Cozy Mystery Corner discussion

I looked up the top cozy mysteries and bought them all. I am writing a cozy mystery but the ones I am reading have too much detail. I feel as if I am reading Charles Dickens. I've read other cozy mysteries with less fanfare and less detail. Must it really be that detailed to interest the readers?

Depends on what you mean by detail. If the mystery is about something about which the average reader knows little, like type design or bee-keeping, the mystery may not hang together for the readers if you don't educate them.

If you're talking about the habit of opening a scene by describing the people and the surroundings, it can be done badly, which makes you feel like you're being cascaded on by detail that doesn't feel like part of the narrative, or it can be done well.

Two series you should check out: James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux series is one. He is just about the best out there at sprinkling description in with his narrative so the story keeps moving while he paints the picture of Louisiana that so adds to his books' atmosphere. (Craig Johnson's Longmire series does the same thing with Wyoming: he's another good source.) Here's what you're looking for: he COULD spend two paragraphs telling you about how run down a house is, or he can just say that the banister moved under his hand and small showers of paint powder fell on his shoes as he climbed the stairs to the veranda. (You just built that whole house in your head from a phrase embedded in narrative action -- it's old, it's wooden, it's falling apart, and it's large enough to have a veranda, which means it was probably pretty grand at some distant point in its past.)

Second, Robert B. Parker's Spenser series. Look particularly at how he teaches you about his characters without necessarily showing them doing anything. He spares you the lengthy detail and costs his story nothing because he's so good at it. You learn more about Hawk by listening to Spenser, and by seeing how other people react to the idea of him, than you necessarily do from Hawk himself. So when Hawk DOES show up, he doesn't have to do much to show you who he is, because you already have expectations based on other people's reactions. Burke does the same thing with Cletus Purcell, and Johnson does the same thing with Henry the Cheyenne Nation, but they're both slightly more subtle about it.

If you're stopping your story to fill in the detail, you're probably right to be concerned about it. If you can make it part of the narrative the way the above three do, you won't even ask yourself the question because you won't feel like you've interrupted your narrative. :)

GOOD LUCK! I look forward to seeing your cozy become a series!

I second what Jennifer said.

Nathasha wrote: "I looked up the top cozy mysteries ...the ones I am reading have too much detail...."

Details make characters come to life and settings seem real.

I've read other cozy mysteries with less fanfare and less detail.

Of course there are plenty of cozies out there with less information about the characters, setting, etc. but the less I know the characters and setting the less likely I am to feel comfortable in the book. Being comfortable in the book is a large part of what makes a book a cozy mystery.

You might take a look at other discussions in this Group including what is a cozy and why readers quit a series.

Look forward to seeing what you are reading and writing.

Jennifer wrote: "Depends on what you mean by detail. If the mystery is about something about which the average reader knows little, like type design or bee-keeping, the mystery may not hang together for the readers..."

Your feedback is invaluable! Thank you so much! I loved it and wrote it down.

Wow! You're very welcome. :)

L J wrote: "I second what Jennifer said.

Nathasha wrote: "I looked up the top cozy mysteries ...the ones I am reading have too much detail...."

Details make characters come to life and settings seem real.

I..."
I am going to check it out. Thank you. I was reading the Flavia du Luca series and there's so much detail about everything that I start wondering how much is really needed. It's supposedly one of the best cozy mysteries ever. Have you read any of those books?

The first one, and I enjoyed it quite a bit -- but in that book I think the detail (and the extended observation of it) is supposed to be revealing of Flavia's nature. She notices everything and overthinks it quite a bit. So you're willing to put up with it because hey, it's a little girl telling a story, and in her it's kind of an endearing trait. You'd feel very differently if you were seeing all that detail through no one's eyes -- just through a third person omniscient narrator, and then watching Flavia walk into the middle of it.

Another thing to consider : If you're only reading the first books in those series, then yes, you're going to get a lot of detail. It's how the authors establish the setting, the main characters, the secondary characters and more. In a good series, the big 'info dump' doesn't happen as often. *How those details are presented, like Jennifer mentioned, makes a huge difference as well.

I like to know the background of the main character and some world building. I don't need a 5000 word essay on bookbinding or an insane line by line description of baking a cake. I don't really want to read about a real place because I like to use my imagination to picture the small town and the people. I can look up a real place so I don't need much description there. Some local color is fine but you don't need to point out every landmark and explain the entire history of that landmark- multiple times, unless that place is a key location in the story.

You also have to remember that not every reader likes the same thing. Flavia's habit of noticing every little detail irritates some readers to no end, while others take it with a grain of salt because that's who she is, and the story wouldn't read the same without it.

In other books, unless it's relevant to the story, I couldn't care less what color the drapes are, what they ate for dinner, or what the landscaping looked like.

Barb wrote: "
In other books, unless it's relevant to the story, I couldn't care less what color the drapes are, what they ate for dinner, or what the landscaping looked like."

I do, if it's historical but the details had better be factually correct.

For me, to really enjoy a book/series, I want to be totally immersed in the setting & the characters.
Hence vivid descriptions of the place are a must. And if characters aren’t fleshed out, then I just won’t be able to connect to them or their motivations.

