Welcome to part 2 of this mini series of tongue-in-cheek posts on how to write a cozy mystery. Click here to read part 1.
Again, this is a blog series to introduce the Holly Hart Cozy Mystery Series releasing in early May. Thanks for stopping by!
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HOW TO WRITE A COZY MYSTERY ~ PART 2!
4. Must have a murder! CHECK
This should be obvious, right? Cozy mysteries involve an amateur sleuth solving a murder. But in a cozy, it’s not your typical murder. Get fun. Get creative. I’ve seen bodies in snowmen. Bodies in ice cream freezers. Poison is a popular choice. Do you see a pattern? Readers who love cozies like that there isn’t a gruesome, gory murder scene–at least not described in graphic detail!
5. Must have cute cop! CHECK
Of course if there is a murder, there will be a detective. Usually, this detective is single, good-looking, and is annoyed that the amateur sleuth is nosing around! Since a cozy doesn’t have to follow romance tropes, I like that the cop is attractive based on looks and personality. A normal guy. In a normal town. I mean, without the cop, how will our amateur sleuth get inside information? Often the detective and amateur sleuth date, but not always.
6. Must have an antagonist! CHECK
You might think I mean the murderer when I say antagonist. I don’t. I mean a character who gives our amateur sleuth lots of trouble. Lots of room for humor here. Someone who is competing in other ways, either for the attention of the cop or in business. I mean our sleuth doesn’t sit around solving mysteries and that’s it. No, she usually works. Something with food or pets is highly popular…and for good reason.
And that concludes Part 2! Part 3 coming next week!
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Murder with a Slice of Cheesecake.