Pets: A Crime Writer’s Best Friend by V. M. Burns

If you look at the covers of the books in the cozy mystery section, you’ll notice a trend. Most of them will have a pet, food, or both. Other popular trends include bookstores or libraries, but even those will often have a friendly library cat or two that likes to hide in the stacks or curl up on a sunny bench. And when it comes to pets, there’s clearly a preference. Birds, reptiles, ferrets, and fish may be popular in real life, but dogs and cats hold the top spot in cozy mysteries.

Writers want to create characters that readers can relate to. One good place to start is with a pet. The bond between humans and their pets can be strong. A common phrase describes dogs as ‘man’s best friend.’ A study by the American Veterinary Medical Association confirms this and estimates that 38.4% (48 million) American households own dogs and 25.4% (31 million) own cats (https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/reports-statistics/us-pet-ownership-statistics). Writers use pets in a variety of ways to connect with readers. In some cozies, the pet isn’t integral to solving the crime, but may be useful in showing character traits. A writer can TELL the reader that their big, burly, tough-as-nails cop has a sensitive side. Or, a writer can SHOW that same cop leaving tuna out for a stray neighborhood kitty and accomplish the same thing. However, in many cases, the pet can take a more active role in the investigation. Here’s where dogs truly shine and are extremely useful in crime fiction.

It's common knowledge that dogs have exceptional noses. With millions of olfactory receptors, canines have been used for sniffing out people, bombs, illegal drugs, and banned fruits, vegetables, and nuts (https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/dogs-sense-of-smell/). Have you ever wondered just how good are these dogs’ noses? A 2019 article in the New York Times reported that cadaver trained Search and Rescue dogs have helped archaeologist in Croatia find human remains buried more than 1,500 years ago (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/19/science/cadaver-dogs-archaeology.html). Can you imagine a cozy with an archaeologist and their trusty dog, sniffing out burial sites in ancient Egypt? Or maybe it’s just me.

Last year, I facilitated a panel discussion for Sisters in Crime, with authors who used working dogs in their mysteries. One of the panelists, Cat Warren, is a professor, author, and researcher. Her book, What the Dog Knows, highlights the varied ways that working dogs are being used by law enforcement. Crime fiction writers are well aware of the benefits of a good working dog, and you can find them in practically every subgenre of mystery from cozy to noir.

Valerie (V. M.) Burns is the author of the Mystery Bookshop Mystery series. Her first book, The Plot is Murder, was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best Debut Novel. She is the author of the Dog Club Mystery Series, the RJ Franklin Mysteries, a three-time finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, and an Edgar Award-nominated short story. Her newest series, Baker Street Mysteries, will release in August 2022, and her Pet Detective Mystery series will release in 2023. Valerie is on the national board of Sisters in Crime and the Southeastern Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. She is also a member of Dog Writers of America, Crime Writers of Color, and International Thriller Writers. She is a manager at a Fortune 100 company and a mentor in the Writing Popular Fiction Program at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA. Born and raised in northwestern Indiana, Valerie currently lives in the southeastern United States with her two poodles. Readers can learn more by visiting her website at vmburns.com.

 

Mysteries by V. M. Burns

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baker Street Mystery Series by Valerie Burns

Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder coming August 30, 2022

 

Dogs in Mystery by E. B. Davis

 

My fellow bloggers know I recently became a grandparent to a dog. I’ve always enjoyed pets in mysteries, perhaps living vicariously through those main characters and their relationships with their animals. I’ve never had pets so I’ve avoided using them as characters in my manuscripts. My fear is that my lack of experience with dogs would be apparent to pet-owner readers. But now, after six weeks of caring for a dog, I know why so many cozy mysteries include pets, especially dogs. Pets not only add a dimension to the coziness of those mysteries, but the pets can help their owners investigate. I want to enumerate my findings, but like any grandparent, I must first tell you a bit about my grand-dog, Rocky.

 

Two months ago, my daughter, Audrey, rescued Rocky, a Corgi/Beagle mix, from foster care. Rocky’s former owners had two dogs. When the mother of the family died, Rocky was put into foster care with a rescue operation. He is seven-years-old and very well trained. His stay in foster care lasted for only a few days when Audrey adopted him. We believe Rocky was the mother’s dog. He loves women over men and hangs out in the kitchen watching my every move while preparing and cooking meals. He has separation anxiety when left alone, which we now understand from other owners of rescued dogs is a common problem. We also believe the mother was at home full-time, and he had the companionship of the other dog. Although he was crate trained, the dogs shared a large crate. But without the other dog, crate training isn’t very effective. When left alone, he becomes morose and woeful.

