Stretching the Boundaries of a Cozy Mystery
Sex. Violence.
Profanity. Agatha Christie might be rolling in her grave (or secretly
chuckling) as the modern world shoulders its way into the cozy mystery genre.
Cozy mysteries are
also referred to as traditional mysteries. The Malice Domestic conference
defines a traditional mystery—books best typified by the works of Agatha
Christie—as mysteries which contain no explicit sex or excessive gore or
violence; and usually (but are not limited to) featuring an amateur detective,
a confined setting, and characters who know one another.
The term cozy
mysteries came from the tea cozy, a cloth cover for a teapot which insulates
the tea, keeping it warm while it sits on the table next to a reader ensconced
in an easy chair reading a traditional mystery. Jessica Fletcher, the heroine
of the television series, Murder,
She Wrote, typifies the
type of amateur sleuth found in a cozy mystery. For a more lengthy description
of the cozy mystery genre, along with a list of authors, go to:
http://www.cozy-mystery.com/Definition-of-a-Cozy-Mystery.html .
Many current traditional
or cozy mystery writers (myself included) have stretched the boundaries of the
genre to include a bit more of the grittiness of the modern world. I'll use my
own books in the Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery series and those
of other cozy mystery authors to show how we’ve expanded the genre.
Sex – The bedroom door has cracked open a bit,
allowing brief glimpses of a breast or a bare bum, but long descriptions of the
sex act itself, with plumbing details, are still not tolerated by readers. As
an example of walking this line, an underlying subplot in To Hell in a Handbasket is Claire's daughter's propensity for
appearing just when Claire and her husband decide to get amorous, stopping the
action and being grossed out by what she sees.
Violence – Descriptions of the murder victim often
have become more graphic, as in Robert Spiller's Irrational Numbers, where the naked corpse of a homosexual
high school student tied to a barbed wire fence (modeled after the Matthew
Shepherd case) is described in detail. In my own To Hell in a Handbasket, Claire Hanover must rely on her rusty
first aid training to treat a young person's horrendous injury that could prove
fatal. Also, fight scenes and shoot-outs can be included in a modern cozy, but
prolonged torture or on-screen rape scenes still aren’t tolerated.
Victim – While in the past, the cozy murder
victim was someone who “deserved to die” (thus giving us lots of suspects with
motive) and was not someone to be mourned, that's no longer always the case.
For example, in To Hell in
a Handbasket, the first
murder victim is an innocent young woman, a friend of Claire's daughter, who
still had her whole life ahead of her. Another example is Joanna Campbell
Slan's Paper, Scissors,
Death, where the sleuth's
beloved husband is killed.
Profanity – Just as modern society has become more
tolerant of some foul language, so has the cozy form. An occasional four-letter
word is allowed when strong emotion demands it, but it's usually spoken by a
male character or a hardened female character, and rarely by the sleuth
herself. In A Real Basket
Case, it's usually
Claire's husband, her embittered friend Ellen, or one of the criminals involved
who, overcome by emotion, let slip with a brief curse.
Confined
setting – Often this is
interpreted to mean the setting should be a small town or village, but the
important aspect here is that most of the characters know each other so when
the sleuth interviews them, they divulge information about each other. This can
be accomplished by giving most of the characters a common pursuit, even though
the book is set in a large city. Examples include the staff and clientele of
the same Colorado
Springs
The one feature of
the cozy mystery genre that is usually not stretched is that the sleuth is an
amateur. Why is this? Because if professional police forensics such as DNA
analysis are used to solve the crime versus the interviewing of witnesses, the
finding of clues, and deduction of motives, then the puzzle aspect of the books
is lost. Then the readers don't have the enjoyment of trying to figure out who
the killer is themselves.
Regardless of how
the boundaries are being stretched, I will continue to be a fan of cozy
mysteries in all their forms, reading them while ensconced in an easy chair
next to a pot of warm tea.
Do you have any limits for what you’ll read?
----
I don't have many boundaries on my reading material. I dislike graphic violence. I may occasionally head for a legal thriller or a procedural, but mostly I stick with my cozies. I think that you have a comfortable blend in your writing. And I think that you may be right about Dame Agatha chuckling.
Posted by: Mare | May 07, 2009 at 07:47 AM
Yes, I definitely have limits to what I'll read. I don't like to be in the mind of a sadistic killer. (Of course, I don't like to be bored either.)
I just finished reading a book that pushed the cozy limits with everyone's language, including the amateur sleuth's. But it had all the other attributes of a cozy plus the chapter-ending hooks of a thriller. Definitely a good read, but perhaps I'd have enjoyed it more with a bit less "language."
Posted by: Norma Huss | May 07, 2009 at 08:53 AM
I don't agree that with a police procedural or other professional sleuth that the puzzle part of the mystery goes away. I think they're just two different ways of presenting a mystery, both with their own Aha! moments and the reader can still try to figure out whodunnit.
