To solve a case of murder may take the vigilance of a cat - or the formidable detective team of Qwilleran, Koko and Yum Yum

In the small town of Pickax an accident has claimed the life of the local paper's eccentric publisher, but to Jim Qwilleran and his Siamese cats Koko and Yum Yum it smells like murder. They soon sniff out a shocking secret - but Koko's snooping into an unusual edition of Shakespeare may prove catastrophic. Because somewhere in Pickax a lady loves not wisely but too well, a widow is scandalously merry, and a stranger has a lean and hungry look. The stage is set for Qwilleran, Koko, Yum Yum and the second act of murder most meow...