What is a Cozy Mystery?

Recently, I was a panelist with the LA Chapter of Sisters in Crime and our topic was "Getting Cozy with Sisters in Crime."

 As we gathered and got acquainted.
l-r: Ellen Byron (Moderator)
Lisa Seidman
Tammy Kaehler
Marilyn aka F. M. Meredith

We first tackled the question, just what is a cozy anyway?

 Our answer was a mystery with a non-professional sleuth, living in a small town, probably has a cat, and has some interesting hobby, there is no cussing, on scene violence or sex.

None of us fit the criteria exactly.

Ellen Byron who is a TV writer, playwright and journalist has a first mystery called Realty Check.

Tammy Kaehler's career is in marketing and technical writing--and she now has two books in her Kate Reilly Racing mystery series, Dead Man's Switch and Braking Point. Avoidable Contact is coming soon. Learn more at http://www.tammykaehler.com

Lisa Seidaman is also a TV writer and her novel, Killer Ratings is a novel about murder behind the scenes of a television series. (She's written for numerous TV shows and won Emmy Awards for her work on Days of our Lives and the Young and the Restless.

Holly West is the author of the Mistress of Fortune series set in the late 17th century with a fortune teller sleuth, a mistress to King Charles II.  Mistress of Fortune will be followed by Mistress of Lies.

Here we are again, only this time Holly West has joined us.

The general consensus among us all was that none of our books actually fit the criteria for a cozy.

(Though both my series are set in small towns, the sleuths are professionals.)

It didn't matter, the audience had a great time and so did we.

This was the largest audience I've ever seen at a library event like this.

Marilyn aka F. M. Meredith