Jennifer wrote: "Depends on what you mean by detail. If the mystery is about something about which the average reader knows little, like type design or bee-keeping, the mystery may not hang together for the readers..."

Your vivid description of the author's style has me wanting to pull whatever Burke novel I have out of the dusty TBR pile! Does the Robicheaux series need to be read in order? I have the 3rd one but can look for #1 at my local ubs (used bookstore).

Nell wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Depends on what you mean by detail. If the mystery is about...

...Does the Robicheaux series need to be read in order? I have the 3rd one but can look for #1 at my local ubs (used bookstore)"

I think they would be more enjoyable in order but I read them as they came into my hands and still liked them.

Same here. I read them out of order and loved them. Now I’m racking my brain trying to remember which one Clete Purcell filled the caddy with cement in because that was so hilarious I have to read it again!

Barb wrote: "You also have to remember that not every reader likes the same thing. Flavia's habit of noticing every little detail irritates some readers to no end, while others take it with a grain of salt beca..."

I care about the details if it moves the story along and/or helps the reader enjoy the mystery. Flavia goes into too much detail in her first novel. I am having trouble getting through it. I am a middle school teacher so I understand why details are important. But in other cozy mysteries, I don't find as much detail as I do in Flavia books. I will keep reading it if I am to write a great cozy myself.

Jennifer wrote: "Depends on what you mean by detail. If the mystery is about something about which the average reader knows little, like type design or bee-keeping, the mystery may not hang together for the readers..."
Dave R. series isn't listed as a cozy. Is it a cozy? Thanks again for all of that information.

Nathasha wrote: "Barb wrote: "You also have to remember that not every reader likes the same thing. Flavia's habit of noticing every little detail irritates some readers to no end, while others take it with a grain..."

I completely get your reaction to Flavia. I really like Alexander McCall Smith's "No. 1 Ladies Detective" series but couldn't get past the first two chapters of Friends, Lovers, Chocolate. So much internal musing and description it just PLODDED.

Nathasha wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Depends on what you mean by detail. If the mystery is about something about which the average reader knows little, like type design or bee-keeping, the mystery may not hang togethe..."

none of the three series I mentioned is a cozy, but they all accomplish well what you are trying to achieve. Of course I'm now drawing a total blank on actual cozies -- the only one I can think of is Armand Gamache, and even he's a cop/retired cop.

The Spenser Series is considered a cozy in one of the websites. I went to Amazon to read the first page and the details flowed. I think that's my issue with Flavia's first book. I really don't see the need for all the details and history about her house unless it's important to the novel. That's ok. I am one of those people who has to know the why. Therefore, I will read to find out why the author went all Charles Dickens on us. :)

Nathasha wrote: "The Spenser Series is considered a cozy in one of the websites. I went to Amazon to read the first page and the details flowed. I think that's my issue with Flavia's first book. I really don't see ..."

well, the beginning of the book is supposed to put you in media res, and you have to develop some res to be in media of. :-)

It's starting to sound like Flavia just isn't for you. I'm trying to think of series that are more character and action driven and less setting-driven -- have you read either Stephanie Plum or Miss Fortune?

Jennifer wrote: "Nathasha wrote: "The Spenser Series is considered a cozy in one of the websites. I went to Amazon to read the first page and the details flowed. I think that's my issue with Flavia's first book. I ..."

I love Plum series. Snarky. Funny. Details in the right places. My concern is that I have all of the Flavia books because it was rated as the #1 cozy mystery series. And getting through the first one is dragging. But if it's only like this for the first one, then that's encouraging. :)

well..... if you like Stephanie, I bet you'll like Miss Fortune. I devoured something like the first eight in a single month. :-)

Jennifer wrote: "well..... if you like Stephanie, I bet you'll like Miss Fortune. I devoured something like the first eight in a single month. :-)"

Excellent! Thank you. You are jewel!

Jennifer wrote: "Nathasha wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Depends on what you mean by detail. If the mystery is about something about which the average reader knows little, like type design or bee-keeping, the mystery may..."

Louise Penny’s Gamache series isn’t really considered a true cozy Jennifer.
Nathasha you should try the domestic diva series; first book is The Diva Runs Out of Thyme by Krista Davis
Good luck!

Icewineanne wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Nathasha wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Depends on what you mean by detail. If the mystery is about something about which the average reader knows little, like type design or bee-keeping..."

I bought the book. And one of the characters has my name! Love that.

Nathasha wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Nathasha wrote: "...My concern is that I have all of the Flavia books because it was rated as the #1 cozy mystery series. "

Says who? There are lots of lists of best cozy mysteries. You seem to be angsting over some random list you found. It's all a matter of the reader's taste and preference.

Nell wrote: "Nathasha wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Nathasha wrote: "...My concern is that I have all of the Flavia books because it was rated as the #1 cozy mystery series. "

Says who? There are lots of lists of b..."

You're so right. But this particular series was listed on several cozy mystery lists. So I thought, ok. I guess so. But you're right. :) Thanks for pointing out the obvious Sometimes that happens. LOL