Definition
Cozy mystery is a gentler mystery subgenre with low graphic violence, often a small-community setting, and an amateur sleuth. Tone stays lighter, and justice restores order by the end.
Example
A bookshop owner in a seaside village investigates who poisoned the mayor's prize roses.
Related terms
Common mistakes
- Assuming cozy means no real stakes or competent plotting.
- Adding graphic violence or trauma that breaks reader expectations for the subgenre.