The other day I received a letter from a site reader who said she was quite happy about finding my site. She knew she had the right place when she read my description of what a Cozy Mystery is.
Unfortunately, when I wrote that description, I should have added “most of the time” as a clause. My description says that Cozy Mystery books are ” ‘gentle’ books… no graphic violence, no profanity, and no explicit sex.”
I still stand behind my description; unfortunately, a lot of authors of Cozy Mystery books want it both ways… They want the growing market of Cozy Mystery fans, but at the same time, they want to be considered >>> modern, 21st century, “with it,” hip (whatever the term is)… They bend the rules as set by such great Cozy Mystery authors as Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, etc.
This particular site reader checked out her first book by a “Cozy” author who I have on the site, and was quite upset about profanity being used throughout the book. She felt like I had added an author who did not qualify as a Cozy Mystery author under my description of what a Cozy Mystery is.
Although there was no graphic violence, there was plenty of profanity and explicit adult situations. Unfortunately, she had taken for granted that all of the books on the Cozy Mystery site would contain “no graphic violence, no profanity, and no explicit sex.”
So, I am now qualifying this description of what a Cozy Mystery should be… It seems like many authors (or their editors) feel like there is a need for certain situations/language/details. As you watch a current television show today… ask yourself: Would Ricky and Lucy Ricardo or Andy and Barney be in this situation or say those things? I bet the answer is “Probably not!” more times than not… but that’s the way a lot of writers (and that includes Cozy Mystery authors) write today…
Laura says
Danna: It is interesting that this very topic turned up in the “Dear Book Lover” column of the Wall Street Journal a few weeks ago. Cynthia Crossen stated “. . . one reader’s warm milk is another reader’s ipecac . . .”. She went on to say that libraries have lists of “clean reads”, but she questions some of the choices. Obviously, there is no cut and dried answer to what constitutes a “cozy”.
Lynne says
I love your site, I have found many new authors to enjoy. While I read alot of different authors, some would definitely not be classified as a cozy at all, but I always come back to the cozy mystery. I like the feeling I get while reading, a sense of community, family etc. My library has a section called cozy mysteries and most of them fall into that category. While I also enjoy a good trashy murder mystery, I always come back to my cozy mysteries. I am introducing my granddaughter to Trixie Belton, Cherry Ames and Nancy Drew as I have the complete collections of Trixie and Nancy. She loved the first Nancy Drew and is eager to read them all.
Karen Bergmann says
That’s interesting the libraries have “Cozy Mystery” sections! I’ll have to see if my local library has one. I haven’t really been in years, but now that I’m retired, I can peruse the library to my hearts content. I can’t afford the books on Amazon – books or ebooks!
Sadly, though, some of the books recommended aren’t offered at my library; they’re too expensive to purchase, so I’ll just have to postpone purchasing.
Susy says
Ask your librarian if they can do an interlibrary loan. That is how my local library was able to get me several books last year. I am in AZ and two of them came from Louisiana!
Jeannie says
Very Much Liked your definition of a Cozy Mystery !
I didn’t know it had a specific following before I read your Website.
I only first “Got Wind of Cozy Mysteries”, the Term, by reading the Back Dust Jacket of the current book I am now reading.
Which is, by Ann Purser, Murder on Monday. I just finished her “Sunday” Book last week. The Lois Meade Mystery Series.
In this case, the Cozy Heroine !
If the reader above is disappointed in one of the Cozy Mystery Authors, I would suggest you Clue her onto the Ann Purser Mysteries, which are truly written according to your description of what a Cozy Mystery really is !
And you are absolutely Right, Jessica Fletcher is the Very Most Cozy Mystery Heroine in All of Cozy Mystery Writing!
THANX ! for the Great Website and your Addendum to your Previous Definition !
Sincerely,
Jeannie
Maria (BearMountainBooks) says
It really is a hard line to draw. It’s subjective! No one can police every book for “proper”content. It’s up to us readers to sample and beware–and look for the things that work for us!!!
It doesn’t help any that publishers often mark a book incorrectly. I recently read a book that had “paranormal suspense” on the spine. It was Gothic horror more than “paranormal suspense.” Or maybe Gothic romance. That would probably have fit as well. I asked the author what in the world it was doing in paranormal suspense. Her reply? Paranormal suspense is a hot selling category so the publisher decided to use the slightest excuse… (not the author’s words, but my interpretation!)
Maria
Lisa says
*sigh* You’re so right. I’m not a prude or a saint, but I love that most cozies are a sanctuary from the vulgarity that has permeated most of our daily lives. There aren’t TV shows like Andy Griffith anymore. I’m so glad there are still books that provide the idyllic backdrop I long for.
Petie says
Your site was the first one I knew to use the term ‘cozy’ and use it so correctly in my opinion. Only recently have I opened what I thought was a ‘cozy’ only to find like a lot of people that it contained words & situations that made me as a reader uncomfortable. These books were a gift from my twin sister for my birthday and I have since just put them on my bookshelf as a reminder she loved me enough to give me books. She also added to my favorite ‘series’ of writers in that gift box so I am still indeed blessed with more cozies!
Maria says
Agree with Lisa, and she stated it so well. “I’m not a prude or a saint, but I love that most cozies are a sanctuary from the vulgarity that has permeated most of our daily lives.”
Any chance of TWO lists? Am sure readers would help. A friend of mine and I let each other know if the F word occurs in a book. That is usually enough to let us know that there will be other things we will not enjoy. Regardless of what you say about being current, civilized people show respect for others when choosing the language they use.
Good site. Thanks for taking so much time with it.
Lynn says
I’ve often wondered why the F word is even included in the book, perhaps one or two places, when in the whole rest of the book none of the characters utter so much as a “darn” It really spoils the whole book for me and I tend to stay away from that author in the future.
As far a TWO lists as Maria suggests; why can’t books be rated just as movies are?
Danna - cozy mystery list says
It really doesn’t make sense, does it, Lynn? It’s almost as if the publishers have a certain amount of perfunctory swearing in the mysteries they choose to publish.
As for the rating books like they do movies: How many times have you been in a movie theater watching a PG-13 movie, where you see parents with their seven year olds?
Carol says
I do love the cozy mysteries. But one of my favorite series is by J.D. Robb. (Nora Roberts). And I would be the first to admit that they have plenty of sex and violence. The interesting thing is that I got hooked on them after they were recommended to me by a woman at church. She reads lots of cozies–but she is also a big J.D.Robb fan. Maybe it is the exception that proves the rule!
