I frequent tv tropes and stumbled across this genre and it honestly sounds so perfect for me, I’d love some recommendations for books like the following description as per tv tropes:
- The "Cozy Mystery” by its very nature. They're a peculiar sub-category of mystery novels written by fans of the genre who want all of the wonder and satisfaction of a good mystery without the inevitable sex and violence and tragedy. Their mantra is essentially, "There's enough negativity in the world already, and even adults need to kick back with a simple, pain-free story every once in a while". The result? An entire sub genre of mystery stories deliberately written to be as fun and happy-go-lucky as humanly possible, with an absolute minimum of death. Like "the pulps” before them, "the cozies" have managed to acquire a whole list of oddly specific genre conventions that seem calculated to give readers the warm and fuzzies. To elaborate:
- Animal companions are an absolute necessity, and many cozies feature friendly cats and dogs as narrators. A novel about a mystery-solving cat running for president is par for the course.
- Professional cops and private detectives are a no-no, as the hero of a cozy must be a good-hearted everyman (or everywoman) with a down-to-earth hobby or occupation, like a chef or a librarian.
- Even when a murder kicks off the plot, it must happen in as bloodless a manner as possible (poisoning and defenestration are the preferred methods), and it can be nothing more than a plot device. Not even a murder can rob a cozy of its inherent sweetness.
- A cozy must take place in an idyllic small-town setting, with as many lovably quirky characters as possible. Solving a mystery is the perfect bonding experience for neighbors who love each other.
- Though the world of a cozy doesn't have the slightest whiff of demons, monsters, or the occult, ghosts frequently appear. They're invariably friendly, and always happy to offer helpful clues to our intrepid heroes. In addition, some heroines are witches, who use their powers to help other people.
- It's considered perfectly normal to include recipes in a cozy novel, since nothing gets the reader into the spirit of a cozy like munching on something sweet.
Something like the above with little violence and no sexual content is what I’m after, thanks!
by stargirl262