Marla here, welcoming longtime Chicks friend Tammy Barker to the blog. Tammy has delighted us with her creativity over the years, including when she made us a recipe book of cocktails based on each of our books. She’s a font of ideas, so it’s no surprise that she’s taken a deep dive into nontraditional sleuths.
The Ordinary World of Sleuths
When you look at the “Cozies by Themes” tab of the website cozy-mystery.com, it shows what amateur sleuths do when they’re not sleuthing. Doing a deep dive into the data, I found the top occupations are culinary, journalism, teaching, authors, and book related ventures.
Many readers take comfort in the classics. But when I look for a new-to-me cozy or traditional author, one thing I look for is unique occupations and hobbies, because I never know when I’ll learn something new.
Here are a few oddball sleuths I’ve read:
- Donna Andrews had a sentient computer named Turing Hopper, who was the ‘brains’ of the outfit, with her operator being the ‘brawn’ and legs.
- Tonya Kappes wrote the Mail Carrier series, about a mail deliverer who hears the scoop on everything. Yes, there are cats in this one.
- Barbara Ross did a Professional Busybody, a senior sleuth who was the go-to for neighborhood disputes and expanded from there.
- Sarah Burr took the hashtag to a whole new level, by writing about a social media consultant and influencer in her own right. (this is the Delaware series).
- Diane Kelly writes about Death and Taxes, where the crime is more interesting than the numbers job; take my word for it.
- Elle Cosimano’s sleuth is an author with an unexpected turn of becoming a hit mom because of a conversation misinterpretation.
Do readers want something different? Are they chomping at the bit to dive into unknown territory? What might pique a reader’s interest and move them out of their comfort zone?
- What about the invisible person on a sports team, like the towel/water boy?
- Would a sleuth in the Witness Protection Program be feasible?
- Someone who travels around the country (or the world) in a Live Role-Playing Group or is a music groupie?
- I saw a Hallmark movie about someone whose side gig was finding the perfect gift to buy someone. What about a personal shopper?
- At Malice one year there was a panel to create a mystery in an hour. What was the result? A sleuth who gets the junk out of your house (1-800-Got-Junk) FYI, it was in Wrong Way, Wisconsin, and the victim was killed by a Zamboni.
- Could you work a geocacher (urban or rural setting) into a series of mysteries?
- What about a cab driver? They hear everything, because they are one of the “invisible people.”
- If you love culinary mysteries, what about a series about a town with food festivals? There is a food holiday for every day of the year. Did you know you were born on National Curried Chicken Day, Ellen?
I write occupations with a twist. Two are not overdone but are out there (radio persona and servant). Two years ago, I wrote 75% of a draft with a professional mourner senior citizen in Myrtle Beach, SC. Last August I had an idea as a joke. A museum has been done (Sheila Connolly, may she RIP), but I added a twist. The amateur sleuth is a museum docent by day, and a cat burglar stealing art for the rich at night.
What about you, readers? What unfamiliar hobby or occupation would you like to see in a book?
Speaking of reading, Malice Domestic is coming up. If you’re attending this fantastic fan convention, you will find lots of new-to-you authors. They are a friendly bunch. Books (bring your suitcase half empty). Lectures on the who, what, where, when, why, and how. Even if you don’t drink, we welcome everyone to the after parties! Talk to your favorite authors and ask them about this topic. I know I’ll be pouncing.
About Tammy:
TAMMY BARKER is a government accountant by day and rookie writer by night. She is shopping for a new literary agent for CALL IN FOR MURDER, Book 1 in the Neon Desert Mysteries. Her first short story, Dollface Catches Lead, can be found at https://mystericale.com/article/dollface-catches-lead/, and she recently won the grand prize in the planner division of Autocrit’s 90 day Writing Challenge with her museum docent idea. Tammy lives in Northern Virginia with the hubbs, who is a self-proclaimed hermit.
Chicks on the Case 
Sounds fun. Deborah
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Deborah,
creative juices are what gets me through the real life work day. They are fun!
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Hi, Tammy! Thanks for hanging out with the Chicks today. I see you tag your husband as a self-proclaimed hermit. There are lots of days I could snag that job! I probably wouldn’t solve many mysteries as a hermit, but it didn’t stop Nero Wolfe! Maybe I could grow orchids.
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Vickie,
Exactly! What better way to be a sleuth than the armchair detective. Especially since that what most men who dig sports do! Just be careful.
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Vickie,
Exactly! What better way to be a sleuth than the armchair detective. Especially since that what most men who dig sports do! Just be careful.
