Best cosy crime books of 2026

Reading lists

The best cosy crime books and mysteries to read in 2026

The Dogwalkers' Detective Agency

PAWS FOR THOUGHT…THERE’S MURDER AFOOT IN FRAMSTONE 
Cosy crime, wagging tails and one mystery too deadly to ignore. 
'Brilliant - I inhaled it...this is my dream book' CLAUDIA WINKLEMAN 
 
'This sweet, big-hearted novel is like The Thursday Murder Club With Dogs' MARIAN KEYES 
 
'A delight for lovers of cosy crime, and a must for all lovers of a good mystery involving dogs!' PETER JAMES 
 
'Charming, big-hearted, and with a gigantic twist. But frankly, you had me at dogs' JOJO MOYES 
 
'Cosy crime takes a delightfully fresh turn with this striking debut...If you like Richard Osman's books , you will love this' DAILY MAIL 
 
-- 
They've got a lot of leads...but can they collar a killer? 
 
When Charlie Boardman and his beloved Staffy, Ruby, stumble across a corpse in the woods, the sleepy coastal town of Framstone is rocked by the discovery that the local pub landlord has been murdered. 
 
Charlie and his fellow dogwalkers take it upon themselves to try and sniff out any clues that might help the local police with their investigation. 
 
But what begins as idle speculation and gossip quickly becomes something more sinister, when Charlie starts receiving anonymous threats warning him off the case. 
 
Then, a second body washes up on the beach… 
 
Can Charlie hunt down a killer, before he becomes the next victim? 
 
-- 
 
Authors and reviewers are barking mad for The Dogwalkers' Detective Agency! 
 
'A heartwarming, satisfying page-turner with a delicious final twist that made me gasp' DAISY BUCHANAN 
'Wit, charm, warmth and dogs - what more could you want from a cracking whodunnit?' LUCY MANGAN 
'Funny, big-hearted, cosy but never comatose, The Dogwalkers’ Detective Agency is an absolute must-read for all dog lovers - and even you strange cat people too!' MIKE GAYLE 
'What a joy The Dogwalkers’ Detective Agency is – once I began reading it I just couldn’t put it down. Funny and ingeniously plotted, this is a terrific debut' JILL MANSELL 
'Michael Hogan is a hilariously funny writer, and this is a total treat' JENNY COLGAN 
'Subtle, absorbing and bursting with rambunctious, tail-wagging charm. I was grinning and gripped from the very first page' JIMI FAMUREWA 
'I couldn't stop devouring the pages here, packed with such warmth, fun and breezy humour' FIONA GIBSON

Brilliant - I inhaled it. I love dogs and I love detectives. This is actually my dream book

Clever, charming and as twisty as a string of sausages stolen from a butchers by a Staffy

This slice of cosy crime is perfect for anyone who loves dogs, or detecting!

Cosy crime has a lively new voice (and a nose for mystery). If you love dogs, are fond of a yarn and enjoy a good mystery, this debut will make for a satisfying autumnal read

This charming crime caper...is a breath of fresh air. An effortless, engaging read

A delight for lovers of cosy crime, and a must for all lovers of a good mystery involving dogs!

[A] smashing debut novel. Hogan is a witty journalist, and his warm, waggish tale of a group of murder-solving canine owners in the sleepy coastal town of Framstone is ideal for a dog-loving book lover

Cosy crime takes a delightfully fresh turn with this striking debut...If you like Richard Osman's books , you will love this

This sweet, big-hearted novel is like The Thursday Murder Club With Dogs. I horsed through it and found it hugely uplifting. The friendship between the characters is beautiful, and I LOVE the protagonist Charlie. It really kept me guessing - and oh my God, that final FINAL twist! I need more!

This very clever mix of cosy crime and dark whodunnit makes this the ideal escape for autumn

A heartwarming, satisfying page-turner with a delicious final twist that made me gasp

Charming, big-hearted, and with a gigantic twist. But frankly, you had me at dogs

Wit, charm, warmth and dogs - what more could you want from a cracking whodunnit?

Love The Thursday Murder Club? Love dogs? This is the crossover for you

If you loved The Thursday Murder Club, this cosy crime novel is paw- fect

Funny, big-hearted, cosy but never comatose, The Dogwalkers’ Detective Agency is an absolute must-read for all dog lovers - and even you strange cat people too!

