Most Recommended Books

Track reading, wishlists & new-book alerts

Get
Skip to content
Share:

The Cat Who... Books in Order

Part ofLilian Jackson Braun Books in Order

Explore Lilian Jackson Braun's The Cat Who books in order, following reporter Jim Qwilleran and his Siamese cats Koko and Yum Yum through puzzling murders.

Last updated:

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases (at no extra cost to you).

The Cat Who... books in publication order

Sort:

31 books

1

The Cat Who Could Read Backwards

by Lilian Jackson Braun

1966

Reporter Jim Qwilleran's assignment covering modern art becomes a murder investigation after violence strikes galleries and artists. His unexpected partner is Koko, a Siamese cat whose unusual intelligence helps him follow clues through the city's art world.

2

The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern

by Lilian Jackson Braun

1967

Jim Qwilleran reluctantly takes charge of a weekly interior-design magazine, then discovers the home featured on its first cover has been burglarized and its owner is dead. Koko's interest in dictionaries and furniture supplies unexpected investigative clues.

3

The Cat Who Turned On And Off

by Lilian Jackson Braun

1968

A feature assignment takes Jim Qwilleran into Junktown, a neighborhood of eccentric antique dealers. When a leading resident dies in a suspicious fall, Qwill and his Siamese cats investigate a community whose treasures conceal a complicated murder plot.

4

The Cat Who Saw Red

by Lilian Jackson Braun

1986

Jim Qwilleran moves into Maus Haus for a food-writing assignment and encounters unsettling noises, disappearances and an old suspicious death. When his former girlfriend vanishes, he and his cats search for a murderer among the mansion's residents.

5

The Cat Who Played Brahms

by Lilian Jackson Braun

1987

Seeking a break from a career crisis, Jim Qwilleran visits a friend's country cabin with Koko and Yum Yum. Secretive neighbors, strange nighttime sounds and a discovery while fishing turn his retreat into an investigation of murder.

6

The Cat Who Played Post Office

by Lilian Jackson Braun

1987

An unexpected inheritance moves Jim Qwilleran and his cats into a mansion with an eccentric household staff. A missing maid and a murder disrupt their new luxury, and Koko's discoveries draw Qwill toward secrets behind respectable appearances.

7

The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare

by Lilian Jackson Braun

1988

A newspaper publisher's apparent accidental death unsettles Jim Qwilleran and his Siamese cats in Pickax. Suspecting murder, Qwill investigates local secrets while Koko's interest in an unusual Shakespeare edition offers a puzzling direction for the case.

8

The Cat Who Sniffed Glue

by Lilian Jackson Braun

1988

Jim Qwilleran's plans for a comfortable life in Pickax are disrupted when a banker's son and his wife are murdered. Police suspect a failed robbery, but Koko's sudden fascination with glue points Qwill toward a different explanation.

9

The Cat Who Went Underground

by Lilian Jackson Braun

1989

A summer cabin holiday turns sinister when Jim Qwilleran's hired handyman disappears and bodies begin turning up. With suspicion falling on Qwill, Koko and Yum Yum help him investigate the possibility of a killer operating close to home.

10

The Cat Who Lived High

by Lilian Jackson Braun

1990

Jim Qwilleran moves into the historic Casablanca apartments hoping to save the building from demolition. A former resident's violent death draws him and his cats into an investigation where the building's troubled past becomes increasingly difficult to ignore.

11

The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts

by Lilian Jackson Braun

1990

A frightened call from his former housekeeper sends Jim Qwilleran to a historic farmhouse, where he finds her dead. Moving in with Koko and Yum Yum, he investigates whether the supposed haunting conceals a more human threat.

12

The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal

by Lilian Jackson Braun

1991

A disliked theater director is found dead after a cast party in Jim Qwilleran's apple orchard. Qwill and his perceptive Siamese cats investigate the actors and backstage relationships surrounding Pickax's Shakespeare production to discover who wanted him silenced.

13

The Cat Who Moved a Mountain

by Lilian Jackson Braun

1992

While renting a house on Big Potato Mountain, Jim Qwilleran questions the conviction of a man accused of killing a developer. Local tensions and Koko's behavior persuade him to investigate a case others believe has already been settled.

14

The Cat Who Wasn't There

by Lilian Jackson Braun

1992

Jim Qwilleran's Scottish holiday ends with a member of his tour party missing. Back in Pickax, Koko begins acting strangely, prompting Qwill to consider how his cat could provide clues to a crime committed far from home.

15

The Cat Who Went into the Closet

by Lilian Jackson Braun

1993

Jim Qwilleran moves into the Gage mansion and investigates the deaths of its former occupant and a local farmer. Meanwhile, Koko explores closets packed with generations of belongings, bringing forgotten evidence into a case rooted in old secrets.

16

The Cat Who Blew the Whistle

by Lilian Jackson Braun

1994

A restored steam locomotive attracts excitement in Moose County until its wealthy owner disappears with investors' money. Jim Qwilleran and his cats investigate whether the missing railroad enthusiast is connected to a recent killing at a nearby tavern.

17

The Cat Who Came to Breakfast

by Lilian Jackson Braun

1994

Jim Qwilleran visits an island divided between longtime residents, wealthy vacationers and ambitious developers. A succession of suspicious accidents, including a fatal boat explosion, leads him and his Siamese companions to investigate sabotage beneath the tourist season's activity.

18

The Cat Who Said Cheese

by Lilian Jackson Braun

1995

Pickax prepares for food festivities while residents speculate about a mysterious hotel guest. When a bomb in her room kills a housekeeper, Jim Qwilleran and his cats set aside the celebrations to investigate who arranged the deadly attack.

19

The Cat Who Tailed a Thief

by Lilian Jackson Braun

1997

Petty thefts trouble Pickax after a banker and his young wife arrive. When the banker is killed and another wealthy woman dies, Jim Qwilleran and Koko investigate connections among the crimes, a restoration project and suspicious family ties.

20

The Cat Who Sang for the Birds

by Lilian Jackson Braun

1998

Jim Qwilleran welcomes spring in Moose County, despite noisy birds and Koko's attempts to imitate them. Vandalism, disappearance and mysterious deaths soon disturb Pickax, leaving Qwill to determine whether his cat's unusual behavior points toward the unfolding crimes.

21

The Cat Who Robbed a Bank

by Lilian Jackson Braun

1999

A visiting jewelry dealer is murdered as Pickax prepares for its Highland Games, and others disappear soon afterward. Jim Qwilleran and his cats investigate the death while a hijacked bookmobile and attempted bank robbery further complicate the town's troubles.

22

The Cat Who Saw Stars

by Lilian Jackson Braun

1999

A missing backpacker inspires rumors of alien abduction in Mooseville, interrupting Jim Qwilleran's summer plans. When deaths replace speculation, Qwill and his cats turn their attention toward a murderer whose activities may have a decidedly earthly explanation.

23

The Cat Who Smelled a Rat

by Lilian Jackson Braun

2001

A drought leaves Moose County vulnerable to fire, but Jim Qwilleran doubts weather explains the blazes at historic mine sites. An explosion and a murder strengthen his suspicions, while Koko's instincts help him search for an arsonist.

24

Short and Tall Tales

by Lilian Jackson Braun

2002

Presented in the voice of fictional journalist Jim Qwilleran, these twenty-seven tales gather stories told by Moose County residents. The collection explores the region's unusual history, local legends and distinctive personalities beyond the murder investigations of the main novels.

25

The Cat Who Went Up the Creek

by Lilian Jackson Braun

2002

Jim Qwilleran's stay at the Nutcracker Inn becomes an investigation when Koko spots a body floating down Black Creek. Gold hidden in the dead guest's shoes adds another puzzle as Qwill and his cats examine the circumstances of his death.

26

The Cat Who Brought Down the House

by Lilian Jackson Braun

2003

Retired actress Thelma Thackeray brings plans for films and a fundraising revue to Pickax, including a role for Koko. Jim Qwilleran's interest shifts to her twin brother's suspicious death, drawing the cats into another investigation behind the public excitement.

27

The Private Life of the Cat Who...

by Lilian Jackson Braun

2003

These short pieces explore the everyday lives and histories of Koko and Yum Yum, Jim Qwilleran's Siamese companions. The collection recounts their distinctive habits, Yum Yum's rescue and the relationships that underpin their appearances in the Cat Who mysteries.

28

The Cat Who Talked Turkey

by Lilian Jackson Braun

2004

Preparations for local celebrations are interrupted when a man's body is discovered on Jim Qwilleran's property. With a possible link to a similar killing elsewhere in Michigan, Qwill and his Siamese cats investigate the crime overshadowing Moose County's festivities.

29

The Cat Who Went Bananas

by Lilian Jackson Braun

2004

Pickax anticipates a theatrical opening and a new bookstore, but an actor's suspicious death and the theft of a rare volume disrupt the mood. Jim Qwilleran tries to interpret Koko's strange behavior while investigating the two troubling events.

30

The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell

by Lilian Jackson Braun

2006

Pickax prepares to celebrate its founding anniversary while Jim Qwilleran entertains aspiring architect Harvey Ledfield. Koko develops a habit of leaping from balconies, and the disappearance of Harvey's wealthy relatives gives Qwill another reason to examine the visitor.

31

The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers

by Lilian Jackson Braun

2007

Changes in Pickax provide plenty of material for Jim Qwilleran's column while his companion Polly visits Paris. A death attributed to a bee sting leaves the town puzzled, but Koko's behavior suggests that Qwill should investigate further.

Series background & context

The Cat Who mysteries follow Jim Qwilleran, a newspaper reporter whose investigations come with unusual assistance. His Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum, share his home and often draw his attention toward things other people miss. Koko's behavior can seem uncannily relevant to a crime, but Qwill still has to work out what it means and follow the human evidence.

It begins with a reporting assignment.

In The Cat Who Could Read Backwards, Qwilleran enters the world of modern art for the Daily Fluxion and finds a trail of violence where he expected a new professional start. The book introduces Koko, whose intelligence makes him more than a casual pet. The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern moves into interior decorating and brings Yum Yum into the series. These early cases use Qwill's work to take him into unfamiliar homes, businesses, and social circles.

The setting changes as the books continue. The Cat Who Played Brahms takes Qwill away from the city to a lakeside cabin in Moose County, where a hoped-for break becomes another mystery. Pickax and the surrounding area grow into the series' familiar home. Its local people and projects give the books a continuing social world, so returning readers encounter more than a new crime each time. The town's habits can be comforting even when one of its residents is keeping a dangerous secret.

Qwill's circumstances change as well. The Cat Who Played Post Office finds him adjusting to an inheritance and an enormous mansion, with the cats adapting alongside him. Wealth doesn't remove his curiosity or protect him from troubling events. Missing people and suspicious deaths keep disrupting ordinary plans, while Koko's attention to a seemingly minor object or action encourages Qwill to look again. The mysteries often depend on noticing what doesn't fit a person's explanation.

The tone is cozy mystery, with space for meals, books, performances, local celebrations, and the cats' routines around the investigation. Later stories, such as The Cat Who Brought Down the House and The Cat Who Talked Turkey, bring crime into community activities that should have been enjoyable. Those details help make Moose County feel lived in. The central pleasure is following Qwill's curiosity through that familiar world while deciding which strange feline reactions might matter.

Start with the first book and follow publication order to see how Qwill meets the cats and how his life develops, while each novel brings a new case to investigate. The three novels from the 1960s lead into The Cat Who Saw Red, which resumed the series in 1986 after a long gap. Across the books, the recurring partnership keeps the focus steady: Qwill asks questions, Koko notices trouble, and Yum Yum shares the household through it all.

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shape MRB and its growth.

Comments

Did we miss something? Have feedback?

Help us improve this page by sharing your thoughts

We only use your email to notify you about replies.

All comments are moderated.

Discover and track your reading on the go

Track your reading, manage wishlists, and get notified when new books are added.