Writing the Cozy Mystery

If there is one type of mystery story that continues to draw readers in, it’s the Cozy Mystery. The reasons are likely that the setting is frequently a small community like a small town or a small community of like-minded people (same profession or group like a book club) or who live in a particular neighborhood within a larger city and the story lines don’t leave that neighborhood for the most part.

It also offers sleuths who are amateurs, folks who use their brains and knowledge of the people involved in a crime. And that crime is frequently murder.

But this is murder without the gruesome forensics. Those belong in a different mystery world.

Another element of the traditional cozy is frequently comedy.

In four weeks, we’ll look at all the elements that go into a cozy mystery series (because they are nearly all series), then create our own cast, our own stages, and dream up a couple murders to solve, as well as the twists the solution could take.

End result? A lot of fun and possibly a route to something different from what you have been writing!

Beth Daniels’ career as a traditionally published author began with the release of a romantic suspense/romantic comedy contemporary story in May 1990, NIKROVA’S PASSION by Beth Henderson. Since then, she’s written under a variety of names and genres. With 37 published books to her various names (and at least five yet to be released), she’s been around the publishing block a lot, attempting to keep up with changes to the marketplace. She’s always read cozy mystery because she likes how well it welcomes comedy into the mix with crime solving. Her own cozy mystery series, WHICHUR-WOLFE DETECTION, not only featured a small town with a sudden rash of murders to solve but gave it a light touch of the paranormal with a werewolf hero who could, obviously, sniff out clues that the cops missed. Dogs were interviewed as well, and a romantic comedy element was added as the cherry on top. Having written cozy mystery herself, Beth admits to being even more addicted to it now. Visit her at www.4TaleTellers.com.