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Reviewed by Roy T. James for Readers' Favorite
Writing the Cozy Mystery by Nancy J. Cohen is about writing a whodunit which, as the author says, is a complex task. Mulling over the bits and pieces one has gathered, the puzzle should be made to fit together in the end. This guide begins with the definition of a cozy mystery, its nature, characters, and components, followed by a fairly detailed discussion on how these are all to be organized. Many helpful suggestions are contained in this book, like adding a romantic interlude to control the pace of action, leaving an open thread for readers to pursue in case of a series, making sure that this mystery is completely solved by the end, or introducing a hook to compel the reader to turn the page make this worthy as a ready reference.
Writing the Cozy Mystery by Nancy J. Cohen clearly shows the tough side of a cozy mystery, while amply demonstrating easy and dependable ways to crack it. Many nuances of such a popular form of literature, like when to use a female lead, what pitfalls to watch out for, (“the pacing must be quick, but you should not cheat the reader out of emotional reactions”) are covered in this book. The language is friendly and engaging, and the topic is presented with suitable lists to make comprehension easy. Addresses of websites are also given where one can obtain further data and resources necessary in this connection. A useful guide and ready reference, this book offers a good set of tools to demystify the making of a mystery. The absence of a table of contents slightly diminishes its value as a reference.
