Subscribe
The Office of the Cold Case Cats
An old photo of Grandpa Logan in his big leather chair, reading a book to kittens Lulu and Sissy
Grandpa & his Peaches and Cream
Grandpa Logan, older and gray-muzzled, working a case on the rug with grown-up Lulu and Sissy
one clue at a time
Lulu, holding an old key, and Sissy in the doorway of Grandpa's office, his empty armchair and cap on the hook
we unlocked your office today
Sissy curled in Grandpa's armchair writing him a letter while Lulu peeks over her shoulder
Dear Grandpa Logan…

The Casebook

THE COLD CASE CATS

Written by Mandy Mends ↓

Two sister detectives write letters to their late Grandpa (and sometimes to each other) as they work through their first year without him, one paw print at a time.

"Keep the door open. Someone could always use a helping paw." — Grandpa Logan

Subscribe Free Read a Peek

What's in Every Casebook Email

Grandpa is gone, but Lulu and Sissy still write to him about every case, as if he were right there at his desk, ready with a wink and an opinion.

✉️

A Letter to Grandpa

Funny, tender, and honest, with a cozy, heartfelt mystery tucked inside. Every case is about something lost (a recipe card, a ring, a letter never sent), and the answer is always love.

🐾

A Casebook Challenge

One small, gentle thing to try in your own grief. Notice what you're feeling and what helps you.

🐾

Meet the Family

Grandpa called them his Peaches and Cream: "the two sweetest things I know."

Lulu in her teal coat and pink bow, holding her magnifying glass

Lulu

Big Sis · Grandpa's "Cream"

Dry, logical, and quietly brilliant. She'd rather do it all on her own, but she's learning she doesn't have to.

Grandpa Logan in his tweed cap and glasses, peering through his magnifying glass

Grandpa Logan

The One Who Taught Them

Detective, cookie lover, and keeper of the "Not yet" drawer. He taught them to stay curious and to always keep the door open.

Sissy in her mauve cap, holding a chocolate chip cookie

Sissy

Little Sis · Grandpa's "Peaches"

Warm, curious, and all heart. She writes the long letters and never says no to a cookie.

🐾

A Peek at Letter No. 1

From Sissy · The Casebook

"The Office Still Smells Like You"

Dear Grandpa Logan,

We unlocked your office today!

It's Sissy. Your Peaches! (Lulu, your Cream, is sitting right next to me, pretending she's not reading over my shoulder. She is.)

And there you were! Well, not you, exactly. But old books, the dusty kind you swore had "good bones." And tucked right underneath, faint and warm as one of your hugs, chocolate chip cookies with nuts.

Your cookie tin was still sitting on the windowsill. Three left! Lulu announced they were "evidence, and probably stale." Then she ate one anyway and stood at the window for a good long while.

…the rest of the letter arrives in your inbox when you subscribe.

Subscribe to Keep Reading

🐾

Mandy, author of The Casebook

Meet the Author

Hi, I'm Mandy, and I'm no stranger to loss.

I've lost a lot in my life. I've said goodbye to family and dear friends, including my mom and my youngest brother, and, just recently, a sweet, faithful dog. Along the way, my career, my health, my home, and, for a long time, my sense of purpose slipped away too. Each loss has been hard in its own way, and together they turned my world downright topsy-turvy!

Here's what I've learned: grief doesn't move in a straight line. Some days you feel good. Some days it knocks you flat. It's hard, and yet I keep finding little blessings hidden right inside it.

I also learned (the hard way, because I'm stubborn!) that we aren't meant to do our trials alone. My Jesus has carried me more times than I can count. So have my family and friends, but I have to give a special shout-out to my two little black cats, who curled up beside me through every hard day.

Now my cats are getting a promotion. They're my storytellers: Lulu and Sissy, sister detectives walking their own year of loss, with different losses felt in different ways. Grandpa Logan is named for my youngest brother, Logan, and "Peaches and Cream" is what I used to call him.

In every letter, the sisters talk through their feelings and their latest case with Grandpa. Each letter includes a cozy little mystery and always ends with hope. And because I'm a teacher at heart, each one closes with a Casebook Challenge: one small, doable thing to help you connect with, and work through, your own grief.

I'm not a counselor, and I sure don't have all the answers. I'm just a fellow traveler who knows what it means to mourn with those that mourn. This space will be honest, genuine, and ever so hopeful. If you're missing someone (or something), pull up a chair. You don't have to do this alone.

Mandy Mends

🐾