Susy says
While I am not a fan of J.D. Robb (my sister is), I LOVE the FBI series by Catherine Coulter and no one would ever consider them cozy. In fact, as the years have gone by, the series has tended to be more of a thriller type, which I don’t normally like. She just has a way of writing that appeals to me.
Jen says
I AGREE, it would be nice to have two lists 🙂 I get confused too and disappointed when I think it’s a cozy and it’s not. I’d love a list that is definitely cozy (Jessica Fletcher-like) and ones that are “iffy” haha.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
The only list that I have so far is this one:
Mysteries with No Profanity
This sounds like an interesting idea… I will try to write an entry asking people to come up with more authors for the current list…
Marja says
I think that’s a good idea, Danna.
Or simply asterisk books that have sex, “language” and violence. Though the last seems rather contrary when it comes to MURDER mysteries 😉
I’ve read cozies with cusses and not minded. I’m of an age group and background where cussing is pretty normal.
Perhaps readers who are offended by cozies that cuss can contact you and let you know to put a * on the listing ….
Joan says
Your description of cozy mysteries fits my books perfectly! I’m a new writer of cozies, Joan Dahr Lambert, and I just put my first, Walking into Murder, on kindle. My protagonist Laura Morland is an American Professor of Gender Studies who takes walking trips in England and has a penchant for finding bodies in improbable places. She’s irrepressible, over-curious and determined to unearth the truth regardless of danger – and she imparts titillating tidbits about male/female relations as she does her sleuthing. I have really enjoyed creating her and the situations she gets herself into. There’s a love interest too, but gently handled, and lots of eccentric and for the most part delightful supporting characters. I would be thrilled if you would take a look at it.
Many thanks for having this blog! I really look forward to reading more. Joan Lambert
Dianne Castell says
I’m published in romance and just submitted my first cozy story so wish me luck. Where to draw the line on language and sex was a real issue with me but I decided to put the emphasis on the characters, the mystery and the setting. There is a developing love interest but I intend to keep the bedroom door closed. Hope this works.
Love this blog.
Hugs, Dianne
Maria (BearMountainBooks) says
Well, there’s a difference between a cozy mystery and just a plain mystery. It’s not just the language, but also, I think, the types of crimes dealt with. I can’t consider any kind of child abuse or serial killers or that type of thing “cozy.” I love Virginia Lanier, but her books are mysteries for me, not cozies. Why? Because she is trying to escape an abusive husband and he’s not in the background. She’s very, very much afraid of him and there’s a very real threat of violence. I don’t think there were really bad curse words (although it’s been a while since I read them), but there was enough “real” life in her books that while I *Love* them, I never have thought of them as cozy.
That’s not to say that some cozies don’t have plenty of real life. It’s to say that the dividing line isn’t always the cursing; sometimes it’s the subject matter and the way in which it is handled. For me, it’s the difference between whether I have a terrible sense of fear/dread when reading, or if I know as I read that the heroine is going to be okay–as will those near her–without it being so bullet-proof sappy as to make no sense at all…
:>)
See, it’s so subjective!
Shirley says
Danna….I love Cozy-mysteries……Fifty years ago I use to go to a small library…..I lived on a farm with my family and only got to town once a month…..this small library had the best mysteries.
Alot were cozies but that was then. I read all of the Agatha Christie books many times……….I loved the many red herrings, or twist & turns or even mazes we followed as we read mysteries and by golly they were CLEAN!
Everyone has to decide what is best for them, but this is why I like Cozy-Mysteries…..all clean, tasteful, and very little sexy descriptions. I am 75 yrs and a widow…..and I ain’t dead, but I do like my mysteries………..clean and interesting.
That’s all Folks. grin.
Anne says
Love yr. outlook Shirley.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
I wonder if editors “make” Cozy Mystery authors punch-up their dialogue…
I have NON Cozy authors I follow, who have profanity laced throughout their mysteries, but that just doesn’t seem to bother me… I know what I’m signing up for when I read their mysteries >>> so I almost expect it. But, as I said, these are NON Cozy authors… For example, I love the Dalziel and Pascoe series by Reginald Hill… I can’t imagine Dalziel not using foul language… it’s just what he does. And, it doesn’t bother me that he does.
But, if I were reading… say, a Miss Marple, and Miss Marple uttered a four-letter word upon dropping her knitting needle, I would find that highly out-of-character AND out-of-Cozy!
PS… I’m sorry I missed that article!
David says
I have to take exception to your sexist definition of a cozy reader! The implication is that cozies are just for girls. I am a healthy, virile, hetero male, brimming over with testosterone, and I am in love with Stephanie Plum and Kinsey Milhone. I also read the bloody, gory macho books (Jack Reacher and Harry Bosch are hardly a cozies), but a lighter change of pace is sometimes welcome. I smuggle my cozies out of the library under my shirt so the other guys don’t see them, but when I get home and draw the curtains…
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Aha, David… Glad to know you are one of the:
“This is not to say that intelligent men don’t read cozies…they do!”
that I mention in the second paragraph of my definition!
My husband listens to Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh (amongst others) but of course, while driving he can’t draw the curtains…
Tony says
I would agree with David. I like a good cozy mystery too. I like the M.C. Beaton novels starring Hamish Macbeth. Nothing wrong with us guys getting in on the fun.
linda c says
Tony, This is an old posting but I just read it. I would like for there to be more Cozies with men as the sleuth. I love Evan Evans and Hamish Macbeth. Too bad we can’t have more like these two.
J.R. says
“Sexist?” There was no such implication.
Jan Arthur says
I would like some cozy books with a man the main character and it would be nice if it was a man that wrote the book. The only author I know of now is Steve Demaree.
Jelsemium says
Miranda James writes a series, Cat in the Stacks, that has a male main protagonist. (Oh, and Miranda James is the pseudonym of Dean James.)
Susy S says
Dean James is amazing. He wrote a cozy series with a gay vampire, the Cat in the Stacks series as Miranda James and he writes the children’s Pete the Cat series as well.
