From Libraries to Laughter: An Inside Look at K.L. Montgomery's Cozy Mystery Worlds

Meet K.L. Montgomery, a cozy mystery author who traded her librarian hat for a sleuthing cap, crafting tales filled with humor, heart, and a dash of danger. Dive into her charming worlds where amateur sleuths, theater troupes, and feline detectives roam, as Montgomery shares insights into her writing journey and the art of balancing wit with mystery.

Could you share a little about yourself and the cozy mysteries you write?

I have written for as long as I can remember, but I worked as an academic librarian for about a decade before becoming an author. I live in coastal Delaware with my husband and four fur-babies, and I have three grown sons. I wrote romance novels first and still do, but I crossed over to cozy mystery in 2021, and I’m having so much fun writing them!

Right now, I have two cozy mystery series, and both are contemporary. One is the Dangerous Curves series with a YA librarian as the sleuth, aided by her librarian friends and patrons. The setting is a small beach town in the Mid-Atlantic (much like the ones near where I live in Delaware, but in this case, fictional).

The other, the Musical Murder Mystery Series, is about a traveling theater troupe, so each book takes place in a different location and is themed to a specific Broadway musical. I’m a huge theater geek. The heroine and her sidekick are actresses in the troupe. I’m developing a third series to premier this summer—more info about that below.

How do you develop your characters, particularly your amateur sleuth?

Both of my amateur sleuths are still sort of discovering who they are. At the start of the series, Sunshine, a YA librarian, sometimes feels unsure of her impact on her teen patrons and her role leading the library fundraising committee. She really comes into her own when she starts to solve mysteries. She also hasn’t had much of a love life to speak of, but the confidence she gains in her new role as town sleuth opens doors for her in that department too.

It's kind of the same for Ruby, the sleuth/actress in my Musical Murder Mystery series. She’s mostly been a chorus girl, and she has led a challenging life, abandoned by her mother at a young age to be raised by her grandparents. She also gains a lot of confidence from solving mysteries.

Here’s a fun tidbit! Book 8 of my Dangerous Curves series is actually a prequel/crossover book to the Musical Murder Mystery series. Ruby from the MMM series is shown the ropes by Sunshine, the DC heroine, when Ruby’s theater troupe does a show in the small beach town and a cast member turns up dead.

To follow up, there’s a lot of growth in the supporting cast too, including the heroines’ best friends (Molly and Evangeline in the DC series, and Nova in the MMM series) and among the long interests in both books. I don’t want to give anything away, though, so I’ll stop there.

Cozy mysteries often feature unique settings or themes. Can you tell us about the setting/theme of your latest book and what drew you to it?

The last cozy mystery I published was Once Upon a Murder, book 4 of the Musical Murder Mystery Series. It takes place in an Irish castle based on a real castle I stayed in this summer when I went to Ireland for a wedding.

What do you find most challenging about writing cozy mysteries, and how do you overcome it?

I think the biggest challenge is to have plenty of twists and turns so that the suspect is not easily identified, but not too convoluted so that very astute readers will be able to figure it out. How do I overcome that challenge? Um…not sure I do, but a lot of readers really seem to like my cozy mysteries. Some say they figured it out, and some say they had no idea, so I think I strike a decent balance.

Cozy mysteries often incorporate humor and wit. How do you balance the lighter elements with the seriousness of the mystery?

The lighter/humorous elements are my favorite parts! Sunshine in my Dangerous Curves series is really snarky and self-deprecating. I love her sense of humor. There are a couple of side characters that help add to the comic relief as well. I think it’s just a rhythm you establish early in the book so that it never feels too heavy.

Can you share any interesting research experiences or fun facts you discovered while researching for your books?

I can’t think of anything specific right this moment, but it is a miracle the FBI has never shown up to question me! I do know a lot more about poisons than I ever thought I would.

Do pets play a role in your cozy mysteries, and do they reflect any real-life pets or experiences?

Sunshine in the Dangerous Curves series has two cats, Bond and Paige. They add some comic relief at times. And her bestie, Molly, has dogs. I am a huge pet lover and have two dogs and two cats myself, so I love crafting personalities for the pets in my books and having them contribute to the story.

My new series that I’m writing now for debut later this year is actually an animal cozy mystery series. The human sleuth will be aided by feline sleuths, and the setting is an amusement park. I am very excited about the possibilities of having the animals play a bigger role in this series! Some of the cats in my new series are named for cats of my own that have passed on.

Is there anything else you’d like to share that I haven’t covered in the interview?

Just a funny sidenote, I’m married to an actual detective. I often run ideas by him for my stories, but sometimes he bounces ideas about his cases off me as well. The running joke in our house is that he loses things all the time and then can’t find them. Of course, I am the one who tracks these missing items down. So I’m always saying, “I think we know who the real detective in this family is!”

Finally, what advice do you have for aspiring cozy mystery writers?

It’s generic advice, but you really do become a better writer the more you write. Also, for any writers out there going the indie route for publishing, I run a support group for indie authors on Facebook called Indie Author Support. Feel free to join. It’s a great place to ask questions and get advice!