In The Musicians, Sara and Mozzie's friendship takes a gigantic leap forward. Mozzie's change of attitude is the most dramatic difference. Initially, Mozzie viewed Sara with suspicion. He, as well as many readers, couldn't understand why she'd want to date Bryan McKenzie rather than Neal. Since then, her stock has been on a gradual upward trajectory, leading to the current warm relations. Elizabeth and Henry need to take the lion's share of the credit for turning the situation around.
Warning for minor spoilers to The Musicians
When Diana began writing Arkham Files, Tricia prompted her to include a romantic interest. At the time, Neal was dating Fiona but he nixed the idea of her being included in the stories. Elizabeth suggested Sara instead. Her inclusion had the unforeseen benefit of influencing Mozzie's opinion of her. The Mozzie of Arkham Files was much friendlier to Sara than New York Mozzie was. From Neal's perspective, the softening in his friend's attitude was a side benefit to the stories.
Henry was the prime instigator for Sara having a major part in the U-boat con of Harlequin's Shadow. Like El, he wasn't thinking about helping Sara's relationship with Mozzie, but that's what happened. During a weekend visit to Cape May, their friendship blossomed.
Sara also deserves some credit for the thawed relations. She was anxious to get along with one of Neal's closest friends. Sara's not a writer but she has an excellent imagination. She volunteered to help with Mozzie's scriptwriting efforts. When he learned of her interest in movies and historical romances, he was delighted to have her assistance.
In The Musicians, Mozzie and Sara partner to help Neal. For Sara, who has few living relatives, Mozzie becomes the uncle she wished she had. Mozzie, for his part, appears equally taken with her.
Mozzie's change of heart echoes my hope for readers who were initially unhappy with the romance between Neal and Sara in Caffrey Conversation. Many of them objected to Sara because of her canon persona. The Sara in our series is different in many significant aspects, but I was concerned that wouldn't be enough. By including Sara in Arkham Files, I hoped to make her more likable in Caffrey Conversation as well.
For more on Sara in Caffrey Conversation, see:
A Tale of Two Saras
The Musicians on Archive of Our Own
The Musicians on FanFiction
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