This is a follow up to yesterday’s entry. Bill wrote to thank me for addressing his question, with this:
“P.S. — BY the way, I do read a good number of mysteries with female protagonists…I liked Lonnie Cruse’s “Fifty-Seven Heaven,” for example, and some of the Sue Grafton books and many others….
I certainly did not mean to imply I “NEED” my protagonists to be male….
BUT, though it might sound stereotypical, there are, I suppose, some interests common to men and common to women…It would be a stretch for me to try to be interested in a subtext that involved knitting techniques or quilting or doll-collecting, for example, while my wife might have to strain to work up an interest in a subtext that involved fly-fishing or automotive restoration or NASCAR…”
Well put! I know that in this politically correct world we live in, we aren’t supposed to “notice” differences of any sort between men and women…. BUT, let’s face it, differences do exist! We might feel uncomfortable admitting it out loud, though.
With this in mind, it poses the question “Why do so many Cozy Mystery authors feel like they have to gear their subject matter towards women?”
• Is it because we like to read books that include our favorite interests?
• Is it because publishers push their authors to write themed Cozies with women in mind?
• Is it because we can identify with Cozy Mystery sleuths who seem most like us?
• Is it because the themed Cozy Mysteries that are serialized sell better once they have an established fan base, which is the publishers think should be limited to women?
• Is it because publishers think that ALL men want to read mysteries that include graphic sex, violence, and language – so they keep the non-graphic mysteries for women… focusing on women’s interests?
Hmmmm….. Sounds like I have a lot of questions, and no answers. Doesn’t it?!?
-V- says
My reading choices are odd-ish. I read paranormal, thrillers, suspense, cozies for the most part. I love my cozies!
I choose my cozies because of the ‘theme’, Cleo Coyle’s because I like coffee, Laura Childs’ series because I like tea, but I don’t care for scrapbooking so I don’t feel like picking up her Scrapbooking mystery series. Or the ones with knitting, needlepoint, etc. So I guess I like the ones I feel I have something in common. Now why I like Madelyn Alt’s series, I don’t feel compelled to be a witch, nor am I haunted by a ghost yet I enjoy the heck out of Alice Kimberly’s series.
I wonder if publishers conjure up a certain type of person who reads the cozies and they push the author to go that route?
Cozies for me are a sorbet between my heavier courses of thrillers, paranormal, suspense, etc.
I love my cozies.
Bernadette says
I think it’s probably a lot to do with your last bullet point – publishers think all men want the same thing – sex and violence and fast cars. Just as for many years publishers assumed all women want to read romantic books and didn’t want anything to do with cars or gadgets. They seem to be slowly realising the latter isn’t true but that has been largely because of women writers I think. I’m thinking of Sue Grafton, Sara Paretsky, Patricia Cornwell etc who were all women writers writing the sort of thing that some women might like to read even though they weren’t ‘cosy’. Women readers clearly liked this kind of thing and the industry boomed. So it’s probably up to the men who want to read something other than fast-cars-and-naked-women books to write them for their fellow men!
I think you’ve raised an interesting point though – I tend to only read cosy series that I can relate to a little – cooking ones or, like the person who commented above, the coffeehouse series. I’d never bother with a series where the person’s job or hobby was something I’m not into (e.g. scrapbooking, knitting etc) because in cosy books that does tend to occupy quite a bit of the content.
Bernadette says
I forgot to add – there’s a cosy series where the main protagonist is a computer and her/his offisder is a male – the subject matter is definitely not the traditional female cosy anyway – it’s by Donna Andrews and the first book was called You’ve got Murder (I think) – it’s a separate series to her one about the angel.
Edie Dykeman says
I think, at least in the beginning of an author’s writing life, they tend to stick with what they know. Whether that is cooking or knitting or show dogs, or whatever, they write what they know as they hone their mystery writing abilities. Later they may change up their characters and move into other types of mystery stories.
Also, there probably is pressure from the publishers to follow the money, so to speak. The publishers know what sells, and they are going to want authors who will provide those kinds of stories.
There may be other reasons, but IMO those two reasons may play a large part in what theme a cozy writer chooses.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Aha, Bernadette, I know the series you’re thinking about: Donna Andrews‘ Turing Hopper Mystery Series.
Bill McCleery says
I appreciate the comments I’m seeing. This is a very cool web site, by the way.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
I’m glad you’re enjoying the site… Hopefully part one of this entry has some authors you might enjoy.
Albert says
Philip Craig has a good series of books (Vineyard Mysteries) that are more male oriented.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thank you, Albert, for reminding us about Philip R. Craig‘s Martha Vineyard Mystery Series. Another good example of a male lead…