Lilian Jackson Braun

Pickax loves a big occasion. The Great Food "Explo" is about to begin, introducing new restaurants, country inns, and food specialty shops. Lurking in the background, though, is a killer determined to make this an event Pickax City will never forget.

Times are changing in Pickax, and it all makes for some newsworthy notes for the "Qwill Pen"....

Autumn has arrived, and the citizens of Pickax find themselves amid a clamor of activity....

Persuaded by Polly Duncan, his beloved companion, to join her in a group tour of Scotland, Qwill expects to revel in his Scottish heritage while keeping Polly safe from the Pickax Prowler. Instead, his trip is cut short when a thief swipes a suitcase.

Qwill has his work cut out for him as Pickax, as foreshadowed by Koko, is about to be hit by a bombshell....

When Qwill's friend becomes the chief suspect, he embarks on a crusade to clear Dennis Hough's name....

Persuaded by Polly Duncan, his beloved companion, to join her in a group tour of Scotland, Qwill expects to revel in his Scottish heritage while keeping Polly safe from the Pickax Prowler.

Soon after banker Willard Carmichael and his young bride arrive in Pickax, a string of petty burglaries follow. Though the clues are as elusive as a cat burglar, the suspicious Qwill and his feline companions, Koko and Yum Yum, are determined to catch a thief—and a killer.

When Jim Qwilleran's friend Polly decides to spend two weeks on vacation with an old girlfriend in Oregon, he finds himself at a loose end—but not for long. A visit from Nick Bamba brings news of a hotbed of mystery....

Jim Qwilleran has officially inherited a fortune and his freedom, which leaves him with a serious dilemma: What should he do next? Seeking a place of peace and isolation to make up his mind, he heads to the Potato Mountains for the summer. But Qwill lands in the middle of controversy....

Soon after banker Willard Carmichael and his young bride arrive in Pickax, a string of petty burglaries follow. Then Willard meets his demise—an apparent victim of a mugging—and the banker's home restoration project goes to the widow's cousin....

When Jim Qwilleran's friend Polly decides to spend two weeks on vacation with an old girlfriend in Oregon, he finds himself at a loose end—but not for long. A visit from Nick Bamba brings news of a mystery. Nick and his wife fear that their new venture won't see out one summer....

After five years of legal wrangling, Jim Qwilleran has officially inherited his fortune. He looks to seek isolation in the Potato Mountains to contemplate his future....

When an affluent railcar owner disappears with millions of dollars belonging to Moose County investors, international police launch an intense search for the fugitive....

The Great Food Expo was meant to introduce new restaurants, country inns, and food specialty shops...

Back in Pickax, Jim Qwilleran expects to resume a quiet life, but the people and animals of Pickax have other ideas. Worst of all, Qwill finds a body in his apple orchard.