by G. P. Gottlieb
As a host for New Books in Literature on the New Books Network, I usually look for ambitious, character-driven fiction. These novels, whose authors I interview, span the decades and explore human suffering, resilience, and transformation. In between reading gorgeous novels for NBN, I like to refresh my palate with an excellent cozy mystery.
I know it sounds strange to go from reading sweeping literary fiction to a widowed doctor solving crimes in 1870s Los Angeles or a retired fashion model-turned-sleuth in Wisconsin. I read more than one hundred books a year and have learned that cozy mysteries are a perfect palate cleanser, but only if the writing is sharp and the plot interesting enough to hold my attention.
I occasionally become immersed in a traditional mystery series, but I usually bounce back to cozy or cozy-adjacent novels in which the sex and violence take place offstage. I like that women in cozy mysteries aren’t all beautiful, nubile young things and can be nuanced, complicated, and a little overweight. And I also like cozy protagonists to be thoughtful, intelligent, and quick-witted.
If your cozy mystery involves ghosts or talking animals, I’m not your audience. If every year, as your protagonist is trying to get her muffins baked in time for the summer fair, a murder occurs on the village green, I’m not going to be interested in your series. If you dump the backstory like a load of mulch in my front yard, I’ll stop reading. And if your characters engage in silly conversations that don’t do anything to delve into a character or advance the plot, you’ve lost me.
Why I Rarely Buy an Advertised Book
I’ll occasionally scroll through social media, stopping to watch a baking video or cute dance routines, only to find myself inundated by advertisements for books (okay, also cute dresses and shoes, but I hardly ever order anything). The problem isn’t that the descriptions aren’t exciting or the cover isn’t splashy enough, but that I can’t begin to guess if the writing is going to hold up. And I’m not going to spend more than $10 on an eBook of questionable quality that I don’t own and can’t lend to a friend.
Do mystery authors who advertise on social media see a return on their investment? Maybe they used to. I empathize with other authors because I too long for the good old days, when vibrant ads or good reviews could garner a broader readership. It’s gotten hard to find readers. So, what’s a mystery author to do?
My Favorite Way to Find New Cozy Mysteries
First, be a team player. That means post reviews of other people’s books and join one of several important organizations where you can be part of a writing community and learn how to advance your plot and your writing career (check out Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America). Second, invest in a good editor and hone your skills. Especially if you plan to publish your own book. I’ve read some fabulous indie-published mysteries, but far too many have been sloppy in some way, poorly written, or lacking in polish. It’s occasionally nice to know what characters are wearing, especially if it tells us something about that character, but I don’t need a description of the protagonist’s daily wardrobe choices.
All this advice leads to my main point: I’ll buy your book if an author I respect recommends it. I’ll read your reviews – don’t worry if you’ve been skunked by trolls who leave one star and claim that you have spelling mistakes or too many characters. If they read an advanced reader’s copy (ARC) of the book, there very well might be spelling mistakes. And Agatha Christie introduced 14 characters in the first chapter of The Body in the Library. I don’t pay attention to terrible reviews, and you shouldn’t, either.
But I do more than pay attention when an author-friend reads your book and tells me that it’s good. All you have to do is write a killer story, build relationships in the mystery community, and ask trusted readers to help spread the word. That’ll make me want to buy your book more than any social media ad ever will.
G.P. Gottlieb is the author of the Charred: A Whipped & Sipped Mystery (Anamcara Press, May 29, 2026), the third in a culinary cozy mystery series. She is on the board of Sisters in Crime Chicagoland and a member of SinC Colorado, MWA, and Blackbird Writers. As host for New Books in Literature, a podcast channel on the New Books Network, she has interviewed nearly 280 authors. If you enjoy culinary cozy mysteries set in Chicago, the Whipped & Sipped Mysteries invite you into a world of friendship, coffee, pastries, and crime-solving without the nightmares.