Gayle Carline says
I’ve been told my book (Freezer Burn) is a cozy, and I’ve been told it’s not a cozy. It’s possible that everyone has their own definition of the word. There’s no graphic violence. There’s a little bit of sex, but it’s not graphic and it’s always in a monogamous relationship. There’s a smidge of profanity, but it’s not from the protagonist, it’s from the bad guys. I didn’t exactly mean for it to get in there, but it’s how the characters talked and I couldn’t exactly stop them. I do warn readers who ask that the F-word is used three times. Interestingly, I just completed the second book in the series, and the F-word didn’t get said once.
georgia says
I’m currently editing a draft of a cozy. How leisurely should the beginning of a cozy be? Should it be fast paced with the murder happening in the first chapter or can it be more leisurely with the murder in chapter three?
Thanks.
Jelsemium says
I’ve seen it both ways, so whatever works with your story. One book didn’t get to the murder until halfway through the book!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Georgia, I know a lot of authors throw the crime right into the first chapter… to catch the reader right away. But, since Cozy Mysteries focus more on developing the characters and the use of “Cozy” locations (which are, I think, two of the primary characteristics of Cozies) I think that not encountering the crime until chapter three is very acceptable.
(But, don’t quote me on that!)
Gayle Wigglesworth says
I used to call my books cozies but a very haughty woman called me on it . She said I had too many people in my Tea is for Terror for it to qualify as a cozy. According to her I was only allowed ten. Actually, she’s right but for other reasons, for instance I sometimes have a scene of violence on the page so that disqualifies my books. So now I call my books Amateur Sleuth, and Clean mysteries. That seems to fit, as I seldom get irrate protests for mis-labelling them. I ordinarily read the kind I write, but I confess to reading all kinds because I just like good books.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Me, too! I think that the term “Cozy” has changed to include so many different types of books. I admit that when I started the site, I thought that Cozy mysteries were only those books that were similar to the Agatha Christie type of books. But it seems like (particularly recently) the term has been widening to include what we traditionally wouldn’t think of as Cozy. Publishers, fans/readers, and authors’ bank statements have enabled the term “Cozy” to evolve…
Madeira says
I think that the tone is more important than elements of the content nowadays, the dark cynical tone of the hard boiled is very different from the… cheery, alls well that ends well tone of the cozy. Phryne Fisher books are certainly racy, but they unquestionably have that “coziness” that makes (to me at least) a cozy.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Madeira, there are several Cozy Mystery authors who I would not have considered Cozy ten years ago. Some of whom are pretty “racy” (to use your term)…
Eveline says
Joan, your description of the main character in your books sounds so very much like Jessica Fletcher who finds a dead body wherever she goes?
For years, I swore never to invite Ms. Fletcher to a family party!
linda says
Evaline, My hubby always complained about how where ever Jessica Fletcher went, a murder was sure to follow. But then I remembered to tell him that in the old cowboy shows that he still likes to watch ( Gun smoke, Walker Texas Ranger) those people have a murder whereever they go to. It’s just fiction.
Eveline says
Can anybody please recommend a period mystery book where the settings are abbeys or old churches – much like in the vein of “The Name of the Rose”?
I am not a religious person, but I love those types of settings.
I have seen that movie three times, and I never seem to get tired of watching it. They haven’t done anything like that again, not that I know of.
I love all the Cadfael mysteries, and plan to have those in my collection, as well.
Jelsemium says
Have you tried the Sister Fidelma series by Peter Tremayne?
Art says
I’m sure that the “Father Brown” TV series was probably developed from Cozy sources.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Eveline, I’ll write an entry asking for help on finding a period mystery book/series that is set in abbeys/old churches…
Eveline says
Thanks, Danna.
Lisa says
I’m a cozy fan and surfed into this site because I was looking for dog mysteries. Thanks for your long list of them, which includes many I haven’t heard of.
Have to say I’m a little confused by all the emphasis on no “profanity,” a concept which, although it’s existed for centuries, I find really peculiar. If I were from Mars, I’d be like, how weird that they have certain “poison words” that must be avoided, that are considered especially damaging for children to read or hear, but are nonetheless enjoyed as a vice by people of all ages and constantly heard on TV. Just odd.
Having said that, I’m wondering if the emphasis here on no profanity in a cozy is about the profanity being seen as indicative that there might be ugly situations in a particular book that don’t belong in cozies. However, I don’t see why it necessarily has to be any such thing, since the people in my own life so frequently use “bad language” in *other* than a mean-spirited, nasty context–plus, in real life, certain types of bad guys, at least, do tend to go “F, F, F” all the time, especially when caught in the act by a detective, and how weird when they don’t talk like that in a book!
J.R. says
I have no doubt that the people from Mars would commend authors who are able to write solidly and hold the reader’s attention without resorting to the vulgar.
There are a plethora of the types of books you like on the market.
Julia says
Lisa, I admit I can kind of see your point. While I am not big on profanity in my reading material, it really only bothers me if it is used in extreme anger. I realize that probably sounds silly, but casual profanity is very much a part of our world (and probably always has been – we just don’t know what words were considered profane 300 years ago). I’m actually more bothered by authors who try to get around this by having their characters create their own swear words (an action which invariably ends in clever and far too cutesey euphemisms). For the most part, if the swearing is sporadic, and used to vent rather than intimidate or threaten, I don’t really care one way or the other.
Lisa says
Not criticizing anybody here, of course. IMHO, everybody gets to believe what they believe about things. Just bringing it up to have a look at it.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Lisa, it’s always nice to hear the other side of the argument.
I don’t happen to subscribe to HBO (or any other “pay for” channels) so I can’t comment on detective shows with “certain words” being uttered every time the culprits are caught.
Tracy says
One trend that I have noticed in cozy mysteries is that the victim is either universally liked (at least on the surface) or universally hated. So the mystery is “Who would want to kill her?”, until you find out the victim’s dark secret, or “Who actually did kill her?”, since she was despised by all for different reasons. One of these days, I’m going to try my hand at writing a cozy mystery. Maybe when I’m old like Jessica Fletcher!! 🙂
linda says
Tracy, We live in an age where we can all write whatever we want. It is true that almost anything goes, nothing is sacred. But the trick is getting people to continue to read what is written!
Polli says
Thank you for your list of true cozies! I like going into a book knowing I can relax and enjoy.
A thought, perhaps readers could help rate authors and series on a 1 to 5 scale of coziness? New readers can judge the levels they prefer to read!
