How to Cozy Up A Cozy Mystery! by Guest Larissa Reinhart

Mystery writer and Seekerville guest blogger,
Larissa Reinhart

Debby Giusti here! 

I'm excited to introduce today's guest blogger, talented author and dear friend, Larissa Reinhart. Many of you will recognize her name from frequent visits to Seekerville. Larissa sold her first book, Portrait of a Dead Guy, soon after hearing about our blog. Of course, we can't take credit for her sale, but we can celebrate her success and the release of her fourth humorous mystery, Death in Perspective, this June. Larissa's books feature Cherry Tucker, a struggling artist turned amateur sleuth, and a crazy cast of characters who hail from a small town in Georgia where zany is normal and dead bodies pop up as sure as dandelions. Her stories contain adult content, but lean more to PG-13 rather than R-rated. Join me in welcoming today's guest blogger, award-winning mystery author, Larissa Reinhart.

Hello, Seekerville. *waves* Long time fan, first time poster! I’ve got my coffee, since I know y’all start early! I’m very happy to be here!

Like romance, the mystery genre is fast growing and contains a lot of sub-genres. Many readers like a light dollop of humor, romance, and suspense in their books, which has meant an explosion of cozy mysteries in the market. In the most basic sense, a cozy has an amateur sleuth solving a mystery that’s more puzzler than thriller. Generally, the setting is small town, the characters are quirky, and the violence is off-page. Think Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, who made the genre famous. Or Jessica Fletcher of Murder She Wrote.

There’s a blending of genres in mystery just like you see in other genre fiction, and because bookstores and libraries need categories, many mysteries are called cozy by publishers. This was the case for me and many of my mystery writing friends. I thought I was writing a humorous, romantic mystery series. Well, I did and am. But it’s a bit long of a title for a sub-genre category! In today’s market, it falls into the cozy category. Cozy mysteries themselves have broadened in their scope. On the shelves today, you can find mysteries with paranormal, humorous, chick-lit, treasure hunters, urban, culinary, crafter, animal (there’s a whole section in Amazon dedicated to cat mysteries), and more as subjects.

So how do you know if you’re writing a cozy? It’s easier to define what is NOT a cozy. It’s not hard-boiled or noir (gritty and dark, like The Maltese Falcon). It’s not a suspense or thriller (where the protagonist is pursued, like in The DaVinci Code). Or even romantic suspense because romance is a subplot at best in a cozy, not evenly balanced with the suspense (like Debby Giusti’s The Colonel’s Daughter). It’s not a detective (Sherlock Holmes), because the sleuth is generally amateur, although the amateur can be paired with a detective. It’s definitely not a police procedural (like Tony Hillerman's or Ed McBain’s cop books). And not a courtroom drama (like John Grisham’s) or medical mystery (Patricia Cornwell’s Dr. Scarpetta).

Where you didn’t find rough language or sex in a cozy, those are creeping in as well. However, Malice Domestic, the annual traditional mystery fan convention, defines “traditional” mystery as one that doesn’t have any explicit sex or excessive gore or violence. If you are a mystery writer, I highly recommend attending Malice Domestic (always the first weekend in May in the Washington DC area) to get a sense of all the different types of traditional mysteries out there, which are generally called cozies now, much to the chagrin of some of the authors.

Larissa (far right) took part in a panel at Malice Domestic, entitled,
The Art of Death: When Music and Painting Lead to Murder, with
authors (L to R) C. Ellet Logan, Kave George, Peter Lovesey,
and Karen Mcinerney.

Are you ready to write your cozy? Generally, these are the hallmarks that an agent or editor will look for in a cozy. And I say generally, because as you see above a lot of rules are being broken!

•    Around 80,000 words, give or take five to ten thousand.

•    Usually first person, whereas traditional suspense is third. It’s important for the reader to solve the mystery along with your sleuth. Cozies are a puzzle more than a suspense.

•    Tone is light. Murder is heavy, but because the violence is off-stage, you have room for humor both in your character’s voice, side characters, and situations. Light humor balances the darker subject of the crime.

•    An amateur sleuth with some kind of profession or hobby that lends them to crime solving.

•    Setting traditionally is small, however it doesn’t have to be a small town. I like to think “tight” rather than “small.” Murder on the Orient Express was on a train. In order to expand from killing off everyone in Halo, Georgia, where my character lives, I’ve had her solve mysteries at a private school, a festival, and now at a hunting lodge.

•    Side characters tend to be quirky.

•    Crime solving is generally done by gathering clues, listening to gossip, and deductive reasoning. Forensics aren't a part of your sleuth’s job, although your protagonist might have a friend on the force who provides that information.

•    Red herrings are a must. However, they can’t be so outlandish that the reader has no way to solve the crime.

•    Publishers prefer series, which means your protagonist doesn't have a big character arc like you see in a stand-alone romance or suspense. You can have series arcs, though.

•    Romance is a subplot. You don’t have to have any romance, although many do. And because cozies are generally a series, you can have a longer series arc with the romance, building it book by book (which readers love, including me!).

These are only the basics to get your cozy writing on track. I recommend joining groups like Sisters in Crime (SinC) and Mystery Writers of America (MWA), that also have local chapters. I’m in Kiss of Death, the online mystery and suspense group for Romance Writers of America. Other popular conferences and conventions, besides Malice Domestic (www.malicedomestic.org), are Sleuthfest, sponsored by MWA’s Florida chapter (http://www.mwaflorida.org/sleuthfest.htm); Bourchercon (http://bouchercon2014.com/); Killer Nashville (http://www.killernashville.com/); and Left Coast Crime (http://www.leftcoastcrime.org/2014/). There’s a host of other ones, look in your area.

The best thing you can do to write a cozy is read the genre. Any of you writing a mystery? I gave you the basics, but would be happy to answer any questions. What mysteries do you enjoy reading? For some lucky person who comments, I’ll send an e-book of any in my Cherry Tucker Mystery series. The fourth in the series, Death in Perspective, releases June 24th! 

After teaching in the US and Japan, Larissa loves writing sassy female characters with a penchant for trouble. The first in the Cherry Tucker Mystery series (Henery Press), PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY, is a 2012 Daphne du Maurier finalist. STILL LIFE IN BRUNSWICK STEW, HIJACK IN ABSTRACT, and DEATH IN PERSPECTIVE (June 2014) follow, with the prequel novella, QUICK SKETCH, in the 2013 anthology, HEARTACHE MOTEL.  Larissa lives near Atlanta with her family and Cairn Terrier, Biscuit. Find her on her website (http://larissareinhart.com/) or on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/RisWrites), Twitter (@RisWrites), Goodreads, and Pinterest (LarissaReinhart).

Debby again...

Head to the breakfast bar for Southern delights, including made-to-order eggs, Virginia baked ham, biscuits and gravy, fresh Georgia peaches and grits. The coffee's hot. Grab a cup and take time to chat with Larissa. 

Leave a comment to be included in a drawing for one of her books, digital format. I'm adding a second drawing for a $10 Amazon gift card. Now join me in making Larissa feel right at home!