A black cat washing its paw on a bookshelf beside a steaming mug of tea
My reading corner (artist's impression)

Hello, I'm Elle

I'm Elle Abernathy, and this is Black Cat Mysteries: a little corner of the internet for anyone who likes their murders with a pot of tea and a village fête.

It all started with Midsomer Murders. I grew up watching Barnaby wander through picture-perfect English villages where everyone had a secret and someone was always found face-down in the prize marrows. Somewhere along the way I realised I didn't just want to watch cozy mysteries, I wanted to read them. I've been hooked ever since.

My other great love is a good rummage. Charity shops, car boot sales, that one box under the table marked "books 50p": I can't walk past any of them. Black Cat Mysteries is what happened when I decided to put my two obsessions together, finding cozy mysteries in unexpected places and helping them find their next reader.

That's where our First Friday Find comes from. Every month I send a book I've found on my rummages to one lucky subscriber, with a note tucked inside asking them to pass it on when they're done. If you've found a book with our black cat stamp inside, come and tell us where.

Case file: E. Abernathy

Last seen
In bed, under a heap of blankets, "just one more chapter"
Drink of choice
A mug of gingerbread spice chai
Known haunts
Charity shops and car boot sales
Weakness
Any shelf with a handwritten "books 50p" sign
The original black cat
Timmy, who was actually black and white, but I like to think he'd have approved
Long-term plan
Become the village's resident cat lady

If you love a small village, a nosy amateur sleuth and a body in the library, you're in the right place. Pop the kettle on and come and join us.

Join the newsletter

Elle 🐾