The Cozy Mystery List Blog

Cozy Mystery (and Other Favorite) Books, Movies, and TV

Favorite Dogs in Cozy Mysteries

vallere111111111111111f;agjpajgpjRecently I posted a blog about some of our favorite cats featured in Cozy Mysteries, and I thought it would only be fair to give the same treatment to our other four-legged friends, dogs. Naturally, we’ve already got a Dog Themed Mysteries List, but here I’m hoping to be both more selective and less in a way – more selective because we’re only talking about our favorites, and less because we can talk about dogs that aren’t necessarily the stars of the show, so to speak, but instead favorite side characters.

To get the ball rolling, I’m going to say one of my current personal favorites >>> Rocky, the adorable Shih Tzu from Diane Vallere‘s Mad for Mod Mystery Series. Rocky is named after one of his owner’s favorite actors, Rock Hudson. (Some of you know that I’m mad for Doris Day/Rock Hudson movies!) Though only a minor character of the series, he helps bring a charm and life to his owner’s time away from murder and intrigue, helping give the series a much more real feeling while also amusing us with his adorable antics.

So, what are some of your favorite dogs in Cozy mysteries? Let me know in the comments below, so I can start up a list of our most favorite canine crime-solving companions!

Here’s a list of our favorite Dogs in Cozy Mystery Series:

Victoria Abbot: Book Collectors Mystery Series: Walter & Cobain

Ellery Adams: Books by the Bay mysteries: Captain Haviland

Isabella Alan (aka Amanda Flower): Amish Quilt Shop mysteries: Oliver

Barbara Allan: Trash ’n’ Treasure mysteries: Sushi

Donna Andrews: Meg Langslow mysteries: Spike

Donna Ball: Raine Stockton mysteries: Cisco

Laurien Berenson: Melanie Travis: Faith and Hope

Heather Blake (aka Heather Webber): Wishcraft mysteries: Missy

Emily Brightwell: Mrs. Jeffries mysteries: Fred

Rita Mae Brown: Mrs. Murphy Mystery Series: Tee Tucker

Rita Mae Brown: Fox Hunting mysteries: Diana

Leslie Budewitz: Seattle Spice Shop mysteries: Arf

Laura Childs: Tea Shop mysteries: Earl Grey

Laura Childs: Scrapbooking mysteries: Boo and Poobah

Margaret Coel: Wind River mysteries: Walks On Three Legs

Krista Davis: Domestic Diva mysteries: Daisy

Krista Davis: Paws and Claws mysteries: Trixie

Janet Evanovich: Stephanie Plum mysteries: Bob

Carolyn Haines: Sarah Booth Delaney mysteries: Chablis

Dashiell Hammett: Thin Man mysteries: Asta

Linda O’Johnston: Pet Rescue mysteries: Zoey

Annie Knox (aka Wendy Lyn Watson): Pet Boutique mysteries: Packer

Amanda Lee (aka Gayle Trent): Embroidery mysteries: Angus O’Ruff

Virginia Lowell: Cookie Cutter Shop mysteries: Spunky

Judi McCoy: Dog Walker mysteries: Rudy

Laura Morrigan: Call of the Wilde mysteries: Moss

Leigh Perry (aka Toni L.P. Kelner): Family Skeleton mysteries: Byron

Spencer Quinn (aka Peter Abrahams): Chet and Bernie mysteries: Chet

Maggie Sefton: Knitting mysteries: Carl

Karen Rose Smith: Caprice DeLuca mysteries: Lady

Diane Vallere: Mad for Mod mysteries: Rocky

Tracy Weber: Downward Dog mysteries: Bella

♦To access more Cozy Mysteries by Theme click on this link.♦

Comments

  1. I’ve just got to say that I love Gromit to bits! I know it’s stretching a point – Wallace and Gromit are animations but they do involve mystery and detection!

    Reply

      • Dear Danna et all: I have a couple of dogs in a cozy series for you!
        Emily Brightwell’s Mrs. Jeffries has Fred the mutt in her series and
        that has gone over 25 books and counting plus anthologies. Also
        Maggie Sefton’s knitting series featuring Kelly Flynn and Carl, her
        Rottweiler!

        Reply

  2. I have to add Tucker from Rita Mae Brown Miss Murphy series. He seem to be the side show and the cats the star

    Reply

  4. I have 2 that I love (I am sure there is more) Linda O’Johnston Pet Rescue Mysteries and Judi McCoy Dog Walker Series.

    Reply

  6. Karen Rose Smith A Caprice DeLuca Mystery series. Caprice has a dog named Lady (also a cat named Sophia which I had mention in the cats blog).

    Reply

  7. I’m a fan of Cisco, the Search and Rescue trained golden retriever featured in Donna Ball’s Raine Stockton Dog Mysteries

    Reply

  9. I would like to add Earl Grey to the list. I can’t remember what book it was but in one he was kidnapped and I had to look ahead in the next book to make sure he was back alive.

    Reply

  10. I have never met as funny or realistic dog as Chet of the “Chet and Bernie” mysteries. They aren’t exactly cozy but my absolute favorite these days.

