PHOTO: Debbie De Louise smiling warmly, seated with her three cats, embodying the charm and warmth of her stories.
Charming Mysteries Cats And Engaging Storytelling
Debbie De Louise discusses her cozy mysteries, the role of cats in her stories, balancing suspense with humour, and offers advice for aspiring authors creating memorable characters and engaging plots.
Debbie De Louise has a rare gift for weaving warmth and intrigue into stories that linger long after the last page is turned. Whether through the quiet charm of a seaside town or the whimsical antics of a clever cat, her books combine sharp observation with gentle humour, creating worlds that feel simultaneously comforting and alive. Her writing invites readers not merely to follow a plot but to inhabit the lives of her characters, seeing the world through their eyes and hearts.
From her award-winning standalone Sea Scope to the enchanting antics of Soup the Supernatural Kitten Mysteries, Debbie’s work is marked by an enduring curiosity about human—and feline—nature. Cats, in particular, are not mere companions in her stories; they are catalysts, confidants, and sometimes mischievous sleuths, shaping both narrative and character in subtle, unforgettable ways.
Her cozy mysteries, whether set in Cobble Cove or Buttercup Bend, are more than puzzles to solve. They explore community, empathy, and the quiet moments that give life its texture. With each series, Debbie balances suspense with light-hearted charm, showing that a mystery need not be dark to be compelling, nor a cosy devoid of tension.
In a literary landscape often dominated by fleeting trends, Debbie De Louise remains steadfast in crafting stories with heart, wit, and a touch of magic. Her work is a reminder that the best mysteries do more than intrigue—they delight, comfort, and ultimately resonate.
What first drew you to writing cosy mysteries?
I didn’t write the first book of my first cozy mystery series, A Stone’s Throw, as a cozy. I hadn’t even planned to write it as a series. I considered it a romantic suspense standalone. But when it started receiving reviews, readers classified it as a cozy. I then decided to write more books with the same characters and created the Cobble Cove cozy mystery series.
Cats feature strongly in much of your work – what role do they play in shaping your characters and plots?
I’ve always had cats, and I also belong to the Cat Writers’ Association. I’ve used many of my cats’ activities and personalities in my books that feature them. While Sneaky, the Siamese library cat in my Cobble Cove series started out as a regular pet, as the series progressed and I added Kitty Kai, the calico inn cat, the two began to play a larger role in the books. Readers now see their thoughts (in italics), and they help the human characters investigate murders without their knowledge. As I write these cat characters, I imagine what my own cats would say and do if they were feline sleuths.
How do you approach balancing mystery with the lighter, heart-warming aspects of the cosy genre?
The cozy genre avoids explicit violence, sex, and language. Although murders occur and are investigated, they aren’t gruesome. I include romantic relationships in my books, but love scenes take place off stage. I also add humor to my books which helps in keeping the cozy atmosphere.
The Buttercup Bend series features a pet rescue and cemetery – what inspired you to choose such a unique setting?
I adopted my cats from a pet rescue and admire these organizations. I also used to participate in the Second Life© virtual world, where I built and ran a pet cemetery called Rainbow Gardens where members of this platform were able to memorialize their real-life pets who passed away by adding a photo and lighting a candle in the virtual pet cemetery. Because of that experience, I used Rainbow Gardens as the name of the pet cemetery in the Buttercup Bend books.
You’ve written both series and standalone novels. How different is your process when working on a long-running series compared to a single story?
My process in writing series and standalones is basically the same. However, with the series, I concentrate more on the growth of the characters, emotional as well as physical over a longer period. While I include backstories in each book so that readers don’t necessarily need to start with the first book, I also strive to keep the characters’ actions, thoughts, and feelings uniform from book to book. I also introduce new characters a long with the main characters in each book. With stand alone, there’s a single event or mystery with a subplot, but it all gets tied up in the end. The characters complete their growth in a shorter span of time than in a series where the process is ongoing.
What challenges do you face when introducing fresh ideas into a genre with such established conventions?
Rather than challenges, I see introducing fresh ideas into my cozies as opportunities. I feel that my three series, while all cozies, differ in themes, topics, and characters. While I respect cozy conventions by not including explicit violence and sex in my books, I explore other ways to create unique storylines. For instance, in my new series, I feature a supernatural cat who talks and can teleport.
What advice would you offer to aspiring authors who hope to create engaging mysteries with memorable characters and settings?
Draw from your own experiences, likes, and dreams. Write a book that you’d want to read. Be inspired by your favorite mystery authors but don’t copy them. Let your characters lead you where they want to go and surprise you with their actions because those will also surprise your readers. Place yourself in each scene by using all your character’s senses to make them real to you and your reader.
Which of your books would you recommend for a new reader? Why?
My standalone lighthouse psychological thriller, Sea Scope, has been featured in three book clubs and won a silver medallion award. This was one of my favorite books to write, and it’s one of my most requested titles. However, for readers who enjoy reading cozy mystery series, I’d recommend them starting with any of the first books in my three series: Cobble Cove Mysteries (A Stone’s Throw); Buttercup Bend Mysteries (The Case of the Cat Crazy Lady); and my Soup the Supernatural Cat Mysteries (Murder at Meadows Lake Clubhouse).
What are you currently working on, and do you have any new releases?
I have two books releasing soon, depending on when this is published, and a third that I recently submitted to my publisher. Rock A Bye Bye Baby will be the sixth Cobble Cove Mystery; Suitcase Stories is a short-story collection; and Looking for Lucy is a standalone mystery with a gothic feel.
