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!