Claws, Clues, and Crimes: Cozy Mysteries with Animals

Books for Pet Lovers Who Love a Good Mystery

One thing you may not know about me is that I LOVE to read. I like most genres, but cozy mysteries hold a special place on my bookshelves. Lately, I’ve taken it one step further and have mainly been reading cozy mysteries with ANIMALS. 

I am a dog lover at heart, however, I quickly realized that I loved reading about all types of animal sidekicks and pet detectives. If this genre interests you, I put together a list of cozy mystery recommendations where animals make regular appearances. 

From older classics to new mystery series, I’ve covered books I’ve enjoyed and ones still on my ‘to be read’ list. I hope you enjoy these stories as much as I do, and I would love to hear from you in the comments on what other murder mysteries I should add to the list!

Cozy Mysteries with Animals

Though many authors choose to stick to either a dog or cat character in their stories, here are a few books and series that spread the love to numerous animals.

Pony Confidential by Christina Lynch

This book is written from the pony’s and a woman’s separate perspectives. The pony, of course, meets other talking animals during his adventures while trying to find the girl who broke his heart by promising him a forever home, and suddenly disappearing from his life. He discovers she’s in trouble and needs his help to prove her innocence. This story also has some underlying messages throughout the book that will make you rethink how we treat our pets and wildlife.

Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy by Nora Roberts

Tails over time. In this trilogy, three cousins face off against a greater evil that has been after their family for hundreds of years. Each cousin is a witch with different powers and has an animal guide: a dog, a horse, and a falcon. They all have to fight their personal battles, learn to trust, and unite as one alongside their animal guides and friends to survive.

A Food & Spirits Mystery series by Darci Hannah

The first book of a promising new series: Bunny is a chef who has been hired for a new show. She quickly learns that it’s not a typical cooking show- it’s a ghost hunter show where she has to cook meals to entice the ghosts to the dinner table for the show. Now she can no longer ignore her supernatural talents that she’s tried to ignore her whole life, including what seems to be a spirit rabbit!

Caprice De Luca Home Staging Mystery series by Karen Rose Smith

Caprice is a home staging expert with a love of animals and a knack for finding and helping stray animals. She is just as passionate about helping animals as she is about protecting her family and friends from being wrongly accused of murder. The best way to help is to find the real murderer in each book.

Cozy Mysteries with Cats 

Cats are known to be a bit judgy, independent, and intelligent. That’s why they make great crime-solving partners! These books get creative in how feline detectives help their humans to get the job done.

Magical Cats series by Sophie Kelly

Small town librarian Kathleen solves murders with the help of not just one magical cat, but two! 

Bookmobile Cat Mystery series by Laurie Cass    

Another small town librarian, Minnie, rescues a cat named Eddie. Eddie has a special ability to lead Minnie in and, of course, help her out of trouble when murder occurs in their small town as they ride around on a bookmobile.

Cats in Trouble Mystery series by Leann Sweeney

If one cat can make a good pet detective, how about three? Throughout the series, quilter and cat lover Jillian gets help solving mysteries from her beloved cats.

The Mysteries of Max series by Nic Saint

Odelia is a reporter who mysteriously always has the scoop around town and has the ability to talk to cats. Her own feline Max and his friends act as pet detectives, gathering evidence to help Odelia solve crimes and murders in the area.

Cozy Mysteries with Dogs

Dogs have been used to help solve crime in real life by using their noses to sniff out clues. In these mystery books, they often give their owners a helping paw, whether it’s wanted or not.

Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series by Darci Hannah

Lindsey and her dog Wellington have started a bakeshop in a haunted lighthouse located in northern Michigan. You get to watch Lindsey and her friends solve mysteries, and you even get some of her recipes to try at home at the end of the book.

Jazz Ramsey Mystery series by Kylie Logan

Jazz works at an all-girl Catholic School by day and in her spare time is involved in cadaver dog training. This series is only on book 3 right now, and I can’t wait for the next one to come out!

Phyllida Bright Mystery series by Colleen Cambridge

If you like Agatha Christie novels, these books are a must-read! The main character, Phyllida Bright, is Agatha’s housekeeper, and SHE is the one who is the crime solver. Each murder that Phyllida solves ends up being the inspiration for one of Agatha’s books.  Throughout the books, Phyllida gets unwanted help from Bradford (the new driver at Mallowan Hall) and his dog, Myrtle. 

Merry Ghost Inn Mystery series by Kate Kingsbury

Grandmother, granddaughter, and dog team up to open a Bed and Breakfast that ends up being haunted by a friendly ghost. Together, they all team up to solve local murders tied to their new business and home.

Pawsitively Mysterious: Cozy Reads for Pet People

Cozy mysteries with animals are perfect for a relaxing read on your vacation or a cloudy day at home. What better way to relax than with a good book where you know the bad guy gets caught and the main character gets help from their furry friends? These books would also make great standalone gifts for pet owners or as part of a themed gift basket!

Remember to keep checking back for new additions to this list- as I find more books in this animal/cozy mystery genre, I’ll keep updating this post to share with my fellow readers!

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