Jim Qwillerman and his feline sleuthing companions search for a motive to the murder of Harley Fitch and his pregnant wife Belle in the isolated community of Picka.

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 eing fat cats in an enormous mansion, Qwilleran samples the life styles of the rich and famous by hiring a staff of eccentric servants.

Qwill and his cats vacation in Mooseville, but when the carpenter he hires disappears, he begins to investigate what may be a serial killer's plan to wipe out the area's woodworkers.