Cat Who series

The Cat Who... is a series of twenty-nine mystery novels and three related collections by Lilian Jackson Braun and published by G. P. Putnam's Sons, featuring a reporter named Jim Qwilleran and his Siamese cats, Kao K'o-Kung (Koko for short) and Yum Yum. The first was written in 1966, with two more following in 1967 and 1968. The fourth appeared eighteen years later, after which at least one new novel was published every year until 2007. A thirtieth novel, originally announced for 2008, was postponed indefinitely by its publisher and then canceled after the author's death in 2011. It remains unpublished.

Qwilleran, or Qwill as his friends call him, is the main human character in the books. He was born Merlin James Qwilleran, a fact explained by his mother (in a letter to Francesca Klingenschoen) as a product of reading King Arthur during her pregnancy. His father, Dana, was a talented theater actor who toured the country. When he met Qwill’s mother, Anne Mackintosh, they chose to stay in Chicago, so he could not stay in his theater group. Qwill’s grandparents strongly disapproved of this relationship, and broke off all contact with his mother; Dana, deprived of work opportunities because of the economic depression, fell into evil ways and was eventually shot dead while attempting burglary. Because of this, Qwill never knew any family other than his mother. But he does remember his mother’s friend Francesca Klingenschoen, known to Qwilleran as Aunt Fanny.

He grew up with Arch Riker, who would be his lifelong friend, and with a love of literature. He was very smart at school, won many spelling bees and was always very fond of language and baseball. One of his English teachers was particularly influential, cultivating his ability to compose an interesting essay on any topic. When he was seventeen, his girlfriend, Joy Wheatley (she later returns in The Cat Who Saw Red) left to "find herself" and Qwill joined the service. It is never explicitly stated which war he fought in, but it is likely that he served during Operation Torch during World War II, since several times throughout the series he uses a curse he learned while in North Africa. He came out of it with an injured knee and so could not have the career in baseball he always desired. So he went to college, participated in some acting, but found it was journalism for which he had a natural knack.

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