The Cozy Mystery Food Connection (Or All This Talk of Pie is Making Me Hungry) 

Take a brief glance at cozy mystery covers and I bet you’ll have a good idea what’s inside those covers—and you’ll be drooling, too! It’s all about food, friends. And not just any food. It’s almost always connected to desserts. There are cupcakes, pies, cakes, scones! Chocolate, truffles, caramel, meringue! Mmmmm! 

I confess, I didn’t start out consciously making a food connection in Secrets Laid to Rest. I did plan for Elle to have a side hustle (one of several means to make money) but those pies took on a life of their own! Which is kinda funny, considering that when it comes to desserts I’m lost without my buddies, Betty and Duncan. 

But unlike many writers of cozy mysteries who incorporate their hobbies and/or talents into their books/brand by providing extras like recipes or how-tos, I just give details about the pies in a general way. I think it’s a fun way to connect with readers, even if it’s not exactly a specialty of mine. The paranormal, on the other hand, has been a long-standing interest of mine, and I hope readers will learn something new there. You see, I’m pretty sure that making those connections through hobbies, crafts, or interests is a plus for grabbing your target readers. 

Take the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith. I’ve learned so much about Botswana beyond what most people eat (though I do know an awful lot about cooking pumpkin now!). Their culture, their country, their politics and beliefs—it’s all been fascinating reading, even if I have no plans to visit (or eat cooked pumpkin unless it’s in a pie!). 

So don’t worry if you can’t make a food connection to tap into reader’s interests. I’ve seen cozies highlighting lots of different subjects: knitting or crocheting, for example, or antiquing or gardening. Even some unlikely backdrops like horse-racing. 

The point is, with cozies, it’s a good chance you’ll learn something new and that kind of fun is what adds so much to the genre. So if you have a gift for baking, by all means make that part of your brand. But whatever your interests, have fun weaving them into your stories and I guarantee your readers will have fun, too!