Award-Winning Series
Meet the McCorrson sisters of Ashton Point, Charlotte, Clair and Cassidy. It seems wherever they go, danger and murder follow. From one adventure to another, they seem to draw attention from all angles. Their small hometown on the central coast of New South Wales is a hive of excitement and when dead bodies begin to appear, it's up to them to investigate and uncover the real murderer before it's too late.
Join the McCorrson sisters as they find themsleves in hot water more times than they can count.
What is a Cozy Mystery?
Polly Holmes writes cozy mysteries. What is a cozy mystery you ask? Imagine Jessica Fletcher moved into your neighbourhood from her quaint town of Cabot Cove, Maine. Would you start to worry who would be the next victim? Or which one of your friends would be caught up in her next murder mystery?
When you think of a cozy mystery, think Miss Marple, Jessica Fletcher and Rosemary and Thyme. There are several characteristics of a Cozy, including but not limited to:
* The focus is on the whodunnit
* No gore, profanity or explicit sex on the page
* They usually, but not always, feature an amateur sleuth
* Set in a small town or neighbourhood of a larger city
* Are usually part of a series and almost always branded by their “hook” on the cover
In short...
The amateur sleuth (usually a female) stumbles across a murder and is drawn into solving it. They may be the main murder suspect, it might be a friend or family member who is the suspect or victim or they may literally stumble across the body. The sleuth usually has close friends who are side-kicks. They help to find clues and act as a sounding-board for the sleuth. While the side-kicks might help solve the mystery, the sleuth isn't dumb and is normally well-educated. There is usually one close family member or friend who is in law enforcement.
In addition to the clues that will help solve the crime there is always a sprinkling of red herrings to throw both the sleuth and the reader off track. A cozy series often has a hook (or underlying theme) that usually stems from the sleuth's pets, hobbies, careers or personal pursuits. The series may also have a continuing romance, usually involving the sleuth. In the same way there is no gore or profanity, the romance is usually sweet (ie no sex on the page). The series is usually light in tone (often humorous) and set in a small town with lots of quirky characters. (AJ Blythe)
Meet Polly Holmes
Polly Holmes is the cheeky, sassy alter ego of Amazon best selling author, P.L. Harris. When she's not writing her next romantic suspense novel as P.L. Harris, she is planning the next murder in one of Polly's cozy mysteries.
According to Polly, the best part about writing cozy mysteries is researching. Finding the best way to hook the reader, a great way to murder someone, a plethora of suspects and of course a good dose of sweet treats thrown in for good measure.
Polly lives not far from the beach in the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia with her Bishion Frise, Bella. When she's not writing you can find her sipping coffee in her favourite cafe, watching reruns of Murder, She Wrote or taking long walks along the beach soaking up the fresh salty air.