The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun

"To understand a cat, you must realize that he has his own gifts, his own viewpoint, even his own morality" - Lilian Jackson Braun,

The Cat Who Could Read Backwards (1966) is the first novel in Lilian Jackson Braun's popular 29 book series.  And the novel begins with newspaper man Jim Qwilleran arriving in the fictional town of Pickax in Moose County. ("400 miles north of everywhere") to take a job working for the local newspaper The Daily Fluxion.  

Jim Qwilleran had a career as an award winning crime reporter but his drinking got in the way. He is now in rcovery and his first assignment for the Daily Fluxion is to write a piece for their arts section.  Qwilleran is not thrilled about this since what does he know about the art world?  But it's a way back into journalism.

And in the course of doing his research on the art community Qwilleran meets the paper's art critic George Bonifield Mountclemens, a very popular columnist at the paper because of his scathing reviews.  Mountclemens is very eccentric.  He lives alone in a dusty town house with his Siamese cat Koko.  Koko is very bright, fussy about how his food is prepared and Koko likes to read the newspaper when it is delivered, following the words from right to left.  

Jim Qwilleran needs a place to stay and Mountclemens offers him the downstairs apartment.  He takes it and discovers that cat sitting duties are part of the deal.  At first he Qwilleran is annoyed but he soon warms up to Koko.  And then Mountclemens the art critic is found  murdered and he is not the only member of the art community who is suddenly meeting a grim fate.  And so Jim Qwilleran finds himself taking care of Koko and back on the crime beat. 

I enjoyed The Cat Who Could Read Backwards.  It's well written but I would say that the ending and who did the killing and why is puzzling.  The novel doesn't really lead up to this person.  But Jim Qwilleran and Koko make a nice pair, a Holmes and Watson with Koko who solves the case being the Holmes in this detective duo.  I would rate The Cat Who Could Read Backwards 3.5 stars and might go on to book two hoping for a more straightforward mystery and satisfying ending.