Off the Shelf: A Look at the "Cozy Mystery" Genre
By Sharon Saye on March 10, 2021 from Off the Shelf
Cozy mysteries are a genre of mystery that are lighter; there is usually little actual blood and gore to be found. The sleuths are primarily amateurs and female. Often there is a dog or cat involved and some nebulous connection to the local police department. They are set in bookstores, craft shops, flower shops, libraries, etc. Cozy mysteries are exactly what the name implies, a frothy, entertaining mystery miles away from the dark, blood and gore mysteries set in Scandinavia.
For example, Amanda Flower’s latest is “Mums and Mayhem,” which involves the death of a famous fiddle player who has only just arrived in Scotland for a grand homecoming concert. The heroine is Fiona Knox, owner of the local flower shop, who made the mistake of volunteering to help with the concert and now is caught up in the fiddler’s death. Complicating matters is the fact that her parents are visiting from Tennessee, and, of course, her father is tied to the murder.
“Wedding Bear Blues” by Meg Macy follows Sasha and her sister to a wedding that turns deadly when the best man is found impaled on an ice pick. Since he broke up with the bride’s sister, there are plenty of suspects. “Grounds for Murder” by Tara Lush uses a food contest that gets way out of hand when one of the contestants is found dead under a palm tree behind the heroine’s café; she has personal and culinary reasons to solve this case.
Other cozy mysteries to enjoy are: “A Case of Cat and Mouse” by Sofie Kelly, “Egg Shooters” by Laura Childs, “Handbook for Homicide” by Lorna Barrett, “A Curious Incident” by Vicki Delany, and “A Deadly Edition” by Victoria Gilbert.
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