Posted by: Karen Olson | May 07, 2009 at 08:57 AM
Few things annoy me more than a member of a writer's group begin a critique with "I usually don't read books like this."
As Duke Ellington said, "There are two kinds of music - good music and bad music."
Good writing is good writing. As our friend Ray Banks might say, "All the rest is fuck all, innit?"
Posted by: David Terrenoire | May 07, 2009 at 09:41 AM
I want to thank everyone who stops by today to comment. Everyone who does will be entered into a contest for a free autographed set of Claire Hanover gift basket designer books.
And if you comment on other stops of my blog tour, you'll be entered into the contest, too. The schedule is at: http://bethgroundwater.com/Book_Blog_Tour.html
Tomorrow I will be at Jen's Book Thoughts:
http://jensbookthoughts.blogspot.com/
If you're intrigued by my blog tour enough to want to purchase A REAL BASKET CASE or TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET, please order them from your favorite local bookstore or go to:
http://tinyurl.com/Beth-Books-at-Amazon
or
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?ATH=Beth+Groundwater
Thanks, everyone, and I'm looking forward to the discussion here today!
Posted by: Beth Groundwater | May 07, 2009 at 09:48 AM
I agree with Karen that police procedurals or PI novels can be a puzzle mystery, too, as long as the DNA processing takes a long time so the sleuth figures out whodunnit first and the DNA match is just used to confirm the sleuth's deduction. Other types of forensics can support the investigation, but the focus has to be on the "tiny gray cells" of the sleuth's brain, as Hercules Poirot likes to say. :)
As for David's comment, unfortunately I can't stomach reading rape, torture or child abuse scenes no matter how well-written they are. I'm willing to sample all kinds of genres and characters, but I don't want to be kept up at night with nightmares. The curse of an overactive imagination!
Posted by: Beth Groundwater | May 07, 2009 at 09:57 AM
I read a lot of different genres: cozy and historical mysteries, science fiction, romance, and literary. I just like to know what I'm going to read, which is why I like books categorized. I know what to expect from a cozy as opposed to a thriller.
Okay, I don't read much horror for the same reason as you Beth. Too active an imagination that keeps me awake. Akk!
Posted by: Holly Y | May 07, 2009 at 11:02 AM
I am usually turned off by vampires, even in romances and mysteries, and fantasies. I feel it's a waste of time (bad me!) But I'm sure there are worthy vampire books out there. Surely they are not in cozies! Imagine a cozy vampire mystery! Anything's possible. What do you think, Beth?
Posted by: Harvee | May 07, 2009 at 11:33 AM
I had no idea what the definition of a cozy mystery was (though I'm very familiar with the tea-cozy). This was a fascinating article.
As to what I'd read - almost anything. What I'd choose to read? Well, cozy mysteries definitely feature high in that list. My sons think I'd choose to read almost anything, but I'm really not keen on explicit plumbing, excessive swearing, gratuitous pain, bad guys that always win, or art for art's sake.
Posted by: Sheila Deeth | May 07, 2009 at 12:02 PM
A vampire cozy. Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series started out that way, but now is more Urban Fantasy. But each story has a mystery at its core.
Posted by: Linda Suzane | May 07, 2009 at 12:51 PM
Like Holly Y, I am totally turned off by Vampires. AND while I like Fantasy, I prefer that it be a Fantasy, not a murder mystery.
I love a good "cozy" and for myself consider them more the paperback book with the domestic touch (needlework, crafting, minatures, cooking ETC...)so very tea and cookies in my PJ's, after that, the rest of the mysteries are more like wine and cheese to champagne and hors d'oeuvres. In other words, more like business attire to formal dress...
Posted by: bluspider | May 07, 2009 at 01:09 PM
Interesting post and explanation of cozy mysteries.
I pretty much agree with everyone else. Don't like gratuitious violence, nor graphic plumbing descriptions. Just give me enough to make it interesting!
Mary
Posted by: Mary Cunningham | May 07, 2009 at 01:37 PM
Well, Sheila beat me to the answer of Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series as a vampire mystery series. Another amusing series with a vampire detective is the Felix Gomez series written by Mario Acevedo, starting with The Nymphos of Rocky Flats. They are definitely not cozies, though!
Posted by: Beth Groundwater | May 07, 2009 at 02:29 PM
Vampires and the like, rape and child abuse are big turnoffs.
Posted by: Dru | May 07, 2009 at 02:47 PM
I agree with the comment that good writing is good writing, no matter what the genre may be.
With regards to pushing boundaries within this genre... I'd rather they weren't in general. If I'm reading a cozy that's what I want. I don't want it to be a Procedural, and I don't want too much graphic anything. I want the fun of solving the whodunnit without becoming emotionally attatched to any of the characters; and without having to worry about the graphic nature of the book. Keep Cozy's cozy!
Posted by: Emma Dale | May 07, 2009 at 03:49 PM
There IS a true vampire cozy...they're set in a little village in England, and the sleuth/vampire writes best selling romance novels under a name not hsi own. But I can't remember the author's name. They definitely fall on the lighter side of cozies.
