100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Enjoy overnight NZ-wide delivery from our NZ-owned independent bookstore! 🎉

The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal (The Cat Who… Mysteries, Book 12)

A charming feline whodunnit for cat lovers everywhere
3.94 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 8,294 ratings, 355 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal follows journalist Jim Qwilleran and his perceptive Siamese cat, Koko, as they navigate a mysterious murder in the small town of Pickax. When the prominent local theatre director is found dead, Jim and Koko dive into the town's web of secrets and intrigue to unearth the truth. The tale is rich with quirky characters and the clever intuition of Koko, making it a captivating mystery.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock

Sorry, we're currently out of stock of The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal (The Cat Who… Mysteries, Book 12). Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you are a fan of cosy mysteries with a delightful feline twist. Set in a small town, it combines crime-solving with the charming antics of two clever cats and their owner, offering a delightful mix of suspense and humour. Ideal for readers who appreciate charming characters and whimsical plots in their mystery novels.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A mysterious case of murder to tax the whiskers of Qwilleran and his trusty sidekicks, Koko and Yum Yum.

A mysterious case of murder to tax the whiskers of Qwilleran and his trusty sidekicks, Koko and Yum Yum.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Back home in sleepy Pickax, Jim Qwilleran and his Siamese companions, Koko and Yum Yum, are looking forward to country peace and quiet. But their newly converted apple barn home turns out to be not quite the refuge they were hoping for when a corpse turns up in the orchard outside...

No one in Pickax is sorry to learn that the local headmaster is dead. Though reputedly brilliant, Hilary Van Brook was also arrogant and manipulative, an outsider who managed to offend teachers, pupils, and parents alike—just about everybody in town has a motive for murder.

Only when a good friend becomes a chief suspect does Qwilleran's instinct for mystery overtake his desire for privacy—and Koko's obsession with a set of antique printing blocks is the first clue to a mystery which takes Qwill and his Siamese sleuths on a day out to the races...

The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal is an engrossing mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat amidst the peaceful yet deceptive backdrop of Pickax.

Series: The Cat Who... Mysteries

View all
  • The Cat Who Moved a Mountain (The Cat Who… Mysteries, Book 13)
    After five years of legal formalities in gossip-ridden Pickax, Jim Qwilleran has officially inherited the Klingenschoen fortune. In search of a summer's peace, Qwill and his two Siamese cats head for the Potato Mountains. But Qwill finds controversy—one side of the valley is a haven for the descendants of Prohibition Moonshiners, the other home to developers eager to turn the...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • The Cat Who Played Post Office (The Cat Who… Mysteries, Book 6)
    Inheriting unexpected millions has left reporter Jim Qwilleran looking like the cat who swallowed the canary. While his two Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum, adjust to being fat cats in an enormous mansion, Qwilleran samples the lifestyles of the rich and famous by hiring a staff of eccentric servants. A missing housemaid and a shocking murder soon show him...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • The Cat Who Played Brahms (The Cat Who… Mysteries, Book 5)
    Is it just a case of summertime blues or a full-blown career crisis? Newspaper reporter Jim Qwilleran isn't sure, but he's hoping a few days in the country will help him sort out his life. With cats Koko and Yum Yum for company, Qwill heads for a cabin owned by a family friend. But from the moment he arrives, things...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • The Cat Who Said Cheese (The Cat Who… Mysteries, Book 18)
    The Great Food Explo is scheduled to open in Pickax with a bang, introducing new restaurants, country inns, and food speciality shops. Unfortunately, the 'bang' takes the form of a bomb which wrecks a hotel, killing the housekeeper and causing extensive damage. Enter Qwill and his Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum, whose instincts tell them that the murderous bomb...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • The Cat Who Saw Red (The Cat Who… Mysteries, Book 4)
    When Jim Qwilleran is sent to The Cat Who Saw Red on a gastronomical quest, he takes Koko and Yum Yum along for company and steps into a house of curiosities. There's restaurateur Robert Maus, elbow-deep in saucepans; cuddly Hixie with her daily calorie count; and Joy Graham, the red-headed flame from Qwilleran's past and a talented potter to boot....
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • The Cat Who Sniffed Glue (The Cat Who… Mysteries, Book 8)
    Pickax's sedate calm is occasionally disturbed by random acts of vandalism, but nothing more serious than paint daubed on civic property. Until, that is, the cold-blooded murder of young banker Harley Fitch and his new bride Bella, which is altogether more shattering. Qwilleran's moustache twitches in anticipation of mystery and Koko develops a fascination for all things glutinous. Just what...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • The Cat Who Went Bananas (The Cat Who… Mysteries, Book 27)
    The good people of Pickax are agog with anticipation. Not only is the new bookstore, The Pirate's Chest, about to open, but the Theatre Club is set to perform Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. The play does not continue past opening night, however, for a member of the cast is killed in a car accident...or was it an...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal by Lilian Jackson Braun is praised for its engaging storytelling and charming characters, particularly the intelligent Siamese cat, Koko. The book's cosy small-town setting and intricate plot are appreciated by readers who enjoy mystery and a bit of humour. However, some reviews mention a slower pace, which may not suit all readers' tastes.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780747237884

