H: EVERYTHING CRIME FROM A – Z

Heartthrobs


This post is going to be my own personal rant. I get to do that because it's my blog. Most cozy mysteries include a romantic aspect for the protagonist. Below are my top four 'I could do without' scenarios.


1) The Love Triangle

You've all read it...the protagonist is in love with two men. (And sometimes the two prospects are friends.) That's okay, but ten to twenty books into the series when the protagonist is still dating two guys and there's been no progression in her love life - it gets old! There are series I adore where this is happening and it tends to put a damper on my enjoyment. 

2) The Dumper

This is where the first in a series has the protagonist involved in a murder and she and the lead investigator feel an attraction. They have a date or two near the end of the book. The next book starts with the protagonist upset with the detective, wondering why he hasn't called her after those dates. Then another murder occurs that she becomes involved in and she meets up with the boyfriend again. He always has some lame excuse for not contacting her and they start the dating ritual all over. This cliche is old and overused.

3) Marriage

Another pet peeve of mine is where the protagonist's love interest suddenly has something important to tell her (usually a few books into the series). He's married...or he's separated...or the divorce isn't final... Wait, what? He didn't know he had a wife before he started dating our protagonist? There must be a way to ramp up the drama without trotting out this tired cliche.

4) Death

Then there's the one where the protagonist and her boyfriend have been together throughout the series and BAM! the boyfriend is killed off. It creates a downbeat, tension-filled story. Totally unwarranted and unacceptable. I've come across this twice and it's a definite buzzkill. I was so upset, those series were dead to me!



Personally, I find it interesting and enjoyable when the protagonist is involved in a healthy relationship, be it marriage or living together or just plain dating. It's supposed to be a murder mystery, not a docudrama...