Guest Post: It’s Not a Bug by Jeanne of the BPL

Jeanne is back today with a few thoughts about the state of the cozy….

It’s Not a Bug

The recent very cold weather has meant that I’ve had to walk more than usual on my treadmill which means I have read a LOT of cozies in a row.  It’s also given me ample opportunity to reflect on the similarities.  (Note:  I’m using the word “hero” for the main character but since most cozy leads are female, I’m also using the feminine pronoun.)

In no particular order:

      1. Hero does something life-threatening and dangerous and stupid, but it’s okay because she says she knows it’s stupid before doing it anyway.

2    2. Hero is single and constantly on the lookout for eligible mates, sizing them up by attractiveness.

3    3. If hero has been married, then spouse cheated on her, often with some trusted person (i.e., best friend or colleague) or else died.  This has no bearing on point 4.

4. If hero is involved in a relationship, she worries constantly that significant other is tired of her or having an affair.

5    5. There is no situation that can’t be made worse by the two people involved refusing to talk to one another.

6    6. Hero is compelled to investigate crime because she, family, friend, or pet might possibly in some universe be accused of murder.

      7. Someone will refuse to give a perfectly good alibi for a perfectly ridiculous reason.

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      8. There will be a character who exists for no other reason than to cause trouble for the hero.  Said character is universally disliked and has no redeeming characteristics. This is an ongoing character, not to be confused with “victim.”  (see below) Character from Hell will reoccur throughout the series, popping up to create some sort of upset and/or delay our hero from snooping—er, investigating.  

9. The victim will be someone who is strongly disliked, giving everyone a motive to murder him.  In short, someone who “needs killing.”

10.  Hero or family member will comment on the need for killing (or say prospective victim should “drop dead”) and said statement will become a reason to arrest the utterer.

11.  Hero will whip up a batch of some treat and a recipe will appear at the end; alternately, hero will craft something, and craft instructions or tips will appear at the end of the book. This happens even if cooking or crafting is not an important part of the book.

12.  Hero will have unruly curly hair which she will complain about frequently.  Color will vary, but red is a popular choice.

      Bonus:  A character will comment on the high rate of homicide in the area and reference Cabot Cove or Jessica Fletcher (or just flat out name “Murder, She Wrote”).  

 A few days ago, when we were having problems with a piece of software I commented to a younger colleague that the problem “wasn’t a bug, it was a feature.” Her blank look made me reconsider how well known the saying is today.  I knew it as common quip, meaning the software company refused to consider a problem a problem and wouldn’t fix it.I have concluded that the above listed items aren’t bugs but are actually features of a cozy.   

 Can they be annoying?  Sure.  But as far as I’m concerned, if the book is well written with strong characterization and a clever plot, all the above can be amusing-- a nod to type so to speak. 

 Equally, in a book with one dimensional characters or far-fetched plot, the same things are very irritating—a checklist of items, not a novel. It makes me think of a paint by numbers picture: some have such nice brushwork that I can believe the work original while other have the lines peeking through the paint.

 So a tip of the hat to those authors who have the skill to take the clichés and stock characters and standard plots and spin them into something that keeps me on the treadmill, turning pages and earning blisters!