Our lives have been recently filled with the delightful chaos of kittens once more. After the passing of our beloved, nearly eighteen-year-old cat, Mittens, my wife and I took a much-needed break from pet ownership. Mittens was the last of six cats who had graced our home over the years, each bringing immense joy and vibrancy. However, the quiet that followed was short-lived. Last Saturday, we welcomed Maeve and Moxie, nine-month-old kittens, into our lives. These two were part of the last litter from an outdoor colony and were quite underweight when they entered foster care. Now, they are models of health, radiating love and boundless energy. The sudden return of feline companionship has transformed our once-quiet house back into a lively space, complete with scattered cat toys and the familiar sound of tiny paws thundering down the hallway in the middle of the night during their “zoomies.”
While I have always been a devoted “servant to cats” and a friend to dogs, it wasn’t until my second Meg Booker mystery, Book Drop Dead, that a pet made an appearance in my fiction. In that novel, Meg adopts a stray kitten named Honorius, though he doesn’t contribute to solving any murders. The idea of writing a cozy mystery where pets actively participate in solving a case is certainly enticing. While many such mysteries already exist, that has never stopped me before when an idea takes hold. Much like my approach to cozy mysteries in general, I believe in thoroughly immersing myself in the genre, and I’ve already begun compiling a reading list of pet-centric mysteries.
I am a great admirer of Jeffrey Poole’s Corgi Casefiles series, which offers considerable inspiration with its clue-detecting corgis, Sherlock and Watson. Should I embark on writing a “pet helps solve mystery” novel, it would, naturally, have to feature a cat or cats. To that end, I have added Rita Mae Brown’s Mrs. Murphy cat mysteries, Shirley Rosseau Murphy’s Joe Grey series, Lillian Jackson Brown’s Cat Who books, and Miranda James’ Cat in the Stacks series to my to-be-read list.
In honor of cats in mystery fiction, we will revisit a post from March 2024 by Elaine Viets on including pets in mysteries, alongside a 2016 post by James Scott Bell on the art of herding very different kinds of “CATS.” Both pieces offer valuable insights and are well worth reading in their entirety.
Handling “Character Alone Thinking Scenes” (CATS)
We all understand that immersing readers in a lead character’s inner thoughts is crucial for compelling fiction. However, this must be executed seamlessly to avoid disrupting the narrative and breaking the “fictive dream.” This means mastering the art of what I refer to as “Character Alone Thinking Scenes” (CATS) with a deft hand.
A primary consideration is whether to commence a book with a CATS. Based on a first-page critique from last Wednesday, it’s my view that the answer should almost invariably be No. The reason is simple: readers need to establish a personal investment in a character before they can deeply care about their feelings. Imagine attending a party and being introduced to someone holding a drink. You inquire, “How are you?” and the response is a lengthy, melancholic monologue about depression, a dark soul, and the meaninglessness of life. This is overwhelming!
The beginning of a book is akin to entering a party. Readers seek to encounter interesting individuals. Interest is sparked by what people do. To captivate readers from the outset, focus on action and disturbance, not merely feeling and expounding. Over the years, I’ve reviewed countless manuscripts that didn’t begin with a true scene but instead delved into a character’s internal thoughts. In such cases, I typically flip ahead until I find dialogue, which inherently signifies we’ve entered a scene. In approximately 98% of instances, this is the optimal starting point. While a strong writing style might sustain the opening pages, it must be truly exceptional and brief. Therefore, save your CATS for later in the novel.
Once the narrative is underway, there are two types of CATS to manage: active and reactive. In an active CATS, the character is alone but focused on a significant scene objective—something directly impacting the plot. They think while actively attempting to overcome obstacles within the scene. In a reactive CATS, the character is alone and has an opportunity to reflect. They might ponder past events, their current psychological state, or other characters. When skillfully employed, reactive scenes effectively deepen our emotional connection with the character.
Pets in Mystery Fiction: A Prolific Choice with Considerations
I am currently crafting a new mystery series set in South Florida, and one of the most challenging decisions I’ve faced is whether my protagonist should have a pet. Pets are undeniably popular with mystery readers, particularly cats and dogs. Many cozy mystery enthusiasts are familiar with Laurie Cass’s Bookmobile Cat series, and that’s just a fraction of the feline-centric stories available. There are entire series dedicated to Cat Cafes, Klepto Cats, Magical Cats, witches’ cats, library cats, and bookstore cats, to name a few.
While cats that talk and solve mysteries aren’t my personal preference—my own cats struggle to open a can of food—readers evidently enjoy felines capable of semi-human feats. Alternatively, I could have introduced a dog. Dog mysteries are consistently well-received by audiences. There are numerous series, including David Rosenfelt’s, featuring the work-avoiding, dog-loving lawyer Andy Carpenter and his golden retriever, Tara. Tara is a delightful companion. Other mystery series showcase working dogs, such as FBI special agent Sara Driscoll and her search and rescue Labrador, Hawk.
There are several compelling reasons to include pets in mysteries:
- Social Interaction: Walking a dog provides a natural opportunity to meet people.
- Character Judgment: Animals are often perceptive judges of character. Dogs (and some cats) can offer rescue or defense, provide warnings through timely barks or hisses, and even help uncover clues.
- Reader Identification: A pet can be a significant asset, as readers often identify with them. Comments like, “Your cat reminds me of my orange tabby, Ginger. She loves to…” are common.
However, there are notable downsides to consider. Pets require care. A detective cannot be in pursuit of a killer and suddenly halt the investigation to make a phone call. (“Psst! Mark. I’m staking out the killer’s house. Will you walk my corgi? I just got a new living room rug.”) Dogs also need regular feeding and grooming. Cats, while slightly lower maintenance, still demand attention. A detective might leave out a bowl of dry food and water for their cat, but eventually, the litter box will need cleaning.
Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series features a unique, low-maintenance animal: a hamster named Rex. Rex resides in a cage on her kitchen counter, sleeps in a soup can, and exercises on his wheel. Stephanie occasionally gives him a grape as a treat. Yet, Evanovich is such a skilled writer that Rex feels remarkably real. There was even a point where thugs held Rex for ransom, and I genuinely hoped for the little creature’s survival. For my new series, I ultimately decided to proceed without a pet.
- Do you enjoy reading mysteries featuring pets? Do you have any favorites?
- Have you incorporated pets into your own fiction? If so, what kind of pet and in what capacity?
- How do you manage to herd James Scott Bell’s “CATS” when you write?
