What is a “cozy” mystery? I suppose different people may have their own interpretations as to what defines a cozy mystery, but I believe Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple books are the best examples of what a cozy mystery is all about.

Wikipedia describes a cozy mystery as “a subgenre of crime fiction in which sex and violence are downplayed or treated humorously.” I agree with that definition and would further add that you won’t find blood and gore in a cozy, nor would you find any in-depth forensics or extensive courtroom dramas. You will most certainly find an amateur sleuth, often an elderly snoop (Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple), a middle-aged public relations employee (M. C. Beaton’s Agatha Raisin), and younger detective-like characters with unassuming occupations such as book shop owners (Mystery Woman TV’s Samantha Kinsey) and caterers (Diane Mott Davidson’s Goldie Schulz) who simply fall into the lap of a murder and ultimately solve the case along with the help of a beloved pet (Lillian Jackson Braun’s James Qwilleran) or other trusted sidekick.

Cozy mysteries are almost always set in a village, small town, or an isolated location such as a mansion or an old eerie estate. Red herrings abound and are deliberately inserted to lead the reader astray. But the author is expected to play fair! No matter how many false leads are included in the story, the reader must expect to be able to go back and find legitimate clues nestled among the deceptions.

A few years ago, I wrote a draft of a short story I would consider a cozy mystery. I pulled that story out a short time ago and proceeded to rewrite it. I hate having an unfinished story lying around, and I felt duty-bound to complete it regardless of the fact that I tired of the plot long ago. The result is a “short” story in excess of 9,000 words entitled The Usual Order of Things.

The Usual Order of Things is entirely fiction. Particular items and concepts included in the story simply do not exist (to my knowledge) and are elements derived entirely from imagination. Keeping that in mind … enjoy! Or not, as the case may be.