Works by
Lilian Jackson Braun
(Writer)

Qwilleran, Koko and Yum Yum Series

1. The Cat Who Could Read Backwards (1966)
   The world of modern art is a mystery to many. But for Jim Qwilleran, it turns into a mystery of another sort when his assignment to the art beat for The Daily Fluxion leads down the path to murder. A stabbing in an art gallery, vandalized paintings, a fatal fall from a scaffolding--this is not at all what Qwilleran expects when he turns his reportorial talents to art. But Qwilleran and his newly found partner, Koko the brilliant Siamese, are back in their element--sniffing out clues and confounding criminals intent on mayhem and murder.

2. The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern (1967)
   Jim Qwilleran is not exactly overwhelmed by his new assignment for the Daily Fluxion. Interior design has never been one of his specialties and now he's supposed to turn out an entire magazine on the subject every week! But the first issue of Gracious Abodes is barely off the presses when Qwilleran finds himself back on more familiar territory--the exclusive residence featured on the cover has been burglarized and the lady of the house found dead...now Qwilleran and Koko--the brilliant Siamese--have their respective moustache and whiskers twitching, and when Koko starts pawing clues in the dictionary and sniffing designer furniture, Qwilleran finds himself doing a feature on a very clever murder.

3. The Cat Who Turned On and Off (1968)
   The team of Koko, the brilliant Siamese cat, and Qwilleran, the reporter with the perceptive moustache, is back in action--with an adorable female Siamese, Yum Yum, added to the household. When Qwilleran decides to do a feature story on Junktown, he gets more than he bargained for. Not the dope den he anticipated, Junktown is a haven for antique dealers and collectors--as strange a lot as the crafty reporter has ever encountered. When a mysterious fall ends the career--and the life--of one of Junktown's leading citizens, Qwilleran is convinced it was no accident. But, as usual, it takes Koko to prove he's right.

4. The Cat Who Saw Red (1986)
   Something is amiss at Maus Haus. Not just the mystery of an unsolved "suicide" which hangs over the old mansion, but something ominous in the present-day residence. When Qwilleran moves in to work on his new gastronomical assignment, strange things begin to happen. First it's a scream in the night, then a vanishing houseboy. But when his old girlfriend disappears, something has to be done. Qwilleran, Koko and Yum Yum set out to solve the mystery--and find a murderer!

5. The Cat Who Played Brahms (1987)
   Is it just a case of summertime blues or a full-blown career crisis? Newspaper reporter Jim Qwilleran isn't sure, but he's hoping a few days in the country will help him sort out his life. With cats Koko and Yum Yum for company, Qwilleran heads for a cabin owned by a longtime family friend, ""Aunt Fanny."" But from the moment he arrives, things turn strange. Eerie footsteps cross the roof at midnight, Local townsfolk become oddly secretive. And then, while fishing, Qwilleran hooks on to a murder mystery. Soon Qwilleran enters into a game of cat and mouse with the killer, while Koko develops a sudden and uncanny fondness for classical music...

6. The Cat Who Played Post Office (1987)
   Inheriting unexpected millions has left reporter Jim Qwilleran looking like the cat who swallowed the canary. While his two Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum, adjust to being fat cats in an enormous mansion, Qwilleran samples the lifestyles of the rich and famous by hiring a staff of eccentric servants. A missing housemaid and a shocking murder show Qwilleran the unsavory side of the upper crust. But soon it's Koko's purr-fect propensity for clues amid the caviar and champagne that gives Qwilleran pause to evaluate the most unlikely suspects...before his taste for the good life turns into his last meal.

7. The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare (1988)
   Newly wealthy Jim Qwilleran enjoys the eccentricities of life in Moose County.

8. The Cat Who Sniffed Glue (1988)
   Living in the peaceful city of Pickax may be restful, but it certainly isn't dull. At least not for one of the most eligible bachelors in town, veteran newspaperman Jim Qwilleran. Having inherited millions, Qwilleran and his two feline companions, Koko and Yum Yum, are preparing to settle down into a life of purrfect luxury. That is, until the son of a rich banker and his wife are found murdered. To the police, it looks like a robbery gone awry. But then Koko develops an odd appetite for glue. Qwilleran doesn't spot the clue until his beloved Siamese's taste for paste tangles them in a web of love, danger, and their stickiest case yet!

9. The Cat Who Went Underground (1989)
   Jim Qwilleran packs up his old kit bag and his two Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum, for a sun-and-fun summer at his log cabin in Moose County. Their vacation starts out ominously with the disappearance of a handyman hired to patch up Qwilleran's cabin. But the felines really start throwing catfits when they come across a dead body or two...A serial killer may be right under Koko's nose, and now this ingenious Siamese must dig deeper to clear poor Qwilleran of suspicion--and dig up the motive for a catastrophic crime.

10. The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts (1990)
    When Mrs. Cobb heard unearthly noises in the antique-filled farmhouse, she called Jim Qwilleran for help. But he was too late. It looked as if his kindly ex-housekeeper had been frightened to death--but by whom? Or what? Now Qwilleran's moved into the historic farmhouse with his two cat companions--and Koko the Siamese is spooked. Is it a figment of feline imagination--or the clue to a murder in Moose County? And does Qwilleran have a ghost of a chance of solving this haunting mystery?

11. The Cat Who Lived High (1991)
    The colorful Casablance apartment building is in danger of demolition--but not if Jim Qwilleran can help it. He's determined to restore the building to its original grandeur. So he moves in with Koko and Yum Yum--and discovers that the Casablanca is steeped in history...and mystery. In Qwill's very apartment, a glamorous art dealer met an untimely fate, and the veteran journalist and his crime-solving cats are about to reach new heights in detection as the evidence builds up...and the Casablanca threatens to crumble down around them!

12. The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal (1991)
    All the world's a stage--and now Jim Qwilleran's apple orchard hsa become the stage--for a real-life murder scene. The much-disliked director of the Pickax Theatre Club's Shakespeare production, Hilary van Brook, is found dead after the closing-night cast party...and with the help of his super-smart siamese, Qwill must cast a suspicious eye on all the players--especially the ones pussyfooting around behind the scenes...

13. The Cat Who Moved a Mountain (1992)
    Qwill's on top of the world when he rents a house on Big Potato Mountain. The owner, J.J. Hawkinfield, brought real estate development to the once-peaceful Potatoes. But Hawkinfield paid a steep price for his enterprise: He was pushed off a cliff by an angry mountain dweller. Qwilleran, however, suspects the man is innocent--and Koko's antics have him convinced something's wrong. He may be making a mountain out of a molehill...but he's determined to find the truth. Even if it means jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire!

14. The Cat Who Wasn't There (1992)
    Qwill's on his way to Scotland--and on his way to solving another purr-plexing mystery. But this time Koko's nowhere the scene of the crime. He and Yum Yum are back in Pickax being coddled by a catsitter...but Koko won't sit still once Qwill's traveling party returns--minus one member. He's behaving oddly, and Qwill knows what that means: Koko may have been miles away from the murder scene, but he's just a whisker away from cracking the case!

15. The Cat Who Went into the Closet (1993)
    Qwill's moved into the old Gage mansion--and the cats are on a treasure hunt! The house's fifty closets are crammed with several generations of junk, and while Qwill investigates two recent deaths--those of the mansion's former occupant and a local potato farmer--Koko investigates the contents of the closets. Qwill and the cats are unearthing some suprising skeletons--and bringing long-buried secrets to light...

16. The Cat Who Came to Breakfast (1994)
    Qwilleran and the cats are visiting an island known by many names. Qwill has always called it Breakfast Island, but to the taciturn natives, it's Providence Island. To the rich summer residents it's Grand Island--and to the developers and tourists who are turning this once-peaceful place upside down, it's Pear Island. But when some odd "accidents" occur, including a fatal boat explosion, Qwill suspects sabotage and sets out to investigate--because murder by any other name is just as deadly...

17. The Cat Who Blew the Whistle (1995)
    The beloved books for lighthearted mystery lovers, particularly those who also happen to be cat lovers. Newspaper columnist Jim Qwilleran and his crime-solving Siamese cats, Koko and Yum-Yum, live in tiny Moose County and solve crimes together. Lilian Jackson Braun has written 24 Cat Who...in this enormously popular series.

18. The Cat Who Said Cheese (1996)
    Everything smells in Pickax when a killer invades the Great Food Expo. Luckily, Qwill is on the scene, his mustache twitching with suspicions. In her 18th Cat Who... mystery, best selling author Lilian Jackson Braun sends Qwill and the cats on a trail that will demand all their feline intuition and mustachioed insight.

19. The Cat Who Tailed a Thief (1997)
    The delightful New York Times bestselling mystery series continues with "another winner!" (Austin American-Statesman) In this latest installment, prizewinning reporter Jim Qwilleran--along with his lovable Siamese cats Koko and Yum Yum--solve a mystery that arises when a local banker dies under suspicious circumstances, leaving behind a flashy young widow, an unfinished house-restoration project, and a trail of clues as elusive as a cat burglar in the night...

20. The Cat Who Sang for the Birds (1998)
    In this delightful new novel featuring Jim Qwilleran and his lovable cats, Koko and Yum Yum, the rites of spring are celebrated with the fine art of birdcalling....and a fateful act of murder. It seems that this spring, a cat's fancy may turn to crime-solving...

21. The Cat Who Saw Stars (1999)
    A new caper from "a master of mystery who knows exactly when to let the cat out of the bag." --People Quill is determined to dispel rumors circulating in Moose County, "four hundred miles north of everywhere," that extraterrestrial beings may be responsible for the disappearance of a stray backpacker. Koko, on the other hand, is spending hours on the porch in the dark, watching the sky for stars--or something! Throw in some highly innovative plans for this year's 4th of July parade, a dogcart race, and the recent knitting craze in Moose County, and Quill and the cats have some serious sorting out to do..and readers yet another purrfectly delightful Cat Who..mystery to enjoy!

22. The Cat Who Robbed a Bank (2000)
    When a visiting estate jeweler is found dead in his Pickax hotel room, Jim Qwilleran and his Siamese cats must do their best to find the purr-petrator.

23. The Cat Who Smelled a Rat (2001)
    When a series of suspicious fires is followed by a blood-chilling murder, Jim Qwilleran begins to investigate-with a little help from his feline friends.

24. The Cat Who Went Up the Creek (2002)
    Qwill and the cats-Koko and Yum Yum-are at the Nutcracker Inn in Black Creek when a drowned guest puts a damper on their stay. And if they don't solve the murder soon, they're going to be up the creek without a paddle...

25. The Cat Who Brought Down the House (2003)
    Qwilleran has a secret of his own that he shares with no one--or hardly anyone. His male cat, Koko, has an uncanny intuition that can tell right from wrong and frequently sniffs out the evil-doer. Together, he and Qwilleran have solved several cases. The Cat Who Brought Down the House is the twenty-fifth installment of the Qwilleran saga.

26. The Cat Who Talked Turkey (2004)
    It's almost time for the gala groundbreaking for the Pickax bookstore--and the town of Brrr is preparing for its bicentennial celebration. All the festivities, however, are spoiled by the discovery of a man's body on James Qwilleran's property. Could it be the work of the killer who used the same methods in northern Michigan? To solve the case, Qwill and his feline pals, Koko and Yum Yum, will have to prick up their ears and determine who committed this foul deed.

27. The Cat Who Went Bananas (2005)
    The good people of Pickax are agog with anticipation: Not only is the new bookstore, The Pirate's Chest, about to open, but the Theatre Club is set to perform Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest.
    
    The play does not continue past opening night, however, for a member of the cast is killed in a car accident . . . or was it an accident? Koko seems to suspect otherwise, and Qwill and his clever cats have their work cut out for them.

28. The Cat Who Dropped A Bombshell  (2006)
    While the town of Pickax is swept up in its sesquicentennial celebrations, Koko has developed a strange new hobby: He drops himself from balconies, occasionally landing in the oddest of places. When a young man comes to visit his wealthy relatives, Koko plummets straight onto his head!
    
    Meanwhile, a hurricane is brewing, and the visitor's family members soon fall deathly ill. Qwill has his work cut out for him as Pickax-as foreshadowed by Koko-is about to be hit by a bombshell.

29. The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers (2007 release)
    After dropping a bombshell that was a bestseller, Lilian Jackson Braun brings back James Qwilleran and his famous felines, Koko and Yum Yum, for the twenty-ninth installment of the beloved, bestselling Cat Who . . . series.
    
    Moose County, 400 miles north of everywhere, is in an uproar (good and bad) following vast inheritances from wealthy old families. Only "Cool Koko" knows what's happening . . . and he's not telling. Jim Qwilleran thinks it's because he has more whiskers than ordinary cats, but who's counting?
    
    Meanwhile . . .
    Koko meets a piano tuner.
    Polly goes to Paris.
    Qwill writes a play (an absurdist play titled The Cat Who Got Elected Dog Catcher).
    And there's a mysterious death from a bee sting . . .

Anthologies/Collections

• The Cat Who Had 14 Tales (1988)

• Short & Tall Tales: Moose County Legends Collected by James MacKintosh Qwilleran (2002)
  Fictional columnist James Qwilleran has finally completed his book showcasing the stories related to him by residents of Moose County-that famous region four hundred miles north of everywhere. With an introduction by Lilian Jackson Braun, this delightful volume reveals the offbeat "history" of Moose County-in never-before-published stories. It's a treat for old and new fans alike.

• The Private Life of the Cat Who ... Tales of Koko and Yum Yum from the Journals of James MacKintosh Qwilleran (2003)
  Fans of the Cat Who... series get an intimate look at the private lives of those extraordinary Siamese cats Koko and Yum Yum--the most unlikely, most unusual, most delightful team in detective fiction.
  
  In this charming collection of feline antics, readers will discover why Qwill considers Koko a veritable clone of T.S. Eliot's Rum Tum Tugger, how Yum Yum was rescued from a burglar who is not above a spot of catnapping, and many more fascinating cat facts.

• Two Cats, Three Tales (2006)
  The first three Cat Who... mysteries in one volume, from the New York Times bestselling "master of mystery" (People).

  Prize-winning reporter Jim Qwilleran and his extraordinary Siamese cats Koko and Yum Yum always land on their feet. This special volume includes the first three books in this "thoroughly delightful"* series.

  The Cat Who Could Read Backwards: Modern art is a mystery to many-but for Jim Qwilleran and Koko it turns into a mystery of another sort.

  The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern: Reporter Qwill isn't thrilled about covering the interior design beat. Little does he know that a killer has designs on a local woman featured in one of his stories.

  The Cat Who Turned On and Off: Qwill and Koko are joined by Yum Yum as they try to solve a murder in an antique shop.

Complete Novel Collections

• Three Complete Novels (1993)
  The Cat Who Saw Red, The Cat Who Played Brahms, and The Cat Who Played Post Office

• Three Complete Novels (1994)
  The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare, The Cat Who Sniffed Glue, and The Cat Who Went Underground

• Three Complete Novels (1996)
  The Cat Who Wasn't There, The Cat Who Went into the Closet, and The Cat Who Came to Breakfast

• Three Complete Novels (1997)
  The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts, the Cat Who Lived High, and The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal

• Three Complete Novels (1998)
  The Cat Who Moved a Mountain, The Cat Who Blew the Whistle, and The Cat Who Said Cheese

• Three Complete Novels  (2002)
  The Cat Who Tailed Thief, The Cat Who Sang for Birds, and The Cat Who Saw Stars

See also:

• Mystery Cats III: More Feline Felonies (1995)
  With works by Edward D. Hoch,  Lilian Jackson Braun, and Patricia Highsmith,

• The Cat Who... Cookbook (2000) by Julie Murphy and Sally Abney Stempinski
  nspired by the marvelous meals in the Cat Who novels, these 200+ recipes will make fans feel like they're visiting the best restaurants and attending the most delightful dinner parties in Moose County.

• The Cat Who...Companion (2002) by Sharon A. Feaster
  The Cat Who mysteries are a New York Times bestselling phenomenon. This revised and updated companion offers fans a cornucopia of fun, facts, and cat fancy, with an A-to-Z character reference, plot summaries, a map of Moose Country, and more!

• The Cat Who Killed Lilian Jackson Braun (2003) by Robert Kaplow
  Paradoy of the series  regarding a fictional murder of author Lilian Jackson Braun.

• The Cat Who... Quizbook (2003) by Robert J. Headrick
  Inspired by the New York Times bestselling series, former college professor Robert J. Headrick, Jr. has created this volume of trivia sure to delight-and challenge-even the most die-hard of Cat Who... fans.

• Tar Heel Dead (2005} by Sarah R. Shaber
  From O. Henry to Lilian Jackson Braun, North Carolina has nurtured some of the world's best-known mystery writers. This unique collection of mystery short stories showcases some of North Carolina's best writing talent from the past and the present--some famous, some less well known. Some of the mysteries are by authors who have earned solid reputations in other genres, such as Orson Scott Card and William Brittain, but as their stories here demonstrate, their talent embraces the mysterious.

  The stories in this collection are as diverse as the "detectives" they feature: the Native American policeman who solves his first case on the reservation; a Siamese cat with an intuitive affection for his paraplegic neighbor; an attentive convenience store owner; and a thirty-year-old computer whiz whose body stopped growing when he was nine. They solve crimes, locate treasures, and uncover deceit in a range of tales that reflects the breadth of the genre. With stories to delight mystery devotees and fans of all good writing, this anthology highlights one of the most vibrant and popular elements of North Carolina's literary legacy.