Let me refine my thoughts a bit. What I'm objecting to in Kevin's original message is the idea that "they're all mysteries, we're all in the same boat". I think hardboiled broke away for reasons that were clearly explained by Chandler in The Simple Art of Murder. I think that is a definitive explanation for the split. A question of realism, a question of temperament, including the portrayal of real violence, and yes, a question of dialect. That split between cozies and hardboiled has held, which is proof that there is something real there, not just an arbitrary distinction.
So I don't think we're in the same boat -- for me, hardboiled crime is a separate genre from cozies, manor mysteries, Golden Age mysteries, puzzles with clever inspectors, etc. I see a total split.
Best,
mrt
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