It was in the 1920s with authors like Agatha Christie that the term cozy began to apply to mystery fiction. The settings were confined to a single place and the cast of suspects were all known to each other. That created a very cozy setting for murder to take place. It also provided a nicely cozy way for the sleuth to gather the clues and arrive at the solution.
Cozy mysteries are hugely popular today as well. Think of all the modern mystery writers. Think of the series where one sleuth, usually amateur, goes about solving the crime. The settings tend to be small towns, resorts or bed & breakfast inns. Everybody tends to know each other in some way. All the suspects are typically known to our amateur sleuth as well. This is what makes them cozy.
Although cozy mysteries aren't a true sub-genre of the mystery fiction world, they do form a great category for those who love fun and interesting mysteries. Modern day writers like to add a sense of humor to the story. Which makes them even more fun to read.
Even more, cozy mysteries are short works of fiction. That doesn't mean they are short stories. They are still book-length fiction. But, they can typically be read in a single day. With a couple of hours of time to yourself, grab a cozy mystery and enjoy yourself.
