Mystery Books that Feature Dogs
Cozy mysteries have grown significantly in popularity over the years, often due to an appreciation for the less graphic themes and language used in them. Even within a subgenre like cozies, there are still further subdivisions to be found. One of the more prominent themes in cozy mysteries is the inclusion of pets, especially popular animals such as dogs.
These are just a few of the many authors who incorporate canines into their works in one way or another, often as significant roles.
Lydia Adamson: Adamson writes the Deirdre Quinn Nightingale mystery series which features a veterinarian sleuth.
Donna Ball: Ball writes a mystery series that features a dog ex-tracker who is accompanied by her Golden Retriever.
Cynthia Baxter: Baxter’s Reigning Cats & Dogs mystery series has many dogs and puppies who get involved in this cozy mystery series.
Carol Lea Benjamin: A dog trainer who solves crimes is featured in Benjamin’s series.
Laurien Berenson: A special education teacher solves crimes in Berenson’s series, when she isn’t participating in dog shows.
Michael Bond: The Monsieur Pamplemousse mystery series by Michael Bond features a dog sidekick named Pommes Frites (French Fries.)
Rita Mae Brown: The Mrs. Murphy books feature a Corgi and some cats who do most of the sleuthing on their own.
Nancy Bush: Bush writes the Jane Kelly mystery book series which features a Pug.
Ann Campbell: The canine assistant in Campbell’s mystery series is a German Shepherd and Siberian Husky mix.
Melissa Cleary: The Dog Lovers mystery series is written by Cleary, and features a professor as the sleuth.
Susan Conant: Conant writes the Holly Winter mystery series which features a dog trainer who is also a writer for a magazine about dogs.
Evelyn David: The Sullivan Investigations mystery series is about an Irish Wolfhound and his mortician owner.
Patricia Guiver: A Doberman Pinscher is the sidekick in Guiver’s Pet Detective series.
David Handler: Handler’s Stewart Hoag & Lulu mystery series features a Basset Hound.
Sue Henry: Henry writes two mystery series for dog lovers. One features an Alaskan dog sled racer while the other mystery book series features a 60+ widow/sleuth who travels around in her RV with her Mini Dachshund.
Lee Charles Kelley: Kelley’s Continuing Adventures of Jack & Jamie includes a sleuth who trains dogs for a living.
Virginia Lanier: Lanier pens a mystery series about a Bloodhound trainer/tracker/sleuth.
Judy McCoy: The Dog Walker mystery series can also be considered a paranormal themed series, since the protagonist is a dog walker who can communicate telepathically with her charges.
Leslie O’Kane: Allie Babcock is a dog therapist who solves crimes in O’Kane’s series.
Dana Stabenow: Set in Alaska, Stabenow’s Kate Shugak mystery series has dog companions.
Maggie Toussaint: Toussaint’s Cleopatra Jones mystery series features a St. Bernard.
Peggy Webb: Webb’s Southern Cousins mystery series features a Basset Hound sidekick.
Nina Wright: An Afghan Hound assists the protagonist of Wright’s Whiskey Mattimoe series.
Though this isn’t a comprehensive list of mystery authors who write books with canine sidekicks, it does include a number of the more prominent ones. From these authors, you can generally get an idea if you enjoy mysteries featuring a canine sidekick for the star sleuth.
Taylor writes on a variety of mystery subjects, including mystery book themes and a mystery book blog.
John Lechner Accepts the Beverly Cleary Children’s Choice Award 2010
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Tuck Everlasting $5.77 With the makings of a classic, Disney’s Tuck Everlasting compares favorably with such family favorites as The Secret Garden and Fairy Tale: A True Story. Loosely but respectfully adapted from Natalie Babbitt’s beloved children’s book, this appealing fable focuses on the timeless Tuck family, blessed–and cursed–with immortality after drinking from a magical spring. Hiding their secret over passin… |
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Ramona and Beezus $9.63 Teen sensation Selena Gomez (Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place) teams up with newcomer Joey King in this delightful coming-of-age comedy based on the best-selling books by Beverly Cleary. Ramona (King) is a little girl with a very big imagination and a nose for mischief. Her playful antics keep everyone in her loving family on their toes, including her older sister Beezus (Gomez), who’s jus… |
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The Sundowners $5.12 Robert Mitchum stars as the patriarch of a sheepherding family on the frontier of 1920s Australia who finds his desire to maintain a nomadic lifestyle putting a strain on his relationship with his wife and teenage son who want him to settle down and buy their own farm. Deborah Kerr, Peter Ustinov, Glynis Johns also star in director Fred Zinnemann’s lush drama, based on the novel by Jon Cleary. 133… |
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The Ramona Collection, Vol. 1: Beezus and Ramona / Ramona the Pest / Ramona the Brave / Ramona and Her Father [4 Book Box set] $10.86 … |
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Ramona Boxed Set (4 Volumes) $23.96 … |
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Writing on the Wall $5.96 Megan befriends him without knowing anything about his past. Donnie relinquishes his solitude to her for the same reason. Her mom’s affection is suffocating. His mom randomly shifts from being indifferent to overprotective. Neither teens’ father is there when they need him. Donnie and Megan have to escape. Their haven is a rented storage unit, where there reveal their secrets, conquer boredom, and… |