In general, though, I'm a genre slut. I'll read anything from cereal boxes to Gray's Anatomy (the textbook, not the tv show).
I'll read stuff that's a little bit graphic or gory, depending on how it's done, but absolutely nothing involving violence against children.
MB
Posted by: MB Partlow | May 07, 2009 at 04:00 PM
The only limit I have on my reading list is the Bad Writing genre. I don't care if the story or characters are interesting in concept, if there's too much passive language, over the top descriptions, bad dialogue, etc. I can't read it. Which is why I still haven't read any of the Twilight books.
-oops, did I say that out loud?
Gayle Carline
http://gaylecarline.blogspot.com
Posted by: Gayle Carline | May 07, 2009 at 04:01 PM
I'm inclined to agree with the person who said 'good writing' is the main attraction.
I happen to like the fact traditional/cozy writers are stretching the boundaries. Many cozies are just too mild and far-removed from reality to hold my attention. There are exceptions, like Beth and Caroline Graham and some others. But they happen to stretch those boundaries.
I don't mean to imply we have to have blood and guts and sex on every page. But I want to smell them enough to realize 'this could actually happen.'
Posted by: J.R. Lindermuth | May 07, 2009 at 04:55 PM
I like that, J.R.! May my mysteries always smell... ;)
Posted by: Beth Groundwater | May 07, 2009 at 06:05 PM
Dean James writes the English vampire cozies about Simon Kirby-Jones. He also writes for Berkley Prime Crime under a couple of different pseudonyms: the Trailer Park series as Jimmie Ruth Evans, and the Bridge series as, I think, Honor Hartman. Unless it's Honor Harrington. One of those is a character in David Weber's sci-fi series, and I can't keep them straight.
For what it's worth, I don't enjoy vampires much either, but both Nancy Haddock's 'La Vida Vampire' and Molly Harper's 'Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs' are sort of cozy mysteries with vampire sleuths, and quite a lot of fun, for their genre.
Posted by: JennieB | May 07, 2009 at 10:05 PM
Hi Beth!
I have never placed limits on what I read--I read everything and anything that comes to my hand, and I spend a lot of time at it.
But it took years for me to take the limits off my writing. While I don't write cozies (my crime fiction tends toward hardboiled, noir, and horror) the same questions about character, profanity, sex and violence apply.
My choices are mostly story driven, but some are personal prejudice. I don't care for profanity, so I don't use it unless the character insists- I try to keep the dialogue natural. Besides, my word choices get under the reader's skin without it.
I use explicit sex in my stories- usually much more horrific than prurient. But why show it if it's not important to the story in some way? I don't talk about how my character drives a car unless there is a reason to do so.
I have a hard time writing a character that is all good or all bad. My most evil characters tear at the heartstrings. My best characters can be weak and selfish.
I don't like to use violence to manipulate the reader. You can tear the reader apart by killing a dog, or a baby, but it's a cheap shot and no way to build a following.
---Yours, William M. Brock
Posted by: William M. Brock | May 07, 2009 at 10:23 PM
Graphic violence and horror are two things that will almost always make me drop a book - and never pick it up again. But that's more my taste than any sense of censoring out 'objectionable' content, just that I don't like or enjoy reading that kind of stuff!
All success
Dr.Mani
Think, Write & Retire
www.ThinkWriteRetire.com
Posted by: Dr.Mani | May 07, 2009 at 10:23 PM
William Brock does indeed write some genuinely creepy, excellent, excellent dark stuff. If you're into that, I highly recommend his short stories!
And genre categories are not meant to censor, just to help readers identify the type of fiction they enjoy, so they can enjoy more of the same. There's all types of people in the world and all types of fiction, but I'm cozy with my cozies! Off to bed with one now...
- Beth
Posted by: Beth Groundwater | May 07, 2009 at 11:26 PM
I think if you don't inject a little reality into your cozy, that after awhile, it can become a little surreal. (How is it possible that everyone that Miss Marbles comes in contact with in her very small bucolic town ends up dead? Maybe she's the murderer!) I am a huge fan of Carolyn Hart, especially the Death on Demand mysteries, which are very classically cozy. However, I was also thrilled when the recent series entry, Dead Days of Summer, I was happy to have some of that grittiness added into the cozy equation...I read everything really, but I love mysteries and teen books best. I enjoy books that stretch their boundaries and also those that refuse to be classified or pigeonholed, although I think sometimes this lack of being able to place them in a certain shelf in a bookstore or library can hurt their ability to find an audience.
Posted by: Susan Smith | May 08, 2009 at 07:02 AM
Thanks so much for guest blogging, Beth. You raised a lot of great points, and a healthy discussion is good for all writers and readers - be they cozy, hard boiled or somewhere in between.
Good luck with the release of To Hell In a Handbasket!
Posted by: Lori Armstrong | May 08, 2009 at 07:35 AM