by Peggy Ehrhart
Beloved as mysteries featuring amateur sleuths are, detractors can easily raise one major objection: in real life the vast majority of murders are solved by law-enforcement professionals. But amateur sleuth craft cozies have a built-in solution. The series hook is the sleuth’s craft or profession. They might be a knitter, a quilter, a gardener, a baker . . . . The possibilities are endless.
Writers of cozies can use that craft or profession to make the improbable—an amateur solving a murder—probable. By virtue of craft or profession, that amateur sleuth possesses specialized knowledge the police lack: types of yarn, distinctive knitting patterns, quilting techniques, how long it takes bread to rise, a special trick for making a pie crust, lore connected with antiques or vintage clothes or whatever.
In plotting a craft cozy, it’s fun—and effective—to work the series hook in at every opportunity. A gardener in New Jersey knows very well that crocus don’t appear in September, that hosta are perennials but impatiens are annuals, and that butterflies are attracted to milkweed. Such specialized knowledge could easily unmask an imposter trying to fabricate an alibi.
If you leave a clue like a peculiar knitting needle, a distinctive scrap of fabric, or the remains of an unusual cookie at the murder scene or allow it to be discovered as the plot unfolds, the police will be mystified—or they might not even realize it’s an actual clue. A knitter, however, could recognize the rarity of a particular yarn and use her contacts at the local yarn shop to track down the person who purchased it. A bread-maker might recognize a rival baker’s handiwork in the shape of a poisoned loaf.
Your sleuth, in other words, can overcome those skeptical of her crime-solving abilities by understanding the significance of overlooked clues and providing the missing puzzle pieces that identify the killer.
About Peggy Ehrhart:
Peggy Ehrhart is a former English professor with a doctorate in Medieval Literature. She writes the Knit & Nibble mysteries for Kensington. In August, Peggy will launch a cozy series featuring a quilter. Peggy’s crafting interest dates from her childhood in rural Southern California. She now lives in New Jersey.
For More Information:
Website: www.PeggyEhrhart.com
