Seven novels where animal companions steal the show

Holly James holds a PhD in psychology and has worked in both academia and the tech industry. She loves telling stories with big hearts and a touch of magic. She currently lives in Southern California with her husband and dog.

Her debut Nothing But The Truth published in 2022.

James's new novel is The Déjà Glitch.

At Lit Hub she tagged seven "books with memorable [four-legged] sidekicks that nosed their way into my heart." One title on the list:

Alicia Thompson, Love in The Time of Serial Killers

True crime obsessed PhD candidate Phoebe Walsh moves home to Florida to clean out her childhood home after her father passes away. While working on her dissertation on true crime as a genre, she grows certain that her late father’s neighbor Sam Dennings is a serial killer. Used to always expecting the worst, it’s the only explanation for his mysterious behavior; he can’t possibly be a genuinely nice guy who puts an unexpected flutter in her chest.

Amid working on her dissertation, side-eyeing the neighbor, mourning, and dealing with her obnoxiously upbeat younger brother, a stray cat wanders into Phoebe’s life and her heart. Lenore makes herself at home and softens Phoebe in a way that gives her perspective on everything else.

Read about another entry on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue