Publishers Announce New Murder Mystery Writers

By Tara Daniels


People of all ages love to read crime novels. The plot twists of these tales fascinate many. Almost daily, new murder mystery writers surface. There are stories for all ages, from early reader chapter books to adult novels. Most genres at some point in time have some sort of criminal activity depicted.

Publishers have certain long-term authors they depend on for any of the genres they publish. These are the tried and true authors who consistently produce good stories. However, any publisher is eager to launch a new author. They often feature new talent in a special series that combines veteran authors with new names in the field. The themes are similar, which promotes these new names to loyal readers.

A relatively new type of novel in this category, though not actually entirely new, is the cozy crime novel. It is similar to the old British detective story, being basically a modern twist to that genre. These stories mostly feature women protagonists, are preferred by women, and are mostly written by women. The protagonist is the female sleuth who is great at figuring out a puzzle, often without much effort.

These Cozy novels have certain typical characteristics. Violence is only suggested, not written about directly. Though there is a killing, details are not given in detail. The suggestion is there and the reader fills in the details based on their experiences with crime stories. This makes them easy reading, thus the name cozy crime novels.

Additional traits that indicate a cozy is the sleuth, who is a woman, an amateur, and works independently. She is not affiliated with any organization, though may cooperate with local law enforcement to help solve crimes. There may even be a romantic involvement result, but no sexual content is included.

These stories are not plot-driven, but rather character-driven. The characters have strong profiles, especially the female sleuth. Settings are often exotic, such as on cruise ships or other settings where the action takes place. Sometimes the action takes place close to home, in the detective's own neighborhood. Either way, the setting needs to be meaningful for the sleuth.

Just because characterization is paramount doesn't mean the plot is not important. On the contrary. Many authors weave strong plot lines along with the character focus. The character is the most important aspect, though the plot is also important. The protagonist is the primary focus in the whole novel, with her (or his) every action being important to advance the story. The reader follows closely as the protagonist unravels the mystery others have not been able to do. Romantic suspense novels and Gothic novels are variations of this genre.

The rise in popularity of these cozy crime novels means there are many more being written and published. Publishing companies are searching for talented authors who can tell a strong character-driven story with a strong plot as well. Some newer authors who are popular and recognized for their adherence to the specifics of this genre include Gillian B. Farrell and W. Edward Blain. Not all of the new murder mystery writers adhere to the form of this genre, however.




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