The Cat Who… Books in Order

How to Read The Cat Who... Series

Lilian Jackson Braun’s The Cat Who... series is a cornerstone of the cozy mystery genre. Spanning 29 novels and three short story collections published between 1966 and 2007, the series follows the crime-solving adventures of Jim Qwilleran, a down-on-his-luck journalist, and his exceptionally clever Siamese cats, Kao K'o Kung (Koko) and Yum Yum. Because the characters age, relocate, build relationships, and experience major life changes, it is highly recommended to read the series in original publication order.

The Cat Who... Complete Novel Publication Order

The core narrative is comprised of 29 novels. The publication order runs as follows:

1. The Cat Who Could Read Backwards (1966) – Qwilleran meets Koko and investigates a murder in the city art world.
2. The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern (1967) – Qwilleran adopts Yum Yum while investigating a high-society burglary.
3. The Cat Who Turned On and Off (1968) – A mystery involving antique dealers in the city.
4. The Cat Who Saw Red (1986) – Qwilleran investigates a culinary mystery. This book marked Braun's return to the series after an 18-year publishing hiatus.
5. The Cat Who Played Brahms (1987) – Qwilleran visits Moose County, leading to a massive inheritance and a life-changing decision.
6. The Cat Who Played Post Office (1987) – Qwill officially moves into the Klingenschoen mansion in Pickax City.
7. The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare (1988) – Koko uses a volume of the Bard's plays to help Qwill investigate an eccentric tycoon's death.
8. The Cat Who Sniffed Glue (1988) – A murder mystery involving the town's local library and preservation efforts.
9. The Cat Who Went Underground (1989) – Qwill spends the summer at a cabin in Mooseville, only for local handymen to begin disappearing.
10. The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts (1990) – Qwill investigates a historic farmhouse rumored to be haunted.
11. The Cat Who Lived High (1990) – Qwill returns temporarily to the city to save a historic apartment building from demolition.
12. The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal (1991) – A local theater director is killed after a performance, leaving Koko to point out the clues.
13. The Cat Who Moved a Mountain (1992) – Qwill and the cats retreat to the Potatoes Mountains to solve a cold case.
14. The Cat Who Wasn't There (1992) – Qwill travels on a group tour to Scotland, where a local guide dies unexpectedly.
15. The Cat Who Went into the Closet (1993) – Qwill searches the possessions of a reclusive mansion owner.
16. The Cat Who Came to Breakfast (1994) – A trip to Pear Island turns dangerous when a newly built resort faces a string of accidents.
17. The Cat Who Blew the Whistle (1994) – A steam locomotive enthusiast and banker disappears amid financial scandal.
18. The Cat Who Said Cheese (1995) – A mysterious explosion disrupts a local food festival in Pickax.
19. The Cat Who Tailed a Thief (1997) – Qwill investigates a series of burglaries and murders during a Pickax history celebration.
20. The Cat Who Sang for the Birds (1998) – An elderly resident dies in an apparent house fire, but the cats smell foul play.
21. The Cat Who Saw Stars (1999) – Qwill's summer vacation at a lakeside cabin is interrupted by UFO sightings and a missing hiker.
22. The Cat Who Robbed a Bank (2000) – A wealthy visitor is murdered at the local hotel during the Pickax book sale.
23. The Cat Who Smelled a Rat (2001) – A drought-plagued winter in Pickax brings a string of arson attacks and a murder.
24. The Cat Who Went Up the Creek (2002) – Qwill stays at a historic inn where a guest is found floating in the creek.
25. The Cat Who Brought Down the House (2003) – A retired actress returns to Pickax and receives a series of mysterious threats.
26. The Cat Who Talked Turkey (2004) – A dead body is discovered in the woods during the celebration of Pickax's founding.
27. The Cat Who Went Bananas (2004) – The opening of a new bookstore is overshadowed by a theater-related murder.
28. The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell (2006) – The community prepares for its sesquicentennial while Qwill deals with suspicious visitors.
29. The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers (2007) – The final published book in the series, ending with unresolved plot points.

Understanding the Two Eras: City vs. Moose County

The series is divided into two very distinct phases, separated by a change of scenery and a major plot development:

The City Phase (Books 1 to 4)

The first four books take place in an unnamed, gritty Midwestern city. Here, Jim Qwilleran is a recovering alcoholic and down-on-his-luck journalist working for local papers. He meets Koko in the first book and adopts Yum Yum in the second. The tone of these early novels is slightly darker, drawing on Braun's own background as a metropolitan editor.

The Moose County Era (Books 5 to 29)

The series transitions permanently with The Cat Who Played Brahms (Book 5). Qwill travels to Moose County ("400 miles north of everywhere") and subsequently inherits the immense Klingenschoen fortune. The terms of the will force him to live in the quirky, remote town of Pickax for five years. This era establishes the classic cozy formula of the series: Qwill settles into his wealth, writes a column for the Moose County Something, funds local civic projects through the Klingenschoen Foundation, and solves crimes alongside his eccentric neighbors.

The Short Story Collections

In addition to the main novels, Lilian Jackson Braun published three short story collections that expand on the lore of Moose County and Qwill's cats:

• The Cat Who Had 14 Tales (1988) – A collection of cozy feline-focused stories. Note that these tales do not feature Jim Qwilleran or his cats, but rather focus on other feline protagonists.
• Short and Tall Tales (alternatively published as Qwilleran's Short and Tall Tales) (2002) – A collection of folklore, ghost stories, and local legends from Pickax and Moose County, framed as being recorded by Qwilleran himself.
• The Private Life of the Cat Who... (2003) – A collection of whimsical character studies and extracts compiled from Qwilleran’s personal journal, detailing Koko and Yum Yum's unique behaviors, traits, and pastimes.

The Unfinished Final Novel and Companion Books

A 30th novel, titled The Cat Who Smelled Smoke, was planned and announced by the publisher around 2008. However, due to Lilian Jackson Braun's advancing age and her subsequent passing in 2011, the novel was never finished and remains unpublished. As a result, the series ends abruptly with the 29th book, The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers, which leaves several major plotlines unresolved, including a mysterious fire and the departure of Qwill's long-time love interest, Polly Duncan.

For fans looking to dive deeper, two notable companion books exist, both written by external authors with the publisher's blessing:

• The Cat Who... Companion by Sharon A. Feaster (1998) – An encyclopedic guide to the characters, locations, and lore of Pickax and Moose County.
• The Cat Who... Cookbook by Julie Murphy and Sally Abney Stempinski (originally published in 1996, updated in 2006) – Featuring recipes inspired by the meals described in the books, including gourmet dishes for humans and "Feline Fare" treats.

What to Know Before You Start

Before jumping in, new readers should keep a few things in mind. First, Koko and Yum Yum are not magical or talking cats. Koko possesses a highly developed "sixth sense" (expressed through twitching whiskers, knocking specific books off shelves, or clearing items) that Qwill must decipher, while Yum Yum is a clever accomplice who enjoys stealing shiny objects. Second, there is a massive publishing gap between Book 3 (1968) and Book 4 (1986). Braun paused the series because the publishing market had shifted toward grittier, more violent detective fiction, only returning to it when the appetite for traditional cozy mysteries resurfaced. Readers will notice a slight jump in technology and tone between these volumes, but the narrative continuity remains intact.