In the pre-dawn sky, a huge lantern shines down on earth, making my street an eerie place of silver-edged trees and houses casting long, dark shadows. Along that street, on silent feet, a small, dark cat shape slips on some nefarious nighttime business. Somewhere far away, a dog barks. Robins and doves haven’t awakened yet. Except for the dog, all is quiet. What a scene for a mystery writer!
The lantern of course is the moon and the reason it is so bright is that it is in full moon phase and also closer to the earth in its orbit. The cat would be prowling about whether or not the moon was full and, as most people except insomniac writers are still asleep, it is quite natural that the street is quiet. But isn’t it a lot more interesting to think of the scene outside my window as potential for a mystery?
As a writer of cozy mysteries, I like to use common occurrences in my stories; full moon, quiet street, everyday happenings. But beneath the surface of small town Levi, Oklahoma, Darcy Campbell and her mother Flora Tucker know that all is not as it seems. Cozies are different from other mysteries because of traits they share. Usually the stories take place in a small town where most everyone knows everyone else. Darcy and Flora believe that a good cup of coffee helps them through most any dilemma and Darcy and the sheriff Grant Hendley have a mutual attraction for each other. Danger is rife and this intrepid duo is good at finding themselves in the middle of it. Puzzles abound, particularly one main mystery that seems insoluble to everyone but this inquisitive pair. Smaller sub-plots swirl, like hidden currents in the Ventris River, throughout the story. The reader follows Darcy and Flora as they tumble down Deertrack Hill and on a trip to New York in The Cemetery Club; to Amarillo, Texas in Grave Shift. Will they actually be able to outwit the wily bad guys? Will they survive to talk things over at Flora’s old wood dining table, enjoying a cup of coffee and the warmth from the fireplace?
Cozies are coming to the front in the world of mystery books. They abound on websites and in book stores. The Cemetery Club is available only in paperback but Grave Shift is offered on Amazon for $2.99. It is a bargain for those readers who enjoy a break from reality via the secrets residing in Darcy and Flora’s hometown and the skills of two women whose special gift is solving mysteries. Whether the moon is full on a quiet summer night or a winter snowstorm keeps them by the fireside, Darcy and Flora persevere and bring the bad guys to justice.
Speak Your Mind