“Cats, Crafts, and Cooking: The Contemporary Cozy Mystery”–June 28, 2022–6:30 p.m.
Sadie Pope Dowdell Library–South Amboy NJ
The “cozy” is a popular type of mystery that usually features a female amateur sleuth and a pleasant small-town setting. These mysteries emphasize puzzling plots and eccentric characters, and they avoid explicit violence, explicit sex, and references to disturbing social problems. An offshoot of the cozy is the “craft cozy” in which the amateur sleuth has a distinctive profession (like cat-groomer) or hobby (like knitting or cooking) that inspires the plots and their solutions. The sleuth uses her specialized knowledge—of cats or yarn, for example—to spot clues that elude the police. The cozy atmosphere is enhanced by scenes in which food of all sorts is cooked and eaten, especially sweet goodies.
Fellow Kensington author Eileen Watkins and I will join forces to talk about the contemporary cozy. Eileen writes the cat-groomer series for Kensington.
Kensington Cozy Club Mini-Con East–October 8, 2022 (Time TBD)
Mechanicsburg Mystery Bookshop, 6 Clouser Rd., Mechanicsburg PA 17055