The Cat Who Could Read Backwards

Qwilleran rents an apartment in Mountclemens's building and finds himself caring for Koko, a cat with exceptional intelligence and a strange habit of reading newspaper headlines backwards. When a gallery owner is found dead and then another crime follows, Qwilleran's old investigative instincts return, and Koko seems determined to help, knocking over objects, sniffing out clues and drawing his attention to exactly the right things.

This first book in the series has a slightly sharper, more satirical edge than many later entries, poking fun at art critics, pretentious galleries and newspaper office politics. Qwilleran is a likable, rumpled hero with a famous mustache that twitches when something is wrong, and Koko is an irresistible creation: aloof, regal and possibly smarter than anyone else in the room.

The mystery itself is fairly simple, and some period attitudes and details now feel dated. But the book's charm, humor and the delightful partnership between man and cat launched a series of nearly thirty books. Fans of cozy mysteries with animal sidekicks will find it a delightful starting point. About 256 pages in the Jove paperback.