Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers is a cozy mystery, a term that first appeared around the 1990s to describe “soft-boiled” mystery. “Soft-boiled” was created by authors like Agatha Christie and provides a contrast to the “hard-boiled” genre. The hard-boiled mystery story focuses on realism and human depravity, with a cynical perspective of the world. The cozy mystery tends to see the world as generally good. For example, Vera Wong’s world is small and peaceful, with neighborly conflicts revolving around pastries and such. The darker elements of human nature are downplayed, and the central murder is either committed off screen or is relatively bloodless (i.e., poisoning, strangling). The cozy mystery doesn’t deal with sadistic serial killers or organized crime. The characters are generally likable, and even antagonists have understandable, even sympathetic, motives (i.e., greed, jealousy). For example, Marshall Chen was poisoned because he betrayed his family. Cozy mysteries often incorporate an element of romance, but sex is downplayed in favor of marriage.

The cozy mystery generally takes place in the country, or a small town or village, where people know one another well. The

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