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I love this, Tammy! I love it when authors do something totally new and unexpected. So many great ideas here!
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Marla,
thank you for inviting me. It was a fun idea to research, and got some new ideas I need to write down!
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Tammy, I really enjoyed this fun post with my coffee. I almost spilled it a few times thanks to the well-timed laughs. Humor aside, though, you make some very good points about sleuths and their day jobs (being an amateur sleuth is 24/7, because those villains are at work around the clock, too). I always love the way you do your due diligence as an author but also think out-of-the-box. (And I am way jealous that El was born on a curried-chicken holiday. Yum.) See you soon in malicious Bethesda!
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Lisa,
I live to please. For some reason I just get strange ideas. I had a dream once where my cat was trying to bury a body next door driving a caterpillar over the front yard. The machine, not the bug.
don’t even ask! 😂
but text me your birthday, and I’ll find out what food you celebrate. Mine is maple syrup (which I despise!)
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July 18, Tammy! I hope it’s ice cream cake. Or fried chicken.
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sorry, Lisa! I just looked it up in the fundamental book which has a list of all the holidays and July 18 is national caviar day
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Oh my gosh no. Caviar is the grossest thing on earth (or at least to some of us allergic to seafood). Trade you for the maple syrup? Excuse me, I’m off to barf.
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A lot a great food for thought, Tammy! I’m always on the lookout for unusual sleuth “day jobs.” The only limitations are our imagination. See you at Malice!
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Jc,
yes, I can see you doing something wonky. Maybe something with a suit and a flamingo?
hmmm, I’m thinking of some possibilities right now!
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😊🦩
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Tammy, what a thought-provoking post! Got me thinking. But I must point out a VERY funny series by my friend Colin Conway who writes the Cozy Up series about a guy in witness protection. https://store.colinconway.com/collections/the-cozy-up-series
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becky,
thank you for telling me about this. I will be looking this series up. I’m glad you had fun with the post
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Thanks for this great post, Tammy! I love fun jobs for sleuths. Maybe an interesting artistic talent, like sand or ice sculpting?
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Fun ideas!
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Jennifer,
absolutely! I saw a sand sculpture last year that I imagined a dead body in!
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LOL, Tammy, I did not know I was born on National Curried Chicken Day! But I know how I’ll celebrate next year.
I love your ideas! I think readers are open to different occupations and takes on cozies if the characters and environment are appealing.
See you at Malice! YAY!
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ELLEN,
yes, you will see me at Malice this year. I can’t wait to see all of you. And finding some more books I can’t afford to buy. And I’m definitely gonna be at the Charity auction, hope I can find something I can afford this year.
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What a fun list of occupations! Don’t be surprised if some of the readers of this blog (or its bloggers) take some of them for themselves.
And now I’m very curious about the .05% of cozies featuring dolls….
Can’t wait to see you next week at Malice, my dear!
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Leslie,
feel free to steal away. If you want more ideas. I will be at malice with bells on, figuratively of course
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I’ll be listening for those figurative bells.
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What a fun list of unusual occupations for amateur sleuths! Thanks for sharing, Tammy, and giving authors food for thought… although I have to admit I am very partial to culinary cozies 🙂
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Kim,
me too about the culinary mysteries. I tried to make one recipe from each book that has them in it. I’m a nerd that way. I just love to cook and eat
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Hi, Tammy! I love unique sleuths. I’d be all over that “sleuth in WitSec” idea.
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Liz,
it’s kind of funny. I was actually thinking about your series is when I wrote that particular idea. Go for it, I bet you’d make a great one
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Thank you! What a fun post. Love it. I once read about landfill miners who excavate and process waste in landfills searching primarily for valuable metals–but what else could they come across?!
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interesting idea. I like how your mind works!
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I loved Donna’s Turning Hopper series. I still wish she’d give us another entry. Although it’s been so long, I’ve probably forgotten the storyline she needed to wrap up.
Cathy Wiley has a food festival themed series, although they are set at various food festivals around the country.
I enjoy twists on the classic cozy subgenres. And, there are times I prefer the classic subgenres straight up. It depends on what I’m in the mood for and how well the author does with it.
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mark,
you put things so well. Very through provoking. Cannot wait to meet you next week
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Appreciated
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Yay! Hi Tammy! Wow, what a lot of different kinds of mysteries. There really is something for everyone. Hope you have a fantastic time at Malice this year. Will be home with FOMO but wishing you all a terrific time.
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