A Little Canoodling with Your Cozy? Guest Christin Brecher

by Posted on

Happy to welcome Christin Brecher to the blog today! She’s talking romance in cozies. Take it away, Christin!

In many cozy mysteries, love often lies at the heart of the matter.  There are love triangles, detective-meets-amateur sleuth romances, and a myriad of relationships in which devotion leads to secrets and whodunnit solutions.  Happily, for cozy readers who are drawn to the murder-meets-love with a dash of humor recipe, there is a strong tradition of this mash-up. 

Google “rom-com mystery” and you will find lists of current titles from every major book source, including GoodReads, Book Riot, Crime Reads, the big book chains and indie stores alike.  Cozy mysteries such as Janet Yavanovich’s Stephanie Plum Novels, Linda Howard’s Mr. Perfect, and Kyra Davis’ Sex, Murder and a Double Latte are among today’s favorites, but the tradition of a delightful crime fighting duo is by no means a new one.  Agatha Christie’s Tuppence and Tommy Beresford stories, which debuted in 1922, feature a couple whose motive for solving murder was a shared passion for adventure and a desperate need for money.  Dashiel Hammet wrote the iconic The Thin Man which features Nick and Nore Charles, a couple who solve murders with witty banter, lots of cocktails, and their pooch, Asta.  Recently, I was a guest on Facebook’s Cozy Mystery Book Party and the group shared many of their favorite versions of the cozy-romance trope from film and television.  Top of the list included Moonlighting, Hart to Hart, and Remington Steele. 

When PHOTO FINISHED, the first book in my newest series, the SNAPSHOT OF NYC MYSTERIES, launched, one of the most gratifying reviews was Kirkus’ comment that the book has “the cutest meet-cute in NYC.”  Kirkus’ meet-cute reference occurs on a NYC subway between my protagonist, amateur sleuth and NYC photographer, Liv Spyers, and Harry Fellowes, an undercover agent for the Art Crime Unit whose day job is as an art insurance appraiser.  The uptown man to Liv’s downtown life, these two click because of mysteries they both share.  The chemistry between them is a result of their teamwork.  In my newly released MUGSHOTS OF MANHATTAN (#2), Liv and Harry’s relationship grows from one romantic NY moment to another, all the while they encourage each other to answer the all-important question: Whodunnit? In the end, of course, justice is served and their love story is better than ever.  

Readers, your turn – do you enjoy a dash of romance with your mystery? Leave a comment below!

Published by Cate Conte / Liz Mugavero

Cate Conte writes the Cat Cafe Mysteries and the Full Moon Mysteries. As Liz Mugavero, she writes the Pawsitively Organic Mysteries, the first of which was an Agatha Award nominee for Best First Novel. She lives in the Boston area with her rescue pals.

33 Thoughts

  2. A romance subplot is welcome when it meshes with moving the main plot forward. Like spice, a little goes a long way.

    Reply

  3. As long as the romance is a subplot and not the main thrust of the book, I’m good with it.

    Despite the fact that I’m the least romantically-inclined person alive.

    Reply

  4. Not a lot – a little on the side is enough for me. I figure if I want to read romance, I’ll read a romance novel.

    Reply

  6. Welcome back, Christin! I have to get to this new series – the premise is delightful.

    I always include romance in the books I write. Life has it – why shouldn’t fiction?

    Reply

  8. Yes, I think a bit of romance and friendships are the back bone of a good cozy.

    The SNAPSHOT OF NYC MYSTERIES sounds fabulous and I’ve added both books to my TBR list.
    Can’t wait for the opportunity to read and review it. Congratulations on the recent release!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

    Reply

  10. Absolutely. I do enjoy reading a bit of romance mixed with mystery. Love the book cover. This book sounds so good to read!

    Reply

  12. I like a little romance as long as it’s not graphic or (on the other extreme) corny. aprilbluetx at yahoo dot com

    Reply

  14. I enjoy a little romance, but the focus should be on the mystery. I’ve read books where the author switched it up, and that frustrated me.

    Congrats on the new book!

    Reply

  15. I like a dash of it, but I don’t want it to be the focus of the story. I really dislike so-called romances between two people who are constantly doubting each others’ sincerity, faithfulness, etc. On again, off again romances get old very quickly.

    Reply

  16. I don’t mind a buddy romance or even for the characters to get married but I do not want any romantic scenes in my cozies. I read cozies to get away from other things I read in regular romances, mysteries, thrillers, etc. So I prefer no canoodling.

    Reply

Leave a Reply