Thanks!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
I’m glad you’re enjoying the site, Polli. When I first started this site I could vouch for every author I had on it. Since then, however, I have added MANY authors who have come recommended by site readers. They assure me that the authors they are recommending belong on the site. Since I haven’t read all of them, I can only hope that they do, indeed, belong on the site…
Art says
“Out-of-five” rating systems are too limited. I used to be “Yahoo 5”, until I realized I had nothing to offer for “outstanding”. And there’s nothing for those grey areas between “meh”, good, and “very-good”.
Ann says
This discussion reminds me of when the Miss Seeton books were first being continued by “Charles Hampton”. I was not happy about the addition of casual sex, but didn’t become outraged until adultery was involved. I was particularly unhappy about the lack of guilt and I wrote a letter of protest. Obviously I wasn’t the only one because the “Charles Hampton” casual sex and name were dropped.
I’m not as upset about profanity as I was when I was younger (I’ll be 57 this year), but I prefer to have it missing. If I remember Miss Manners correctly, the casual use of profanity is unwise because then the speaker can’t use profanity to signal being truly upset/angry. (It also might not be safe to use around persons one doesn’t know well. I once witnessed a scene where a manager had to protect her teenaged employee from being attacked by a much older customer whom the teen had casually called a motherf-er. I don’t know what, if anything, the manager said to that boy later, but I would have warned him that some persons consider certain insults justification for putting the insulter into a hospital or coffin.)
I agree about knowing what I’m letting myself in for when I’m reading authors I’ve read before, such as Barbara Hambly (My gosh! The hero got away with just a broken wrist!) and Laurell K. Hamilton (Wow! 16 chapters without sex!). I feel betrayed when I get something much uglier than I expected.
Another classic mystery writer was Leslie Ford with her Grace Latham and Colonel Primrose mysteries. The reader will have to put up with the kind of stereotypes typical of the time in which they were written (early 1930s through early 1950s), but I think they qualify as cozies. The first book was Colonel Primrose alone and written in third person. The rest of the series is in first person, from Grace Latham’s point of view.
The Strangled Witness
Ill-Met by Moonlight
The Simple Way of Poison
Three Bright Pebbles (No Colonel)
Reno Rendezvous
False to Any Man
Old Lover’s Ghost
The Murder of a Fifth Columnist
Murder in the O.P.M.
Siren in the Night
All for the Love of a Lady
The Philadelphia Murder Story
Honolulu Story
The Woman in Black
The Devil’s Stronghold
Washington Whispers Murder
By the way, some of Georgette Heyer’s historical romances include mysteries. Off the top of my head: The Quiet Gentleman, The Reluctant Widow, The Talisman Ring, and These Old Shades.
Glad to see that you listed Patricia Wentworth. My cat who eats Q-tips is named Miss Silver.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
I don’t know, Ann, if an employee of any age had called me that, I would have been pretty upset. I would say that employee should have been fired on the spot! (That’s not to say I would have ever resorted to violence, but what kind of an idiot would call someone that… casually or not so casually?!?
Ann says
I think I would have been shocked if it had been an older person, but I’ve learned (from sites with a lot of fans in their teens and twenties), that many persons in that age range use such language very casually indeed. In fact, I discovered there were young persons who used tw** for a fool of either sex and had no idea what the word meant before.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ann, I know that there are many teens and twenty-somethings) who think that language of any kind should be acceptable. I wonder what they will think when they have toddlers in their homes… I guess I should specify “toddlers of their own”… They probably won’t care until then, or until their children’s schools start calling them for conferences!
Ann says
One would hope. Sadly, one of my brothers teaches first/second grade, and he’s met a parent who thought it was funny that his kid had cussed at his teacher.
As for longer books, I don’t need lots of action if the pages are filled with “wickedly diverting dialogue”.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ann, one of my high school students called me a rather choice “name” and the vice principal in charge of behavior actually “sided with” her father… who happened to be a highfalutin’ lawyer in town.
Jule Dupre says
I also like your definition of cozy mystery, Miss Marple being my guiding light. But I have a question regarding the length. I find 150 – 250 pages comfortable to read versus 500 pages of excessively verbose clutter. It requires an author with a strong sense of organization and the ability to package important information into a concise format. Would you agree or am I showing my grandmotherly age?
Thanks –
Jule Dupre
Danna - cozy mystery list says
I totally agree about the length of a Cozy Mystery book, Jule. If it is 500 pages, it had better have action to match that length… and not be a totally “verbose style of writing.” Even books that are only 200 pages long >>> They had better have enough action to pack into those 200 pages, or I toss the books aside and annotate “too slow” on my personal list of favorite authors.
Donna says
Unfortunately, this is yet another trend in publishing. I’m an aspiring mystery writer, meaning that I collect rejection slips in my free time, and I’ve heard repeatedly that my books are wonderful but should be 500 pages instead of 300! I don’t want to compromise a tightly woven plot by slowing it down with 200 pages of filler material. I would love to know how your other readers feel about this subject, Danna!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Yikes, Donna! A lot of the time, I avoid buying a book if it is the size of a college textbook. I know that is the wrong criteria for buying a book, but I am often turned off by a 500 page mystery book!
Martha Knox says
I agree. On the one hand, a writer is offered “Hemingway” as the ideal writer and then on submission requirements told they must write 65K words. I have a very succinct cozy novel edited carefully to 54k, and it’s driving me nuts that I would have to puff it up with another 10K unnecessary words.
Connie says
I thought everyone knew books are measured in word count, not page count, since page sizes can vary greatly. Ideal word count (and this figure is always displayed on the Word doc pane at the bottom left) is 80,000 to 100,000. This makes for a decent, thickish book, but not a tome like “The Thornbirds!”
Mary Fran says
Discovered your site last night when I was having trouble sleeping and looking for undiscovered books by P.D. James. I don’t know how I stumbled on yours, but WHAT A GOLD MINE! I’ve been an avid reader all my life. (And a list maker, so you’ve touched a soft spot). Wish I had a list of all the books I’ve read; it would be in the thousands. I’m seeing here old favorites, the medieval mystery writers in particular, and others I’ve never heard of. Thank you for putting together this well thought out list of books and authors. It is now in with my favorites. I need MORE TIME though.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Mary Fran, when I started the site I could vouch for every one of the authors. But since then, I have added many authors to the site who come recommended by site readers. I have found quite a few authors who I have added to my list of favorite authors, but I have also found quite a few who just weren’t for me. I hope you are able to find some new authors who you enjoy.