 

When he first came to our Hatteras beach house a month after Audrey took ownership of him, I think Rocky was still in mourning. I don’t think he understood his abandonment was not his fault—he didn’t do anything wrong (at least that’s what we think is his perception). I’ve always had the idea that dogs could be smart and soulfully empathetic. Rocky has confirmed those notions. But not all dogs are so smart or as astute to their owners as Rocky.

 

From what I’ve learned from Rocky, I’ve compiled a list of ways that dogs and their needs can aid amateur sleuths. For those of you who are experienced with dogs, most of my observations will probably be no-brainers.

 

1.     People have discussions with their dogs. No matter how nuts, people talk to their dogs. Thinking out loud enables the main character to express his/her impression of people and use their logic to try out theories of the crime all the while including the reader. It doesn’t matter that the dog can’t contribute. Although they can nod or change their facial expressions. Readers can decide if they agree or disagree with the main character’s findings and logic.

2.     Dogs do have opinions of people. They can react to someone in a positive or negative way so taking the dog along in the investigation can be helpful. Owners know by how the dog reacts whether or not the dog likes or trust the new person.

3.     Due to a dog’s need to walk/exercise and use the facilities, dog owners are thrown together in the neighborhood or in dog parks. People talk to each other while tending to their dog’s outdoor needs. There are also those times when walking the dog allows for snooping. While I was walking Rocky, I noticed no one around. The neighbors had gone out for the day. All was quiet. We ducked under an unoccupied rental house to explore its sound-side views. I looked back into the neighborhood and caught our jerkwad neighbor on someone else’s property pulling out utility flags that had been place by a surveyor, something the homeowner had paid for. Like I said, he’s a jerkwad hatwack—not just my opinion. The jerkwad has become notorious. In a small place like Hatteras Island, reputations are important. So, you can also observe as well as interact with others while dog walking.

4.     The nose knows. Dogs noses can find evidence. Rocky unearths stuff we’d rather he didn’t, but in a mystery, his ability would be awesome.

5.     More commercial places are allowing dogs. Pet stores, ACE Hardware, the beach, and many bars and restaurants, especially if they have outdoor seating, are becoming pet friendly. People are curious about dogs. Many people come up to Rocky and extend their hands. They want to learn about him. Through their curiosity, asking questions, main characters can in turn ask people questions. Since they started the questioning, they can’t very well object.

6.     Protection—I’ve unfortunately had run-ins with bad dogs. I even wrote a short story about one terrible experience. A few summers ago, the brother of a beach friend of mine and his family came for vacation with their dog. They always violated the leash laws. When they were in the ocean, I was sitting in my low beach chair. Their dog came up to me, he was at the level of my throat since I was sitting, leaned into me, and growled. Luckily, my friend’s husband was sitting nearby. He yelled and took hold of the dog. Since then, I’ve avoided the dog, opting not to sit with them on the beach when they visit.

This summer, my friend reassured me that the dog had matured, settled down, and mellowed. I decided to trust her judgment. Rocky was sitting next to me when the dog charged. I’m unsure if the dog was lunging at me or Rocky. Even though Rocky was the smaller dog, he didn’t back down. Rocky doesn’t bark. I’ve never heard him growl—until then! That little dog howled and growled. The dog lunged for a second time. Rocky, the middle-age male that he is, wouldn’t put up with the designer dog and kept his defensive stance. Finally, the dog’s owner grabbed his collar. Like my neighbor, the dog is a jerkwad, at best. Mighty Rocky is my hero!

7.     Comic relief—dogs’ antics never end. We have Rocky on a long leach attached to a sand spike so he can roam. He’s quite good at tying us all up in his leash while we are sitting on the beach. The chairs, umbrellas, and tables become bound up. We’ve taken to moving the tables and chairs once the leash makes a Cat’s Cradle of our beach settlement. It’s easier than winding the dog back through his path.

 

In my next manuscript, look for Rocky as a character. We didn’t know what we were missing, even if they are a lot of work! Do you include your pets in your manuscripts?

Rocky can play peekaboo! I put that at 12-18 month child intelligence!

P.S. The Caroline Crimes Anthology, for which I wrote three stories before submitting one--I got into the anthology!! Look for "Stevie and Keith for the Save."

