Cozy mysteries (also referred to as cozies ), are a sub-genre of crime fiction in which sex and violence occur offstage, the detective is an amateur sleuth, and the crime and detection take place in a small, socially intimate community. Cozies thus stand in contrast to hardboiled fiction , in which more violence and explicit sexuality are central to the plot. The term "cozy" was first coined in the late 20th century when various writers produced work in an attempt to re-create the Golden Age of Detective Fiction .
22-884: Victoria Thompson (born Victoria Ellen Straface , July 25, 1948 – August 23, 2024) was an American author of cozy mystery novels. Thompson was born in Washington, D.C. , on July 25, 1948. She received a Bachelor of Arts in English and Secondary Education from the University of Maryland in 1970. She then earned a Master of Fine Arts in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University in 2012. Thompson lived with her husband near Chicago . She had two adult daughters who are both writers, and three grandchildren. Thompson died at her home in Long Grove, Illinois , on August 23, 2024, at
44-406: A neologism in 1551, as an astronomical term meaning "a circle in which the earth, sun, etc. deviates from its center." (See Orbital eccentricity .) Five years later, in 1556, an adjective form of the word was used. In 1685, the definition evolved from the literal to the figurative, and eccentric is noted to have begun being used to describe unconventional or odd behavior. A noun form of the word –
66-514: A Career Achievement Award from Romantic Times magazine. In 2016, she was Guest of Honor at Malice Domestic mystery fan convention. Cozy mystery The detectives in such stories are nearly always amateurs, and are frequently women. Village policeman Hamish Macbeth , featured in a series of novels by M. C. Beaton , is a notable exception. These characters are typically well educated and intuitive, and hold jobs that bring them into constant contact with other residents of their community and
88-429: A pedantic and precise manner of speaking, intermingled with inventive wordplay . Many of these behaviors share the characteristics of someone with an autistic spectrum disorder , such as the eccentric hobbies or the pedantic speech. Many individuals may even manifest eccentricities consciously and deliberately in an attempt to differentiate themselves from societal norms or enhance a sense of inimitable identity. Given
110-430: A person who possesses and exhibits these unconventional or odd qualities and behaviors – appeared by 1832. Eccentricity is often associated with genius , intellectual giftedness , or creativity . People may perceive the individual's eccentric behavior as the outward expression of their unique intelligence or creative impulse. In this vein, the eccentric's habits are incomprehensible not because they are illogical or
132-507: A small town, and a focus on a hobby or occupation are characteristic elements of cozy mysteries, the boundaries of the subgenre remain vague. The radio adaptations of A Charles Paris Mystery have been characterised as "cosy crime". Eccentricity (behavior) Eccentricity (also called quirkiness ) is an unusual or odd behavior on the part of an individual. This behavior would typically be perceived as unusual or unnecessary, without being demonstrably maladaptive . Eccentricity
154-504: A stock company of eccentrics , among whom the detective stands out as the most, perhaps only, truly sane person. One subtle joke in such series is how the main character constantly becomes embroiled in so many high-profile cases, often by accident. A long-running joke about the series Murder, She Wrote was how the main character/detective (Jessica Fletcher) had to be the actual murderer in every case, because, "No matter where she goes, somebody dies!" Cozy mysteries do not employ any but
176-429: A town, village, or other community small (or otherwise insular) enough to make it believable that all the principal characters know, and may well have long-standing social relationships with, each other. The amateur detective is usually a gregarious, well-liked individual who is able to get the community members to talk freely about each other. There is usually at least one very knowledgeable, nosy, yet reliable character in
198-467: Is contrasted with normal behavior, the nearly universal means by which individuals in society solve given problems and pursue certain priorities in everyday life. People who consistently display benignly eccentric behavior are labeled as "eccentrics". From Medieval Latin eccentricus , derived from Greek ekkentros , "out of the center", from ek -, ex - "out of" + kentron , "center". Eccentric first appeared in English essays as
220-509: Is often considered whimsical or quirky, although it can also be strange and disturbing. Many individuals previously considered merely eccentric, such as aviation magnate Howard Hughes , have recently been retrospectively diagnosed as having had mental disorders ( obsessive–compulsive disorder in Hughes' case). Other people may have an eccentric taste in clothes , or eccentric hobbies or collections they pursue with great vigor. They may have
242-456: Is simply in a " fish out of water " situation is not, by the strictest definition, an eccentric since (presumably) they may be ordinary by the conventions of their native environment. Eccentrics may or may not comprehend the standards for normal behavior in their culture. They are simply unconcerned by society's disapproval of their habits or beliefs. Some eccentrics are pejoratively considered " cranks " rather than geniuses. Eccentric behavior