(It sounds like you might have two of my problems: trouble sleeping AND a penchant for lists, lists, and more lists!)
Donna says
I’m both an avid reader of numerous genres (cozies being my favorite) and also an aspiring author. The plain truth is that in most cases the publishers are the ones who demand that writers “modernize” by adding profanity, etc to their books in the mistaken belief that this will increase sales. In my experience, talking with other writers and readers too, there is still a huge market for clean cozies and many fans actually stop buying books that are “modernized”. I only wish the publishers would get hip to that fact!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
I totally agree with you, Donna. I know I sound like a broken record, but I simply don’t have friends who talk like a lot of the characters in some of the “modernized” Cozy Mysteries. Maybe we are simply too square to be hip!
(OR>>> Maybe our vocabularies are simply a lot better!)
Art says
I.E.:
Oh, expletive!
?
Ana says
I’m so glad I found this website. I never realized I was reading “cozies” until someone pointed it out to me. I just knew I was reading something “relatively safe” (from the sex and violence that occurs in many novels) and thoroughly enjoyable. While I don’t mind adult language and sexual situations (as long as it’s in context and truly a part of the character’s, well…character) I’m finding that a lot of the mainstream authors are using it just for shock value. It’s one of the reasons I’ve stepped away from my favorite genre – urban fantasy. It seems to have been taken over by romance novelists (who are by no means to be minimized, I’ve read some fantastic novels that would be classified as romances) so it’s now more about sex with the werewolf/vampire/demon than it is about the sci-fi. I’d rather dust off my old Agatha Christie and Terry Pratchett books and be called a prude by my “hipper” friends.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ana, when I first started the site, I could vouch for every one of the authors on it. I have added many, many authors since then who I have not read. These authors are those who came recommended by site readers who thought they belong on the site. Because of this, I can’t vouch that you will only find “relatively safe” authors…
linda says
Some of the novels such as James Patterson’s Stone Barrington series have the charaters in the story having multiple sex partners. Nowhere in the story the use of protection is mentioned. Nowhere in the story is anything mentioned about any of these characters getting sexual transmitted deseases. I know these stories are someone’s imagination but how realistic can these stories be if the multible sexual encounters without protection occur without some form of disease being transferred to some of the characters? Also, how could some of these acts not result in a pregnancy somewhere along the way? It just doesn’t make much sense to me. Or are we suppose to keep our minds open to the fact that sexuallt transmitted diseases or pregnancies won’t occur?
Here’s hoping what I just wrote makes some sense!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Good point, Linda. (Fortunately, there isn’t a lot of gratuitous “multiple partners action” in the books I read!)
Connie says
James Patterson didn’t write the Stone Barrington series. Stuart Woods did.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Connie, thanks for the info.
Trudie says
Like Shirley I am 70 and widowed. We were taught to be ladies and a lady found no reason to use vulgarity to get her points across. We were raised to keep sex private and in the bedroom, it’s too bad most today have to talk about it.
It seems to me they would rather talk about it than do it. I have just found cozies and my favorite so far is Earlene Fowler’s Benni Harper series. I don’t use vulgarity in my life and I don’t want to pay money to have it crammed down my throat. So how I appreciate being able to find out whether a book is clean or not before I buy it. Please continue to help those of us who are still ladies.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Trudie, unfortunately, more and more authors are going with the growing trend of “spicing” up the language… Several Cozy Mystery site readers have said that they understand it is at their publisher’s insistence…
Martha Knox says
Read a free sample on Amazon.
linda says
Danna, As some non cozy writers are using more and more, bad language, bloody violent scenes, expliciate (close enough) scenes to tell their so called story, I will stick with your definition of what a Cozy is AND I will stick with reading the Cozies! Most of these non cozies have very little story content to the book. When I read I want to read a STORY.
Martha Knox says
Also readers comments will tell you quickly if a book is full of cursing and explicit sex scenes. Six kids, happily married to a very sexy guy.
Edie Dykeman says
If readers and those who purchase cozies stick to their guns about what they will or will not buy, at some point in time hopefully the publishers will get the message.
The whole cozy community of authors, readers, and bloggers such as yourself need to get the word to publishers that what they are trying to push onto to us are not cozies and we will not go along with their “new” definition.
It’s not their place to change the definition of a cozy just to increase the sales of their books, in my opinion. We really need to let them know there are certain conditions that we will not accept as a cozy and use whatever clout we can to get them to understand.
I applaud Donna who has started her own site to promote the true cozy genre, and hope that you continue to maintain your standards as well.
In fact, I struggled recently with a couple of books I reviewed as to whether they were cozy or not. I even asked one of the authors and she wasn’t sure either, but said it didn’t matter to her how I classified it.
After rereading your definition, I’m going to go back and change any reference to cozy to contemporary.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Edie, I think that it’s just easier to go along with what the publishers are doing, which of course doesn’t mean we have to buy the books. I know that there are a lot of authors who are considered Cozy who have changed quite a bit, due to the public’s tastes. I’m guessing that their publishers know what sells.
Kathleen Nordstrom says
I have noticed cozy mysteries are getting longer in the last few years since they have become popular. What is a good word count for a cozy mystery?
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Kathleen, I don’t know about the word count in a Cozy Mystery, but for me, +/- 200 pages should be able to contain the whole mystery. I’m not crazy about mysteries that ramble on and on…
linda says
I want my cozies to be no more than 300-350 pages. Some are getting to be longer but for me to read the books with more pages it had better be written by one of the more established writers. I just don’t want to pick up a book by an unknown writer that has a lot of pages since I too only give the book about 50 pages to grab my interest.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Wow, Linda, 350 pages is a long book!
linda says
Danna, 300 pages is a long book and for me to pick a book up with that many pages it had better be by a writer that I know and love!!
Connie says
I thought everyone knew books are measured in word count, not page count, since page sizes can vary greatly. Ideal word count (and this figure is always displayed on the Word doc pane at the bottom left) is 80,000 to 100,000. This makes for a decent, thickish book, but not a tome like “The Thornbirds!”
You might want to switch to this designation to help you appear more professional with publishers.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Connie, I don’t think we were talking about word count since usually the reader isn’t interested in that. We were just talking about the overall length of books.
