The world with its relentless burn and churn continues apace. You’re tired of doomscrolling and local and international politics seem confusing at best and infuriating at worse. So is it any wonder you reach out for a cosy crime novel – an offshoot of the wildly successful crime genre – and curl up on the couch.
In this article:
Here, gruesome and often titillating forensic details are eschewed (think details of extreme acts of violence and autopsies of rotting corpses) and replaced with a gentler form of mystery solving. The televisual dramedy equivalent would be something akin to the whimsical British series, Midsomer Murders, set in a fictional picturesque, but deadly county. The baddies will be caught eventually, thanks to the competent police work and you’ll know a steaming hot cup of tea will be at the ready when the culprit is behind bars.
In terms of books, arguably, UK author Richard Osman, holds the title of cosy crime king. His Thursday Murder Club series has become the fastest selling adult crime debut.
But Australian authors are fast on his trail. ArtsHub asks a number of them why they prefer to write cosy crime and why this subgenre is growing in popularity. For wannabe authors interested in exploring this particular niche of detective fiction, it’s worth looking at some of its common tropes.
What exactly is cosy crime?
It seems that charm and humour are two essential ingredients.
Kate Solly, author of The Paradise Heights Craft Store Stitch-Up says, “Cosy crime has all the mystery elements of a crime thriller, but without anything too traumatic like gore, violence or abuse. The setting is often a lovely place to be and there is warmth, humour and buckets of charm.”
Garth and Louise Ward, ex-cops turned bookshop owners, who will be releasing their sequel, The Bookshop Detectives 2: Tea and Cake and Death in April this year, point out, “There has to be a crime, obviously, but the really nasty stuff will happen off the page (there will be no eviscerations, thank you). The story often has an element of humour, like in The Bookshop Detectives, and charming characters that the reader warms to, and connects with.”
Amanda Hampson, who’s written several cosy crimes, the latest of which will also be published in April (The Deadly Pursuit: A Tea Ladies Mystery) notes, “Cosy crime has a lighter tone and leans more into humour and characterisation for readers who enjoy suspense and mystery without gory murders, graphic violence, explicit sex or strong language.”
Why is it gaining popularity in readership?
“Many readers are looking for a book that will treat them gently. If a person works in an intense role, like emergency services, they may not wish to read about something upsetting when they have time off. Other readers may read many dark books, but choose a cosy mystery as a palate cleanser when they need a break. When the news of the world feels particularly bleak, a cosy read provides escapism and hope,” says Solly.
The Wards agree with this sense of escapism that cosy crime brings: “The world’s had some unsettling times recently, and because of our global connectivity we all know everything about everything. The antidote to this overload is to escape into a world where serious things happen to fictional characters who say and do fun things. There’s no threat to the reader – it’s thrilling and absorbing, entertaining and relaxing.”
“At this moment in time, when there is so much conflict in the world, readers are being drawn to escapist fiction. They want to immerse themselves in a compelling story that offers a sense of moral satisfaction, knowing the villain will be caught, and justice done. Light-hearted, humorous and satisfying,” echoes Hampson.
What are some of the key elements of this subgenre of crime writing?
“A crime, maybe a murder, runs as the main plotline, but there will be lighter sub-plots,” say the Wards, who note that the crime may not be the only narrative strand. “There may be a romance, characters in and around a cosy place, like a bookshop, a bar or a retirement village. There needs to be an environment in which the reader makes themselves comfortable. The story will contain elements of drama and sadness but, overall, the reader finishes the novel feeling upbeat rather than beat up.”
Solly adds, “The detectives in this genre tend to be amateurs or sometimes retired professionals. They have engaging personalities and can be eccentric or quirky. There is often a ‘Watson’ or sidekick character and a ‘village’ of helpful minor characters who can reappear throughout the series. The mystery should be delicious and compelling, and the reader unravels it at the same pace as the detective.”
“Cosy crime fiction usually takes place in a small community with amateur protagonists (often quirky personalities with unusual traits) who stumble on a crime that needs solving. The plot will be a puzzle that needs unravelling with touches of humour or irony that add fun along the way,” explains Hampson.
Historically, who would you consider a cosy crime writer?
Solly, “Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple series is perhaps an early example of cosy crime, as well as G K Chestertons’s Father Brown series. More recently, we have Alexander McCall Smith’s No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, and Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series. And, closer to home, I would count Amanda Hampson’s Tea Ladies series and Benjamin Stevenson’s Everyone series, because they are fun and charming even if they’re not always ‘cosy’.”
Read: To read or not to read?
Moving further back, Hampson also suggests Christie as well as, “Dorothy L Sayers, Margery Allingham and Ngaio Marsh – known as the Queens of Crime, as well as Josephine Tey and Georgette Heyer, among others.”
Why do you think your books fall into the cosy crime category?
“The Tea Ladies series feature escapist murder mysteries set in the 1960s with crimes being solved by shrewd, capable older women. There’s plenty of suspense and humour that make them a fun, engaging read, but no disturbing content – which puts them into the cosy crime subgenre, as opposed to ‘hard-boiled’,” Hampson tells ArtsHub.
It’s a lot to do with the right setting, say the Wards: “The bookshop environment lends itself to eccentric, big-hearted characters. Garth and Eloise are loving, but snippy with one another, which creates great opportunities for real humour that resonates with the reader. The books have menacing characters and plot lines, but there is a sense that their skills will win the day. And, of course, Stevie the dog is extremely charming.”
Solly’s answer is tinged with nostalgia: “When I was in primary school, I remember that feeling of excitement in the school library when I discovered a Nancy Drew or Famous Five book I hadn’t yet read. I loved collecting clues and finding out who the culprit was. I also relished spending time with familiar characters and gorgeous settings (plus lashings of ginger beer!).
“Sadly, these books no longer do it for me. I wanted to recreate that feeling in my Fleck Parker series. I didn’t realise at first that what I was writing was ‘cosy mystery’, but I am here for i! I adore books that have all of the pacing and intrigue of a gritty crime novel, but without needing female characters to be glamorous corpses, all sexy and dead. Fleck Parker is an amateur detective with a plucky best friend. She might live in the suburbs, but she still has a ‘village’ of minor character helpers. There’s not ginger beer, but there is bubble tea. And while Paradise Heights might not be the Cotswolds, it’s still a lovely place to be, full of humour and warmth.”
