We love to curl up with a good mystery book, just like a cat. So a mystery with a cat as a main character is purrfect. Curl up with these Cat Mystery Books as the days start to get shorter. As always, if you think we have missed a fantastic read, please let us know on the Contact Us page.
1. The Whole Cat and Caboodle – Sofie Ryan
This is a first book in the Second Chance Cat Mystery. The series features Sarah Grayson, an owner of charming shop called Second Chances in which she sells refurbished used items, and Elvis a stray big black cat she adopted.
In their first case Sarah and Elvis try to clear a name of Sarah’s elderly friend Maddie. Maddie is found with the body of a man in her garden and she became a prime suspect.
This is lovely cozy mystery with one fantastic cat that seems to understand humans and due to that she provides a great help to Sarah in solving the mystery. All other characters are also charming, interesting and bit eccentric. This is a great first book in the series; highly recommend it to all cozy mystery book and cat lovers.
2. The Silence of the Library – Miranda James
This is the fifth book in Cat in the Stacks series. The series takes place in the collage town of Athena Mississippi and it features Charlie Harris, a widowed librarian, and his Maine coon cat Diesel.
During National Library Week Charlie decides to do the exhibition in honor of famous novelist Electra Barnes Cartwright – creator of girl detective Veronica Thane series. But things go wrong (a murder and t when Ms. Cartwright decides to make a rare public appearance. So now Charlie has to solve the murder and save rare books.
This is yet another great cozy mystery book and series featuring great characters, especially Diesel. The plot follows the teen sleuth genre and the author has done a great job mixing a modern-day story with the teen sleuth genre.
3. The Cat Who Could Read Backwards – Lilian Jackson Braun
First published in 1966 The Cat Who Could Read Backwards is the first book in The Cat Who series featuring Jim Qwilleran (Qwill) and Koko. Qwill was a prize-winning newspaper reporter who had a rough time but now is back to writing. Koko is a Siamese cat owned by George Bonifield Mount Clemens III, Qwill’s landlord and also a murder victim.
Although it features a wonderful cat and it is the first in the series, this story is not a typical cozy crime novel. More mystery than crime. The author builds up a plot and the suspense only to finish in the brief but explosive finale. The best feature of the story is Koko because Koko can read the newspaper backward. He has a great success in uncovering clues. This is a great story for all cat lovers and beyond. A classic.
4. By Familiar Means – Delia James
Second book in Witch’s Cat Mystery series brings new adventures for Annabelle Britton, an artist who decided one day to visit Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Annabelle turns her short visit into something more permanent when she meets a cat name Alastair and the friendly women who use magic to keep their town safe. In this second installment Annabelle decides to make her home in Portsmouth. She takes time to figure her abilities as she hosts her grandma. But once again someone is killed and Annabelle and Alastair have to find who did it.
This is an interesting cozy mystery combining a sleuth who is also a witch, a great cat and a group of nice witches. A funny and charming mystery book spiced with magic. A great read.
5. Faux Paw – Sofie Kelly
Faux Paw is a seventh book in A Magical Cats Mystery series featuring Kathleen Paulson, a librarian from Boston. Kathleen is also an owner of two cats Owen and Hercules who have special powers. Three of them live in fictional Mayville Heights Minnesota and together they solve crimes.
In this installment they investigate the murder of a curator and the theft of valuable sketch. Kathleen’s detective boyfriend Marcus helps them in their quest. This story has it all; mystery, magic and romance wrapped in one. This is funny and great read for all cat mystery book fans. It is worth starting the series from the first book.
6. Cat Got Your Diamonds – Julie Chase
Cat Got Your Diamonds is the first book in the Kitty Couture mystery series featuring Lacy Marie Crocker. Lacy is the owner of Furry Godmother – a pet boutique selling handmade costumes and organic pet treats. And Lacy is happy, until one day her glitter gun is used as a murder weapon. From that moment her life changed. Suddenly she is a prime suspect and investors in Furry Godmother start getting out. Now Lacy has to save her dream shop and clear her name, which will not be easy.
This story is great introduction into what will hopefully be a great mystery series. It is funny, interesting, and it is full of very cute pets.
Not Cat Mystery Books:
These two books dont feature a cat as a main character. Something we didn’t find out until we’d done our reading. Still, they were fun mystery books to read so we’ve included them in this list of Cat Mystery Books anyway.
7. Jingle Buried Cookies – Lyndsey Cole
Jingle Buried Cookies is 9th installment in Black Cat Café mystery series. Set in Catfish Cove, NH it features Annie Fisher a young woman who is working in her aunt’s Black Cat Café. In Jingle Buried Cookies Annie keeps her Aunt Leona out of trouble one more time by helping her to get ready for Christmas extravaganza and solving murder at the same time.
This is another funny cozy mystery in a Black Cat Café series. It is interesting read due to good characters and plot. Although Annie solves different mystery in each story it is advisable to read them from in order.
8. Cat Killed a Rat – Regina Welling and Erin Lynn
This series feature two best friends and neighbors. Chloe LaRue is a gossip columnist and Emmalina Valentine Torrence (EV Torrence) a community matriarch and offspring of one of town’s founders. It is set in Ponderosa Pines, once a commune, and now is a quiet small village. Not many things are happening in Ponderosa Pines, so when murder occurs the community is shaken. EV is the prime suspect, but she decides not to sit still. Together with her friend Chloe she launches an investigation to clear her name and find the real killer.
As the first in a series, it does focuses a bit on setting the scene for following stories. Overall an interesting mystery book with good characters (even if none are cats).