Publisher: Headline Publishing Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 February 1992

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Headline Book Publishing

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 110.0mm

Height: 176.0mm

Weight: 140g

Pages: 240

About the Author

Lilian Jackson Braun composed her first poem at the age of two. She began writing her Cat Who... detective series when one of her own Siamese cats mysteriously fell to its death from her apartment block. Since then over twenty Cat Who... novels have been published, all featuring the very talented Koko and Yum Yum, Siamese cats with a bent for detection. She and her husband, Earl, live in the mountains of North Carolina.

Also by Lilian Jackson Braun

View all
  • The Cat Who Moved a Mountain (The Cat Who… Mysteries, Book 13)
    After five years of legal formalities in gossip-ridden Pickax, Jim Qwilleran has officially inherited the Klingenschoen fortune. In search of a summer's peace, Qwill and his two Siamese cats head for the Potato Mountains. But Qwill finds controversy—one side of the valley is a haven for the descendants of Prohibition Moonshiners, the other home to developers eager to turn the...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • The Cat Who Played Brahms (The Cat Who… Mysteries, Book 5)
    Is it just a case of summertime blues or a full-blown career crisis? Newspaper reporter Jim Qwilleran isn't sure, but he's hoping a few days in the country will help him sort out his life. With cats Koko and Yum Yum for company, Qwill heads for a cabin owned by a family friend. But from the moment he arrives, things...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • The Cat Who Played Post Office (The Cat Who… Mysteries, Book 6)
    Inheriting unexpected millions has left reporter Jim Qwilleran looking like the cat who swallowed the canary. While his two Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum, adjust to being fat cats in an enormous mansion, Qwilleran samples the lifestyles of the rich and famous by hiring a staff of eccentric servants. A missing housemaid and a shocking murder soon show him...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • The Cat Who Said Cheese (The Cat Who… Mysteries, Book 18)
    The Great Food Explo is scheduled to open in Pickax with a bang, introducing new restaurants, country inns, and food speciality shops. Unfortunately, the 'bang' takes the form of a bomb which wrecks a hotel, killing the housekeeper and causing extensive damage. Enter Qwill and his Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum, whose instincts tell them that the murderous bomb...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • The Cat Who Saw Red (The Cat Who… Mysteries, Book 4)
    When Jim Qwilleran is sent to The Cat Who Saw Red on a gastronomical quest, he takes Koko and Yum Yum along for company and steps into a house of curiosities. There's restaurateur Robert Maus, elbow-deep in saucepans; cuddly Hixie with her daily calorie count; and Joy Graham, the red-headed flame from Qwilleran's past and a talented potter to boot....
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • The Cat Who Sniffed Glue (The Cat Who… Mysteries, Book 8)
    Pickax's sedate calm is occasionally disturbed by random acts of vandalism, but nothing more serious than paint daubed on civic property. Until, that is, the cold-blooded murder of young banker Harley Fitch and his new bride Bella, which is altogether more shattering. Qwilleran's moustache twitches in anticipation of mystery and Koko develops a fascination for all things glutinous. Just what...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • The Cat Who Went Bananas (The Cat Who… Mysteries, Book 27)
    The good people of Pickax are agog with anticipation. Not only is the new bookstore, The Pirate's Chest, about to open, but the Theatre Club is set to perform Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. The play does not continue past opening night, however, for a member of the cast is killed in a car accident...or was it an...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

