The Intrigue of Cozy Mysteries: A Writer's Journey from Agatha Christie to Rose McLaren

The Intrigue of Cozy Mysteries: A Writer's Journey from Agatha Christie to Rose McLaren

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In this captivating article, follow the enchanting journey of a passionate writer and bookworm who fell in love with the world of cozy mysteries. The story begins in a bookshop, where a twelve-year-old's eyes were captivated by Agatha Christie's "Hickory Dickory Dock." From that moment, a lifelong fascination with crime fiction blossomed, delving into the works of Dorothy L. Sayers, John Buchan, Josephine Tey, and contemporary authors like Ruth Rendell, PD James, Ian Rankin, and Val McDermid.

Created By Liza Miles


I fell in love with what has become known as cosy or cozy (USA) when I was about twelve. I was in the bookshop with my mum and gran - a once a month treat on a Saturday for this wee bookworm - having already collected my pile of books from the Library. I remember spotting the cover of Hickory Dickory Dock by Agatha Christie and knew I had to have it. I begged and pleaded, surely I was ready for a book from the grown up shelf! The grown-ups conferred and agreed I was. I think I was fourteen by the time I'd read all of the Poirot and Marple books and became hooked on the golden age writers of crime fiction. Dorothy L Sayers, John Buchan's 39 Steps and Josephine Tey became other favourite’s, then later Ruth Rendell and PD James, more recently Ian Rankin and Val McDermid are favourite go to’s. But Agatha Christie has remained number one for me. 

When I returned to Scotland to resume writing in 2017, I had a thought about writing a cosy mystery, a modern version with a female heroine. I began with something easier, short stories. A couple of them appeared in Love Bites which was published in 2020. But for a full length novel murder mystery, I had no idea who, how or where to start.  

They say it takes a reader to become a writer, so I bought up some of my favourite crime writers, including all of Agatha Christie's books. In 2020 Rose McLaren was born. I have to say I was pretty daunted at the prospect of making sense of the series of murders that Rose was going to solve. But that's what drafts are all about. The first draft looks nothing like the final version of Murder on Morrison, even the murderer was different! And that perhaps is the most fascinating thing about writing for this genre. I don’t know who the murderer is, until almost the end, which apparently was the approach Mrs. Christie took as well. Once the murderer is revealed I go back and make sure all the clues that should help the reader are there. It’s important to play by the rules of mystery writing. They say hindsight is twenty twenty and that's certainly true about writing a murder mystery. If I knew and plotted out the whole from the get-go, I am sure the plot twists and clues would be too obvious. And who wants to really know they’re right about 'who dun it' before the end?

Rose is now almost at the end of her journey as an amateur sleuth – the fifth and penultimate mystery Murder In The Sanctuary will be published in September 2023. The final book will be out in early 2024. I’ve loved writing about Rose, but I’m thinking I may be ready for something a shade darker. I’m also looking at unsolved murders in Scotland and having a play with a fictional account of ‘who dun it’ by identifying a fictional murderer.

 

The Rose McLaren series is available on Amazon and other online retailers, through bookshops or direct from Liza at www.lizamileswriter.com

https://linktr.ee/lizamileswriter

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