This delicious slice of cosy crime is perfect for dog lovers!

What a joy The Dogwalkers’ Detective Agency is – once I began reading it I just couldn’t put it down, and upon reaching the end I longed to rush straight out and start solving murders. Funny and ingeniously plotted, this is a terrific debut from Michael Hogan

Michael Hogan is a hilariously funny writer, and this is a total treat

A fiendishly entertaining, utterly more-ish murder mystery that'll knock you off your feet with its charm

journalist and author of Don't Make Me Laugh

Funny, fast-paced and fiendishly clever. A fabulous book that'll keep you guessing right to the end

the half-a-million copy bestselling author of The Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook

The Dogwalkers’ Detective Agency is that great reading experience of ‘oh lovely, I’m in a cosy world with some characters I’m very invested in’ which then migrates without you quite realising it’s happening to ‘oh hello, we’re in big twist territory and this is actually a great, well-plotted crime novel.’ Also though (and most importantly): extremely pleasing for anyone who loves a pun

Subtle, absorbing and bursting with rambunctious, tail-wagging charm. Hogan balances digressive, deliciously playful humour with a dark, poignant edge. In Framstone – the fictional seaside town that is arguably the story’s most beguiling character – he has created a setting that feels so tactile and well-realised that you can practically smell the ripe surf. I was grinning and gripped from the very first page, already thinking of the many doting dog parents and crime aficionados that I wanted to buy a copy for

I couldn't stop devouring the pages here, packed with such warmth, fun and breezy humour. A pacy tale brimming with heart and a bewildering murder mystery that bring these small-town dogwalkers together. An utter pleasure from start to finish

no. 1 bestselling author of The Woman Who Got Her Spark Back

So good and so twisty. I raced through it

BAFTA-winning screenwriter of the BBC's Agatha Christie adaptations

I was hooked by this witty, warm and hugely characterful debut. In Charlie Boardman, Michael Hogan has created a protagonist you want to hang out with; in the mystery he stumbles into solving, a twisty and compelling conundrum. But there's more to this debut than canine capers and pithy puns - the pacey, buoyant prose deftly conceals a darker, spikier undercurrent

Though I was expecting dogs and crime, what touched me most was how it captured the power of unlikely friendships. I loved the way a shared love of animals brought together a Motley Crew of sorts...I loved getting to know this cosy community; it had all the mystery of Broadchurch with the heart and togetherness of Motherland

Michael Hogan is a writer and editor with a 30-year career in journalism. As a freelance writer for the past 12 years, he’s been TV critic for the Telegraph and written for the Guardian, Observer, Radio Times, Red, Q, Empire, Marie Claire, Grazia, Glamour, InStyle, Esquire, ES and You magazine. Michael now writes mainly about TV and pop culture, but also turns his hand to lifestyle pieces, topical comment, celebrity interviews and humorous articles. 
 
He lives in London with his family and a rescue dog called Ivy. To escape them all and get some work/procrastination done, he commutes to a shed at the bottom of his garden. The Dogwalkers' Detective Agency is his debut novel.

When Charlie Boardman and his beloved Staffy, Ruby, stumble across a corpse in the woods, the sleepy coastal town of Framstone is rocked by the discovery that the local pub landlord has been murdered. 
 
Charlie and his fellow dogwalkers take it upon themselves to try and sniff out any clues that might help the local police with their investigation. 
 
But what begins as idle speculation and gossip quickly becomes something more sinister, when Charlie starts receiving anonymous threats warning him off the case. 
 
Then, a second body washes up on the beach… 
 
Can Charlie hunt down a killer, before he becomes the next victim?

Michael Hogan

Praise for The Dogwalkers' Detective Agency

Having achieved local fame due to their crime-cracking exploits, Charlie Boardman and his fellow dogwalkers are delighted to receive invitations for a festive stay at a new dog-friendly boutique hotel on the outskirts of seaside town, Framstone. 
 
A chance to enjoy some luxury and pampering, not to mention spending Christmas together, is gratefully accepted. That is, until one of their fellow hotel guests turns up dead in his room. 
 
The dogwalkers soon realise they’ve got their paws on a murder. A rare White Christmas is now stained with red. 
 
But who checked into the Dog Hotel with murder in mind?

Michael Hogan

Books by Michael Hogan

Articles featuring Michael Hogan

The best cosy crime books and mysteries to read in 2026

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