COZY MYSTERY WRITING TIPS: THE BODY by Korina Moss

Let’s talk murder. Every cozy mystery has one, but the question of when the body should be discovered is arguable. 

By and large, readers of cozy mysteries like to try to figure out the mystery along with your protagonist. If a murder doesn’t happen by page 50 in your manuscript, readers can get impatient. For this reason, some writers open with their protagonist finding the victim’s body. This gets the reader immediately curious as to what’s happened, so it seems like the perfect solution. I’m going to tell you why I advocate for holding off for a few chapters. 

Although the mystery is extremely important to a cozy mystery book, the coziness and the characters are just as important. For a sustainable series, they may actually be more important to readers. So, let’s take the time to set your scene first. Let’s start getting to know at least your main character (MC). This doesn’t mean you should start with a slew of backstory. (You can drop backstory like breadcrumbs throughout the book.) Rather, the best way to get to know your MC is through her interactions with other characters, especially your core secondary characters. This will demonstrate your MC’s personality, your cozy theme (her place of business or hobby), and the initial stakes. 

Initial stakes? Yes, it helps the tension to have something extra at stake beside solving the murder. Is there an event your MC wants to carry off without a hitch? Is there a person she’s trying to impress? Perhaps something your MC has been working toward that MUST go right… and then a wrench is thrown in when a body is found. Having more at stake is always a good thing. 

But let’s get back to the body. 

If you take one to three chapters to introduce your setting, what is initially at stake, and your most important characters, readers are immediately invested when your MC discovers the body, and the finger of suspicion is pointed at her or someone close to her. By waiting until the end of chapter three to discover the body, readers know and (hopefully) already like your protagonist and her friends. They might even love her cozy business and see themselves living in her town. They know something personal to her is at stake that now will be more difficult (if not impossible) to accomplish. All this happens the moment she finds the body and it allows your readers to instantly root for her. Readers connect to your book more strongly if they are rooting for your main character rather than merely being curious about the body she’s discovered.

The initial stakes help to keep your readers interested before the murder takes place, but you should also use these chapters to “set up” the murder, which means introducing the victim while they’re alive and one or more of your suspects. Therefore, when the body is discovered, your MC may already have a theory about motive and some possible suspects. The stakes are now raised, and no time is lost in beginning the investigation! It’s a slower build with a bigger payoff. 

Author’s Note: 

It’s always a slippery slope to tell writers what they “should” do, because books can successfully tell a story in lots of different ways. Most writing rules are merely suggestions and the tips I offer are no different. My editorial tips are based on the expectations—in my experience—of my publishing editor at Macmillan, my literary agent, and readers of cozy mysteries. My goal is to help writers make their cozy mystery the best it can be, but it’s okay that not every tip resonates with every writer. 

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series set in the Sonoma Valley, including the Agatha Award winner for Best First Novel, Cheddar Off Dead and the Agatha Award finalist for Best Contemporary Novel, Case of the Bleus. Her books have been featured in USA Today, PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, and Writer’s Digest. To learn more about her books and editing services, or to subscribe to her free monthly #teamcheese newsletter, visit her website korinamossauthor.com.

Virtual Book Club Alert! My second Cheese Shop Mystery, Gone For Gouda, is the January book for Little Bites Book Club. This takes place on Instagram Live and everyone is invited. Go to allison_vic on Monday, January 27th at 8PM EST/7PM CST. Click on her IG Live profile to watch and/or comment during the discussion. Keep up with her Little Bites Book Club on Instagram.