Henry Carter Hull

Millionaire philanthropist and newspaper columnist Jim Qwilleran's hopes for a peaceful spring season are squashed when he becomes involved in the investigation of the death of Widow Coggin, while at the same time trying to keep up with all the other strange happenings in Moose County.

Pickax loves a big occasion. The Great Food "Explo" is about to begin, introducing new restaurants, country inns, and food specialty shops. Lurking in the background, though, is a killer determined to make this an event Pickax City will never forget. The Expo begins with a literal bang: a bomb wrecks the hotel, killing a housekeeper and causing extensive damage. Luckily for Pickax, Jim Qwilleran is on the scene, with suspicions that the bomb was...

Jim Qwilleran has officially inherited a fortune and his freedom, which leaves him with a serious dilemma: What should he do next? Seeking a place of peace and isolation to make up his mind, he heads to the Potato Mountains for the summer. But Qwill lands in the middle of controversy, not solitude. Developers are eager to turn the pristine Potatoes into a giant tourist trap, and one of the locals has been convicted of murdering millionaire J.J. Hawkinfield....

Soon after banker Willard Carmichael and his young bride arrive in Pickax, a string of petty burglaries follow. Then Willard meets his demise - an apparent victim of a mugging - and the banker's home restoration project goes to the widow's cousin. Though the clues are as elusive as a cat burglar, the suspicious Qwill and his feline companions, Koko and Yum Yum, are determined to catch a thief - and a killer.

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, 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...

When Qwill rents Euphonia's Gage's mansion in Moose County, he and Koko soon discover closet after closet jammed with several generations of junk. Meanwhile, the mansion's former occupant is enjoying a new life in warm, sunny Florida. Or is she? Word soon comes that Euphonia is dead, an apparent suicide. Why would someone so happy and full of life kill herself? And what is the connection between the Gage family and potato farmer Gil Inchpot, who...

Another pair of Lilian Jackson Braun's best mysteries - featuring Jim Qwilleran and his Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum-are presented here in this 2-in-1 edition: The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal: Back in Pickax, a noisy cardinal wakes Jim Qwilleran every morning, nosy neighbors drop by uninvited, and the Siamese cats - Koko and Yum Yum - misbehave. And Qwill's long-time companion, Polly Duncan, acts as though she is in love - with another man. Worst of...

After a long drought, the citizans of Pickax are worried about wildfires. Their fears are soon realized. With a case of arson, the shooting of a volunteer fire-watcher and the murder of the president of the curling club, James Qwilleran and Co. are called in to sniff out the rat responsible.

Journalist/philanthropist Jim Qwilleran and his sagacious Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum, decide to investigate when the mysterious Mr. Delacamp, a renowned estate jewelry dealer, is murdered in his hotel room while visiting Moose County during the Highland Games.