HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR MYSTERY, BLACK OR WITH CREAM AND SUGAR? by Yvonne Saxon

 

Choosing a mystery to read is like going into a coffee house and starting at the big board of coffee drinks: there are a lot of choices! Which one do you choose? What do those names even mean? Because mysteries are as varied as coffee drinks, why not choose you next mystery like you’d choose a coffee? How? By looking at the “menu” and the “ingredients”!

Let’s start with the basics. To make a good cup of black coffee, you need the right ratio of boiling water to high quality beans. Whether dripped, poured over, or pressed through, the right amount of water to beans will produce a satisfying cup. The right ratio of crime to be solved and interesting characters to solve it will produce a satisfying mystery.

But what if you want something stronger? With a base of espresso for strength and added hot water for volume, the Americano fits the bill! According to www.craftcoffeeguru.com it can be made with one, two, or even three shots of espresso. Strong enough for that mystery P.I. or police detective with “the strong code of honor” (www.writing-world.com) to keep walking the mean streets in search of criminals.

Now fans of the “hardboiled” 1940’s detective mysteries know that these P.I.’s with all their troubles would be tossing back a few Irish coffees: espresso, whiskey, and whipped cream. Although it’s hard to imagine a Mickey Spillane-type adding the whipped cream!

Then there’s Noir. Noir is like coffee that’s been sitting on the burner all day. The filter folded and grounds are floating in it. It’s a thick, hot mess, and it leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. Noir’s detective is cynical, flawed, and sometimes corrupt. The setting is edgy, gritty. Noir is a moody, dark, and often violent piece of work.

Let’s throw that pot out and brew another one. How about a fresh cup with cream and sugar? The kind you serve to friends who come over or to colleagues when discussing business. A civilized cup.

A classic “whodunnit” is similar to a classic cup of coffee. “A crime is committed in a closed social setting. The murder is solved by a professional or amateur by asking questions and finding clues. The murder is solved, and the murderer caught by the end of the story.” (www.handleyregional.org) It’s Miss Marple sharing a cup with the vicar and friends or Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson discussing a case over the tray Mrs. Hudson just brought in.

Do you want more flavor than the classic coffee? Lattes (espresso with steamed milk and foam) can be created with a variety of flavored syrups, sugars, spices and toppings! Today’s cozy mysteries feature an amateur sleuth in a variety of vocations. Usually female, she’s likely to be running an antique store, a bakery, a quilt shop, a bed and breakfast, or any number of small businesses! While she’s photographing, restoring, selling books, or real estate, she’s also tripping over dead bodies! She has a personal interest in solving the murder and she does it without graphic violence, explicit sex, or foul language.

What about a frothy Frappuccino and a little romance in your mystery? A story where good triumphs over evil and love conquers all? A romantic mystery/suspense novel is like ordering a Frappuccino. The mystery (the espresso) is the base of the story (and your cup). Then a romantic interest is added in. While your characters are figuring out the mystery, the romance will run hot and cold just like the steamed milk and ice added to the espresso. But when the mystery is solved and the romance is farther along, you can top the Frappuccino off with that sweetened whipped cream!

Lastly, do you want a mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat, gets your heart racing and leaves you a little bit breathless? Have you secretly wanted to save the world, but your day job prevents it? Go grab a thriller and ask the barista for a red eye!

In a thriller “the bad guy is established early on, and the main character must work to stop them from doing evil.” (www.masterclass.com) Think Jack Reacher. Since thrillers are hard to put down, pour a Red Eye, a cup of American drip coffee with a shot of espresso, or a Black Eye, American drip coffee with two shots of espresso. But if that thriller is going to keep you up all night figuring out how to prevent the end of the world, go for the Dead Eye, same as the other two but with three shots of espresso!

The next time you look at that big board of coffee drinks, you’ll know which one to choose and which great mystery to pair with it. Enjoy!