Connie says
Ah, point well taken. I was commenting from an author’s/agent’s point of view, and this site is written from a reader’s point of view. My bad! I’ve been editing books for years and slipped into my editor’s hat! ;o)
Julia says
I don’t mind reading longer books, but I think you’re right about the length of a cozy – 350 pages is really sufficient to establish motive, suspects, scatter clues, put the detecive in jeopardy and then wrap the whole thing up. Once you get into the 400-plus size, you need to add in more action to draw things out, and then it ceases to be a cozy.
Lynn says
One of the great things about reading on a Kindle is that generally you have no idea how many “pages” you are reading and only know what percent of the book you have read or have got to go. That said, I do not like a cozy which is too long – 5 return journeys to work (which is roughly equal to 2 hours worth of actual reading) is enough for me. I like to know what happened by Friday night.
Art - Whistler Reads says
Kathleen, they are getting longer because we readers are skimming/scanning thru the boring objectional stuff for the STORY we still hope to discover.
Nita R says
Danna, I was wondering, is there a way to know the older authors like Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers? The only way I know of is to look at each author and find out when they lived and published books.
Martha Knox says
If their picture on Amazon is in black and white you can be assured they wrote before 1970.
Nita R says
Sorry I just found your Classic Mysteries under themes. I hope that helps me some.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Nita R, it looks like you answered your question.
(For those of you who haven’t seen the theme Nita R is referring to: Classic Mystery Books)
Jan says
When I look for a cozy mystery, I am looking for something similar to Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, etc. None of my family or friends uses vulgar or obscene language, nor do we discuss sexual matters graphically.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Jan, I finally had to add my addendum to the description because there have been so many changes to the Cozy Mystery sub genre. Unfortunately, people tell publishers what they want with their wallets.
linda says
Jan I am not necessarily opposed to the sexual intent in a cozy or in any book for that matter. What I don’t care for is the step by step description.
I have been reading Sherryl Woods’ “The Sweet Magnolias ” and the “Chesapeake Shores” novels this summer. There are a few parts in these two series that do have the step by step description. But I just read past these parts. Those parts really are few in these stories.
I too have a feeling that these parts were put in as a suggestion by a publisher because the books just didn’t need those parts. The stories, although a little bit repetitive, were very good. I have truly enjoyed reading both of these series this summer.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda, you’re a great example of people being able to make their own decisions.
Linda A. says
Is there another term for the “branch” of cozy mysteries that have catchy titles like: Dial M for Meatloaf, Berried Alive, Mozzarela Most Murderous??
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda A, I don’t know about another term for those Cozy Mysteries, but I’d love to know – if someone else tells us.
Cheri F says
Danna, I just found this marvelous website with all the comments from wonderful people looking to read a good mystery without all the vulgar/profanity/sexual content that is totally not needed for a good story! When an author or publisher thinks there is a need for that, the story must not be that interesting, for mystery or interest of the story is what grabs the reader to keep reading.
I have struggled to find good books to enjoy, and didn’t even know of the cozy books. Where have I been?!! I have read Laura Childs, Joanne Fluke, Lillian Jackson Braun, and a few others, but have finished their books, and was looking for others that were clean. I stumbled across Chris Cavender last week, and am already in my third book! Love the pizza setting! One thing I can say about using my kindle to rent books from the library, I can send the book right back (which I have done 3 times) if the book uses profanity.
Thank you for your site and your lists. Mine is now getting longer!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Welcome to the Cozy Mystery site, Cheri F! You have mentioned some really good Cozy Mystery authors, but have you tried Camille Minichino/Margaret Grace or J. B. Stanley? They don’t have to rely on the easy short-cuts of using profanity.
Lynn says
Cheri F, I heartily recommend Marie Bostwick, Susan M Boyer, Ellen Elizabeth Hunter and Karen Lowe. I have just read a stack of their novels on my Kindle and cannot get enough. Any profanity is kept to a minimum, as is sex. These writers rely on telling a good story.
Cheri F says
Danna, no I haven’t, but I will be giving them a try for sure! Thank you again for your wonderful efforts!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Good, good, good, Cheri F. You might enjoy them enough to add them to your list of favorite authors >>> as I have.
Georgann L. says
Danna – I love cozy mysteries, but for me it is not enjoyable if it is not clean. I have no interest in observing people’s intimacy. If it starts, I close the book and look for another one. I recently found Julie Hyzy and her White House Chef mysteries and her Manor House Mysteries. I have read 6 in the first series and 3 in the second, and they are intelligent, well-written, have good characters and good stories. The protagonists in each one have a love interest, but these are true cozies. No swearing, no violence. Thank you so much for this site, for keeping it going, and for broaching this subject.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Welcome to the Cozy Mystery site, Georgann L! I hope to see lots more comments from you!
Nancy E says
Thank you for this site. It has been a great help in finding new authors to read. I am a big fan of “cozy mysteries”, although I did not know the genre had a name. I love mysteries, and have read every available Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle mystery, Wilke Collin’s The Moonstone, the Nero Wolfe series by Rex Stout and all the Ellery Queen I could get my hands on. I started by reading Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys mysteries.
Thanks to your site, I discovered Dorothy Cannell, Heather Webber (Nina Quinn) and M.C. Beaton (Agatha Raisin). I love the humor in these books and the the fact that the main characters are endearingly flawed.
Is this where I can recommend or critique books?
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Welcome to the site, Nancy E! I’m glad you have been able to find new authors to add to your reading lists.
At the end of every month I post a Cozy Mysteries Recommendations for that month. We get a lot of recommendations, which have proven to be a great way for some of us to find new authors to try reading. Here is the most recent one:
Cozy Mysteries Recommendations – July 2013
Bernie says
At Thrillerfest in New York – a conference for writers of thriller books such as Kathy Reichs and James Patterson, I was told the difference between the Thriller genre and the Mystery/Suspense genre. I now realize that I have written a Thriller novel, but because there is no graphic murder scenes and no sex, I suspect I have written a “Cozy Thriller.” A thriller is a story where you know what is going to happen and you follow the hero through the book as he tries to stop it from happening. A mystery is a story where you don’t know what is going to happen. So “Raiders of The Lost Ark” and “The Fifth Element” are considered thrillers, but since there is no graphic violence or sex in these stories, does that make them Cozy Thrillers? I would appreciate your comments on this.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Bernie, that’s an interesting idea. I guess that several of the books I have read recently must be thrillers, since some of them were very predictable…
Susan says
Bernie,
Would you share with us how those genre were described at the conference?
