Cozy Night by Kim Parkhurst |
I know of way too many people who are depressed, stressed, frightened, angry, or all of the above combined in one big ball of woe. Whether you look local— break-ins and vandalism—, national— political unrest—, or global— climate change and garbage in the ocean—, scary things abound, and unfortunately, there is only a limited amount we can do about them. This helplessness causes frustration and anxiety. Psychiatrists and therapists have seen an increase in their patients of late. Uncertainty abounds.
So what do people
do to relieve this angst? Some garden or work out. Some read. There has been a
revival of the good old cozy mystery of late, and I believe our dangerous times
are responsible for it.
Who wouldn’t want to immerse themselves in a small British
town a la Miss Marple or hang out with a sleuthing cat such as Joe Gray?
Suddenly, instead of the disturbing thriller, many readers are choosing books they
know will give them a happy ending. That doesn’t mean there won’t be mystery and
mayhem along the way, but in a cozy, we won’t be inundated with graphic violence,
foul language, or riotous sex. And we can be assured it will all work out in
the end.
I grew up with cozy mysteries, my favorite author being
the underappreciated Mary Stewart. When I discovered Lillian Jackson Braun’s Cat Who series, and found that cats
could play a part in mystery stories, I was overjoyed. Since then I’ve been
elated to find an abundance of cozy themes such as cooking, baking, gardening, quilting,
scrapbooking, knitting, and antiquing— just about anything people like to do in
their spare time. There are also more cerebral themes such as science, archeology,
forensics, or world travel, and we mustn’t forget the paranormal themes of
vampires, witches, hauntings, and hexes. (My personal favorites of course are the cat
mysteries, a popular genre unto itself, though you can find many dog and other
animal mysteries to suit all tastes.) Most cozies engage an amateur sleuth,
often a woman, but there are also cozies featuring police, detectives, and
private investigators. Something for every taste.
Cozies vary in technique, intensity, and quality. I’ve read
everything from inspired and intelligent writing to formula style that’s as
dull as a post. (I’ve also learned that just because it has a cat on the cover
doesn’t mean it’s a cat mystery.) Some cozies are referred to as “beach reads” because
they are the easy-to-read escapist fare that’s perfect for a costal or other
vacation.
I both read and write cozy mysteries, because I’m just
plain too burnt out on bad stuff to enjoy
the violence of thrillers, the horror of horrors, or the fatalism of dystopian
sci-fi. It’s not exclusive— there are lots of great books out there, and my
to-be-read pile holds everything from memoir to Star Trek, but right now I tend
to fall back on a gentler story, one that will paint a picture of green countrysides
and pretty kitties while offering me a puzzle to solve, the mystery itself.
Maybe if the real world becomes an easier place to live in, I’ll begin to long
for the exhilaration of a more intense genre, but for now, it’s cozies
all the way.
Do you read or write cozy mysteries?
Here are a very few of my favorites:
The Hamish Macbeth series, by M.C. Beaton
(I'd better quit, thought there are more!)
I’m always looking for new cozies to read. Do you have
any favorites to add?
Check out my own cozy mystery series, the Crazy Cat Lady cozy mysteries, or read more blogs by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer at:
Happy
reading!
I just discovered pet cozies a couple of years ago and reviewed several this past year. I'm looking forward to reading more of them, once my current review commitments are met.
ReplyDeleteI like cozies because they're a fun and quick read. These days especially, I prefer nonfiction or light fiction.
Yes, it may not be great literature, but it works for me. It seems like so many books have very dark themes, bad things that have happened to people. I know there is a need for that, but instead of being reminded of the bad things that have happened to me, I'd rather read about cats.
DeleteMollie,
ReplyDeleteYour comment is one of my soap box topics. lol I taught literature at the junior high, high school, and community college levels for many years. "Great" literature is not all that 'great', in my opinion. Yes, many of the books and stories that are considered 'great' are so much a part of our culture, that it's important to have at least a passingly familiar knowledge of the storyline, but so many of these 'great' stories are next to impossible to read for the reluctant reader, and even for the determined/advanced reader. They become an endurance endeavor to get through them. Who is to say what is 'great' to one person? If "Twilight" (for example) catches the reading interest of a reluctant young reader and opens the reading door for her, then it is great literature to her. If westerns, cozies, romances, and so on entertain us, then they, too, are great literature to the person enjoying them. *off my soap box*
I agree totally. What good is "great literature" to someone who is just waiting for the movie to come out? Luckily there are lots and lots and lots of books to spark the imagination.
Delete