A growing trend in the mystery book genre is the cozy mystery. This subgenre is less graphic, both in sexual and violent themes, as well as language. Even within a subgenre like cozies, there are still further subdivisions to be found. Some of these themes include supernatural, historical, culinary, gardening, bed and breakfast settings, and cozy mystery books with pets as sidekicks.
This paper will list some of the cozy mystery book authors who write mysteries that have dogs as on-going characters in the authors’ mystery book series.
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: Many dogs are featured in Baxter’s Reigning Cats & Dogs mystery series.
Carol Lea Benjamin: Benjamin’s cozy mystery series features a dog trainer who is also a sleuth.
Laurien Berenson: Berenson’s cozy mystery series features a Special Ed. teacher who participates in dog shows when she’s not sleuthing.
Michael Bond: The Monsieur Pamplemousse mystery series by Michael Bond features a dog sidekick named Pommes Frites (French Fries.)
Rita Mae Brown: Brown’s Mrs. Murphy mystery books feature a Corgi and her feline friends who do a lot of sleuthing on their own.
Nancy Bush: Bush writes the Jane Kelly mystery book series which features a Pug.
Ann Campbell: A Siberian Husky/German Shepherd mix is the canine partner in Campbell’s mystery series.
Melissa Cleary: The Dog Lovers mystery series is written by Cleary, and features a professor as the sleuth.
Susan Conant: The Holly Winter series is about a dog magazine writer who also trains dogs.
Evelyn David: An Irish Wolfhound and his human (who happens to be a mortician) are the sleuths in the Sullivan Investigations mystery series.
Patricia Guiver: A Doberman Pinscher is the sidekick in Guiver’s Pet Detective series.
David Handler: A Basset Hound features in Handler’s Stewart Hoag & Lulu series.
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: One of Lanier’s series features a Bloodhound trainer who solves crimes.
Judy McCoy: McCoy writes the Dog Walker mystery series which also falls under the supernatural/paranormal theme in mysteries. Her dog walker communicates telepathically with the dogs she walks.
Leslie O’Kane: O’Kane’s Allie Babcock mystery series features a dog therapist as its sleuth.
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: A Basset Hound helps out in the Southern Cousins mystery series by Peggy Webb.
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 cozy mystery themes and mystery books.
