Page 2

Protagonist:The sleuth in a cozy mystery is typically an amateur detective, never a professional law enforcement officer or private investigator. Rarely even a retired law enforcement officer or private investigator. This character is often well-integrated into the community, with a profession or hobby that lends itself well to stumbling upon mysteries (e.g., a baker, librarian, or bookstore owner).

Tone and Content:Cozy mysteries are light on violence and sex. Any murder occurs off-page, and the tone is generally light, focusing on puzzle-solving and community. The language and content are clean, making them suitable for a broad audience. There is no obscenity and the crimes rarely have to do with darker subjects such as rape, hate crimes, organized crime, child abuse, etc.

Themes:These stories often incorporate themes related to community, friendship, and sometimes romance. They can also revolve around specific hobbies or interests, such as cooking, gardening, or book collecting, which can attract readers with similar interests (although the mania for such gimmicky “hooks” is—thankfully—fading).

Romantic Subplot:There is frequently—not always—a romantic interest. Angst is kept at a minimum and there is NO on-page erotic content.

Traditional Mysteries

Setting:While traditional mysteries can also use small towns, they frequently employ a wider variety of settings, including urban environments, foreign locales, or historical settings. The setting serves the plot more than creating a sense of community.

Protagonist:The detective in traditional mysteries is often a professional—either a police officer, a private investigator, or a forensic expert—often retired—with a particular skill set for solving crimes. Iconic examples include Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, and (arguably) Miss Marple (the latter of whom blurs the lines as she’s an amateur but operates within what might be considered traditional mystery framework in that the motives and crimes, however delicately described, can be pretty darned brutal—child murders and murderers, for example).

Tone and Content:Traditional mysteries may include more explicit descriptions of violence or adult themes, though this varies widely by author. There is much more latitude regarding the types of crimes and how they are ultimately resolved—or even if theyareresolved. The focus is often more on the intellectual challenge of solving the crime than on the personal lives of the characters or the community, though that can vary in a series.

Themes:The themes can be darker, exploring the complexities of human nature, justice, and morality. The puzzle of the mystery is central, with less emphasis on the personal growth of the detective or the societal norms of the setting.

Overlap and Exceptions

Traditional mysteries can often feel quite cozy in many aspects, but if they contain erotic content, graphic on-page violence, obscenity, profanity, dark themes, are set in a metropolis with tons of stranger-suspects, or are solved by a paid professional, they are not cozy mysteries. This is why the Holmes & Moriarity stories, despite many cozy elements, are not technically cozies while the Secrets and Scrabble series is.

Some readers and reviewers—probablymost, really—don’t actually know the difference and might mis-categorize a work based on their interpretation of these elements. That’s okay. YOU know the difference. Don’t mislabel your book. Help readers choose the type of mystery that best suits their preferences, and you’ll save yourself a bad review or two.

The Necessary Elements of theGayCozy Mystery

A Small, Close-Knit Community:The setting is still a small town or a tightly knit community where everyone knows each other, providing a contrast to the crime that disrupts the peace. While this community should reflect diversity, it must also reflect the communities of cozy mysteries with a varied cast of regulars and eccentrics. A lot of the humor in cozies comes from kooky characters.

An LGBTQ+ Protagonist:Just an ordinary guy or gal who happens to solve mysteries in their spare time—oh, and identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. This amateur detective may or may not have a personal stake in the investigation, but they will always possess keen observation skills and a strong sense of justice. They’re typically well-liked, relatable, and have a network of friends and acquaintances who help gather information. Note: Your protagonist cannot be in the closet. Their sexual orientation cannot be one of the mysteries or great conflicts in your series. The protagonist’s sexual orientation will never be the primary focus ofanyaspect of a cozy mystery series.

Minimal Violence and Sex:No change from mainstream cozy here. This is a challenging one for authors migrating from M/M romance. Cozy mysteries focus more on solving the puzzle than on graphic depictions of violence or sex. Any crime scenes are usually described with restraint, and the crime itself happens off-page. There is ZERO erotic content. That does not mean there is no romance.

A Puzzle to Solve:No change here either. At the heart of every cozy mystery is a puzzle or mystery that is intriguing and engages the reader to solve it alongside the protagonist. The plot often involves red herrings and twists to keep readers guessing. In the cozy mystery, classic clues take the role that forensics now holds in the modern mystery.

Characters Over Plot:While the mystery is central, the characters, their relationships, and their development are equally important. Readers often return to a series more for the characters and the community than for the individual mysteries. After all, there are only so many possible explanations for murder within a locked room.

A Unique Hobby or Occupation:As tired as I am of the “hook” in cozy mysteries, the most interesting thing about your protagonist cannot be his or her sexual orientation. Give them a unique hobby or occupation that plays a central role in the story, providing a thematic backdrop, clues, and motives related to the mystery.

Humor:Lighthearted humor is a staple of cozy mysteries, often arising from entertaining dialogue, quirky characters, or situations, which helps to balance the tension of the mystery and endear the characters to the reader. Since everyone knows gay people are particularly witty—I’M KIDDING. But you catch my drift.

Justice Prevails:This does not change. Cozy mysteries generally conclude with the mystery solved, the perpetrator caught, and order restored, reinforcing a sense of right and wrong.

A Strong Sense of Community:Beyond the small-town setting, cozy mysteries often emphasize themes of friendship, community, and belonging, with the protagonist relying on a network of friends and acquaintances to solve the mystery. Stressing this aspect ofrespected and vital member of the community at largeis perhaps even more important in the gay cozy mystery.

Clean and Comforting Atmosphere:This can be a challenge for M/M mystery writers in particular. Despite the heartwarming romantic relationship your protagonist enjoys with their eventual significant other, there are no kinks or naughty bits in a gay cozy mystery. Regardless of the presence of a crime, cozy mysteries maintain a warm, comforting atmosphere, making them the perfect “cozy” read. The charm of the setting, the engaging characters, and the satisfaction of a mystery solved all contribute to that feeling ofcrisp and clean and no caffeine. Okay, you have caffeine. You can even have a drink or two. But your protagonist cannot be a struggling alcoholic or a recovering sex addict. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But it’s a different kind of book.

A Strong and Healthy Romantic Relationship:Yes. Your protagonist needs to find true love (eventually). It can take however long it needs to, but in order to demonstrate that your LGBTQ+ protagonist is not just a trope, they need to have emotionally intimate relationships with other LGBTQ+ characters. We will never see them doing the, er, wild thang on page, but we need to know that they are emotionally developed, psychologically sound people capable of forging lasting connections with other adults.

These elements combine to create the gay cozy mystery’s distinctive charm, offering readers both representation and an engaging puzzle to solve within a comforting, familiar world.

What additional elements can you add that make your cozy relevant to today’s audience and less cartoony?

Diverse and Inclusive Cast:We’ve already touched on this. Just remember: tokenism is not diversity. At the same time, you cannot have a village comprised only of gay people. Incorporating a diverse range of characters in terms of sexuality, gender, ethnicity, and background can add depth to your story and resonate with a broader audience. This diversity can be reflected in the personalities, motivations, and relationships within the community.

Cultural and Artistic Elements:Weaving cultural or artistic elements into the plot can serve as both a thematic backdrop and a mechanism for clues. Artifacts, paintings, or performances can be central to the mystery, offering unique settings and motives.

Complex Motivations:Just because the covers are cartoony, doesn’t mean the characters in a cozy mystery have to be. While the motivations in some mysteries can be straightforward, adding layers to your characters’ emotional drivers—such as personal, historical, or emotional reasons—can make your mystery more engaging and less predictable.

Historical or Thematic Depth:Incorporating historical references or exploring specific themes (such as justice, redemption, or community) can add another layer of interest and give your stories a more profound message or question to ponder.