Cozy Mysteries with Cats and Dogs: Purr-fect and Pawsome Whodunits
If you love cozy mysteries with cats and dogs, you’re in the right place.
Cozy mystery books with cats and dogs have something that makes the genre even more fun. Give me a small town, a suspicious death, a determined amateur sleuth, a few quirky characters—and then add a cat or dog—and I’m ready to settle in with a cup of coffee and start reading.
Sometimes the animal is simply a beloved companion. Sometimes it gets the sleuth into trouble. And occasionally, that furry friend seems to know more than the humans do!
Here are some cozy mystery series to add to your reading list if you love cats, dogs, and mysteries.
🐱 Cozy Mysteries with Cats
The Cat Who… Mysteries by Lilian Jackson Braun
If you love cat mysteries, you really can’t talk about the genre without mentioning The Cat Who… series.
Reporter Jim Qwilleran investigates mysteries alongside his two Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum. The long-running series includes 29 books, giving readers plenty of mysteries to enjoy.
If you’re looking for a classic cat cozy mystery, this is a natural place to begin.
Start with: The Cat Who Could Read Backwards
Cat in the Stacks Mysteries by Miranda James
Calling all cat lovers and library lovers!
This Southern cozy mystery series follows librarian Charlie Harris and his Maine Coon cat, Diesel. Set in the fictional Mississippi town of Athena, the books combine small-town charm, libraries, family relationships, and murder investigations.
And Diesel isn’t exactly your average cat. He’s a big, affectionate feline who even enjoys going for walks.
Start with: Murder Past Due
Bookmobile Cat Mysteries by Laurie Cass
What’s better than a cozy mystery featuring a cat?
A cozy mystery featuring a cat AND a bookmobile!
Librarian Minnie Hamilton travels around Chilson, Michigan, in her bookmobile with her rescue cat, Eddie. Naturally, murder has a way of finding them along the route.
This series is especially fun for readers who love books, libraries, small towns, and cats.
Start with: Lending a Paw
A Sassy Cat Mystery Series by Jennifer J. Chow
Mimi Lee has plenty on her plate. She runs a pet-grooming business, deals with family complications, and somehow keeps finding herself involved in murder investigations.
Her cat, Marshmallow, has a particularly unusual personality—he can talk, although only Mimi can understand him.
If you like your cat cozies with plenty of humor and a little paranormal fun, this series may be worth adding to your TBR pile.
Start with: Mimi Lee Gets a Clue
Deputy Donut Mysteries by Ginger Bolton
A donut shop, a murder mystery, coffee, and a cat?
Yes, please.
The Deputy Donut mysteries follow Emily Fyne, owner of a popular donut café. Her cat, Dep, is part of the series, and later books also feature a tiny dog named Gigi.
This is a particularly good choice if your ideal cozy mystery reading experience involves coffee, baked goods, and a furry companion.
Start with: Survival of the Fritters
🐶 Cozy Mysteries with Dogs
Paws & Claws Mysteries by Krista Davis
This series takes the animal-cozy concept and runs with it.
Holly Miller works at her grandmother’s Sugar Maple Inn in Wagtail, Virginia—a vacation destination designed specifically for people who don’t want to leave their pets at home.
Holly’s animal companions include Trixie, a Jack Russell terrier, and Twinkletoes, a calico kitten. Murder, of course, follows them to Wagtail.
The series also includes recipes for both people and pets, which makes it especially fun for animal lovers.
Start with: Murder, She Barked
A Baker Street Mystery Series by Valerie Burns
Imagine moving to a small town, taking over a bakery, and suddenly finding yourself responsible for a 250-pound English mastiff.
That’s exactly the situation Maddy Montgomery finds herself in.
In addition to learning how to manage a bakery, Maddy becomes involved in murder investigations—and her enormous dog, Baby, is an important part of the story.
If you like dogs + baking + small towns + mysteries, this combination has plenty to offer.
Start with: Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder
Scottish Shire Mysteries by Traci Hall
If your dream cozy mystery setting includes Scotland, knitting, a seaside town, and a black Scottish terrier, check out this series.
Paislee Shaw lives in Nairn with her young son and Wallace, their black Scottish terrier. She owns a sweater shop and becomes entangled in a murder investigation after a woman connected to her business is found dead.
There’s something wonderfully cozy about the combination of Scottish scenery, crafts, family, dogs, and mystery.
Start with: Murder in a Scottish Shire
Pampered Pets Series by Sparkle Abbey
For readers who want the animals to be more than background characters, check out the Pampered Pets Series.
The series follows pet therapist Caro Lamont and features a variety of dogs and cats. The first book, Desperate Housedogs, begins when Caro visits a client with two misbehaving German Shepherds—and soon finds herself connected to a murder investigation.
The series combines pet-related adventures with plenty of mystery.
Start with: Desperate Housedogs
Senior Sleuths Mysteries by Laurien Berenson
Here’s one for readers who enjoy older characters, family relationships, dogs, and murder mysteries.
The Senior Sleuths series follows sisters-in-law Peg Turnbull and Rose Donovan as they put their heads together to solve crimes. The series also has strong connections to the dog-show world.
The combination of senior sleuths and canine-related mysteries makes this one especially interesting for readers who enjoy seeing mature women take center stage.
Start with: Peg and Rose Solve a Murder
🐾 And Don’t Forget These Cozy Mysteries by me, Jen Dodrill!
Of course, I have to add a few of my own cozy mysteries to the list!
