Lately, I’ve been knee-deep in cozy mysteries. Yaknow how it plays out…someone finds a body behind the bakery, a curious woman with a knack for observation decides to poke around, and somehow, nobody calls the actual police until chapter five. It’s great. Consider me hooked for the evening.
But beyond the suspiciously high crime rates in picturesque small towns, I’ve realized something about these books that’s quietly comforting: the main characters are almost always middle-aged women.
Sometimes they’re divorced, sometimes they’re married. Sometimes they’ve got grown kids, sometimes they’ve got a fussy cat or an energetic pug. But they all have one thing in common: they’re living full, interesting, capable lives in a stage that media usually treats like a punchline or a fade-to-black moment not worth elaborating on.
A quick observation: a lot of movies and shows act like you disappear once you hit 30. If you’re not a twenty-something trying to figure it all out, you’re suddenly cast as the mom in the background or the boss with no backstory. It’s like middle age is a void we’re meant to quietly fall into. But being middle-aged doesn’t mean your story is over. It means you’re in a new chapter…and that chapter is still worth telling.
That’s what I love about cozy mysteries. They don’t shy away from this life phase. They embrace it with all the romanticism it deserves. These women aren’t afraid of getting older. They’re too busy living, investigating, starting businesses, baking bread or pies, and sometimes flirting with the town sheriff or local detective. It makes middle age seem less like a dreaded milestone and more like a whole new book.
And get this, friends! They’re not described as drop-dead gorgeous in a movie-star kind of way. They wear sensible shoes and clothes. They have laugh lines, grey hair and even a wrinkle or two. And yet they’re treated as worthy of romance, admiration, and mystery-solving greatness, never less than. It’s like reading the full and beautiful adventures of a bunch of cool aunts.
It’s encouraging.
So if you’re feeling a little weird about growing older or just need something to read with a cup of tea and a throw blanket, cozy mysteries might be your new friend. They’ve certainly become mine. 🙂
Some people dream of red carpets and bestseller lists and their characters being played by Blake Lively (okay so maybe only a few people dream of this…). My dream however is that of a quiet cottage tucked deep in pine woods, where the only sounds are the clack of my typewriter, the occasional whinny of my horses (yes, I am a horse girl), and the soft rustle of the wind through the trees. The city? Overrated. New York? Absolutely not. Los Angeles? I shudder at the thought. No, I’m staying right here in the South, where the sweet tea flows (yuck. I actually can’t stand the stuff), the humidity ruins my hair, and the locals know how to tell a good story, true or not.
The Books: Where Agatha Christie Meets Dungeons & Dragons
If I could write anything, it would be the perfect blend of mystery and fantasy. Imagine a classic Agatha Christie whodunit, but with wizards, cursed artifacts, and a detective who might have to cast Detect Magic before finding the culprit. A world where taverns replace tea parlors, the suspects might be elves or shapeshifters, and the murderer was possibly a necromancer all along. Murder mysteries, but make them magical.
The Library: My Own Personal Wonderland
Now, my home wouldn’t just be any cottage. It would be the ultimate book lover’s retreat. It would be a place where the walls are lined with shelves, and books climb all the way up to the ceiling. A rolling ladder would be a necessity, obviously. There would be nooks for reading, armchairs worn in just the right way, and maybe even a secret passageway hidden behind one of the bookshelves… (see my previous post on my dream book nook.)
The Writing Process: Typewriters and Total Control
No laptops for me! Just the click-clack of a typewriter, because I’m dramatic like that. Would it be practical? Probably not. But would it make me feel like an eccentric genius author? Absolutely. My editor would have to deal with getting actual, physical pages, and I’d refuse to change my methods even as the world moved into holographic AI writing or whatever the future holds.
The Movies: Only Under My Watchful Eye 👀
Now, let’s be realistic here; eventually, someone would want to turn my books into movies. I would allow it… BUT ONLY IF I SUPERVISE. No sloppy adaptations, no weird modernized versions that miss the heart of the story. I’d be the author in the back of the studio, wrapped in my elegant trench coat, sipping coffee, and glaring at the scriptwriters over my glasses. My books, my rules.
The Style: Classy, Retro, Timeless
(And the delusion continues!)
Speaking of trench coats, my author persona would be expertly curated so maintain an air of mystery (to match my books). I’d dress like I stepped out of a vintage detective novel. Something Nancy Drew would approve of. Think elegant dresses, stylish coats, maybe a brooch or two. A little bit of film noir meets Southern charm, effortlessly timeless and full of mystique. When people met me, they’d instantly assume I had secrets because, honestly, what’s the fun in being an author if you don’t cultivate a little mystery?
The Travel: A World of Inspiration
Of course, I wouldn’t just stay in my little pinewood haven forever. I’d take grand trips around the world, collecting stories like a dragon hoarding treasure. A week in an old Scottish castle for ghost story inspiration? Done. A summer in Italy writing in a café? Yes, please. My passport would be well-used, but I’d always return home to my cottage, my books, and my horses.
This, my friends, is the dream. The author life I was meant to live. A life of stories, mystery, and just the right amount of eccentricity. One day, it’ll be real (or so I like to tell myself). Until then, I’ll keep writing (and waiting for Hollywood to beg me for adaptation rights). 😉
Your Turn! Share Your Dream Author Life ✨
Copy and paste this template, fill in your own answers, and let’s all daydream together!
🌲 Where do you live? (City penthouse? Cozy forest cabin? Haunted Victorian mansion?)
📚 What kind of books do you write? (Fantasy romance? Sci-fi thrillers? Poetry collections about moody cats?)
🖋 How do you write? (Typewriter? Quill pen by candlelight? Voice memos while pacing dramatically?)
🎬 Would you let Hollywood adapt your books? (If yes, under what conditions? If no, why the distrust? 👀)
🕶 What’s your author aesthetic? (Trench coats and mystery? Cozy sweaters and tea? Gothic elegance?)
✈️ Do you travel for inspiration? (Where are you going, and what stories will you bring back?)
Drop your answers in the comments or post your own version! 💫📖
A museum displays the many artifacts and backgrounds of famous serial killers. It is popular for bone chilling as well as informative exhibits and draws a crowd world wide.
This is the Murder Museum.
Due its popularity, an exclusive tour is offered to those who sign up for the drawing to be allowed to roam this museum free of crowds. All night.
And of course things go wrong.
During the tour, someone notices the doors locking. And then the tour guide shows up dead.
Someone begins their murder spree using the many left over serial killer weapons and tools in the museum from the exhibits, everyone who turns up dead, dying in their own unique way to commemorate the serial killer exhibit it is based off of. It is now up to a few attendees to figure out who the killer is.
Sounds like an exciting night ahead at the Murder Museum.
By the Brooke 