Looking forward to hearing this…
Janet says
I listen to many books on CD while I drive. I just finished a book from a cozy mystery author on this site. The mystery was good, well written, but the use of the f-word slapped me in the face whenever I heard it. How can you take a mystery in a monastery and add that word so many times?! I kept thinking since it was in a religious setting this would be an unusual occurrence. I was wrong. To each his own, but I cringe every time I hear the “F-word.” (And no, my friends and family do not use this in my presence. And I don’t use it.)
I wish there was some general profanity rating system. That way, if you are okay with it, read on! If not, move on to something else.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Janet, I don’t get it either! I never heard it used in my work environments, nor did my husband. However, one of my adult children had a co-worker who used it quite liberally until she saw that no one else in the office did. I have dropped authors when I see that it’s a recurring thing. To me it shows a lack of vocabulary, which I expect my authors to have!
Nick says
Hear! Hear!
Nick says
I have referred to this site a few times in the past several years and only recently added it to my favorite list. I am another male who likes the cozy mystery WITHOUT the cursing (if it can be helped). Your cozy definition is spot-on. My own definition is a little bit more stringent. I really dislike political correctness being preached in some of the series I’ve picked up (and subsequently put down). One author I read kept going on about global warming every five or six pages. To me, there are other places for this discourse. My focus is on the plot, characterizations, and the empathy I feel for the characters. I put down another series because every male character, save one, was a functioning idiot. The problem is mine I know but I still prefer authors such Sara Rosett, Livia J. Washburn, Parnell Hall (who is linguistically colorful) and Julie Hyzy.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Nick, I know what you mean about some authors making the men in their mysteries seem like caricatures of idiots; a lot of Bertie Woosters bumbling around…
Kat says
Please add Mignon Eberhart! She inspired Agatha Christie:
http://www.mignoneberhart.com
Also, is Nancy Drew considered too “young” for your list?
LOVE this site!
Thank you
Mahrie G. Reid says
Thank you for the detailed description. I’ve enjoyed cozy mysteries for years as well as the more gentle romantic suspense of Mary Stewart. She does not have the known cast and village in her books. Fed up with the degree of sex and violence, and having wanted to write for decades, I recently published two books that have a foot in each camp. There is a recurring cast of characters, a small community, Cable Cove, but the lead in each books is a different person with connections to the others. I have the occasional damn, off scene, quick kills and a light romance with an undercarriage of suspense. And I agree with Kat/June 24 comment – Nancy Drew is a perfect example of a cozy of the YA crowd.
Tom says
I just found the description after seeing as part of the description of some books I was interested in. So, I looked it up. I noticed that the author lists includes classics as well as new.
Understanding that the main character is usually a intelligent and curious woman (with some exceptions).
I was wondering if you could recommend some with male protagonists (such as Hercules Poirot).
Thank you for the lists.
Tom
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Tom, the first series I would start with is the Inspector Alleyn by Ngaio Marsh. These books are quite similar (I think) to Agatha Christie’s.
BJ says
It’s funny, I’m not generally a cozy lover although there are a few that I read consistently because I like their characters. Having read some of the above comments that mention Kinsey Milhone and Stephanie Plum as cozies, I just don’t think they match the definition of cozy. I read Stephanie as fast as they come out and I’m almost finished the Sue Grafton books. The cozy heroine is described as an amateur sleuth. Kinsey is an ex-cop and a PI and Stephanie, although inept, is a bounty hunter and both of these can be a little graphic, although not excessively, and Stephanie is a lot sexy with her 2 fellas! Just my opinion.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
BJ, I agree with your assessment of both Stephanie Plum and Kinsey Millhone. They aren’t totally Cozy, but they sure do appeal to a lot of us Cozy Mystery readers.
Rick says
I’ve been reading CM’s for about 10 years. I became bored with mysteries in general. A 30 page chapter describing an autopsy finally convinced me to try something new, well that is after I quit yawning and nodding off! I’ve even got other’s hooked on the genre.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Rick, I know exactly what you mean about the 30 page autopsy findings! Cozies are so much more character driven, and really, who wants to read all of that detailed forensic information…
Mahrie G says
Love cozies – and also SOME of the more modern ones. Given they are written in today’s technical age, they have a different scope of investigating, even for the non-professional sleuth. I don’t mind a bit of colorful language (although my mother always said profanity is the lazy mans’ way of expressing himself.) -I do like a developing relationship but don’t need the killing and graphic sex parts. I write mystery with that touch of romance but I keep it clean. Readers in their 80’s and Christian young women have given me favorable feedback on that issue. Thanks for all you ongoing information and a forum for cozy readers and writers. It is invaluable in today’s marketplace.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Mahrie,you’re welcome!
Jan Arthur says
I 100% agree with with Danna’s thoughts that it is the publishers/editors who are pushing the add sex and profanity. They are trying to ” convince” readers that this is the new ” normal”. Remember all they care about is more money coming in to theur company and the authors wrote their books to be in tge ” cozy” section for the very reason of keeping it clean. Remember, we the reader can and do write reviews and that is what keeps a certain type of books like the cozy mysteries in style. If the publishers keep pushing ” their agenda” I for one can and will stop buying tjose particular publishers books. I love re-reading books anyway:).
Tom says
I agree, a little romance can spice it up. However, what happens in the bedroom can be left to the readers imagination.
This is a site I check every so often for the lists.
Keep up the good work.
Thank you.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Tom, I’m glad you visit the site every so often AND thanks!
Lauren says
Hi Danna,
I just wanted to thank you for putting together this site and including such detailed and extensive lists.
As an author, my mysteries probably wouldn’t make the cut. I’d describe them more as touch of cozy, or cozy-adjacent (amateurs sleuths, libraries, antiques and bumbling crooks in one, small town and gardening in the other, but some international locations as well, and occasional hints at a little more darkness)
As a reader though, I love browsing your site, even if it’s occasionally just to look at the cover images on new releases.
Thanks for all your hard work categorizing and curating.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Lauren, thank you for your kind words. I’m glad you are enjoying my site. If I were an author, I would definitely spend time looking at book cover images! They are the first step to getting our attention…
Mahrie says
It seems the cozy term is somewhat if flux. Agatha and others of her era set the bar. However, modern readers also like the more modern settings. But no graphic sex and no long drawn out murder scenes and minimal if any profanity. I realized that in my book # 2 I have quite a few “Oh my God’s” and am being more aware of that in book #3. I do use a few damns as well – but nothing stronger. It is interesting that the romance category now has a “Clean” category after the recent years of “erotica.” I am enjoying the various lists you post -and both the comments and queries of the readers. Love your site. Thank you for all you hard work in keeping us all up to date with the cozy genre.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Mahrie, thank you for your kind words about my site. I’m glad you’re enjoying it.
