Do you want something suspenseful, but not too scary? A mystery that’s not murder-filled and gory? Something that you can read or listen to but not freak yourself out over? Then, let me welcome you into the world of cozy mystery books.
A place where all of these things are true. Where you can enjoy the simple pleasures of a mystery book without the nightmares and astray thoughts.
Elements of a cozy mystery
Protagonist
- Upstanding citizen (potentially no formal investigation experience).
- Jobs that entail frequent conversation with people in the town.
- They are naturally curious.
- The key role for them is why they are involved in the mystery.
The Setting
- Typically set in small towns or communities.
- Small enough where everyone knows each other’s dirty laundry.
The Murder
- Cozy mysteries are meant to be “light”, meaning they do not typically involve gorey graphic details.
- Poison is a popular form of bloodless death among these types of books.
- Motive for the murder is typically from human emotion: greed, heartbreak, pride, humiliation etc.
Now that you have some of the staples that go into writing a cozy mystery, go ahead and can write one for yourself! Oh, and don’t forget to add some quirky characters! The protagonist would be nothing without a supporting character.
Here are some cozy mysteries we had the pleasure of turning into audiobooks! Browse for your favorite and enjoy! Happy Spooktober!
The Wonky Witch series is pretty good, too.