Let's Talk with Cheryl Hollon
September 11 in Mysteries: Date to Use, or Date to Dodge?
September 11, 2025
Mystery writers know dates matter. A crime on Christmas Eve sets up one kind of expectation, while a body discovered on Valentine’s Day adds a dark twist of irony. But what happens when the calendar lands on September 11?
That date still carries enormous weight, and most writers are aware of it. Many tiptoe around it. Stories unfold “in early September” or “on a Tuesday morning,” but the author never circles the exact day. It’s as though the characters themselves hustle across the calendar, eyes down, hoping no one notices.
Other authors, however, embrace it. Set a story on September 11, and you instantly gain atmosphere. The date alone brings tension and memory. It can shape a character’s fears, travel habits, or family history. Even if the tragedy itself isn’t central, a quiet reference adds gravitas—like a bass note thrumming under the melody.
The real challenge is tone. Mysteries, even noir ones, are meant to entertain. Lean too hard into tragedy, and readers may feel blindsided. Cozy mysteries in particular often dodge the date entirely. After all, it’s hard to balance a quilting bee, a bake sale, and a terrorist attack in the same chapter. That’s why many cozies hop neatly from September 10th to the 12th, as though the day simply didn’t exist.
And yet, skipping it altogether can feel oddly artificial. Everyone lived through it; everyone remembers where they were. A slight nod, “I haven’t flown since 9/11,” can ground a character in reality.
So, do authors avoid or embrace the date? The answer is: both. For some, it’s the ghost day they’d rather not mention. For others, it’s a narrative shortcut to tension and depth. Either way, September 11 proves that even the plainest square on a calendar can carry more mystery than any locked room or hidden clue.
What about you? When you see a story unfold on 9/11, does it draw you in deeper, or pull you out of the mystery?
##
Want to learn more about our author Cheryl Hollon? Visit her WEBSITE.
While you’re here, don’t forget to enter our Booklover’s Bench contest. We’re collecting entries for TWO free cozy mysteries to one lucky winner. It runs from September 1-22. Click HERE.
Posted in Let's Talk, with Cheryl Hollon • Tags: Cheryl Hollon, Let's Talk, September 11 in Mysteries: Date to Use | 13 Comments
What a horrendous day I will always remember where I was and what I was doing when it all happened
I agree — I will always remember.
I think the context matters a lot. I wouldn’t want to read about the wedding of two long-time series characters occurring on September 11, for example, but I don’t think authors need to pretend the date no longer exists, even in a cozy.
Hi Daria, I agree that authors don’t need to pretend that the date no longer exists. I would avoid using the date in my books just to avoid the emotional response it might create that wouldn’t be what I intended.
Interesting question, Cheryl. I’ve avoided the date so far, and really, there are plenty of others to use, so I probably won’t be one of those authors who tries to weave it in.
Hi Terry, I’m with you — I probably won’t ever use that date.
Today, September 11th is my birthday. It was so horrible that day 24 years ago. After each year that passed I did not want anyone to wish me birthday wishes because I felt guilty that I was still here and so many people lost their lives. And are still losing them. My family and friends do wish me happy birthday now, but I will never forget what happen.
I would rather not read a book about September 11.
Hi Kathleen, I’m so sorry that you feel guilty — I hope that feeling continues to fade.
Living close enough to Ground Zero that I could smell the acrid smoke, and having neighbors who lost loved ones that day, I made the decision not to mention 9/11 in my books, let alone set a book during that awful day and its aftermath. Twenty-four years later, it’s still too raw. My books have always had contemporary settings. Most of them are humorous. It was a good excuse to steer clear of the topic. Besides, I’ve never mentioned specific years in my books to avoid dating the stories. My Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series was first published in 2011. Fourteen years have passed in real life, but only a little less than two years have gone by over the course of the fourteen books currently in the series.
Hi Lois, I also avoid dating my series as much as I can. I never mention current events.
It still feels too personal for me to write about. But I don’t use other terrorist acts or wars in my cozies either. Sept 11 has become a bit like Kennedy’s assassination to my way of thinking. People have startling memories of the day, not just of the terrible thing that happened, but of all the possible repercussions and of the fear of what’s coming next..
I feel the same way, Maggie. Our cozy mysteries are meant to be entertainment and a means to escape the unique stresses of the day..
I couldn’t read a cozy revolving around this date.