How to Read The Mysteries of Max
Nic Saint's popular cozy mystery series, The Mysteries of Max, is best read in publication order. Because the characters—both feline and human—grow, develop relationships, and experience life changes over the course of the series, following the order in which the books were released ensures that you will not encounter spoilers regarding their personal lives.
While each mystery itself is self-contained and resolved by the end of the book, the overarching story of reporter Odelia Poole and her talking ginger tabby cat, Max, unfolds sequentially. If you skip around, you might find characters in different relationships, new cats introduced without explanation, or references to past events that you have not yet read.
The Core Reading Order
The main series consists of full-length cozy mystery novels, supplemented by a couple of holiday-themed short stories and novellas. For the absolute best reading experience, insert the short stories into the chronological gaps where they were published. Here is how the complete list fits together:
- Purrfect Murder (Book 1) - 2017
- Purrfectly Deadly (Book 2) - 2017
- Purrfect Revenge (Book 3) - 2017
- Purrfect Heat (Book 4) - 2017
- Purrfect Santa (Short Story #4.5) - 2017
- Purrfect Crime (Book 5) - 2017
- Purrfect Rivalry (Book 6) - 2018
- Purrfect Peril (Book 7) - 2018
- Purrfectly Flealess (Short Story #7.5) - 2018
- Purrfect Secret (Book 8) - 2019
- Purrfect Alibi (Book 9) - 2019
- Purrfect Obsession (Book 10) - 2019
- Purrfect Betrayal (Book 11) - 2019
- Purrfectly Clueless (Book 12) - 2019
- Purrfectly Royal (Book 13) - 2019
- Purrfect Cut (Book 14) - 2019
- Purrfect Trap (Book 15) - 2019
- Purrfectly Hidden (Book 16) - 2019
- Purrfect Kill (Book 17) - 2020
- Purrfect Boy Toy (Book 18) - 2020
- Purrfectly Dogged (Book 19) - 2020
- Purrfectly Dead (Book 20) - 2020
- Purrfect Saint (Book 21) - 2020
- Purrfect Advice (Book 22) - 2020
- Purrfect Passion (Book 23) - 2020
- A Purrfect Gnomeful (Book 24) - 2020
- Purrfect Cover (Book 25) - 2020
- Purrfect Patsy (Book 26) - 2020
- Purrfect Son (Book 27) - 2020
- Purrfect Fool (Book 28) - 2020
- Purrfect Fitness (Book 29) - 2020
- Purrfect Setup (Book 30) - 2020
- Purrfect Sidekick (Book 31) - 2020
- Purrfect Deceit (Book 32) - 2021
- Purrfect Ruse (Book 33) - 2021
- Purrfect Swing (Book 34) - 2021
- Purrfect Cruise (Book 35) - 2021
- Purrfect Harmony (Book 36) - 2021
- Purrfect Sparkle (Book 37) - 2021
- Purrfect Cure (Book 38) - 2021
- Purrfect Cheat (Book 39) - 2021
- Purrfect Catch (Book 40) - 2021
- Purrfect Design (Book 41) - 2021
- Purrfect Life (Book 42) - 2021
- Purrfect Thief (Book 43) - 2021
- Purrfect Crust (Book 44) - 2021
- Purrfect Bachelor (Book 45) - 2021
- Purrfect Double (Book 46) - 2021
- Purrfect Date (Book 47) - 2021
- Purrfect Hit (Book 48) - 2021
- Purrfect Baby (Book 49) - 2021
- Purrfect Mess (Book 50) - 2021
- Purrfect Paris (Book 51) - 2022
- Purrfect Model (Book 52) - 2022
- Purrfect Slug (Book 53) - 2022
- Purrfect Match (Book 54) - 2022
- Purrfect Game (Book 55) - 2022
- Purrfect Bouquet (Book 56) - 2022
- Purrfectly Slim (Book 57) - 2022
- Purrfect Nap (Book 58) - 2022
- Purrfect Home (Book 59) - 2022
- Purrfect Yacht (Book 60) - 2022
- Purrfect Scam (Book 61) - 2022
- Purrfect Fury (Book 62) - 2023
- Purrfect Christmas (Book 63) - 2023
- Purrfect Gems (Book 64) - 2023
- Purrfect Demons (Book 65) - 2023
- Purrfect Show (Book 66) - 2023
- Purrfect Impasse (Book 67) - 2023
- Purrfect Charade (Book 68) - 2023
- Purrfect Zoo (Book 69) - 2023
- Purrfect Star (Book 70) - 2023
- Purrfect Ghost (Book 71) - 2023
- Purrfect Pills (Book 72) - 2023
- Purrfect Bookshop (Book 73) - 2023
- Purrfect Prince (Book 74) - 2023
- Purrfect Gold (Book 75) - 2024
- Purrfect Dragnet (Book 76) - 2024
- Purrfect Storm (Book 77) - 2024
- Purrfect Cancel (Book 78) - 2024
- Purrfect Virus (Book 79) - 2024
- Purrfect Guitar (Book 80) - 2024
- Purrfect Party (Book 81) - 2024
- Purrfect Kibble (Book 82) - 2024
- Purrfect Watch (Book 83) - 2024
- Purrfect Comics (Book 84) - 2024
- Purrfect Gran (Book 85) - 2024
- Purrfect Jacuzzi (Book 86) - 2024
- Purrfect Chicken (Book 87) - 2024
- Purrfect Spy (Book 88) - 2024
- Purrfect Heist (Book 89) - 2024
- Purrfect Spider (Book 90) - 2024
- Purrfect Shark (Book 91) - 2024
- Purrfect Bully (Book 92) - 2024
What to Know Before You Start
Before diving into the massive catalog of The Mysteries of Max, it helps to understand the tone and quirks of this beloved cozy series. Nic Saint has created a lighthearted world that centers on Hampton Cove, a fictional, picturesque town located on Long Island. Here, the local human reporter, Odelia Poole, finds herself constantly stumbling upon dead bodies, much to the annoyance of the gruff local police detective, Chase Kingsley.
However, Odelia has a secret weapon: her "blorange" tabby cat, Max, and his feline companions can understand and speak to humans. In fact, Max communicates directly with Odelia, her mother, and her grandmother, sharing clues that human investigators miss. The rest of the town, however, remains completely oblivious, viewing the cats as ordinary pets.
The supporting cast of cats is a highlight of the series: there is Dooley, a naive and sweet-natured black cat; Harriet, a dramatic Persian diva; and Brutus, a tough, streetwise newcomer. Their interactions provide a satirical commentary on human behavior, local gossip, and pop culture.
Because these books average around 200 pages each and are completely clean—featuring no graphic violence, gore, or profanity—they make excellent, quick bedtime reads or a perfect escape for readers of all ages. Nic Saint has written them with a highly consistent, lighthearted style, allowing fans to enjoy a regular stream of new adventures.
Spin-Offs and Author Connections
While The Mysteries of Max is Nic Saint's most prolific work, he has written other cozy series that fans of his style may enjoy. These include the Mysteries of Bell and Whitehouse, which features Felicity Bell and Rick Dawson, and the paranormal series Harry McCabre (formerly known as the Ghosts of London series). While these series operate independently and do not feature direct crossovers with the talking cats of Hampton Cove, they share the same signature warmth, humor, and easy-to-read cozy structure.