Page 25

It reflects real-life situations where people might make a split-second decision they later regret, driven by fear, jealousy, greed, or a desperate attempt to cover up a mistake.

When you’re creating your killer, it’s important to remember that very often the cozy mystery villain was not always a villain.

They frequently feel great guilt, even remorse for their actions.

Granted, that doesn’t always keep them from trying to do even more terrible things to cover up the first terrible thing.

Because cozy mysteries eschew graphic violence, serial killers, and organized crime, the focus is instead on the puzzle-solving aspect of the crime and the community’s response to it. This decision aligns with the genre’s aim to provide a more restrained and comforting form of escapism, where the emphasis is on the intellectual challenge and the restoration of social order rather than on violence or the darker aspects of human nature.

Part of both the horror and appeal in this setup is that the villain is usually someone within the protagonist’s social circle or community. This setup enhances the story’s tension and drama, as it underscores the betrayal and disruption of social harmony caused by the crime. It also allows for a deeper exploration of relationships and character dynamics, as the protagonist must navigate their personal connections to solve the mystery.

Finally, the resolution of a cozy mystery often involves not just the unmasking of the villain but also an element of moral resolution. Since the villains are ordinary people who have erred, there’s sometimes a path to understanding their motives and, in some cases, a chance for redemption. This aspect underscores the genre’s often optimistic or forgiving view of human nature.

The portrayal of villains in cozy mysteries reflects the genre’s broader themes: the belief in the basic goodness of people, the importance of community, and the idea that disorder can be restored through intelligence and empathy rather than through violence or force. This commonsense approach to villainy adds depth to the cozy mystery genre, making it a rich and rewarding field for both writers and readers.

In cozy mysteries, the reasons behind murder often differ from those in darker crime genres, reflecting the genre’s unique tone and setting. While cozy mysteries revolve around murder, the motives are usually intertwined with the community, relationships, and human emotions rather than with random acts of violence or psychopathy.

That said, the motives for murder in cozy mysteries are pretty much the same motives we see in all crime fiction—and, frankly, real life:

Financial Gain or Inheritance:A classic motive, where the murderer stands to inherit money, property, or valuable items. The prospect of financial gain can push someone to commit murder, especially if they are desperate, greedy, or feel entitled.

Jealousy or Love Triangle:Romantic entanglements and jealousy frequently serve as motives. A character might kill out of jealousy, to eliminate a rival, or because of unrequited love, setting the stage for an emotionally charged investigation.

Revenge:A character seeks vengeance for a real or perceived wrong. This could stem from a variety of sources, such as a business dispute, a personal betrayal, or an old grudge, and often ties into the community’s history. I didn’t use to put a lot of credence in revenge as a motive until I became a regular viewer ofDateline.

Cover-Up of Another Crime:The murderer might kill someone to prevent the exposure of a past crime, scandal, or secret that could ruin their reputation, career, or relationships. This motive layers the mystery, revealing deeper secrets as the protagonist investigates.

Self-Defense or Defense of Another:In some cases, the murder is the result of a confrontation that escalates, where the character claims they acted in self-defense or to protect someone else. The ambiguity of these situations can add complexity to the mystery.

Protection of Status or Reputation:A character might commit murder to protect their social standing, reputation, or a secret that, if revealed, could lead to their downfall. This is often seen in settings where community image is everything.

Fear of Exposure:Similar to covering up another crime but more focused on personal secrets, such as hidden pasts, relationships, or compromising information. The fear of being exposed can drive a character to extreme actions. Note: unless you’re writing a historical cozy, modern audiences are going to have trouble swallowing the idea that your villain committed all those murders to hide the truth of their sexuality.

Accidental or In the Heat of the Moment:Sometimes, murder in cozy mysteries occurs almost by accident—an impulsive act in a moment of high emotion or a plan gone terribly wrong. These cases often involve characters who are otherwise seen as good people, adding to the tragedy and complexity of the situation.

Business or Professional Rivalry:Competition in business or professional life can lead to murder, especially if a character feels their livelihood, legacy, or life’s work is threatened by someone else’s actions or existence.

Obsession or Madness:While less common in the cozy genre, which tends to shy away from depicting graphic violence or deep psychological disturbances, characters might still be driven to murder by an obsession that has taken over their rational thought processes, though this is often portrayed with a lighter touch compared to other genres. The key difference here is that the villain is never in doubt that what they are doing is illegal or wrong, but their obsession leads them to feel justified in breaking the law.

These motives are woven into the fabric of the cozy mystery’s setting—be it a small town, a tight-knit community, or a specific hobby or interest group—highlighting human relationships and the often-surprising darkness that can lurk beneath the surface of ordinary life. The key in cozy mysteries is to balance the seriousness of the crime with the warmth and charm of the genre.

Let’s say you want to make your villain more sympathetic, or perhaps you want a more original motive for the crime.

Creating a scenario where a generally good person is driven to commit a serious crime, including murder, can add significant depth to your cozy mystery, engaging the reader with complex moral questions and emotional dilemmas. Sometimes good people do bad things for good reasons.

Add these emotional drivers, and your motives for murder will resonate more deeply with readers:

Protection of a Loved One:A character might be driven to extreme measures if they believe it’s the only way to protect someone they love from an imminent threat. This could be a parent protecting their child from an abuser, or someone acting to prevent harm to a vulnerable friend or family member. The primal instinct to protect can override moral codes under perceived dire circumstances.

Desperation and Despair:A character overwhelmed by desperate circumstances—such as financial ruin, a health crisis without access to necessary treatment, or being trapped in an abusive situation—might see crime as their only escape. Desperation can cloud judgment, making extreme actions seem like the only viable solutions. The challenge here, of course, is that in a cozy mystery, the desperate circumstances can’t betoodesperate without shattering the safe and sane world you’ve created for your characters. You need a deft and delicate hand with this one.

Accidental Consequences:A character could commit a serious crime unintentionally. A fatal hit and run with (apparently) no witnesses. Or an attempt at self-defense that goes too far. Or any variety of tense situations that spiral out of control, leading to tragic consequences. The guilt and fear of the aftermath could compel these characters to make more questionable decisions.

A Quest for Justice:A character might take the law into their own hands if they feel the legal system has failed them or their loved ones. This vigilantism can stem from a place of righteousness, where the character believes that their actions, however extreme, are necessary to serve justice where formal channels have failed.

Blackmail or Coercion:A character could be coerced into committing a crime due to blackmail or the threat of harm to themselves or someone they care about. The perpetrator might leverage a secret or vulnerability, pushing the character into a corner where they see compliance with the criminal act as the lesser of two evils.

Each of these scenarios offers a rich tapestry for storytelling, allowing you to explore the shades of gray in human morality and the complexities of decision-making under pressure. They also provide a pathway to empathy for the reader, who can engage with the character’s dilemma, understanding how a fundamentally good person might be driven to commit an act that is otherwise out of character for them.