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The Black Cat Detectives

Not yet published
Expected 26 May 26
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A charming cozy mystery with a delightful twist: The detectives are three kittens with magical powers, determined to solve a most purr-plexing case.

Precocious kittens Bippity, Boppity, and Boop are exceedingly loyal to their human, the 28-year-old mediocre magician Mila. She saved them from starving to death in a dingy Corvin’s Crossing alleyway and has been nothing but loving ever since, even though her own life is in shambles. 

So when Mila’s sketchy  boyfriend and business manager turns up dead at the end of her big magic show—she’s the prime suspect. With evidence mounting, there’s nothing stopping the sheriff from hauling away Mila to the human pound. Unless the kittens can solve the crime and clear her name. 

The kittens will have to use their dubious control over the laws of physics and every whisker of know-how they’ve got to catch the real killer if they want to save their happy home with Mila. This is one meow-stery more tangled than any ball of yarn they’ve encountered yet.

304 pages, Paperback

Expected publication May 26, 2026

2 people are currently reading
66 people want to read

About the author

Kit Gray

3 books5 followers
Kit Gray is the cozy mystery pseudonym for author Elise Scott.

Elise writes from their lived experiences of queerness, disability, neurodivergence, fat-positivity, and petting three cats with two hands. Their life has been an adventure, from facilitating equine therapy for trauma survivors to counseling at-risk youth with the aid of an inordinately large sub-woofer and beyond. They earned their BA from Mount Holyoke and their MS from Capella University.

Their debut novel, a cozy mystery featuring three kittens with the ability to bend the laws of physics, who must solve a murder to save their rescuer from the human pound, is forthcoming from Crooked Lane in May 2026.

Elise is a 3rd place Not Quite Write Prize winner and Best-of-the-Net nominee. Their short work has appeared/is forthcoming in The Advocate, Choices: An Anthology of Reproductive Horror, The Not Quite Write Anthology 2025, The B'K, Five Minutes, Knee Brace, All Existing, Chaotic Merge, HerStry, and Quibble, among others. Find out what they’re working on now at http://elise-scott.com.

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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Profile Image for CrazyCatLadyReadsBooks.
93 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
January 3, 2026
Mila - an amateur magician, is arguing with her boyfriend/manager when she hears some cries. There in the alley, are three kittens who are just about clinging on to life. Once taken to the vet, checked over and fed, Mila decides to adopt them. She has to hone her act for a major opportunity and so decides to take the kitties with her. Whilst performing live everything is going great... until her boyfriend is found stabbed to death for the big finale! With Mila looking like the prime suspect, the kittens decide they better help find the real murderer, after all Mila is their human now...isn’t she?

The Pro's:
1) The kitties are so adorable. They are full of (over)confidence and sweetness but vulnerability too
2) There is a fun mystery to try and solve
3) There are small town vibes
4) There are so many cute animals and they all have fab names like, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (horses) and Biscuit and Cookie (goats) etc
5) Dual POV with Mila and the Kitties! (all the separate Kitties have a POV)
6) Mila is a magician so her act is in the story. I love magic and illusion.
7) The cover 😍

The Con's:
1) There are some sad parts
2) There are some dark themes i.e. murder etc
3) Personally I think Mila forgives someone a little bit too easily in the story and it didn’t really ring true

The Quotes:
1) She looked at me with dark brown eyes, and I began to purr. I waved my tail invitingly and lifted my back, walking sideways to show her how much soft, lovely fur I had. She probably wanted to snuggle me. Who wouldn’t?

2) A sudden feeling blossomed in her chest, like gratitude, but much fiercer. Somehow, the other emotions battling for her attention, the anxiety and hurt and anger of the day, felt less important. Even if the rest of her life went up in flames, there would be a pile of kittens on her chest when she went to bed tonight.

3) “There’s a unique, ineffable thing that happens between humans and cats.” She settled herself again into an elegant queen pose, her gaze distant. “For all of their quirks and faults, humans change the world around them in ways we cats could never imagine. And we change the world in ways they can’t understand. When a human and a cat find a special connection, a harmony of purpose, their bond is the closest thing in this world to magic.”

