One of the key components of cozy mysteries is the use of the “amateur sleuth.” Amateur sleuths are usually female, who are not paid to solve crimes. They’re not trained members of law enforcement, nor are they highly skilled. Amateur sleuths are average people just like you and me. Critics of the genre often disparage the use of amateurs to solve crime stating that it’s “unrealistic.” However, categorizing cozies as unrealistic because of the use of the amateur sleuth is, in my opinion, missing the point and the beauty of the amateur in these tales.
One of my favorite cozy mystery sleuths is Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple. Miss Marple is an elderly spinster who lives in the village of St. Mary Mead in England. Miss Marple is a nosy, busybody who sees everything that goes on in her village. Her ability to solve mysteries centers around the fact that she has lived her entire life in a small village where she has observed human nature up close and personal. When introduced to someone new, Miss Marple observes and then associates that person with someone in her village with a similar nature. This isn’t unusual. We’ve all met someone who reminded us of someone else, either by the way they look or the way they behave. There’s nothing “unrealistic” in that.
From an author’s perspective, the amateur sleuth provides a vast opportunity for intrigue and mischief. Amateur sleuths are not professionals and rarely get from beginning to end without mistakes. It would be unrealistic if an amateur behaved perfectly with no missteps. Unlike a policeman, an amateur sleuth isn’t bound by rules of law. They boldly go down paths where a trained professional would never tread. Their ignorance usually places the amateur in some very sticky situations. However, it’s those situations that can be the most entertaining part of the story.
In my Mystery Bookshop Mystery series, Samantha Washington dreamed of quitting her job as a high school English teacher, and opening a mystery bookshop. When her husband, Leon, died, she realized that life is too short not to follow her dream. So, she quits her job, sells her house, buys the building, and opens the bookshop. Sam also dreamed about writing British historical cozy mysteries. Each book in this series features two mysteries to solve. There’s the mystery that Sam is facing in her everyday life, and the British historical mystery she is writing. Both mysteries feature an amateur sleuth. Murder From A to Z is the 11th book in the series.
Amateur sleuths in cozy mysteries represent average people who are capable of extraordinary feats. Even without extensive training or specialized skills, the average person can use their wits to solve complicated puzzles. Just as your favorite amateur sleuth can wiggle out of difficult situations, so can we all. If Miss Marple can follow the clues and figure out whodunit, then each one of us can too.
MURDER FROM A TO Z
Nana Jo has volunteered her lawyer granddaughter, Jenna, to teach estate planning to retirees—with Sam providing her bookshop as the venue. But during the seminar, entitled Getting Your Ducks in Order, it quickly becomes clear someone’s up to Fowl Play. When elderly Alva Tarkington, accompanied by her niece, sits down for a consultation, Sam realizes the woman’s frequent blinking is actually Morse Code—S.O.S. The sisters get her alone, and Alva tells them she believes her life is in danger and must change her
will . . .
Unfortunately, Alva is found dead the next day—seemingly from natural causes. But Nana Jo and the sisters suspect otherwise. In between penning her latest historical mystery, set in 1939 as England declares war on Germany and Lady Elizabeth Marsh pursues stolen paintings and a traitor, Sam teams up with the senior sleuths of Shady Acres to search for motives—beginning with Alva’s family. They soon learn not everyone is who they say they are, and someone is more than qualified to teach a class on cold-blooded murder . . .
Buy Links:
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Mystery-Bookshop-V-M-Burns/dp/1496750829
Nook - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-from-a-to-z-v-m-burns/1147348196?ean=9781496750839
Valerie (V.M.) Burns is an Agatha Anthony, and Edgar Award-nominated author. In addition to the Mystery Bookshop Mystery series, she is also the author of the Baker Street, Dog Club, RJ Franklin, and the Bailey the Bloodhound Mystery series writing as Kallie E. Benjamin. Valerie is a member of Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Color, Mystery Writers of America, and Dog Writers of America. She is also an adjunct professor in the Writing Popular Fiction Program at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA. Born and raised in northwestern Indiana, Valerie now lives in Northern Georgia with her two poodles. Readers can keep up with new releases by following her on social media.
Website: http://www.vmburns.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vmburnsbooks/
Instagram: https//www.instagram.com/vmburnsbooks
Thanks for posting today. You are a true master of bringing the amateur sleuth to life! All of your series create characters that are engaging to readers.
Aww. Thank you, so much. As for my ability to create engaging characters, I will say that it takes one to know one. LOVE your characters. 🙂
Debra, I enjoy your posts and the guest artists that you support by having them on. I rarely get around to commenting. But this comment is to both you and Valerie. Both you managed to get me into a bit of good trouble, in that you caused me to instantly pause in the things I was supposed to be doing and order more books! Valerie, I read the first in your series and also have another on hand. After your mention of Mrs Pollifax I realized I’d not read any of those books, so got a little more off-track grabbing the first one and reading it. Wonderful diversions, for sure, however, sooner or later I really must return to doing the laundry and a few other mundane things. Keep up the good suggestions for fun reads!
Glad you went and ordered some more books. I really enjoy Valerie’s book … and the Mrs. Pollifax books set me off years ago. Hope you are doing well. Long time since we have visited.
Carol,
Thanks for the kind words. I am glad that you enjoyed the post and found more cozies to read. I LOVE the Mrs. Pollifax Mysteries. I hope you will enjoy them, too. So many great mysteries. So little time.
Who doesn’t love the challenge of a good puzzle to solve? And two??? Wowzers!
Thanks, Peg. It seemed like a good idea when I thought of it. Good thing I didn’t think about the mechanics of it or I may never have done it. LOL
What’s fascinating to me is how Valerie manages to parallel the two stories – giving us a modern and historic perspective.
What a clever hook to have a mystery within a mystery as your signature style! Very impressive!
Saralyn, Thank you so much. It was actually a lot of fun.
It is very impressive and takes a lot of work to get it right – which Valerie does.
What a unique concept, Valerie! Engaging characters always hook me in.
Valerie does a great job of making her characters real and engaging.
Kathleen,
I LOVE engaging characters, too.
I love reading the two mysteries in one book. That is one of the reasons why I enjoy your Mystery Bookshop series so muvh.
I can remember when you first found these mysteries. To sustain the balance through so many books is remarkable.
Ann,
Thank you so much. It has actually turned out to be a lot of fun. I’m glad that you enjoy the two mysteries, too.
I love the idea of having two mysteries to solve!
They are clever, run parallel, and make for a nice challenge.
Gay, Thank you so much. Honestly, as a mystery reader, I loved the idea, too. As a mystery writer, I might have chosen a different path. LOL Still, it was a lot of fun.
Thank you Debra, for having Valerie here! I love her cozy mysteries, especially Baker Street Mystery series – I love bakery!