Quote:
Originally Posted by crich70
I've always thought of Agatha Christie's books as cosy mysteries (at least as in a good book to curl up with).  |
Christie's Miss Marple, for me, defines "cozy" ... or perhaps "golden age cozy". No sex, no gore, murders galore, an amateur sleuth, a puzzle with enough clues to solve along with the narrator ....
I think this is why Louise Penny's Chief Inspector Gamache are so popular ... no sex, no gore, murders galore, a puzzle with enough clues to solve along with the narrator ... and it invokes the "golden age" by setting the mysteries in a small quaint village with some eccentric characters, a dash of sly humour and a bit of exploration of personal relationships and motivations.
Where I think "modern cozies" falter is in too much emphasis on the gimmick (endless recipes or house cleaning tips ...) and a tendency to be too "perky". I still want a little substance between the pages even if these are disposable entertainments. Authors who can't get create characters beyond the cardboard cut-out become tiresome.
In the end, it's about story-telling -- it just happens to be within the "cozy" formula. Great characters, cool puzzles or intriguing unraveling of clues, will always be in fashion ... which is why Miss Christie continues to generate sales any modern cozy author will envy.