    Reply

  14. There’s Captain Haviland, Olivia’s standard poodle from Ellery Ames Books By the Bay. From the Wishcraft mysteries by Heather Blake there is Missy. Packer, a little mutt from the pet boutique mysteries by Anne Knox. The Skeleton series by Leigh Perry has an Akita named Byron who tries to nibble on Sid. Besides dogs and cats, how about other animals (though these are usually somewhat paranormal) Oscar, the pot bellied pig from the Juliet Blackwell books and Bluebeard the Parrot from the Haunted Souvenir shops series by Christy Fifield.

    Reply

  15. Moss, the wolf/dog hybrid in Laura Morrigan’s Call of the Wilde mysteries is one of my favorites. He has a kitty named Voodoo, and is convinced he is the best looking dog ever! Moss adds some of the light moments in the stories as well as being a sweetie.

    Reply

  16. (I forgot to add to my other comment, the greatest mystery dog of all. Though not technically a cozy mystery book dog, Scooby Doo!)

    Reply

  17. Brigit the clever K9 cop from the Paw Enforcement series by Diane Kelly.

    Walks On Three Legs, Father John O’Malley’s faithful canine companion who lost his fourth leg in some sort of accident and was adopted by Father John, from the Wind River mysteries by Margaret Coel.

    Reply

  18. I love cozy mysteries and standard poodles. Do any of you know any series with poodles that I can read? Thank you.

    Reply

  20. Laurien Berenson writes a series where they raise and show poodles but other dogs are featured. The heroine’s main dog is Faith and her daughter Hope.

    Reply

  21. I enjoy all the fur people in the mysteries I read. It just seems dogs, cats and mysteries go hand-in-hand. But, since my favorite series are The Domestic Diva Mysteries and Paws and Claws Mysteries by Krista Davis; I would have to pick Sophie Wintson’s, Daisy and I must mention her kitty Mochie and Holly Miller’s, Trixie and her kitten Twinkeltoes.

    Reply

  22. Two more to mention, both from the classics. One not so nice and one adorable. The hound from the Hound of the Baskervilles and Nick and Nora’s Asta.

    Reply

  23. Walter & Cobain from the Book Collector Mysteries by Victoria Abbot (I’m in middle of reading The Wolfe Widow right now, otherwise I’d never remember.)

    Reply

  24. I must second Asta from Dashiel Hammett’s ‘The Thin Man’, and I’ll add Chablis, Tinkie Bellcase Richmond’s little dog from the Sarah Booth Delaney books by Carolyn Haines. After all, he did start the whole series, when Sarah Booth kidnapped him, thereby providing herself with a whole new career as a PI.

    Reply

  25. Hi Danna,
    I just discovered your wonderful blog a few days ago. It’s really great ! Thank you !!!
    I’d love you to add Sushi, the blind Shih Tzu, in Barbara Allan Trash’n Treasure mysteries
    Helene (from Paris – France)

    Reply

  26. I can’t believe no one has mentioned Bob, the dog from the Stephanie Plum series. One of my favorite scenes from a book was the time the bad guys, who were tough mob types, tried to kidnap Bob while, unbeknowst to them, he was having a very bad digestive day. They put him in the car and start driving and a few minutes later slam on the brakes and run screaming from the car! I almost had my own accident I was laughing so hard reading that chapter!
    Bob is big, not particularly smart, goofy and eats absolutely anything. He adds to the overall craziness of this fun series.

    Reply

  27. The mystery writer Martha Grimes found herself in the middle of a tempest a few years ago when she introduced two new characters to her Inspector Jury series. Harry Johnson is a villian and Mungo is a hero. Harry is a human and Mungo is his thinking dog.

    Jury has tried for three books now to get the goods on Harry, and Mungo has done his telepathic darndest to help him. In his spare time, Mungo drives the housecat to distraction by hiding her kittens. He’s become one of my favorite fictional characters. In real life, Ms. Grimes has devoted her time and resources to animal rights causes, and has probably not minded losing some of her more literal-minded readership.

    We all know that Lassie led Timmy to safety. We saw it on TV. So why shouldn’t Mungo be able to lead Jury to an arrest? In honor of Mungo, I’m expanding the role played by Spike, the German Shepherd, in the sequel I’m writing to Death in the Memorial Garden (called Death in the Old Rectory). No, Spike doesn’t think on the page; at least not for now.

    Reply

  28. I just finished Leslie Budewitz’s new book (Assault and Pepper) in her new series (Spice Shop Mysteries). It appears that a dog named ‘Arf’ will be a part of this series. It doesn’t become apparent until the last few chapters.

    Reply

  30. Will there be a sequel to “Murder She Purred”? It was one of my favorite movies! It is fun watching Mrs. Murphy and Tucker help solve murder in the small town of Cozet!

    Reply

  31. Rita Mae Brown has added Pirate, the Irish wolfhound puppy growing by leaps and bounds to her Sneaky Pie Series.

    Reply

  32. As the Melanie Travis series continues, the household black standard Poodles include: Faith, Eve (Faith’s daughter), along with the dogs added by Melanie’s marriage to Sam: Raven, Casey and Tar.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Please don't tell us about Cozy Mystery authors or books you don't enjoy.

Please use a nickname or your first name and last initial (unless you are an author and want your full name to appear).

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

MENU