  Mystery
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"If there were no mystery left to explore life would get rather dull, wouldn't it?"
Sidney Buchman
Welcome to this week's edition of the Mystery Newsletter. A mystery by nature is a question in search of an answer - a puzzle! And when we uncover the answer to the question, effectively solving the puzzle moments before the writer gives us the solution, follow clues tactile and cerebral, the momentary satisfaction is sublime!
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Greetings! A mystery by nature is a question in search of an answer. And when we uncover the answer to a question, effectively solving a mystery, by our own devices, following clues tactile and cerebral, the momentary satisfaction is sublime! 
A well-written Cozy Mystery is one that capitalizes on humankind's innate curiosity by offering a reader the opportunity to engage hisher wits to solve a problem or answer a question on his or her own.
We know that a mystery by definition is a 'puzzle' which the reader attempts to solve by following a chain of events, linked by clues sometimes broken like lost lures (yes, red the red herring), but there for the discerning reader to piece together
The Cozy Mystery is an intellectual puzzle. The sleuth (and reader) is intrigued by a crime (a death, perhaps, which may or may not be murder, suicide, a staged accident) and uses innate curiosity and deductive reasoning without the benefit (or hindrance) of detailed forensic or technical investigative tools. Gossip and innocuous commentary is weeded through for the nuggets of truth that weave the story - and solve the mystery.
The clues are often subtle or so obvious they are overlooked by all but the sleuth and the observant reader. Think "Miss Marple" and "Hercule Poirot" and clues such as "the knees" (recall determining age by Mr. Poirot?). Yes, Agatha Christie is the mistress of the Cozy Mystery, as generations of avid readers still get lost in the stories she penned decades ago, and writers attempt to emulate her methods in print and film.
Cozy mysteries, whether set in a bucolic past, or an urban or suburban present, have some identifying characteristics to set them apart from the historical or amateur private eye mysteries.
 The area is somehow contained/separated from the community at large, so that the crime scene itself is not sealed off by professionals immediately for whatever reason. It can be a secluded town, or perhaps a city block or gated community isolated after a tornado or a flood for a few days or a week.
The 'sleuth' is somehow involved with the community and his/her questions are not rebuffed, but he/she is either welcomed for the sympathetic concern or as an innocuous busybody or visitor. The sleuth is one with whom the reader can identify in some way, whether he/she is a bystander or perhaps a suspect in the eyes of the community...Most often, but not always, a private person instead of a member of law enforcement, the sleuth relies on astute questioning, observation, and, yes, gossip.
The supporting characters are helpers or foils to the story, and we are shown more of their story or relationships up front as they help or sometimes try the patience of the sleuth.
In some stories, the reader (and sleuth) solves the puzzle before the end, but has to prove the why or how of it to resolve the issues that existed before and developed since the crime occurred.
The crimes are not ordinarily horrific - there may well be a murder (reclusive Uncle Ben impaled by his own gardening shears in his den), but we don't see a serial killer or child molester.
There are often a number of possible culprits, somehow linked, each with a possible motive (yes, do we smell some old fish here?). The sleuth 'casts about' for the relevant clues to piece together the story behind the crime, discovering the culprit along the way. Perhaps all but one of the pall bearers at Magistrate Justice's funeral had reason to not only respect but fear him, and several would benefit from his untimely demise. But enough to dispose of him for good?
Note my 'fishing' references - a red herring or two is a creative adventure here, leading to more depth in the story itself, immersing the reader in the 'otherworld' penned by the writer.
In place of plot twists, cozies have revelations - surprising yes, but believable and sometimes obvious once uncovered by the sleuth. As the sleuth questions and obtains answers, the tension can increase with the fear of further crime which may or may not occur before the mystery is solved.
And, in the end, the sleuth, and justice win out.
So, ready to share your 'Cozy Mystery' with our Community and perhaps others as well. Some publications which welcome these mysteries from emerging and established writers are -
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Check out some delicious mysteries penned by our members for your sleuthing pleasure ~ you can do it
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And how about a challenge to inspire the Muse Creative to question and delight
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And, a collaborative Cozy venture awaits the discerning writer
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Like to read some more about the "Queen of Crime" ? Check the following
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
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Thank you for welcoming me into your virtual home this month ~ I have a challenge for you that might be some fun. Summertime is en route in the northern hemisphere and a Cozy Mystery is the perfect companion for a sunny hour or two on the hammock or poolside or on a lawnchair beneath an old oak or maple.
So, if your Muse Creative is so inclined, write a short story (up to 3000 words) where a possible murder occurred and your character is compelled to first figure out of it was a crime by deductive reasoning and astute questioning. If it was, then he/she needs to solve it because he/she is/is not a suspect, and although some might benefit from the person's demise, others have lost a good friend/confidant, and, if it was a crime, could it happen again in this close-knit community/neighborhood/office complex? (See, I'm giving you a few questions and observations to ponder )
For taking up the challenge, if you send me the bitem link, I'll return a review, some gps, and feature my fave(s) in next month's newsletter. So, grab a chair, or tree stump, and start questioning the Muse Creative, and send the harvest of words to me by June 15th. I look forward to some delightful reads
Until we next meet,
Keep Writing!
Kate
Kate - Writing & Reading |
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Mystery: May 28, 2008 Issue [#2417]
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