An Interview with Debra H. Goldstein by E. B. Davis

Far from a domestic goddess, Sarah Blair would rather catch bad guys than slave over a hot stove. But when a dangerous murder boils over in Wheaton, Alabama, catching the killer means leaving her comfort zone …

Things are finally looking up for Sarah Blair following her unsavory divorce. Settled into a cozy carriage house with her sassy Siamese cat, RahRah, she has somehow managed to hang on to her modest law firm receptionist job and—if befriending flea-bitten strays at the local animal shelter counts—lead a thriving social life. For once, Sarah almost has it together more than her enterprising twin, Emily, a professional chef whose efforts to open a gourmet restaurant have hit a real dead end …

When the president of the town bank and city council is murdered after icing Emily’s business plans, all eyes are on the one person who left the scene with blood on her hands—the Blair girls’ sharp-tongued mother, Maybelle. Determined to get her mom off the hook ASAP, Sarah must collect the ingredients of a deadly crime to bring the true culprit to justice. But as neighbors turn against her family, can she pare down the suspects before another victim lands on the chopping block?

Amazon.com

In Two Bites Too Many, Debra H. Goldstein’s character development exceeded all my expectations. Her main character, Sarah Blair, steps up as a leader to get her mother off the suspect list, help her chef sister, Emily, back into her own restaurant, and solve a murder, which her boss insists she leave to the professionals. More fool he, as he discovers in the last chapters, which I quite liked.

But that is all about Sarah. Debra gives readers a more detailed portrait of Maybelle, Sarah and Emily’s mother. Emily seems more human, a closer in personality to Sarah, and less of a paragon. It was a pleasure to get to know these characters in greater detail as they are recurring secondary characters who at times support Sarah, and at other times, seem to combat her.

Here’s the link for my interview with Debra about the first in her series, One Taste Too Many. Please ask Debra questions about her series I may have missed in our comments link at the end of this interview.                                            E. B. Davis 

RahRah, now Sarah’s cat, inherited the carriage house, in which Sarah and RahRah live. Did RahRah also inherit the big house on the property? Was it the home Sarah lived in with her ex, or was it her ex-mother-in-law’s house?

When Sarah’s ex-husband brought his mother to Wheaton, he didn’t have the financial ability to buy the kind of Main Street property he wanted – but his mother did. Although she was the majority owner of both houses, Bill, because he was allergic to cats and a rat, installed his mother and RahRah in the carriage house while he and Sarah moved into the big house. When their marriage broke up, Sarah moved out of the house, but continued visiting Mother Blair and RahRah.

Sadly, Mother Blair died before the divorce was finalized. Bill, who was executor of her will, never probated it. Instead, he simply took over the property in its entirety. Consequently, Sarah didn’t know that the will gave her some property ownership and contained trust provisions for RahRah with her as trustee. After Bill’s death, despite the divorce, when the legal provisions of the wills were sorted out, RahRah ended up with the carriage house and Sarah with the big house.

I was a bit surprised Sarah agreed to let Emily and her chef and beau Marcus open a restaurant in the big house. Because the carriage house Sarah lives in with RahRah is located behind the property wouldn’t it be noisy? Wouldn’t they have to subdivide the lot to rezone the big house as a commercial property and leave the carriage house as a residential property?

Southern homesteads with pillared main houses, often boast smaller carriage homes or garage type buildings with second floor living quarters on the property. In Two Bites Too Many, it is made clear that the big house faces Main Street, which, through a vote of the council, has a multi-use designation that is resulting in many of the grand homes being converted to restaurants, apartments, and other business establishments. Based upon this, the lot didn’t need to be subdivided. As for any noise, the driveway winding back to the carriage house is quite long. The distance creates a natural sound buffer. For Sarah, compared to the efficiency apartment she previously lived in, being in the cozy carriage house with RahRah is like dying and going to heaven.

Why does Maybelle want her daughters to call her by her first name, rather than just “Mom?”

Maybelle went to a spa where without telephones, news, or interference from the outside world, she embraced the concept of positive energy flow. As Maybelle explains, “[m]y name means lovable. ….my guru told me the only way to obtain the best possible positive energy in my personal zone is to simplify everything. That includes the name I go by … Because the intensity of my flow translates into a force I use to help other people, I need you to call me by my given name, too.”

I’m trying to understand Sarah and Emily’s mother, Maybelle. On one hand, she’s forceful, leaning on the car horn to pick up Sarah. Then, Maybelle uses her guarantee with the banker to help persuade him to approve Emily and Marcus’s loan for the restaurant. But on the other hand, Sarah and Emily had to persuade Maybelle that she’d have to live to 150 to outlive her money, as if she were an insecure person. Clearly, she knows her place in the world. Why would a brass-tack sort of person like Maybelle not understand her own finances?

