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I love cozy mysteries. They're my favorite sort of books to "escape" with. I love visiting quaint and lovely small towns filled with fun, quirky and irresistible characters!
For the last 20 years I've been told over and over again that I should write a book. I've written practically everything but a novel and have gotten to a point in my life where I want to try my hand at it. Naturally, it has to be a cozy.
When I started thinking about my preferences, I started wondering what other cozy readers thought. In all of my online research, I haven't found the information that I was looking for and wanted to try putting a small questionnaire on City Data and see what I get. I already have my theme/hook and have begun writing but I'm still interested in what everyone thinks!
1. Are there any cozy themes/hooks (jobs, hobbies, animals, etc.,) that you can't get enough of?
2. Are there any cozy themes/hooks that you enjoyed but that you think have been done to death and you're sick of?
3. Are there any cozy themes/hooks that you haven't seen but would like to? Or themes/hooks you'd like to see more of?
4. What's your favorite type of amateur sleuth in a cozy?
- Male or female?
- Young, middle aged, older?
5. How important is it for the cozies you read to have romance?
6. How important is it that the mystery is a murder? What other kinds of mysteries would you like to read about?
7. What's your favorite type of setting? Quaint little town? Big city? Variety of locations?
8. What's your least favorite thing about cozies? What are sick and tired of?
9. What would cause you stop reading a particular cozy or cozy author?
10. What's your favorite thing about a cozy novel?
11. What's the biggest cliche in cozies that you wish would stop?
12. Do you ever read cozies with themes/hooks that you're not familiar with or not interested in?
Thanks in advance to anyone who responds! Feel free to add any thoughts you want to.
I don't read mysteries much because I may be the world's worst armchair detective,and I tend to avoid books with gruesome gore[murder],profanity and graphic sex scenes,so that excludes a lot of adult fiction authors, but the absence of those elements is why I plan to read more cozy mysteries. I have read several Amish-themed mysteries and do enjoy those.
To answer some of your questions...
The gender of the sleuth would not matter, but I would not even consider reading a story with a sleuth past middle age,as I find that premise just ridiculous! Same with talking animal sleuths! Yet I loved the talking skeleton one,go figure,lol!
Not sure about romance.It would have to be well done,and no bedroom scenes, but not Christian with religious proselytizing either.
I do love a small town setting,but would also enjoy a large metro setting NYC,Chicago,San Diego,Seattle,Portland if the author could bring the scene alive for the readers, like what those cities are like to live in. Same with international settings in villages or large cities.
I would enjoy non-murder mysteries as well,such as missing/found artifacts,items, property, will/inheritance/genealogy issues.
I believe I would like to read stories set in our National Parks,or on a dude ranch,or the rodeo circuit[have a thing for cowboys]. A cruise ship setting/international tours would also be cool.
Also with characters involved with animal rescue[as long as they're not dolphins or whales].
I wouldn't mind the sleuth having an animal/animals such as dog,cat,bird,horse,donkey that are main characters,as long as they are not able to talk.
Last edited by i_love_autumn; 07-10-2014 at 04:37 AM..
but I would not even consider reading a story with a sleuth past middle age,as I find that premise just ridiculous!
Gotta ask - why?
Past middle-age ...
Agatha Christie’s Miss Jane Marple and Hercule Poirot
G. K. Chesterton's Father Brown
Erle Stanle Gardner's Perry Mason
Murder She Wrote's Jessica Fletcher
J.A. Jance's J.P. Beaumont
Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch
James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux and Hackberry Holland
Past middle-age ...
Agatha Christie’s Miss Jane Marple and Hercule Poirot
G. K. Chesterton's Father Brown
Erle Stanle Gardner's Perry Mason
Murder She Wrote's Jessica Fletcher
J.A. Jance's J.P. Beaumont
Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch
James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux and Hackberry Holland
Senior citizens as crime solvers....just totally unbelievable for me is why.
Have never had any interest in those you mentioned.
Was just wondering, that's why I asked. I'd never seen that requirement before!
Actually, I am 63,so I am a senior citizen....that is why stories of folks my age running around crime-solving,is so unbelievable to me, so won't watch those tv shows or read those books,lol!
Up to middle-age is fine. I very much enjoyed the British series with the two ladies~ Rosemary & Thyme.
Thank you both for replying. I appreciate hearing everyone's views.
Being that I'm in the research phase of writing my cozy, I want to take my time and make sure I nail down what I'm going for. The first novel in a series is important and sets the tone for the rest of the books. Even for how many there will be in the series. Originality today means finding a hook and putting your own twist on it in a way that hasn't been done before. Being as traditional as I am, my own interests lean towards all the early works. That makes originality even more difficult.
i_love_autumn: Have you ever seen Hetty Wainthropp Investigates? Wonderful series, as was Rosemary & Thyme. I'm currently on a Murder She Wrote marathon with Angela Lansbury. I'm with you when it comes to talking animals. I love whimsy but I like keeping it within the realm of realism. I'd rather things being enchantING instead of enchantED.
While I love Agatha Christie, the frustration I get from her is that she rarely made the mystery solvable for the reader. She always left out necessary clues that the sleuth suddenly realized while they were revealing the murderer. That's a big no no in today's cozies.
As for themes I can't get enough of: no. Pretty much the opposite. I'm getting (not quite there) sick of cozies with recipes, organizing tips, how-to's....etc.
Sleuth-thinking about it, I guess I'd prefer female but either; age I'd go with middle age or older. There's not all that much running around in cozies. Nothing an old fogey can't do.
I don't like romance novels of any kind.
My favorite type of mystery is a ghost mystery. This place is haunted: by whom and why? Okay, maybe that's the one I can't get enough of but I don't find them that often.
As for setting, doesn't matter as long as it's fairly accurate. I've was reading the Elm Creek Quilt series (not mysteries) that supposedly takes place in a small town in north central PA. Kind of like the stories but the author is clueless about small towns.
Talking animals? Probably not.
I kind of like Nancy Atherton's touch of having a dead aunt write in her book.
I guess one thing that's a turn-off to me is when the main character is a pain. Currently reading the Cluttered Corpse by Maffini. I'll finish it but won't read another of hers because the main character comes across to me as annoying, snoopy and just someone I'd rather not see again.
Good luck with your writing. Sounds like you've found something you really enjoy, a real treasure.
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