More from Crime & Thriller

View all
  • New Release
    Dying Days
    Award-winning writer delivers a pulse-pounding espionage thriller. Missing soldiers, MI6 secrets and European partisans collide in a deadly game where the lines between lies and reality are fast disintegrating. In the dying days of the Second World War, a new conflict is about to ignite. May, 1945: After fighting to liberate Europe from the Nazis, Tito's Yugoslav Army and Allied...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Country Road Murders
    New Release
    The Country Road Murders
    From the Sunday Times bestselling author comes a pulse-pounding thriller about justice, vengeance and the roads that lead us home. No one gets this big without amazing natural storytelling talent - which is what Jim has, in spades — LEE CHILD Cross Rivers is the kind of small town where everyone knows your name – and your secrets. Silas Tucker...
    Paperback
    $3000
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Every Lake
    Scary stories are fun... until your life becomes one. When Alice was fifteen, her father killed Mia Heywood in their lakefront cottage before vanishing into the trees. At least that's what the locals think happened. Over a decade later, Alice has lost her job as a journalist, she's going through an expensive divorce and she desperately needs to sell the...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Nautilus
    New Release
    Nautilus
    The follow-up to the bestselling novel The Turing Protocol. Nautilus is a machine with the astonishing power to send messages eight weeks back in time. Its users must follow a set of protocols established by its inventor, Alan Turing, including that it can only be used by a descendant of his family, and only to avert global disasters. But what...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Cold River
    New Release
    Cold River
    The sensational new novel from the author of the bestselling thriller, The Creeper, winner of the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction 2025. Deep in the mountains, secrets grow deadly... Detective Constable Sally White knows how easily hikers can go missing in Victoria's high country. But there's something about the disappearance of Louis Taylor, a young man lost up...
    Paperback
    $3000
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    It Could Have Been Her
    PREPARE TO BE HOOKED: The no. 1 Sunday Times and MULTI-million-copy bestselling author is back with a brand-new spine tingling thriller. It was the night she almost died. Jane Trevally, newly divorced and feeling a little lost, agrees to accompany a man she doesn't know to his house in the darkest corner of Hampstead Heath. She's offered a drink, goes in, and...
    Paperback
    $3000
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • 26 Beauties
    The twenty-sixth thrilling novel in the globally bestselling Women's Murder Club series. Beautiful young women are disappearing by the dozen. A celebration is cut short when a concerned father crashes Detective Inspector Lindsay Boxer's party. His daughter is missing - and she's not the only one. DI Lindsay Boxer has been tracking a chilling pattern: a Jane Doe washed ashore,...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    The Secrets We Hide
    The stunning new North Falls thriller by the bestselling author of We Are All Guilty Here 'Quite simply, Karin Slaughter is the best of us' Dervla McTiernan Welcome back to North Falls -- a small town with big secrets. The house at 1601 Iris Drive looks like any other in the quiet, residential street. But rumours are rife about the Vickery...
    Paperback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    The Parkwood Murders
    They came for an escape, but can they escape a killer? Detective Nicola Bridge returns in another gripping and immersive mystery For its loyal guests, Parkwood Holiday Village in west Dorset is a haven- woodland walks, a tranquil lake, service around the clock. Until, just after midsummer, a body is found floating in the swimming pool. Detective Nicola Bridge, exhausted...
    Paperback
    $3000
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Hope Rises
    'BALDACCI IS STILL PEERLESS' - THE SUNDAY TIMES REVENGE IS A DISH BEST SERVED COLD . . . Walter Nash, working under the alias of Dillon Hope, is on the road to revenge after becoming an informant for the FBI against a global criminal operation headed up by Victoria Steers. Steers has ripped everything Nash held dear away from him....
    Paperback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Slash
    A year after a brutal shootout left her lover dead, ex-police sergeant Honey Chalmers is a hot mess, drinking too much and eating too little, working casual gigs for a shady firm of private investigators — while holding conversations with a ghost. A desperate father asks her to investigate his missing son — a double-murder suspect last seen during the...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • A River Red With Blood
    The players call it the Game, and its aim is simple: to abduct and kill a stranger without getting caught. They're very good at it. They've been playing it for a long time. And they can keep playing as long as everyone sticks to the rules: No Killing Close to Home and No Killing Outside the Game. But those rules...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.