The Summary:
I ADORED this book! Yes, the biggest draw was the cutie patootie kittens - they also have a POV in the book as well. My heart melted hearing their ‘voices’ plus the writer exactly got the attitude right for the kittens - over confident but vunerable too. There is also the murder mystery and the bond between the kitties and their human Mila - anyone with an animal - especially cats, understands how unique that bond is. I was a fan of the writing as well, I devoured the book in less than 24 hours, I was that invested. I am also a fan of magic and loved that aspect in the book. I am really hoping this will turn into a series and I will be first in line to buy it!

Additional note: Look how adorable this cover is! I genuinely think this is the best cover I have ever seen in my life. I need this book on my shelf and a poster of the front cover on my wall!
Pretty, pretty please 🙏 🙏 🙏

Summed up in a sentence?:
3x black adorable kitties try to help their human accused of murder

I rated the book 4.5 but happily rounded it up to 5 on Goodreads as they don't have half stars. It's well deserved.

Publish date: Expected 26 May 2026 at time of review

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC for the chance to read and review!
Profile Image for Devi.
754 reviews40 followers
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
January 7, 2026
📱📖 Read on Kobo
📃 304 pages
⏱️ 4 hours
🏷️ Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
📅 Release Date: May 26, 2026
🧾 ARC provided by NetGalley

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.

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.
Profile Image for Dotti.
386 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
January 1, 2026
Rating: 3.5 stars, rounded up

A cute cozy mystery, The Black Cat Detectives by Kit Gray follows Mila, a stage magician, and her three adopted kittens, Bippity, Boppity and Boop. Mila is set to have a life-changing performance in front of the whole town when her boyfriend, Brandon, falls to the ground dead in the middle of her final act. Mila is the prime suspect, and she and her kittens are determined to clear her name.

The story is told from the perspectives of Mila and each of her three kittens, rotating between the four characters. Each kitten is given a distinct personality, which is always nice to see, and their perspectives are very cat-like. The different species of animals have different abilities, which is a nice touch. The cats themselves contain “physics” manipulation, which adds a touch of magical realism to the story.

The mystery itself has good twists and turns, though some threads seemed to end unanswered. There is a clear red herring that they never really explain, which is somewhat frustrating. The story laid clues throughout to the murderer without making it too obvious, which is always nice.

The story is cute and fun. If you’re looking for a cozy mystery and you’re a big cat person, this will absolutely hit that mark. If you’re not a big fan of cats, or mysteries aren’t your thing, then this book probably isn’t solid enough to convince you to break genre.

This book was provided to me on NetGalley in exchange for my review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Lis.
61 reviews4 followers
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
January 8, 2026
The Black Cat Detectives is a fun murder mystery where the kittens are the detectives.They are awful at it but we love them for it.

This did a really great job of being cute and funny but not being over the top or corny. This easily could have fallen to the corny side. So I have to give Kit Gray the credit she deserves for keeping to that line. Although girl you made me hungry for cat food.

I think the mysteries pretty decent and this is a quick read. This is definitely a good pallet cleanser after reading a heavy fantasy novel which is what I did.

My main snag on this is that of the dozen or so main characters six of them have names that start with the letter B. I was mixing up the kittens from time to time. Their personalities are unique but when one is named Bippity and one is name Boppity, I kept swapping who was who in my head. And of course the list of characters was at the back of the book.

I would definitely recommend anyone who likes light-hearted mysteries to pick this up it's a cute cozy little read.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advance copy in exchange for a honest review.
Profile Image for Holly.
14 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
January 14, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars

The Black Cat Detectives by Kit Grey is an absolute delight and such a clever, cozy mystery. The concept alone, three magical kittens solving a murder to save their human completely won me over. The story of Bippity, Boppity, and Boop being rescued, finding a loving owner, and doing everything they can to protect her is genuinely heart-warming.

The mystery itself has a strong whodunit vibe and kept me guessing the whole way through. I loved how sweet and cozy the tone was, while still delivering a solid twist! I genuinely did not predict the killer. The kittens’ personalities and their slightly chaotic, magical interference added so much charm and humor to the investigation.

This was a feel-good read with just the right balance of cozy vibes, mystery, and emotional stakes. A unique and adorable take on the genre, especially for animal lovers. If you enjoy cozy mysteries with a twist and a lot of heart, this one is definitely worth picking up 🐾✨

Thank you to Kit Grey, Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me early access to read this wonderful book and provide my honest thoughts and opinions
Profile Image for Nicole Heron.
129 reviews1 follower
December 29, 2025
I have it a 3.8 stars. It’s such a cute and cozy murder mystery book with a twist instead of the detective being people, it’s three cats solving a crime. It’s cute and unique and I really did enjoy it.

