cozy mystery

Themes in Christian Mystery

Julie Gilbert mystery, Reader Resource , , , , ,

Introduction:

Some people aren’t sold on the idea of Christian mysteries having a place in the world. First, I’ll explore my general expectations of “Christian” books. Next, I’ll explain the difference between clean mystery and Christian mystery. Then, I will dive deeper into what I think makes a mystery book “Christian.” Finally, I’ll touch on some of the themes that pop up in the Christian Mystery genre.

What do you think of when you think “Christian Fiction”? 

To me, it brings to mind historical fiction like Gilbert Morris’s really long, mostly awesome House of Winslow series, which follows one family’s journey to America and beyond until about the 1950’s. The other half I think of is Dee Henderson’s modern Christian romances, which have a fair amount of suspense in them.

Clean vs. Christian:

I’ve written both. Scratched Off is what I’d consider clean mystery. The Heartfelt Cases series would be considered Christian mystery. Absence of “adult” scenes and strong language place both in the clean category. Scratched Off probably has more “disturbing” content, as it centers on a serial killer’s quest to find himself, but there are few gory details. The details that are included are somewhat sanitized by the way they’re described.

So, what makes Heartfelt Cases Christian and Scratched Off not?

What makes a mystery book “Christian”?

Christians. Before you get annoyed by that answer, let me explain. The characters in Heartfelt Cases are Christians. The way they approach their lives inherently includes God and prayer. Their faith defines them. Ann and Patrick don’t cease to be FBI agents just because they’re Christian. It’s just a part of them.

Could you have a Christian mystery without any main characters being Christian? Maybe. At least one character would have to be, but they don’t necessarily have to be the main character.

Genres only exist to help us categorize books. Mystery itself is a broad, overarching genre and Christian mystery is a subgenre.

Themes in Christian Mystery:

In no particular order, these are some of the themes you might encounter in a Christian mystery:

  • Justice vs mercy – If you’re reading a mystery, something’s gone wrong for some character. They’ve been robbed, murdered, assaulted, or something. Likely, that person is related to or a good friend of the main character. Then, the rest of the book follows the MC’s quest to get justice, while battling the idea of mercy rather fiercely.
  • Finding peace (terrorism, murder, other mayhem) – Anybody who’s been hurt significantly would struggle with finding peace. Some Christian mystery books may center on the main character’s need to overcome a tragedy.
  • Finding true love – Love is the cornerstone emotion. Misunderstood love has led to a lot of tragedy. A strong subtheme in Christian mysteries might be the journey to finding true love.
  • Forgiveness – This is a tough one in life and in fiction. With the hardships that the characters in mysteries face, often there is a need to learn
  • Redemption – I suppose there are varying levels of redemption, but the type most common in a mystery would involve a scenario where the main character ends up committing some wrong and needing to do something to fix the problem.

Does there always have to be a conversion to make a book Christian?

No. That might be part of the story if it’s mainly about harrowing events drawing somebody to Christ, but characters in stories, like people in life, will be at all different stages of their spiritual life. Some may be well-grounded, while others are just starting out. The other characters should be able to see the difference in Christian characters, but just like life, that doesn’t mean they’re going to immediately become Christians themselves.

Conclusion:

Thanks for reading. If you’ve never tried a Christian mystery book, give it a go. You can start out with The Collins Case for free if you like. Let me know what you think.

About the Author:

Julie C. Gilbert teaches high school chemistry and writes in many genres, including nonfiction, fantasy, young adult science fiction, mystery/thriller, and Christian mystery. She collects Legos and Star Wars stuff.

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Audiobook Review: 4/5 The Lover’s Portrait by Jennifer S. Alderson

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, historical, mystery , , ,

 

Introduction:

I must be on a cozy mystery kick. Ended up with like 3 in a row. That’s cool.

The Lover’s Portrait by Jennifer S. Alderson 4/5 Slow start but Great End

Summary:

A split story (part in the past, part in the present). (In the past) A Dutch art dealer struggles to keep his friend’s priceless collections out of the clutches of greedy Nazi hands. (In the present) An art history student, Zelda Richardson, tries to impress the project managers for a museum exhibit of lost art (stuff that went unclaimed since WWII).

 

Additional Comments:

– Zelda’s a believable amateur sleuth. She’s kinda just nosy and stubborn and ends up finding trouble.

