The Black Cat Detectives by Kit Grey Review: A Paranormal Cozy Mystery Cat Lovers Will Adore

Read time: 3 minutes

📱📖 Read on Kobo
📃 304 pages
⏱️ 4 hours
🏷️ Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
📅 Release Date: May 26, 2026
🧾 ARC provided by NetGalley

Book Blurb:

A charming cozy mystery with a delightful twist: the detectives are three kittens with magical powers.

Precocious kittens Bippity, Boppity, and Boop are devoted to their human, Mila, a struggling magician who rescued them from a grim alleyway and gave them a loving home. When Mila’s shady boyfriend and business manager is found dead after her big magic show, suspicion lands squarely on her. With the threat of Mila being taken away, the kittens must use their questionable grasp on physics, and every ounce of feline cleverness, to uncover the truth. This purr-plexing mystery may be their toughest case yet.

Let’s talk … cats!!!

There are paranormal cozy mysteries… and then there are PARANORMAL COZY MYSTERIES. You think you’ve read cat cozies before? You haven’t met these three. Bippity, Boppity, and Boop are not just kittens. They are THE kittens. The kind that make you pause mid-chapter and think, How have I lived this long without them? I genuinely cannot believe I went through life unaware that three magical black kittens were missing from it.

What truly sent me, though, is that a huge portion of this book is narrated from the kittens’ POV. Not as a gimmick. Not as a novelty. As a fully realized, emotionally rich storytelling choice that WORKS. Their love for Mila is fierce, instinctual, and achingly pure. Every threat feels personal. Every risk feels devastating. I laughed out loud, clutched my chest, and had multiple “I would burn the world down for these kittens” moments. However, everytime Boop goes “Motherrrrrr”… Cue the ugly-cry ugly tears mixed with giggles.

The mystery keeps you guessing with two bodies, shady boyfriends, quirky side characters (Mrs. F, you icon), and a whole lot of magical mishaps that had me laughing so hard. Kit Grey’s writing sparkles with mischief. One chapter I was laughing, the next I was wiping an unexpected tear (yes, over kittens, don’t @ me). By the time I hit the twist, I didn’t care who the killer was, I just wanted these three tiny detectives to get home safe and nap in a sunbeam. Cozy mystery readers, fantasy fans, cat lovers, this book is your next comfort read.

Would I recommend it?

You need this book like you need food to live. I will not be taking questions at this time.

If you are a cat lover, this is non-negotiable. If you are a cozy mystery reader, this is required reading. And if you are both? Congratulations, this book was written directly for you. Pre-order it. Add it to your TBR. Shout about it. Nothing else I’ve read recently comes even close to delivering this level of joy.

If You Loved This, Try These Too

1. A Magical Cats Mystery series by Sofie Kelly
   This is the closest vibes cousin to The Black Cat Detectives. You get cats with magical abilities, a cozy small-town setting, and mysteries that balance stakes with charm. If Bippity, Boppity, and Boop made your heart grow three sizes, Sofie Kelly’s magical felines will absolutely keep that energy going.
2. Mrs. Murphy Mysteries by Rita Mae Brown
   For readers who fell hard for the animal POV narration, this series is essential reading. The mystery-solving pets don’t just assist, they lead, offering clever observations about humans that feel surprisingly insightful and emotionally grounded, much like the kittens’ perspectives in this book.
3. The Cat Who… series by Lilian Jackson Braun
   This one is for the classic cozy lovers who adored the idea of cats being central to crime-solving. While it’s lighter on the paranormal, it shares the same comfort-first, cat-forward storytelling that makes The Black Cat Detectives such a joyful read.
4. Witches of Dubious Origin by Jenn McKinlay
   If you loved the blend of magic, humor, and heartfelt character dynamics, this paranormal cozy scratches that same itch. The magic is playful but meaningful, and the emotional core, found family, loyalty, and protecting your people—aligns beautifully with Mila and her kittens.
5. The Vampire Knitting Club by Nancy Warren
   This pick is for readers who enjoyed the whimsical chaos of a paranormal cozy that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It delivers that same “this is ridiculous but I am INVESTED” feeling, pairing supernatural elements with cozy mystery comfort and lovable recurring characters.

Let’s Talk Kittens & Crimes

Okay, if your cats had magical powers, what would they be? Would they use them to solve mysteries or just to open more cans of tuna? Tell me in the comments before I go re-read the last chapter again.

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