Detective Whiskers is a crime-solving cat who lives on a Florida Gulf Coast beach.

No two days are the same in Paradise Cove. They mostly begin the same, though. Sheila opens a can of Fancy Feast for me while her coffee steeps in the French Press pot. I don’t drink coffee, no matter how good it smells. Not since that one time. Curiosity didn’t kill this cat but it sure did have me bouncing off the walls of Sunset Cottage, our small house just off the beach behind the white sandy dunes.

After breakfast I enjoy my first cat nap of the day while Sheila makes herself breakfast and gets dressed. That’s something I don’t have to worry about. My tuxedo fur never goes out of style. Today she’s chosen to put on a modest swimsuit and a sheer coverup. Her friends in the Paradise Cove Murder Society will be over shortly for their own cat naps in a set of beach chairs, listening to the waves roll in. Will Tarrie Ann bring margaritas? She usually does, but maybe not this early in the day. I guess it’s a habit she picked up in her Hollywood days when she was on a popular daily drama.

My cat nap ends when I hear the click, click, click of Becky’s stiletto heels approaching the front door. She must have been showing a property already. As the local realtor, she’s the first to meet anyone hoping to move to our postcard-perfect small town. Julia, a school teacher, caught a ride on Becky’s golf cart. That’s the preferred mode of transportation in Paradise Cove. Nothing is far away.

A little relaxation in the sun sounds good so I head out with the ladies, hopping off the boardwalk halfway through the dunes. I know I’ll find my friend Zappa in his usual spot and, sure enough, there he is, flat on his back soaking in the morning sun and hidden from human eyes by the dunes and several clumps of sea oats growing from them. A soft breeze has the tall strands swaying gently.

Zappa’s nose twitches. “Whiskers, is that you?” He doesn’t bother opening his eyes or rolling off his back. “No big case to investigate today, man?”

“All quiet today. I’ll check in with Kojak later, see if he needs help with anything.” Kojak is the K-9 officer with the local police department. We got off to a bit of a rough start, but after I solved the town’s first murder he realized the badge on my collar was legit. The chief was another story so Kojak had to be careful about sharing information. He had no problem accepting information from me, of course. And eating treats after finding evidence I told him about.

Plopping down in the sand beside Zappa, I roll over onto my back for another cat nap. I can’t stay out here all day like he does. He’s a certified beach bum. I’m a working detective, regardless of what the chief thinks. My eyes close and the soft roar of the waves quickly sends me into a slumber which ends when a shadow passes over. My eyes open just in time to see a majestic pair of wings spread wide. Blue, a heron who hangs out here, glides down, her long legs stretching and touching down a few feet from where the surf has darkened the sand.

It’s a beautiful day in Sunset Cove. If Kojak doesn’t have anything for me to investigate I’ll come back for another of the amazing sunsets that give our home its name.

Paw and Order: A Detective Whiskers Cozy Mystery, Book 1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
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Figuring out whodunit is just the first step for this curious cat detective. Convincing the humans may be his biggest challenge.

Sheila hasn’t even unpacked yet at a new beachfront cottage when her neighbor is killed. With the police looking at her as the suspect, it’s up to her cat, Whiskers, to find the real killer. Can he use his detective skills, and his new animal friends, to save Sheila and start a new life in Paradise Cove?

Sheila and Whiskers have retired to the beach after her detective husband passed away. Fred was a great husband and father, but he was also a mentor and Whiskers is now a fully trained detective. He even has a badge on his pet collar to prove it. Unfortunately, nobody takes him seriously. Not only will he have to uncover the truth, his biggest challenge will be convincing the humans.

Paradise Cove is a quaint beach town on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Live Oaks, Spanish Moss, and beautiful flowers line the well-maintained streets. The beach is never crowded, sea oats sway in the ocean breeze, and the sunsets are beyond amazing.
Even a cute beach cottage can get lonely without friends. Sheila and Whiskers are both welcomed by some unique and friendly neighbors who will prove themselves as loyal friends, helping to clear Sheila’s name.

This is the first book in the 9-book series with Paw and Order, CSI: Cat Sleuth Investigation, Miami Mice, Purrder, She Wrote, Mission Impawsible, Only Meowders in the Building, Police Acatdemy, NCIS: National Cat Investigative Society, and Christmas Movie Mystery (Dec 2024).

Meet the author
Chris Abernathy writes fun and uplifting cozy stories with lovable characters and happy endings. He is a recovering radio personality who now uses his voice to narrate audiobooks. He is a dual national, living primarily on the Gulf Coast and traveling to his second home in the Scottish Highlands as often as possible.