Friday, August 23, 2013

Stories From New Murder Mystery Writers

By Tara Daniels


The genre of crime and mystery is exciting for all ages. Almost everyone enjoys a tale of things gone wrong. There are new stories surfacing daily from new murder mystery writers. Even early readers, just getting into chapter books, love to read these puzzles, as do adults. Even other genres often have elements of crime and mayhem in them.

Publishers have certain long-term authors they depend on for any of the genres they publish. These are the tried and true authors who consistently produce good stories. However, any publisher is eager to launch a new author. They often feature new talent in a special series that combines veteran authors with new names in the field. The themes are similar, which promotes these new names to loyal readers.

A relatively new type of novel in this category, though not actually entirely new, is the cozy crime novel. It is similar to the old British detective story, being basically a modern twist to that genre. These stories mostly feature women protagonists, are preferred by women, and are mostly written by women. The protagonist is the female sleuth who is great at figuring out a puzzle, often without much effort.

There are certain characteristics of this type of story that signifies them as cozies. The main one is that no violence is directly depicted. Yes, someone normally does get killed, but the gory details are not revealed in depth for the reader. They are merely suggested. The reader has to fill in the blanks from their own experiences with crime novels.

Among other traits of these type tales is the fact that the sleuth is generally a woman, is an amateur, and is not associated with any organization such as a police force. They may, however, cooperate with local law enforcement officials. Romantic relationships may develop, but the intricate details of any sexual exploits are not directly revealed.

These tales focus on characters, not plot. The characters are fully developed, especially the female protagonist. They feature exotic settings rather than the hometown. Sometime the hometown is featured, but it the action usually takes place on a cruise or some other event. The setting will always be significant to the female sleuth for some reason.

Just because the characters are the main focus doesn't mean that plot is not significant. Many authors weave detailed plot lines throughout the story. It is just that characterization takes precedence. The female protagonist, or sleuth, is the most strongly developed character, and the reader follows her closely as she solves the puzzle. Romantic suspense novels and the dark Gothic novels are both variations of the cozy.

The rise in popularity of these cozy crime novels means there are many more being written and published. Publishing companies are searching for talented authors who can tell a strong character-driven story with a strong plot as well. Some newer authors who are popular and recognized for their adherence to the specifics of this genre include Gillian B. Farrell and W. Edward Blain. Not all of the new murder mystery writers adhere to the form of this genre, however.




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