This is a great question and I am happy to start off a discussion on this with my Cozy Crime Collective friends.
Cozy Mysteries used to have one standard template. Small town amateur sleuth, usually a woman and often featuring an animal, particularly on the cover. No overt sex or graphic violence and no bad language. Good clean fun. Traditionally, they were almost always written by women, which makes sense since the overwhelming audience for this genre is women.
But those traditions are changing. That’s good for me since I am currently a man… hey you never know, things can change, and I have been slotted into the cozy mystery category. By Amazon and by many readers who have found that yes, Virginia, men can write good, clean, cozy-like material. All That Glitters, the latest of 13 Sgt. Windflower Mysteries, was recently ranked #1 Best-Selling Cozy Mystery. It lasted about a week at that level. Enough to make me giddy, but far from rich.
I know why cozy mystery readers like this series. It has a kind and likeable protagonist who puts his family and community first. It is also set in a small town with colourful characters and great food. And yes, it has a cat and a dog. Both rescues who end up playing their own helpful roles in assisting Windflower solve a crime or just relax. I do adhere as well to the cire principles of keeping the violence and language subdued and appropriate for the gentle cozy readers.
So, yes, I am bending some of the conventions of the cozy mystery genre. In more ways than one. But I stay within the agreed upon boundaries, mostly. The murders in Sgt. Windflower Mysteries are generally off-scene and there is little blood to startle the squeamish. There are no ‘adult’ situations but a fabulous romance that have led from courtship to marriage and now two children. And the two pets.
My biggest cozy stretch might be that Sgt. Windflower is a Mountie, an RCMP officer. But leading a detachment in a small town. And he may or not stay a police officer. Stay tuned. That small town, Grand Bank, is a real and charming location. In many ways, the community and the weather are main characters in the story. It may not be the American south, but it is a cozy town, for sure.
If it sounds like I am making a case to stay in the cozy mystery milieu, you would be correct. And these views are mine and mine alone. I’m sure my fellow Cozy Crime Collective friends will have lots more to say. So can you, in the comment box below.
Mike Martin is the author of the Award-Winning Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series. The latest book All That Glitters is a #1 Best-Selling Cozy Mystery.
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Sgt. Windflower Mysteries 