I read about an author who when writing her series, didn’t know she would end up being enjoyed by a Cozy Mystery following. She is quite famous, and re-edited her earlier mysteries so they didn’t include the non-Cozy words. I remember reading her way back when she started releasing her mysteries (in the early 1990s), and they were a lot harder-edged than they are now. Same books with just a few tweaks.
Connie says
Yes, word count, NOT page count, is the industry standard, and if you want to pitch your book to an agent or publisher, you’d better include your word count.
Jordan says
I suppose what constitutes a “cozy” for me, whether on television or in print form, is a mystery where the mystery itself is the main focus and point of interest, with not merely an exclusion but no real need for any wanton violence or sexual situations, and no need for high-speed car chases or gunplay. A thinking person’s mystery, I’d say (speaking as a man, so “person” seems to fit best). Or, a mystery for mystery’s sake.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Jordan, I would tend to agree with you – many of the best Cozies are heavy on thinking and light on action, and relatively little violence or other risque behavior.
Lana says
Real authors don’t necessarily stick to stringent rules. They create their own. The rules for what women could write back in Agatha Christie’s day have very much changed as things are considered less taboo now. Back in Agatha Christie’s time people of color didn’t have a voice and let’s not forget the original title of 10 Little Indians. For the most part everyone sticks to no graphic violence and a tight knit cast. Though I love the expansion of including leads of other, settings that aren’t the standard small town, and a variety of occupations that aren’t the jobs women are mainly associated with.
Robert Revas says
While most readers usually want cozy mysteries traditionally “cozy” sometimes it works to try something outside the box. George Baxt is listed on this site, and some of his books have quite a lot of profanity and sex. However, they are great mysteries, and cozy in other ways besides language. Sometimes it’s good to be flexible and stretch in what one reads.
Pat L says
I was in a discussion on cozy mysteries the other day and a woman said that they must have a murder in them. Is that correct?
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Pat, I wouldn’t say it’s a hard and fast rule that a Cozy requires a murder, but it is an extremely common element, especially in modern Cozies. In some older series, a particularly noteworthy valuable item being stolen might substitute for an actual death.
Jan Arthur says
Yes,In my Facebook cozy Christian mystery books all books have someone get murdered. There are plenty of cozy books out there( and groups) that don’t have people murdered in them. Different strokes for different folks ( old saying)
Jordan says
Another way to put it might be to say: “If it reads likes an episode of “Murder, She Wrote”, then it’s safely a cozy.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Jordan, yes, “Murder, She Wrote” is definitely a strong baseline for what would be considered Cozy.
Terrye Robins says
I LOVE cozies and have researched this website a LOT in the past couple of months. I don’t like profanity or sex scenes and am branching out to try some new authors on this site. Can anyone tell me if the books that Tamar Myers, Lea Wait and Eva Gates write are good choices? Thanks a bunch!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Terrye, I can’t absolutely say there’s no profanity in any given author, but I do have a list that should theoretically help: Mystery Books with No Profanity and/or Faith-Based Mystery Books.
I can’t guarantee that it is 100% accurate – I rely on site visitors to suggest books and people are sometimes wrong or miss something. But it might be a good place to start.
Terrye Robins says
Hi Danna. Thanks for your reply. Yes, I’ve browsed the “No Profanity/Faith-based” list and have added many of the recommended authors to my “check-out” list. Thanks so much for this site! It’s great!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Terrye, you’re welcome! I’m always glad to hear when the lists help out.
M. T. says
Terrye, I can definitely vouch for Charlotte MacLeod, if you like. Her stuff is about as clean as it comes, and is excellent writing to boot!
Rachel Ann says
I have gotten into cozies lately and one of the reasons is that sex and violence are downplayed. I am an adult and my view is as an adult I know what a closed door means, it doesn’t all have to be spelled out.
Thank you for this site as a whole, I’m enjoying reading through it.
Peter Kingsmill says
Hi Rachel Ann – I would appreciate reading your views on the concept of a “Canadian” Cozy genre:
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1021999-canadian-cozies
Cheers,
Peter
Doug says
So glad I discovered this website. I stumbled onto Cozy Mysteries because of my Kindle and the local bookstores. For me, this was a rare find. I don’t recall running across them in the big chain stores. I may need to use this site as a checklist so I don’t buy the same book over and over.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Doug, I’m glad you found the website as well! It’s always interesting hearing where people get their books – it definitely feels like we have relatively few people who buy from “big chain” bookstores.
Valerie S says
I found this site today while trying to find the definition of “Cozy Mystery”. I saw the category on a few books I was given. I enjoyed them so much then noticed other books in my library with the same label. I was also very surprised to learn that many of my favorite Hallmark Mysteries started life as Cozy Mystery book series.
I’ve always been a “real paper” book lover though I now read the majority of my books on my phone mostly because most bookstores and libraries are closed.
I used to love to read and just recently started again. In fact, I think I’ve read about 50 books in the past two and a half months! If nothing else, COVID gave me back my love of reading. 😍
I have found that a few of the books I’ve purchased have an “18+” warning somewhere amongst the copyright, disclaimers, acknowledgements and such, unfortunately Kindle usually starts on the first page of the story so I didn’t see the warning before I started reading. Thankfully the content was fairly tame though I noticed that as the series progressed so did the language and sensuous scenes though still not too explicit. One author had the 18+ warning in her book description online. Not knowing what the content warning was for, I decided to read it, cautiously, as the story looked promising and I received it for free in a give away. I was very happy to see that the only reason was a very short love scene at the end of the book between the newlywed couple and it was tastefully done without a lot of descriptive narrative. I would really like to see more authors take the initiative and mark their books with a warning/caution and perhaps, like TV, “scenes of violence, sex, profanity, etc…” so we will know what to expect and then choose if we still want to purchase the book or not.
Stacey says
Thank you for this site. I’m a not quite 40 something that enjoys cozy mysteries, and debating whether to write one myself. First one I read was Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie. I have a soft spot for Poirot.