What is so cozy about a Cozy mystery?

According to Wikipedia, this is the definition of a Cozy mystery.
 

"Cozy mysteries, also referred to as "cozies", are a subgenre of crime fiction in which sex and violence are downplayed or treated humorously, and the crime and detection take place in a small, socially intimate community. Cozies thus stand in contrast to hardboiled fiction, which features violence and sexuality more explicitly and centrally to the plot. The term "cozy" was first coined in the late 20th century when various writers produced work in an attempt to re-create the Golden Age of Detective Fiction."

 

This is precisely what they are. Engaging crime novels without the guts and gore, some humour, primarily nosy female 'detectives' who make life difficult for the real ones. Kight romance, little or no sex and generally an easy read that holds your interest.

 

Usually, one can tell by the tone of the Title that you are looking at a Cozy mystery e.g.

 

The cat who could read backwards, Death by Darjeeling and Lemon Meringue Pie Murder.

 

On Good Reads, a Cosy Mystery List can be found, which lists Cozy Mysteries.  Some of the authors you will encounter are Meg Cabot, Louise Penny, Agatha Christie.

Today I would like to feature three authors I have come to love reading.  That is why I have not blogged in a while; I was lost in my kindle.                                           

First is Edie Claire with her Leigh Koslow Mystery Series. Leigh loves animals and has a knack for locating dead bodies; add to this the need to solve the mysteries, and one ends up with good humour, engaging puzzles and an all-around food read.  Her box set of books one to three is available at a reasonable price on Amazon at the moment.

                                                     

Next is Anina Collins, with her Poppy McGuire series.  Poppy is a Journalist in a small town who stumbles into a murder investigation.  She teams up with an ex Baltimore cop with some baggage, and with humour mixed in, they become a crime-solving team to be reckoned with. Personally, I love Poppy. She is intelligent and independent and loves being helpful.

Then we have Janet Evanovich; of the three, she is the only one I would not recommend to younger readers or those who do not like swearing and more explicit sex than usual in a cozy mystery.  Stephanie Plum is hilarious, and sometimes the humour comes close to slapstick and unrealistic.  But it works.  Stephanie comes from Jersey, and the community has its own distinct identity, which makes cursing and use of the Lords name fit.  Once you have met Stephanie with her blue and white '53 Buick, Lula and her tazer, Joe, Bob and mysterious Ranger, you will want to read all the books.  They read easy, and you never know what is going to happen as Stephanie is unpredictable. There are at least 28 Stephanie plum novels, as well as a host of others that will make you laugh out loud or giggle silently at their antics.