Maybelle understands her finances and business, but that doesn’t alleviate her emotional reactions. Although I didn’t quote statistics in Two Bites Too Many, I found several studies, including one performed by Allianz in 2016, that demonstrated individuals nearing retirement are more afraid of outliving resources than they are of death. I’ve known many widows who despite being financially solvent have this fear, so just as I decided there were readers who could identify with how Sarah is frightened of cooking from scratch, there would be others who would see a part of themselves in Maybelle.

Do small towns have a problem keeping members impartial? Usually, the most prominent people, who have means and ownership in town properties, serve on town councils.

In small towns, everyone knows everyone else. As you note, the people with means, ownership, and power often rise to the top of committees and council positions. Although some may accept these positions for personal benefit, many want to give back to the town they love. Those who epitomize the latter motives try to be fair and impartial because that is the only way to serve the public good.

When Jacob explains who Cliff is, Sarah is uncomfortable meeting him. But Jacob only said good things about Cliff. Why is Sarah uncomfortable?

Sarah is uncomfortable because her first interaction or observation of Cliff at the bank was of an angry and impulsive person. Not having reconciled what Jacob is saying with the menacing side of Cliff she saw; she prefers to avoid another encounter.

When Emily and Marcus’s loan doesn’t get approved, Emily takes a job with the competition against Marcus’s and Sarah’s opinion. Why is she so headstrong? Why does Sarah buyoff on Emily’s argument that Sarah doesn’t know the restaurant business, when Marcus knows the business and doesn’t agree with Emily?

Unlike Sarah, Emily has always been goal driven. Whether it is knowing she wanted to be a chef or problem-solving the financial problems caused by the loan not being approved, she isn’t going to let anything get in her way. She’s headstrong and opinionated, but part of that is driven by a good heart – she wants to ease their financial burden so their business can survive.

Even though Sarah may have qualms about Emily working for the competition, she knows Emily has her own restaurant knowledge gleaned from attending Culinary Institute of America and working in various restaurants. Plus, afraid Marcus’ thoughts might be colored by his jealousy of Thomas Howell coupled with her trust of her sister’s judgment, Sarah goes with the decision that supports blood being thicker than water.

Maybelle uses the Southern condescension of “Bless your heart.” Is she a true southern gal?

From her head to her toes!

Eloise, the victim’s long-time secretary, knows a lot more than she’s saying. Why doesn’t she speak her mind?

Eloise comes from the private secretary or assistant era where confidentiality and loyalty were prized. Even though she knows a lot more than she’s saying, the moral code she operates under lets her drop hints or guide situations without being overt (Think Mad Men).

Sarah’s boss, lawyer Harlan Endicott, talks to her about her future. Does he have a specific path he wants her to follow? Does he have an agenda?

Harlan cares for Sarah. While he may have a romantic interest in her, his main goal is to encourage her to grow from the woman he hired who was always afraid of being fired to one who is comfortable in her own shoes. Whether she continues working for him, goes back to school, or explores other opportunities, he wants the best for her. The only specific path or agenda he has, which he repeatedly shares with her, is his wish that she’d leave solving murders to the professionals.

What attracts Sarah to Thomas Howell, owner of the Howellian Hotel?

His hands – he has beautiful hands with long tapered fingers.

Why is it unnatural for Sarah to be demonstrative and caring?

At heart, Sarah is an introvert. She cares about people, but has difficulty being warm and fuzzy. It could be argued that what happened with Bill and in other instances in her adult life made her afraid of reaching out and being hurt, even when she does things because of her caring nature, but I think not being a hugger is just part of her personality. Emily, her twin, was exposed to the same things growing up, but from childhood, she always has been the popular outgoing cheerleader type. They are polar opposites, so there really isn’t a reason either sister is as she is.

How does Sarah determine the acting Police Chief Gerard isn’t a professional?

Sarah has a bias against acting Police Chief Gerard from when, as a desk officer in One Taste Too Many, he kept her from seeing her sister for over an hour. In Two Bites Too Many, she observes him walking around a crime scene in a way that she believes would fail to preserve it. More importantly, she feels, as he has had her sister and mother in his sights, that he jumps to easy conclusions --- conclusions which are to the significant detriment of her family members.

In a town with few experienced police, is it strange that Wheaton has a professional crime tech, forensic investigator and coroner in Dr. David Smith?

