Detective Stanley
Part of the collectionDetective Stanley→Cosy, colourful, properly twisty dog-detective comics for children moving on from picture books; each a self-contained whodunit they can actually solve.
- Books2
- Arcs1
- Span2025–2026
- StatusOngoing
The series
At a glance.
Hannah Tunnicliffe and Erica Harrison's Detective Stanley graphic novels star a floppy-eared, pancake-loving dog sleuth in the Sherlock tradition, forever being pulled out of retirement to solve baffling crimes around the town of Narlybone. Each self-contained mystery, a museum break-in where nothing is taken, a run of thefts from the botanical gardens, is a proper whodunit with clues, suspects and a satisfying reveal, pitched precisely for children stepping up from picture books to their first comics. The appeal is in the warmth and the colour: bright, gorgeous artwork, a loveable central duo, gentle humour on every page and a mystery a young reader can genuinely follow and crack. Cosy, funny detective fiction with real puzzle-solving at its heart.
Cosy, colourful, properly twisty dog-detective comics for children moving on from picture books; each a self-contained whodunit they can actually solve.
The mysteries are self-contained and can be read in any order, though publication order (Mystery at the Museum, then The Green Thumbed Thief) follows the introduction of Stanley and his companion Parker Pine.
One arc
The shape of the series.
- IStandalone collection arcLow sensitivity
Detective Stanley's cases
Self-contained, warmly funny whodunits starring a retired, pancake-loving dog detective in the town of Narlybone.
Each Detective Stanley book is a standalone case rather than a chapter in a larger story. In Mystery at the Museum, Stanley is coaxed out of retirement when the Narlybone Museum is raided but, baffling everyone, nothing is stolen, and he must think back through everything he saw to clear his own name and unmask the culprit. In The Green Thumbed Thief, he and his companion Parker Pine follow a trail full of twisty secrets to catch whoever is stealing priceless rare plants from the botanical gardens. The recurring cast, the cosy Narlybone setting and the gentle, funny tone tie the books together, but each mystery stands complete on its own.
Fit check
Right for your reader?
Where the series lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- 15
- 17
- 19
- Best fit · 5–8
- Read aloud · 5–7
- Independent · 6–8
Reluctant-reader friendliness
Very high
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Adult crossover
High
Grows with the reader
Not especially
Sensitivity envelope
Low overall, and consistent.
Where it sits
In conversation with other series.
About the author