Comfort is hard to come by in the modern world. Whether you turn on the television, open a newspaper or log on to the internet, almost inevitably you’ll find something to appal, disturb or discomfit. Monitoring life beyond your front door can be a nerve-shredding experience – and that’s just watching the six o’clock news.
Crime fiction might not seem an obvious panacea for the ills of modern living, but a new generation of authors is reconfiguring the genre with those real-life stressors in mind. Richard Osman, Anthony Horowitz and Richard Coles are among the names spearheading the “cosy crime” movement: a subgenre of crime fiction that delivers mysteries with old-fashioned characters and a welcome dose of humour.
“They’re like a hug in a book, but one that keeps you turning the pages to find out what happens next,” says Kitty Graham, a Dublin writer and fan of the genre. “It’s murder-lite. No gore, no horrific autopsies – just a mystery and a resolution, all surrounded by a strong sense of community.”
Osman’s 2020 debut The Thursday Murder Club shot to number one in bestseller charts in countries around the world, selling more than 10 million copies, and has been turned into a film starring Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren, with Steven Spielberg snapping up the rights.
Horowitz’s Magpie Mur
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