– The beginning requires a lot of setup. Even as an audiobook, that got taxing, but the payoff in the end is worth it.

– Characters are pretty well developed in here. Zelda’s friend is a nice guy. The bad guy is dedicated to his role.

– Even though this is book 2 in the series, it’s easy enough to know who’s who and what’s what.

 

Conclusion:

Enjoyable cozy mystery. I enjoyed it.

 

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Audiobook Reviews: Introducing Gertrude, Gumshoe by Robin Merrill

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, mystery, women's fiction , , ,

Introduction:

Something flavorful for cozy mystery fans.

Summary:

Meet Gertrude. She’s an eccentric, cat-loving, cranky, coot with mild kelpto tendencies who toddles around with a walker and finds plenty of trouble.

Additional Comments:

– We don’t really know much about Gertrude or how she got to be where she is in a tiny trailer park. Maybe more of her past comes out in future story. I only mention that because she’s occasionally delightfully and occasionally eye-brow raising sort of naïve. (i.e. stars in a Thai restaurant, existence of P.I. licenses, etc)

– She’s willful, opinionated, and nosy, but she cares. While that might rub some readers the wrong way, I think it’s part of her charm.

– The cranky part of her character manifests as rude at times, but there are parts where her better nature shines through.

– I heard the audio version. The narrator handled voices superbly, but her normal reading tone sounded pretty robotic.

– The salt shaker collection’s a tad weird.

– We don’t actually see much of her cats, which is odd given she has so many of them.

– The side characters are intriguing but could be fleshed out more. I’m assuming there will be some recurring characters throughout the series.

Conclusion:

It’s a solid start to a cozy mystery series. There’s a definite flavor here. Many will find it amusing.

Associate links to follow…

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A Mysterious Collection of Cozy, Clean, Free Mysteries

Julie Gilbert freebies, mystery, Reader Resource, women's fiction , , ,
Love this cover.

Introduction:

After so much strangeness, I’m pleased to present something sort of normal. Okay, so people die, but what’s life without a little mystery. Each of these little gems is categorized as cozy, except the last, which I’d say is more suspense.

Winner of the most interesting title award:

Raining Men and Corpses by Anne R. Tan

An amateur sleuth becomes the prime suspect in her professor’s murder.

A Close Runner up to most interesting title award:

middle finger of fate

The Middle Finger of Fate by Kim Hunt Harris

I love the series title. The dog in the corner is cute. Okay, so I lied on the little part. This behemoth clocks in at 391 pages. Still, looks like a fun ride.

Cozies Come in Threes…

Actually kind of a gruesome cover if you think about it.

Sunny Side Up by Sonia Parin

Ex-husbands and handsome detectives. 168 pages in length.

And they’re getting shorter still …

Yes, I like the cover. Me = biased.

The Collins Case by Julie C. Gilbert

A pair of FBI agents race against time to rescue a kidnapped family. Fits in the Christian mystery novella category.

Conclusion:

Well, there ya have it folks: a fine collection of clean, murderous freebies.

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Audiobook Reviews: 4/5 Polly Parrett Pet-Sitter Cozy Mysteries Collection by Liz Dodwell

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, mystery, romance, women's fiction , , , ,

Predictable but Charming

Summary:

A series of short cozy mysteries (yeah, there are bodies but nothing’s described in gruesome detail or anything.)

Additional Comments:

– Main character – Polly was basically Stephanie Plum lite – a clumsy disaster magnet with gorgeous boyfriend who saves her repeatedly.

– Side characters – including pets were very well fleshed out and added a nice layer to the story.

– I heard the audible version, which I definitely recommend over simple reading. Narrator did a decent job with the performance.

– I enjoyed how the stories built on one another. (Would not recommend reading the series out of order.)

– One thing that bothered me: the main character/narrator broke the fourth wall (talked to the reader; ala – “now, I know what you’re thinking” style) numerous times. Once, I get (simple mistake/stylistic choice), but any more than that is just annoying.

– Plots ended up being unique if a little “convenient” from time to time, but that’s sort of the nature of a mystery novella.

Conclusion:

If you’re looking for short, fluff mysteries with minimal curses, this is a good choice.

 

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Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,

Julie C. Gilbert

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