel as seriously as she takes herself… I think that it’s easy to be a social issues “philosopher” when you are absolutely loaded with money and free time…
Betty says
I agree that social or political problems do not belong in a cozy mystery. They are strictly for fun!
Edie says
Definitely, I read cozies (when not reading for review purposes) to help me unwind. After spending way too much time reading news-related articles, I enjoy complete escapism. When a cozy author begins to expound too much on the social issues of the day, I set the book down and walk away – permanently!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
It looks like we have a pretty general consensus… No to social issues, yes for good Cozy Mysteries! I’m with all of you on that one. I (too!) put down a book as soon as I see the author is dictating/soap-boxing/pushing/preaching his/her social awareness agenda on me. I’m just not looking at my Cozy Mystery books as my source of news. I am innundated with the news already!
Cindy says
I agree with Stephanie regarding the issue of AIDS in the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency books. It fits and it works. I don’t mind a bit of truth and grit in a cozy. I don’t want to be overwhelmed, though, and I don’t like that some authors pick a cause or an issue for each book in a series, research it to death, beat me over the head with it for the duration of one book, and then never mention it again in any subsequent issues. How seriously can I take that?
jennifer says
i agree, i stop reading the book once it gets political or pushes an agenda!
Maria (BearMountainBooks) says
Well, darn, I’m late to the party. Looks like this has been answered very well–and in total agreement with my point of view! I, too, read for escape and enjoyment. It’s one thing to mention events, but I don’t really wish to be “enlightened” in any kind of political sense…
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Isn’t it neat whenever you find “total agreement” your your point of view? I know I always enjoy it!
Kathryn says
I strictly read for escape. For me, the world is too much with us and I like to travel vicariously through a well written Cozy with familiar characters. I particularly like to discover a series that is new to me but that has lots of books. I read them in order of release as much as possible by reserving books through the library.
By the grace of Carola Dunn and her DAISY DALRYMPLE Mysteries series, I got through a very hot and humid summer (May to Nov.) in FL. The series of 18 books take place in the 1920s, in England. I got to travel and go back in time which is my idea of perfect.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Kathryn, the Daisy Dalrymple series is one of my favorites, too!
(It sounds like your Florida summer was even worse than ours in Texas…)
Shirley says
Danna, I agree with everyone………..When I read it’s for enjoyment, you can open the paper and see more than enough of everything in the world going…..going..etc.
I just love Cozy mysteries because once you start reading the book, you can relax in your favorite chair with the tv OFF……with a cup of hot tea or coffee and just enjoy the author and his or her book………….period. smile and hugs.
Merry Christmas and a ho ho ho….LOL
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Merry Christmas to you, too!
Shirley says
I do love your cozy-mystery site, Danna.
I have read mysteries forever, when the children were tucked in, husband asleep and snoring (ha ha) bless him.
I go find my corner chair and flick on the lamp with no tv, no jobs to do I read for relaxtion……….such a joy.
Some of the mysteries make me laugh, giggle or just want to read all night, but with living on the farm…..needed a little sleep….cause come 4:30 a.m. animals to be fed, breakfast for the kids…….and so I have no time………. now my children are grown and have families, my husband bless his heart died…………..and so I can read and some I have read them so often their like old friends.
Now Danna, grannyfrye will shut up. grin and hugs.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Shirley, isn’t it good to have something that you enjoy so much? Also, it’s good to have familiar characters in a book that you can revisit from time to time.
(PS… Write any time, and please, never feel that you are talking too much!)