Raquel here. In the land of cozy mysteries there are sub-sub-genres. There are yarn craft cozies, culinary cozies, B & B cozies, paranormal cozies, bookstore cozies, cat & dog cozies— you get the idea. But the thing that is often similar across the board is that the story is set in a small town.
I’ve lived in both big cities and small towns. And I will hazard to say that a city is just a place with a high density of small towns. Each neighborhood within a big city is like a small town. The neighborhood is specific to the community that made it. It has its own peculiarities and culture.
There is a new wave of cozy mysteries that are set in cities and I am here for it. Bring on the CITY COZY! Like Olivia Blacke’s Killer Content the first in the Brooklyn Murder Mystery series. It is set in the Williamsburg neighborhood and the MC works in a quirky craft beer / bookstore.
Another series set in a city is Maria DiRico’s Catering Hall Mysteries. Queens is the location it makes for a fun backdrop to the stories. Juliet Blackwell’s Witchcraft series is set in San Fransisco. Kellye Garrett has two in the Detective by Day series (more in the amateur sleuth vein but still with a cozy feel) set in Hollywood, California.
Check out this Library Journal 2021 Mystery Preview list for more. And use the comment section below to shout about your favorite city cozy titles.
