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Mysteries are a great form of escapism.
I love the way that books in this genre virtually always end with justice being served and criminals being held accountable for their actions, especially since neither of those things are at all guaranteed to happen in real life.
Figuring out how clues fit together amuses me, too. I’ve previously mentioned not being a big fan of red herrings, but I do like when a clue can be interpreted in more than one way. This leaves plenty of space for readers – and protagonists – to change our mind about who the culprit is depending on which explanation of what is going on we decide to accept as the most accurate one. It can also be a nice way to practice skills like critical thinking, observation, and developing a stronger memory.
While I don’t read a lot of romances, paranormal romantic mysteries can be appealing to me. This is especially true if they’re set in the past, involve ghosts, and/or are about a cold case. It makes me smile to think of a ghost helping to solve his or her own murder case before finally being able to rest for good.
My favourite niche in this genre are cozy mysteries. Not only do they often have delightful puns in their titles, many of them seem to be set in or near cozy places like bakeries, libraries, or coffee shops. This softens the edges of the murders in them and makes it more likely that I’ll keep reading.
Historical mysteries can be interesting, too, as they generally feature characters who lived many years before the development of modern investigation protocols like dusting for fingerprints or testing blood or hair left at the scene that might have belonged to the culprit. This can leave a lot of room for other types of evidence like eyewitness testimony, letters or diary entries that talk about the crime, or, if the investigator is lucky, maybe even a straightforward confession!
In short, I think this genre is cool to visit on occasion and am open to any suggestions you all may have from the cozy, paranormal, historical, and/or romantic mystery subgenres.
I never saw the appeal of cosy mysteries until I watched an episode of the Canadian show Murdoch Mysteries a few years ago. Now I think it’s a great way of winding down. Whether reading them or watching them on TV, you know, in the end, everything is going to be all right, and sometimes, we all need that reassurance – even if its not real. Also, thanks for providing the link for today because I couldn’t find it!
Yes, exactly!
And you’re welcome. I’m not sure why that post isn’t on the front page of Long and Short Reviews.
I like cozy mysteries as well, but can also enjoy police procedurals like Michael Connelley’s from time to time.
Cool.
I absolutely love cozy mysteries! It all started with watching Columbo with my parents and later on watching shows like The Mentalist, Castle, Psych etc. It’s a wonderful genre and like you said, you can always count on them to find the person who did it and everything is right with the world. It’s a comforting thing in this uncertain world 😅
I’m so glad you get it. 🙂
Cosy is definitely preferable to hard-boiled.
🙂
I like a cosy mystery too. Richard Osman is a favourite of mine.
Nice!