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#1733085423821264-570: The Gaslight Mystery series. Thompson felt it was kismet because she loves history, and she had fallen in love with New York City , and Greenwich Village in particular, when her daughter attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts . At that time, Thompson was working as a fundraiser for the March of Dimes , and several of the volunteers she worked with were midwives. Along with writing, Thompson
286-403: The age of 76. Thompson began her career writing historical romance novels in the 1980s. In 1996, her publisher let her go, and her agent encouraged her to try writing mysteries. When Thompson heard Berkley Books was looking for a writer for a series set in turn of the 20th century New York City with a midwife heroine, so she wrote a proposal adding a detective character, and was hired to write
308-649: The book who is intimately familiar with the personal history and interrelationships of everyone in the town, and whose ability to fill in the blanks of the puzzle enables the amateur detective to solve the case. Cozy mystery series frequently have a prominent thematic element introduced by the detective's job, pet or hobby. Diane Mott Davidson 's cozies, for example, revolve around cooking, Parnell Hall 's around crossword puzzles, and Charlotte MacLeod 's "Sarah Kelling" series around art. Other series focus on topics including fishing, golfing, hiking, fashion, antiques, and interior decoration. Cat-lovers are well represented among
330-934: The detectives in cozy mysteries are thus left free to eavesdrop, gather clues, and use their native intelligence and intuitive "feel" for the social dynamics of the community to solve the crime. The murderers in cozies are typically neither psychopaths nor serial killers, and, once unmasked, are usually taken into custody without violence. They are generally members of the community where the murder occurs and able to hide in plain sight, and their motives— greed , jealousy , revenge —are often rooted in events years, or even generations, old. The murderers are typically rational and often highly articulate, enabling them to explain, or elaborate on, their motives after their unmasking. The supporting characters in cozy mysteries are often very broadly drawn and used as comic relief. The accumulation of such characters in long-running cozy mystery series, such as those of Charlotte MacLeod , frequently creates
352-442: The mildest profanity . The murders take place off stage, frequently involving relatively bloodless methods such as poisoning and falls from great heights. The wounds inflicted on the victim are never dwelt on and are seldom used as clues. Sexual activity, even between married characters, is only ever gently implied and never directly addressed, and the subject is frequently avoided altogether. The cozy mystery usually takes place in
374-488: The overwhelmingly positive stereotypes (at least in popular culture and especially with fictional characters ) often associated with eccentricity, as detailed above, certain individuals seek to be associated with this sort of character type. However, this is not always successful as eccentric individuals are not necessarily charismatic and the individual in question may simply be dismissed by others as just seeking attention . Psychologist David Weeks believes people with
396-401: The ranks of cozy-mystery detectives, notably in the work of Lilian Jackson Braun and Rita Mae Brown ; herbalists appear frequently (of whom the best known is Ellis Peters ' medieval sleuth Brother Cadfael ). There are also cozy mystery series with themes of Christmas, Easter, and other holidays. While de-emphasis on sex and violence, emphasis on puzzle-solving over suspense, the setting of
418-402: The result of madness, but because they stem from a mind so original that it cannot be conformed to societal norms . English utilitarian thinker John Stuart Mill (1806–1873) wrote that "the amount of eccentricity in a society has generally been proportional to the amount of genius, mental vigour, and moral courage which it contained", and mourned a lack of eccentricity as "the chief danger of
440-482: The surrounding region (e.g., caterer, innkeeper, librarian, teacher, dog trainer, shop owner, reporter). Like other amateur detectives, they typically have a contact on the police force who can give them access to important information about the case at hand, but the contact is typically a spouse, lover, friend, or family member rather than a former colleague. Dismissed by the authorities in general as nosy busybodies, particularly if they are middle-aged or elderly women,
462-445: The time". Edith Sitwell (1887–1964) wrote that eccentricity is "often a kind of innocent pride", also saying that geniuses and aristocrats are called eccentrics because "they are entirely unafraid of and uninfluenced by the opinions and vagaries of the crowd". Eccentricity is also associated with great wealth — what would be considered signs of insanity in a poor person, some may accept as eccentricity in wealthy people. A person who
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#1733085423821484-619: Was a professor in the creative writing Master of Fine Arts program at Seton Hill University from 2000-2023. She also served on the Board of Trustees for the Vernon Area Public Library in Lincolnshire, Illinois from 2019-2024. Many of her former students have become published authors, including V.M. Burns. Thompson also taught for a time in the continuing education program at Pennsylvania State University . In 2012, Thompson received
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