The "cosy crime", the new lighter trend of crime fiction

• The Quais du Polar festival opens this Friday in Lyon.

• Among the many themes, the “cosy crime” or “cosy murder” which is enjoying renewed interest among readers and publishers.

• Heir to Agatha Christie, the genre is distinguished by its so British humor and its earthy characters, far from the cops dented by life.

The genre is not really new.

However, in recent years, the "cozy crime" has experienced a resurgence of interest among the public and publishing houses.

By bringing it up to date in 2016, Agata Raisin has become the "locomotive" of the phenomenon.

Since then, Helen Cox or Lucy Folley have followed.

Presenting a lighter side of the thriller, the "cozy crime" or "cozy murder", worthy heir to Agatha Christie, is distinguished above all by its so British humor.

A round table will be devoted to it this weekend during the Quais du Polar festival which is held in Lyon.

"It's a kind of detective novel with well-defined codes", specifies Frédérique Polet, editorial director of the Presses de la Cité editions.

Codes different from those of the thriller.

“We don't have hemoglobin.

The atmosphere is not dark, we never have too frightening details and we do not witness the murder, ”she develops.

“Forturn” investigation and earthy characters

The common denominator: “the makeshift survey” and recurring characters.

The investigations will never be carried out by a police officer but rather by an external protagonist.

“It's someone who is there by chance, in a particular context, and who discovers the murder.

And it is to him that we will ask to investigate, continues Frédérique Polet.

In general, he is smart, cunning.

And very far from the characters of dented cops with tormented souls.

The heroes are more like this brave Hercule Poirot finding himself at the heart of all the intrigues, during a trip on the Nile or aboard the Orient-Express.

Miss Marple, who for a long time embodied the genre under the pen of Agatha Cristie, has now passed the torch to others.

All equally earthy.

Starting with… Queen Elizabeth, heroine of the series

, written by SJ Bennett.

Obliged to remain in the shadows, the sovereign will nevertheless rely on her assistant.

“Having a duo is something quite common in the genre,” notes Frédérique Polet.

Set the scene in a bucolic setting, too.

“It's still a place where you don't expect to have a murder.

We are very far from cities like San Francisco or Chicago, she continues.

There is in reading, this feel good side, relaxation, Cluedo, which recalls the readings of youth.

And that's surely what appeals to the public.

“For a long time, there was a craze for thrillers like

or

, and then we moved on to the black domestic genre.

Today, perhaps readers need something lighter, analyzes Frédérique Polet.

Because even if there is a murder, we have a good time reading.

»

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