Three Key Ingredients to a Cozy Mystery

by Cozette (and Vee Weeks)

Reading a claw-scratching, heart-wrenching, inspirational book that lets me escape from the boredom of couch tops and litter boxes is like chowing down on a really tasty bowl of Friskies. If you’re in the business of concocting these tasty Friskie bowls, you must include these three ingredients if you want “people” felines to read more.

1. Two cups of lighthearted tone, sprinkled evenly throughout the bowl.  With shows like Law and Order dominating the media, it might feel like the only way to get anyone’s attention is to be as gory and depressing as possible. Purrr-sonally, I claw through books that make me forget the world can be cruel. Even if your mystery is centered around a graphic or dark event, it’s still possible to keep a lighthearted tone. Give me witty dialogue, create character dynamics that make me chuckle, and throw your best puns my way.

2. A tablespoon of inexperience.  My paws have rifled through hundreds of mystery novels, and yet each time I open a new one, I have no idea how all the facts will possibly unify into a solution. That’s why I love seeing the plot and conflicts unfold through the eyes of a novice mystery solver.  Characters who aren’t know-it-alls are far more relatable, encouraging more people to keep reading. And, of course, this gives an opportunity for character development that’s vital to any story. 

3. And a dash of unique setting, just to give your Friskies that extra flavor.  Everyone’s tired of creaky old dark mansions. Make it your mission to be fresh and original. Stretch your imagination to the ends of your whiskers. Make sure your plot is one that people can “mews” over.

Bring it all to a boil, and presto! You have a unique cozy mystery that’s bound to be the“Friskiest.”