So the premise of the book is our FMC, Mila, a magician, who suddenly becomes a suspect in her own boyfriend’s murder when he is found dead at one of her shows. To help solve the case and to clear her name, Mila’s three cats decide to it into their own paws (I know I cringed at that myself 😅) to solve the case. It’s a dual POV of Mila and the cats, which was quite interesting and at times cute and they are all so adorable!!!!

It’s as adorable as their names, Bippity Boppity and Boo. Every time I read their names all I could hear was the fairy godmother from Disney’s Cinderella 🤣

I will say that with the dual POV it was sometimes hard to tell who was talking throughout and I had to flick back and forth a bit to figure it out. But I did enjoy the pacing of the book and it was a good ending.

Thank you to the author and netgallery for giving me this opportunity to read this book.
Profile Image for Jason Lavoie.
212 reviews
January 2, 2026
Thank you NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and the author, Kit Gray, for the opportunity to read and review The Black Cat Detectives. This book will be published on May 26, 2026.

It’s follows an up-and-coming magician, Mila MacAllister, as she’s framed for the murder of her boyfriend, and manager, Brandon Jameson. As the evidence mounts against her, it’s up to the three black kittens she rescued - Bippity, Boppity, and Boop - to help her solve the mystery.

The storyline with the rescued kittens pulled at my heartstrings as a cat rescuer myself. Their antics are completely on point for a threesome of kittens.

This was a quaint, cute, cozy, and quirky mystery. It was also a quick read that read like a young adult book. The story moved along at a good pace though the conclusion felt rushed. It was a small town mystery with lots of likeable characters.

Profile Image for April McCloud.
Author 1 book2 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
December 31, 2025
A cozy mystery with three physics-controlling kittens! Bippoty, Boppity, and Boop must help their newly adopted human Mila clear her name after her boyfriend (and agent) is found dead at one of her magic shows. With easy to devour prose that is both eloquent and laugh-out-loud funny, the author masterfully leads you through a twisty mystery, that keeps you guessing all the way until the very end. Will Mila's clowder of kittens be able to keep their owner out of the human pound? Check out this book and find out!

Gratitude to the author for allowing me to be their writing partner and personally watch this book develop from an adorable idea to a compelling story that you don't want to put down.
Profile Image for Aanya Sachdeva.
Author 3 books57 followers
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
December 24, 2025

This was so intriguing! And the end!!! I absolutely loved it!
I just couldn’t put the book down
The way the little kittens pitched in to help solve the case.
How they discovered themselves and learnt so much and while I loved the way the mystery progressed the way all the pieces came together I admired how Bippity Boppity and Boo grew, came to terms with real life and helped use their physics to free Mila.
The book was well written, the pacing was perfect and the writing was enthralling.
5/5 would recommend!!
Thank you Netgalley and publisher for an advanced copy.
Profile Image for Christine.
77 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
January 2, 2026
Full disclosure--I'm a veterinarian and a crazy cat lady, so I had high expectations.
And this book didn't disappoint. For the next few days, I found myself wondering which of the 3 kittens my own cats were like.
I loved the new take--kittens solving mysteries and they are magic, too! The author was inclusive without being overwhelming about it, which was perfect. The FMC was a bit annoying...but that I can forgive.
And, as always, it kept me guessing (but I've never been good at guessing the killer!)

Here's hoping there's more to come from Bippity, Boppity and Boop!
Profile Image for Viola.
24 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
December 31, 2025
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC. I really loved this. It was a nice cute cozy little mystery. Especially with it having the cats solving the mystery. Mila becomes the suspect in her boyfriend’s murder and it’s up to Mila’s three cats to help solve the case. All three who happen to have the cutest names ever Bippity, Boppity, and Boop. I loved this so much I could not put it down. The pacing was good and had a satisfying ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Denali.
41 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
January 6, 2026
This book delivers exactly what you think it will, a cute, fun and cozy little murder mystery that gets solved by three kittens. It was cute and entertaining there were a few sad parts but overall it was just an enjoyable book that took me on a fun ride to solve a murder.
Thank you to NetGalley for the early copy
Profile Image for Sherri.
30 reviews4 followers
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
January 14, 2026
Enjoyed the concept and the mystery, but there were too many points of view and that was confusing.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews

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