The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers * Lilian Jackson Braun * The Cat Who... #29

As major construction projects threaten to alter the historic landscape of Pickax City, a sudden case of arson and a shocking, high-society poisoning force Jim Qwilleran to rely on his Siamese cat's newly sprouted whiskers to decode a lethal corporate conspiracy.

The Story: Change is dropping on the quirky, isolated town of Pickax City ("400 miles north of nowhere") as a massive influx of real estate development creates a high-friction sandbox for local preservationists. Wealthy philanthropist and columnist Jim Qwilleran is trying to navigate a low-friction routine, but his comfortable world shatters when a destructive fire sweeps through the county, followed closely by the sudden, highly suspicious poisoning death of a prominent local woman. While police tracking lines hit a wall, Qwilleran's brilliant Siamese companion, Koko, develops an unprecedented anatomical anomaly: he grows a total of sixty whiskers, which begin vibrating with automated precision. Recognizing Koko’s advanced sensory toolkit is tracking an unvarnished ledger of crime, Qwilleran drops his guard. Moving step-by-step through a dark web of construction kickbacks, secret romantic affairs, and small-town blackmail parameters, the team must execute a synchronized counter-campaign to trap a ruthless killer before the historic town treasury is permanently compromised.

Perfect For: Devotees of long-running animal-assisted cozy mysteries, collectors of classic small-town whodunits, and readers who devour puzzle-driven capers by authors like Rita Mae Brown, Clea Simon, or Lilian Jackson Braun's legendary twenty-nine-novel catalog.