My cozies feature dogs and a parakeet, and if you love animals, quirky characters, small-town adventures, and clean cozy mysteries, I hope you’ll give them a try.
The Empty-Nesters Cozy Mystery Series
My Empty-Nesters Cozy Mystery series takes readers to Pensacola, Florida, where empty nesters discover that retirement—or at least an empty nest—doesn’t mean life has to get boring!
The series follows Peg Howard and her fellow empty-nester friends as they get caught up in one mystery after another.
🐦 Birds Alive!
Peg Howard—widow, mom blogger, and brand-new empty nester—is desperate for a fresh start. When a late-night post sends her loyal Mamma Birds readers into a panic, Peg takes a follower’s advice and launches the Empty Nesters Birding Group in sunny Pensacola, Florida. But their first outing turns deadly.
A fellow birder collapses after handling birdseed contaminated with peanuts—seed that should have been safe. As a hurricane barrels toward the Gulf Coast and Peg’s overbearing (and animal-loving) mother-in-law invades her newly quiet home, Peg hopes the chaos will pass.
But the real danger is just beginning.
After the storm, Peg discovers one of her new friends has been attacked, and the killer is still on the scene. A fall down a staircase leaves Peg injured, shaken, and more determined than ever to uncover the truth.
With a broken foot, a stubborn streak, and help from her unlikely allies—including her meddling mother-in-law and a charming detective whose dimples are dangerously distracting—Peg dives into a murder investigation that proves retirement from motherhood doesn’t mean a quiet life.
🪶 Where’s the Quetzal?
Still settling into life as an empty nester in Pensacola, Peg Howard has found purpose leading her birding group and building new friendships. But just as life begins to feel steady, danger returns. News that Estelle and Roger Keaton—linked to the deaths of two birders—are back in town sends unease through the group. At the same time, the discovery of a historic shipwreck and a rare quetzal feather at Fort Pickens raises troubling questions no one can answer.
Then Roger Keaton turns up dead—and another birder is attacked. Peg uncovers clues tied to stolen artifacts, secret research, and rare quetzals that don’t belong anywhere near Florida’s Gulf Coast. With her sharp eye for detail and growing confidence as an amateur sleuth, Peg teams up with her loyal friends—and a familiar detective—to piece together the truth.
But when an anonymous caller targets her family, and Peg herself becomes a suspect, the stakes turn personal.
𓅞 No Egrets
Peg Howard hoped life in Pensacola would finally settle down. Instead, Stone Creek Cove’s beloved egrets vanish from the local rookery, sparking rumors, accusations, and more than a little small-town chaos.
When Peg joins the search alongside her sharp-as-a-tack mother-in-law, Hazel, the mystery takes a deadly turn after they uncover a body connected to the missing birds. Now Peg is tangled in a web of shady deals, buried grudges, and secrets someone will do anything to protect.
Between caring for her energetic new puppy, navigating two very different men competing for her attention, and trying not to become the town’s unofficial detective, Peg has enough on her plate already. But when the threats start feeling personal, walking away is no longer an option.
So while the Empty-Nesters books are bird-themed rather than cat- or dog-themed, animal lovers find them especially fun.
And yes, there’s a reason I couldn’t resist writing cozy mysteries involving birds. I love the idea of taking something ordinary—or even something people might overlook—and turning it into the center of a mystery.
Be sure to keep in touch via my newsletter, as my next cozy series – Sunnyside Sleuths – features a black-and-white tuxedo cat named Sir Winston Meowsalot!
Why Do We Love Cozy Mysteries With Cats & Dogs?
I think part of the appeal is simple:
Animals make a mystery feel even cozier.
A cat curled up beside the amateur sleuth. A dog following her around town. A pet who seems to notice something the humans missed.
Animals also give characters someone to talk to. They can add humor to tense situations and help readers connect with the characters on a more personal level.
And let’s be honest.
Sometimes we read cozy mysteries because we want to solve a murder.
Sometimes we read them because we want to meet the cat.
Or the dog.
Or both.
What’s Your Favorite Animal in a Cozy Mystery?
Are you a cat cozy reader?
🐱 Give me a mysterious feline who seems to know more than she’s letting on.
Or are you a dog cozy reader?
🐶 Give me a loyal canine companion who somehow manages to get involved in the investigation.
Or maybe you’re like me and enjoy a little bit of everything—including birds!
If you love clean, cozy mysteries with cats and dogs, charming characters, humor, and a good whodunit, a whole world of books awaits.
Now grab your favorite beverage, find a comfortable chair, invite your favorite furry friend to curl up beside you, and pick your next mystery.
Happy sleuthing—and happy reading! 🐾📚
Read 10 Must-Read Cozy Mystery Series, then follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram, and subscribe to my newsletter to keep up with news about my book and any special offers!
Hi, I’m Jen! I’ve been married for over 40 years, have 5 amazing kids, and have 3 adorable grandkids. I homeschooled our three youngest children and used to blog about homeschooling. I also taught Oral Communication as an adjunct instructor for over 5 years.
Jen Dodrill Writes is born of a passion of mine – to write a novel! My cozy mystery series – The Empty Nesters Cozy Mysteries – is now complete! My romantic suspense novella, SeaBreeze Obsession in Trinity Sands Beach Club, is out, and I have Mountain Treasure in Bedlam at Bridal Falls releasing 10/6/26! And finally, my first women’s fiction, Finding Ginny has been published!
When I’m not working, you’ll find me writing, spending time with my family, or curled up on the couch reading and drinking a mug of dark roast coffee. (Don’t forget to check out my mug shop – JDMugs!)
