Feline Detectives

9 Purrfect Mystery Series for International Cat Day

August 8 is International Cat Day and we decided to round up all the cat-sleuths we could find. Felines solving murder mysteries? When you think about it, it makes purrfect sense. Cats are inquisitive and observant, suspicious and stealthy. Plus, having nine lives probably makes you pretty fearless. Here are nine cozy mystery series featuring felines. (BTW: You can't beat the a-mew-sing titles!)

The Cat Who

First published in 1966, Lilian Jackson Braun's beloved series may be the original Cat Cozy. Brilliant Siamese cats Koko and Yum Yum help humble millionaire reporter Jim Qwilleran solve dozens of small-town mysteries over the course of twenty-nine bestselling books.

Catchy title: The Cat Who Smelled a Rat

A Sassy Cat Mystery

From Jennifer J. Chow, comes the story of Mimi Lee who runs Hollywoof, an LA pet-grooming business. Mimi, who seems to attract trouble in the form of mysterious murders, relies on help from her cat, Marshmallow. By the way, he talks—but she's the only one who can hear him.

Catchy title: Mimi Lee Gets a Clue

Mrs. Murphy Mysteries

Author Rita Mae Brown coauthors this fun series with her own cat, Sneaky Pie. Set in the Blue Ridge Mountain town filled with eccentric characters, including three four-legged sleuths—felines Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, along with Tee Tucker, a corgi—who help their human solve a string of murders.

Catchy title: Probable Claws

Cat in the Stacks

This series by Miranda James mixes two of our favorite types of characters: cats and librarians. Set in a small college town in Mississippi the classic whodunits feature Diesel, a Maine coon who helps his person, librarian widower Charlie Harris solve crimes with a touch of southern flair.

Catchy title: Cat Me If You Can

Joe Grey Mysteries

Shirley Rousseau Murphy crafted this fun series set in a seaside village in California. The stories are told from the POV of feline investigator Joe Grey as he and his clever cat friends hunt down clues. As the series evolves, so do the cat personalities, along with their people.

Catchy title: Cat Chase the Moon

Magical Cats

Featuring another small-town librarian, this one in Mayville Heights, Minnesota, this series by Sofie Kelly. When the town's new librarian, Kathleen Paulson, adopts her two furry friends, she doesn't realize how special they are. Their magical clue-finding abilities quickly become instrumental.

Catchy title: Whiskers and Lies

Bookmobile Cat

It could be said that Eddie, the cat in Laurie Cass's series, is the one who adopted his person, librarian Minnie Hamilton. First he followed her home and then he insisted on serving as copilot for her bookmobile rounds. And it's a good thing because trouble's afoot and Eddie's always good at smelling a rat!

Catchy title: Lending a Paw

Magical Bookshop

Magic, mysteries, and cats collide in Amanda Flower's series set in a village near Niagara Falls. Charming Books proprietors, Daisy and her granddaughter, Violet, often find themselves embroiled in solving crimes with the help of their trusty tuxedo cat, Emerson, and the shop's crow, Faulkner.

Catchy title: Prose and Cons

Mystic Notch

Set in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the paranormal world created by Leighann Dobbs revolves around the Last Chance Book Store. Owner Wilhelmina Chance can see ghosts and they often want her to solve their murders. Luckily she has help from a quirky cast of characters, including her talking cat, Pandora.

Catchy title: A Mew to a Kill

Yay for sneaky, stealthy, and curious cats! We love these mysteries featuring fearless, clever felines.

Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon