| Murder, but Gentler The "cozy mystery," a gentler form of murder fiction, is helping some readers get through a dizzying period of pandemic and polarization. "Murder is definitely dark, but in a cozy the reader is with the protagonist every step of the way as each clue is revealed," says Michelle Vega, executive editor of Berkley, who works with several cozy authors. In television form, the cozy can be seen in popular shows such as "Murder, She Wrote," "Midsomer Murders" and "Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries." Cozies claim roots in early 20th-century British mysteries by such writers as Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. The genre's parameters are few: no swearing, no sex, and little to no gore. Just what the pandemic-era doctor ordered. And at a time when we can't see our own people in real life, fictional stand-ins will have to do. Solving a murder in one's mind, dreaming of the day when we can languidly enjoy a coffee and conversation with friends, knowing that what's right will prevail in the end-those are the reasons people turn to cozies. And, not coincidentally, they overlap with the ways people are coping at this moment in history. Cozy up and check out these titles |