In small towns, the coroner often is a physician appointed or elected to the job. Wheaton is a little unusual. Fifteen minutes from Birmingham, where there is one of the biggest teaching hospitals in the Southeast (UAB) and an undergraduate school which offers a criminal justice degree, it isn’t surprising that a well-trained doctor, who likes small towns (perhaps to pay off his student loans), decided to find a place to live where he could combine his rural and urban interests.

Why doesn’t Sarah believe in White Knights?

Because Sarah has been burnt in love and life, she believes it is difficult for a White Knight to stay atop his steed. Married at eighteen, she never imagined she’d be divorced by twenty-eight because the love of her life found someone else. She also has seen that not everyone is what they seem.

Emily acts out of character, Sarah notices. What does that indicate to Sarah?

When Emily acts out of character, Sarah becomes unsure of her sister and herself. Emily always has been driven, goal-oriented, and had a good head on her shoulders. When she jumps to work at the Howellian without weighing the consequences of her actions or negotiating for a good contract, Sarah can’t put her finger exactly on it, but she knows something is amiss.

Sarah proposes YipYeow Day to benefit the local animal shelter. Is she finding her priorities?

Sarah unconditionally loves animals. Beginning in One Taste Too Many, she willingly gave up her Saturdays to be an animal shelter dog walker. This becomes a more pronounced activity, which helps define her to readers, in Two Bites Too Many. She may not be touchy feely with other humans, but rather than being a priority, her interaction with animals is purely instinctive.

CATS IN COZIES

I first wrote this blog in 2012. Recently my computer got two viruses so I was without a computer for almost a week, and since I only got it back and didn’t have time to write a new blog I decided I’d use this one again because I doubt that anyone would remember it anyway. So the authors I used in the first paragraph are none of the later mystery series I became hooked on, although I’m still reading Amanda Flowers many series and the latest has a cat in it, too.

Brat Cat who tormented Maggie. Pixie now that they're friends.

Cats are prolific in cozies, and if it’s not a cat, there’s often a dog. Sometimes there are even both, or some other animal. In Amanda Flowers latest series there’s a potbelly pig. Maybe Carolyn Hart started the cat craze in cozies. I’m not sure, but I know it was years ago when I started reading her books. Her character, Annie Darling had a cat named Agatha in her mystery bookstore series. Amanda Flower’s character India Hayes has a cat in one of her series. Lorna Barrett’s character, Tricia, has a cat in her Book own series, while Krista Davis’s character, Sophia, has both a cat and a dog in her Diva mysteries, and then there were the Cat Who . . . series. I’ll admit I tired of them after a while. There are only so many times I could read about a cat licking its private parts. I didn’t think the plots were strong enough to endure that.

Although pets aren’t just in cozies by any means, they are more likely to appear there. Maybe it’s because readers of this genre are looking for something a little less threatening than a police procedural or thriller. And maybe it’s because writers of this genre have cats or dogs. I know most if not all of the authors I mentioned have cats, dogs, or both. In my opinion, there are several reasons why authors include animals in their books

Maggie loves sleeping in the library near my computer.

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One: Writing is a solitary life. The writer needs to isolate themselves as much as possible to wrote, and unless the writer has another job with social interactions, or an active family living with them. It could be a lonely life. A pet can alleviate some of that loneliness. Enter the cat or dog. They’re a companion, and they sleep a lot giving writers their needed solitude. Over the years following the Guppies list serve among the writers who posted there, cats seemed to be the most popular pet. Perhaps it’s because cats don’t need to be taken out for walk. Also having cats or dogs a writer can write realistically about the animals’ behaviors.

One of the two rag doll cats my daughter has.

Two: Pets humanize the protagonist, show a tender side to them, and because both cats and dogs are popular pets, many readers can relate to them. Of course, children can soften a protagonist, too, but children create problems. It’s hard for a sleuth, especially an amateur sleuth, to take of sleuthing on a whim when they have children to consider. Not that it’s impossible, but it’s much easier to leave a cat or dog at home than a child.

In my series, my protagonist, Catherine, has a cat. Eventually she ends up with a dog, too. Her romantic interest, the police chief, who she is now engaged to, had a cat and at the end of the first book, he acquired a dog from the death of a murder victim.

Because I’ve had cats and dogs for years, I find them easy and natural to write about. Do I enjoy reading books without animals? Absolutely! Do I like books with cats and dogs in them? Yes, but only if the book is well written with a good plot. I have a lot of favorite authors who don’t include animals. Cats and dogs are not as important as a protagonist I like and a well written book with a good plot.

Do you include cats or dogs in your work?

Do you have a cat or dog?