by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
You probably wouldn’t think of funerals in cozy mysteries as having an important part in the story. But I know the time I left funerals out of a mystery, a reader wrote me about it. Now it’s on my “list of series tropes to include.”
Funerals provide a few helpful elements for a cozy mystery:
Give the opportunity for the sleuth to interview suspects who might be tricky to speak with. A common problem with cozies is giving the amateur sleuth a natural opportunity to have conversations with suspects, witnesses, and others who might be able to provide information. But a funeral provides the perfect place for the sleuth to catch up with an elusive character.
Can emphasize a story’s setting and regional traditions. One of the important elements in cozies is a sense of place. A funeral or funeral reception offers the chance to showcase regional customs and food. My books are set in the American South, and funeral receptions are all about offering comfort with heavy foods (and plenty of church ladies), so food is always part of my fictional funerals.
Provide the chance for the sleuth to see how suspects interact with each other or with the local police. Not only do funerals offer the opportunity for the sleuth to naturally interact with suspects, they offer the opportunity for the sleuth to see how suspects interact with each other and the police (who are usually in attendance after suspicious deaths). Maybe there’s a terse exchange between two suspects (even more interesting if one of them ends up murdered later). Maybe one of the suspects is nervous around the police or maybe is even looking for the right chance to speak to them about a clue that’s just occurred to them. Maybe two suspects seem a lot closer or more familiar with each other than they’d indicated.
If you’re looking for anything from extra story texture to ways to further the plot of your cozy mystery, a funeral service or reception is one way to do that.
Is there a specific element in your genre that’s helpful for progressing the plot?
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I’m glad you brought this subject up, Elizabeth. It’s not easy to write a funeral or memorial service, but it is a great way to show the characters interacting. It also allows the sleuth to find out information, as you say. And those sad events are such important parts of people’s lives, too, so showing them makes sense. I’ve also found that the type of service that’s depicted shows a lot about the dead person as well as those left behind. So there’s a good way to show not tell what someone’s personality is.
Such a good point! Yes, a grand church service with a full choir or a simple memorial service with a few words spoken…the differences between services can say a lot about a person.
So true – and something I hadn’t really considered before.
Funerals do often reveal so much about a person’s character.
They can definitely help in mysteries! Hope you have a great week, Jemi!
It’s not just cozy mysteries that funerals are good for. In “Model Murders,” the third book in my Victor Keolanui detective series, one of the murder victims is the wife of a wealthy Japanese businessman, who is Buddhist, another is the wife of a Latter Day Saint bishop, so I had both a Buddhist and a Mormon funeral as well as the associated social events.
That’s so cool that you got to write in different funeral customs and various versions of receptions!
Yes, researching the Buddhist funeral was quite fun. I spoke with a local Buddhist minister and emailed one in Hawaii where my series takes place. And I also did extensive online research. I had no problem with the Latter Day Saint funeral as that is my religion.
Research can be a lot of fun! And sounds like it added all sorts of dimension to your stories. Hope you have a great week, Sharee!
I hadn’t ever thought about it but funerals do add to a story. As you mentioned, it’s a great way to understand the traditions and customs of the area and allow the reader to connect more with the characters. Funerals would also be a great way to weave a bit of background into a story because people always tell stories about the past during visiting hours of a funeral.
Good point about backstory! Yes, lots of stories at funerals. :)