Friday, June 17, 2016

The Ins and Outs of Cozy Mysteries

One of my very favorite genres is mysteries, particularly cozies,
as you know if you've been following my own attempts at writing mysteries the last few years. 
I now have two series running:

* The Denton and Alex Davies Mystery series (Hog Insane and Bat Crazy). They feature an early retired couple who travel in their RV 
with their dog solving mysteries as they go. 




And coming next year, book three:



* The second series is The Appleton, WV Romantic Mysteries, 
featuring residents of the town



Coming late June, 2016



I love the feeling, the hints and trying to capture every nuance before the revelation at the end. To that end, all you lovers of said genre :), let me give you some thoughts
 about what makes up a mystery. 
Be sure to add your own thoughts at the end of this. 

HERE GOES: 
The cozy mystery hero/heroine is usually a very intuitive, bright person with an every day occupation that can vary from a bed and breakfast owner to a nun to a florist.

The cozy mystery usually takes place in a small town or village.

The amateur sleuth is usually a very likable person who is able to get the community members to talk freely about each other which, 
of course, enables the amateur sleuth to solve the mystery.

The local police force doesn’t take the amateur sleuth very seriously. They dismiss her presence, almost as if she doesn’t exist. This of course, makes it convenient for her to casually overhear” things at the scene of a crime.

it is important that the characters are likable, so that the reader will want to visit them again. The supporting characters are equally important to the reader. It is for his reason that there are so many funny, eccentric, and entertaining secondary characters. 

Cozy mysteries are considered “gentle” books with no graphic violence, no profanity, and no explicit sex. Most often, the crime takes place “off stage” and death is usually very quick. 

Cozy mysteries tend to be fast-paced, with several twists and turns throughout each book. There are usually several red herrings to provide distracting clues to the reader. The amateur sleuth is able to sift through the clues, tossing the useless information out while analyzing the good clues. 


I hope this makes you want to run out and purchase a mystery book! And if you decide to purchase one of mine, well, that gives me a smile! 
Happy Reading!


Don't forget to leave a comment to get your name in the drawing for  the Lone Star Love collection! Winner announced in the Weekly Windup on June 27th. 
Check out all of our great prizes on the Prizes Galore page.


About Carole:
Besides being a member and active participant of many writing groups, Carole Brown enjoys mentoring beginning writers. She loves to weave suspense and tough topics into her books, along with a touch of romance and whimsy, and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas.

She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons?


Personal blog: http://sunnebnkwrtr.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaroleBrown.author
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/browncarole212
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sunnywrtr/boards/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5237997-carole-brown
Google+:    https://plus.google.com/u/0/113068871986311965415/posts

Check out her books here
http://www.amazon.com/Carole-Brown/e/B00EZV4RFY/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1427898838&sr=8-1



Don't forget to leave a comment to get your name in the drawing for  the Lone Star Love collection! Winner announced in the Weekly Windup on June 27th. Check out all of our great prizes on the Prizes Galore page.

5 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Me, too. Mary. Hope you give mine a try. Thanks for your faithfulness in commenting.

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  2. Love your tips and may put them into practice later this summer! And I loved Hog Insane.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Patricia. I hope you give Bat Crazy a try too. :)

      These tips are basic but necessary parts of cozies. Glad you loved them. Thanks for commenting.

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  3. Hi Carole. Several years ago a library patron asked if we could add some cozy mysteries to our collection. My director and I were both in the dark but we soon discovered just how popular they would become in our library. Cozy mysteries andour Inspirational collection became some of the most circulated books.
    Thank you for contributing to this genre! I truly enjoy them myself!
    Connie
    cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete