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series Reading Order

Cats and Curios Books in Order

6 Books
2008 – 2015 Published
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Reading order

The Recommended Reading Order

For the best experience, you should read the Cats and Curios series in publication order. The books follow a continuous timeline where the unnamed human protagonist inherits her uncle's antique shop and relies on her two clever felines, Rupert and Isabella, to guide her through evolving personal mysteries and historical clues. Reading them out of order will spoil early plot points, especially regarding the search for her missing uncle.

  1. How to Wash a Cat (2008) – The protagonist inherits the Green Vase antiques shop in San Francisco and finds herself investigated for murder alongside her uncle’s death, guided only by two enigmatic cats.
  2. Nine Lives Last Forever (2010) – The trio investigates mysterious toy frogs appearing around the shop and City Hall, uncovering a trail to hidden Gold Rush treasure.
  3. How to Moon a Cat (2011) – The search for the protagonist’s missing uncle leads to a murdered intern and a mystery surrounding New Deal-era murals.
  4. How to Tail a Cat (2012) – Rupert and Isabella help untangle a mystery involving a historical map, a hidden passageway, and a suspicious green trunk.
  5. How to Paint a Cat (2014) – A mystery involving a local artist, a missing painting, and the city’s early history. Note that some online lists mistakenly refer to this book as How to Prowl a Cat due to early placeholder titles, but the published title is How to Paint a Cat.
  6. How to Catch a Cat (2015) – The series concludes as a hunt for a killer targeting City Hall interns connects to San Francisco's maritime sailing history.

Is There a Chronological Order?

Yes, the chronological order matches the publication order exactly. The narrative develops linearly from the moment the protagonist takes over the Green Vase shop, through her growing bond with Rupert and Isabella, to the resolution of the mysteries surrounding her family. We highly recommend sticking to the order above.

Spin-offs and Other Series by Rebecca M. Hale

While the Cats and Curios series wrapped up with its sixth installment in 2015 and has no direct spin-offs or co-authored entries, fans of Hale's writing can check out her other works:

  • Mystery in the Islands: A three-book cozy mystery series set in the Caribbean, starting with Adrift on St. John (2012), followed by Afoot on St. Croix (2013), and concluding with Aground on St. Thomas (2014).
  • Quirky Tales from the Caribbean: A collection of shorter standalone works, including Ode to a Fish Sandwich, Our Island Inn, and Death of a Day-Tripper.

Frequently Asked

QWhere should I start reading the Cats and Curios series?

You should start with the first novel, How to Wash a Cat, to properly understand the protagonist's inheritance of the antiques shop and her initial bond with Rupert and Isabella.

QAre there any Cats and Curios spin-offs or tie-ins?

No, the series consists only of the six core novels. However, the author has written another cozy mystery series set in the Caribbean called Mystery in the Islands.

QIs "How to Prowl a Cat" part of the series?

No. Some database listings use the title How to Prowl a Cat, but this was a working title or error. The official fifth book in the series is How to Paint a Cat.

QWho is the main human character in Cats and Curios?

Uniquely for the genre, the human protagonist and narrator of the series remains unnamed, which shifts the focal point onto her brilliant felines, Rupert and Isabella.

QHow many books are in the Cats and Curios series?

There are exactly six books in the main series, published between 2008 and 2015 by Rebecca M. Hale.